FINAL GRADES: JT Chargois Second Stint With Seattle Mariners Might Go Longer
The Seattle Mariners will have a lot of familiar faces in 2025, but there will be some new players for fans to get used to, as well.
As for who those new faces will be and how many there will be, that's still to be determined.
The Mariners have several positions on offense that they need to fill before Opening Day. But the biggest turnover on the roster might be the bullpen.
Seattle has five relievers up for arbitration in 2025 and several of them will likely be non-tendered. In the same breath, the team will bring several of those hurlers back in an effort as to not completely re-tool the front-end of the bullpen.
One of those pitchers up for arbitration is JT Chargois.
The ninth-year hurler was traded to the Mariners from the Miami Marlins on July 30. It was his second stint with Seattle after playing 31 games with the Mariners in 2021.
And strictly based off his 2024, Chargois' current stint in the Pacific Northwest might end up being a lot longer this time round.
JT Chargois by the numbers
Pitching stats: 2.23 ERA, 36 appearances (21 with Seattle), 2-1 record, 36.1 innings pitched, 30 strikeouts, 1.02 WHIP, .183 opp. BA, 0.9 WAR
Advanced pitching stats: 4.55 xERA, .244 xBA, 25.7% Chase, 23.7% Whiff, 4.90 FIP, 7.43 K/9, 78.3% LOB
What I liked
The reason for the Mariners acquiring Chargois was pretty clear. He's a primary sinker, slider pitcher who generates whiffs and weak contact resulting in a lot of ground-outs.
And that's exactly what Chargois did.
Chargois threw his sinker 55.2% of the time and his slider at a 43.1% clip according to Baseball Savant. He had a 27% put-away rate on his sinker and a 33.3% whiff rate on his sinker. Opposing hitters didn't average better than .206 against either throws.
His groundball percentage (36.6%) was below his career average of 50.2% according to FanGraphs, but he still was as steady a hand as there was in the bullpen.
Chargois also teetered the edge between being used in low-leverage spots and high-leverage situations and was steady in whatever capacity Seattle used him in.
Having a veteran presence in the bullpen that is capable of doing their job is extremely valuable. And Chargois filled that role and still managed to step up when Yimi Garcia's suffered a season-ending injury.
Best game
Highlighting my earlier point about Chargois being capable in whatever role the team needed him in was in a 5-4 win against the Texas Rangers on Sept. 13.
It was Chargois' seventh appearance in two weeks and he was called in the eighth inning to help preserve the back-end of the bullpen. Seattle used its high-leverage relievers frequently in its final playoff push.
Chargois struckout the side in order in his one inning pitched. It was just the second time in Chargois' career that he accomplished that feat and the first time in five years. Chargois threw 14 pitches (10 strikes) and earned the win in the process.
Future prospects
As mentioned before, Chargois is up for arbitration in 2025. He's estimated to earn $2.32 million in arbitration, according to Spotrac.
Chargois is on the upper end of projected cost for relievers up for arbitration. Austin Voth is the only team bullpen arm that's projected to earn more than Chargois according to Spotrac.
The reason why Chargois' odds of returning to the team are so split down the middle is the combination of his cost and his age.
The Mariners will already have to pay Julio Rodriguez $8 million more in 2025 than 2024. And they have contract extensions to Cal Raleigh and Logan Gilbert to consider. They also still have to find three starting-caliber players for first base, second base and third base.
Despite Chargois' solid surface numbers, his advanced statistics dipped in 2025. He'll enter his 10th season in the majors in 2025. His age and the cost to retain might lead Seattle to look in-house to find a replacement for him in the bullpen.
But there's also an argument to be had that Chargois was the best of all the arbitration-eligible relievers. The Mariners could reward him for his solid stretch with the team by bringing him back in 2025. Chargois also enjoys Seattle and likely wouldn't mind returning next season.
"I'm just thankful to be back here," Chargois said on Sept. 14. "It's a great team, great organization, it's a beautiful ballpark. The summer is absolutely beautiful here in Seattle and it's very special to be playing meaningful baseball late in the year. Always is. So I'm grateful."
Final Grade: B-minus
B-minus: Chargois was steady and consistent for the Mariners in 2024. And for that, he earns the latest in a series of "B" grades bestowed to the Seattle pitching staff.
Chargois received a huge benefit from the defense in 2024. There was a 2.67 difference between his ERA (2.23) and FIP (4.90).
But the Mariners knew what pitcher Chargois was when they traded for him. Even Chargois said in the interview on Sept. 14 that he's not a "big strikeout guy." But he did exactly what Seattle tasked him to do.
The Mariners likely won't need to depend on Chargois as much in high-leverage spots in 2025 with Gregory Santos (presumably) healthy and Matt Brash estimated to return by July. Eduard Bazardo also showed flashes of back-end capability and there's prospects like Travis Kuhn and Hunter Cranton in the minor leagues.
But there's very little replacement for versatility and experience. Chargois has both. And he would continue to be an asset for the bullpen in 2025, even if he's used less in critical scenarios.
Related Stories on Seattle Mariners
FINAL GRADES ON EDUARD BAZARDO: It was a small sample size, but Eduard Bazardo might have shown enough at the end of the year to earn a vote of confidence going forward. CLICK HERE
FINAL GRADES ON TRENT THORNTON: Trent Thornton proved valuable for the Seattle Mariners in 2024 and could be back with the team in 2025 despite the possibility of being non-tendered. CLICK HERE
FINAL GRADES ON TROY TAYLOR: Troy Taylor was the Seattle Mariners best rookie in 2024 and he looks to have secured a spot on the major league roster for the foreseeable future. CLICK HERE
Follow Seattle Mariners on SI on social media
Continue to follow our Inside the Mariners coverage on social media by liking us on Facebook and by following Teren Kowatsch and Brady Farkas on "X" @Teren_Kowatsch and @wdevradiobrady. You can subscribe to the "Refuse to Lose" podcast by clicking HERE.
