Bullpen retention and young arms shape 2027 relief outlook

Taylor Clarke remains a retention priority after a 2.96 ERA and 1.00 WHIP over 73 innings, with no contract update reported. Ryan Thompson’s injury, Brandyn Garcia’s possible expanded role and Justin Martinez’s health shape the relief outlook. In the Oct. 27 AFL recap, Patrick Forbes struck out five in three innings as his sweeper generated whiffs, an encouraging pitch-development sign that does not erase his recurring elbow concerns or limited workload.