PEORIA, Ariz. -- Shortly after he underwent his physical but before he threw his first bullpen session and sat down with the Mariners¡¯ pitching brain trust to discuss his role, Ryne Stanek was thrust into wildly unfamiliar territory upon arriving at the Peoria Sports Complex on Sunday.

A spelling bee, the latest quirky component to manager Scott Servais¡¯ morning meetings -- which just so happened to take place the morning that Stanek finalized a one-year, $4 million contract that includes $2 million in performance incentives.

¡°I like that the clubhouse is loose,¡± the reliever said. ¡°And I think that comes with a young team. Like, you have to keep it loose.¡±

Stanek, 32, is an eighth-year veteran who knows the Mariners well, albeit from afar, after spending the past three seasons as a setup man in Houston.

He arrives as the latest addition to a bullpen that¡¯s seen minor, albeit notable, injuries to two high-leverage relievers (Matt Brash and Gregory Santos) and season-ending elbow surgery to a new piece who was a frontrunner to make the team (Jackson Kowar), which has created a few unforeseen holes as Seattle¡¯s front office constructs its Opening Day roster.

Stanek, who threw a side session on Sunday, has maintained a throwing progression that shouldn¡¯t impede his status for Opening Day.

¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a thing or don¡¯t think that¡¯s a worry,¡± he said.

The Mariners communicated with Stanek throughout the offseason, but the late timing of his signing signaled that the club perhaps didn¡¯t see the urgency to bring him in until more uncertainty cropped up within their bullpen.

Yet, with Brash and Santos expected back in mid-April, a relief corps that¡¯s been among the American League¡¯s best the past three years appears to be restocked with proven power arms, when considering incumbents Andr¨¦s Mu?oz and Gabe Speier are also in the mix.

¡°We have a lot of velocity,¡± Servais said. ¡°And if we get everybody healthy, we have a [expletive] ton of velocity.¡±

Indeed, Stanek has ranked in the 96th percentile or higher in fastball velocity every season since 2017 (other than the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign), per Statcast, sitting at 98.2 mph last season. He pairs the heat with a biting splitter that¡¯s his best secondary pitch, having held hitters to a .189 batting average and .297 slugging percentage while generating whiffs on 46.8% of swings. He also has a slider that he used just as much but that was hit often last season, for a .296 batting average and .519 slugging percentage.

Compared to Seattle¡¯s top relievers, who primarily lean on two-seam fastballs and sliders, Stanek brings a different look, with the four-seam/split combo, making him a prime candidate for pockets against lefties.

¡°He's pitched at a high level in leverage roles for teams that are competing for the World Series,¡± Mariners general manager Justin Hollander said. ¡°And when you're in big moments, having experience both for yourself and for the other guys around there, I think is valuable.¡±

Stanek is eager to see what the Mariners¡¯ pitching lab can uncover within his arsenal, given their recent success stories with relievers, and particularly after he¡¯s coming off a season where his results weren¡¯t as strong.

Stanek carried a 4.09 ERA (103 ERA+, where league average is 100) and a 1.243 WHIP, with a 23.9% strikeout rate, and 9.9% walk rate. He gave up eight homers, and opponents slashed .221/.301/.390 (.690 OPS) against him. Some of those numbers were pronounced by a few runaway outings, as he was scoreless in 40 of his 55 appearances.

In 2022, he was among MLB¡¯s best relievers, with a 1.15 ERA (333 ERA+) and a 1.226 WHIP, with a 27.7% K rate and 13.3% walk rate while holding hitters to a .556 OPS, also helping Houston win the World Series.

Speaking of, he also was asked about the Mariners¡¯ brewing rivalry with the Astros, which has led to a few tense moments -- as recently as last September.

¡°From the other dugout, it was very contentious,¡± Stanek said, laughing.

¡°Everybody [here] has been super welcoming. So yeah, it's been fun so far. It's weird coming into a clubhouse in-division, where you feel like you know everybody, even though you've not met them. Like, I came in the clubhouse, and everybody said hi, and they're like, ¡®Hey, glad to have you, glad you're on our side now.¡¯¡±