3/30/23

The moment all of us had waited so long for finally came last October when Cal Raleigh hit a walkoff home run to end the long playoff drought and sent the Mariners into the postseason. Now we never have to hear about the drought ever again…hopefully.

The question is what now? Well that answer is how do the Mariners close the gap between themselves and the Houston Astros to try to win the AL West and get to the franchise’s first World Series ever. And while popular opinion is that the team didn’t spend enough in the offseason, they clearly improved their areas of weakness without sacrificing their strengths while also saving money to make a potential run at a certain Japanese megastar in the offseason. We won’t get into that but lets take a look at what the Mariners added and lost this offseason.

Subtractions

Mitch Haniger- Probably the loss that M’s fans felt the most was Mitch Haniger leaving in free agency to sign with the San Francisco Giants. Haniger was one of the most consistent players in his six seasons in Seattle. The only issue was that Haniger wasn’t on the field as often as fans would have liked. Haniger played in 100+ games only twice in his stint with Seattle but was the heart of the rebuild that finally took the Mariners to the postseason. He promised that they would end the drought and helped deliver on that promise which will make him a Seattle favorite forever.

Adam Frazier- Frazier definitely had a disappointing 2022 campaign and I think he would be the first to admit it. However, when you look at everything the Mariners asked of him especially playing in the outfield, he wasn’t a total bust. Frazier was awesome in the Wild Card series in Toronto and delivered the go ahead double in the game two comeback. It just didn’t work out but there are some fun Frazier moments M’s fans can look back on while he heads to Baltimore.

Erik Swanson- The first guy to leave didn’t have a say in the matter as the reliever was traded to Toronto for Seattle’s biggest offseason acquisition. Swanson’s best season of his career came in 2022 which was his fourth season in Seattle. Originally a part of the trade that sent James Paxton to the Bronx, Swanson was the best return piece for the M’s. After turning into a reliever, Swanson came into his own and showed that he can be a very good setup man in the 8th inning. He will be remembered for only pitching one inning in the playoffs despite being one of the best bullpen arms in 2022.

Jesse Winker- Now we get to a very interesting one. Jesse Winker was traded to Milwaukee along with Abraham Toro in exchange for Kolten Wong. Winker came to Seattle from Cincinnati along with Eugenio Suarez and was supposed to be the big piece in that trade. A lackluster season on the field coupled with clubhouse turmoil made it clear that the Mariners had to get rid of the outfielder. Everyone will remember him for the brawl in Anaheim, but if you want a little happier of a memory, remember he was part of the back-to-back-to-back home runs in Oakland with Julio Rodriguez and Suarez.

Abraham Toro- The other piece of the trade to Milwaukee, Abraham Toro seemed to have a roller-coaster of a stint with the Mariners in his year and a half with the club. Part of the controversial trade that sent Kendall Graveman and Rafael Montero to Houston, Toro really shined late in 2021 to quiet down the upset Mariner fans. 2022 saw glimpses of that Toro but was a regression in almost every category. I think Toro was a piece that was thrown in to add value to the package to get Wong to Seattle. We will always have the memories of Abraham Toro destroying his former club whenever Houston and Seattle met in 2021.

Carlos Santana- Only about 3/4 of a season with the club but my oh my did Carlos Santana make an impression. Countless clutch home runs and sparking the comeback in Toronto made Santana a favorite in Seattle for his short time there, although it was longer than his first stint in Seattle which lasted only lasted 10 days in December 2018. His domination of Toronto both in the regular season and the postseason were my personal favorite moments since the M’s and Blue Jays are pretty much rivals at this point. Santana asked Rick Rizzs if he thought Santana helped the Mariners out in 2022. I speak on behalf of all Mariner fans when I say he absolutely did.

Luis Torrens- After a really strong 2021 season, Torrens came back down to earth a little bit in 2022. While his playing time was cut in half, the power just wasn’t there for Torrens last season. He did make Mariners history by becoming the first position player to record a win on the mound in an October doubleheader. That walkoff base hit in the 13th inning against the Yankees is what I will always remember Torrens for as he joins the Chicago Cubs.

Kyle Lewis- Another one that feels disappointing but was obviously best for both sides was the Mariners trading former AL Rookie of the Year Kyle Lewis to Arizona. A career that has been plagued by injuries for Lewis needed some change to see if he could get back to that 2020 form. Hopefully K-Lew can find his swagger in the desert because when he is good he is so fun to watch. His monster home runs against the Reds in 2019 and his domination of Justin Verlander were incredible moments but I know all Mariner fans just want to see this kid get a chance to play and stay healthy.

Others- Curt Casali, Ken Giles, Matthew Boyd- Ken Giles never really saw the field for the M’s due to injuries and Curt Casali never got going for the M’s either aside from his home run right after becoming a father. Matthew Boyd did have one of the most emotional moments for the team in 2022. The hometown kid gave an emotional interview after the Mariners ended the playoff drought and every viewer felt the same emotion that poured out of Boyd in that moment. Matthew Boyd represented all of us fans in that interview and that got me right in the heart.

Additions

Teoscar Hernandez- The biggest acquisition for the Mariners this winter was Teoscar Hernandez who came over from Toronto for Erik Swanson. The former All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger will replace Haniger in right field this season and while the defense isn’t quite up to Haniger’s level, the bat is and Hernandez will hopefully be on the field more. Aside from the Covid shortened season, Hernandez has hit 20+ home runs in the last four full seasons and the lowest slugging percentage of his career came with Houston in 2016 when he played in just 41 games. That slugging percentage was .420. That mark would have had him sixth on the Mariners in that category and that is so far his floor.  His best year was in 2021 when he hit 32 home runs and recorded 116 RBIs while slugging .524. Expect a lot of pop in the middle of this order with Hernandez joining Suarez and Raleigh.

Kolten Wong- How many times have we talked about a Mariners acquisition coming off a down year defensively? We just did last year with Eugenio Suarez. Infield coach Perry Hill always gets those guys to bounce back and look better than ever and if that is the case for Kolten Wong then Jerry Dipoto performed another heist. The two-time gold glove winner is coming off a down year on defense but is also coming off his two best seasons offensively. Wong will be the leadoff man for the M’s which will see Julio drop to #3 and get more at bats with runners on. Wong will also be able to get some rest with Dylan Moore available (after a short IL stint) but it feels like a massive year is coming for Wong. The pressure is really off of the Hawaiian, which will allow him to focus on himself and just do his thing.

AJ Pollock- Here is my sneaky good pickup of the season. AJ Pollock is a veteran that knows how to hit lefties. What makes that so good? He can platoon with Jarred Kelenic in left field. That can allow Kelenic to focus on hitting right handers and get that part of his game down which has been solid in his career. Pollock can mash the lefties and gives that veteran leadership as well. If Pollock has a good season, then Kelenic will have a good season and might turn into the guy that Mariners fans have hoped for.

Trevor Gott- Gott will be the replacement for Swanson in the bullpen. Gott had a decent season in 2022 but likely won’t be used as much as the other guys in the bullpen. The good news is that Gott does not walk many batters. He will pitch to contact and force batters to earn their way on base. With a good defense behind him, Gott will likely see that ERA drop. He won’t be a shutdown guy, but I don’t see a ton of stress on Mariner fans when he enters the game.

Tommy La Stella- A journeyman, World Series champion that can play anywhere on the infield. That is what Tommy La Stella brings to the PNW. He is going to put the ball in play and if he can see that OBP north of .300, he will be just fine for Seattle. Especially with Dylan Moore on the IL to start the season, expect to see La Stella more than usual in the first month of the season and they will see what they have in the veteran.

Cooper Hummel- Here is my candidate for the Mariners breakout player of the year. Hummel is what the Mariners got in return for Kyle Lewis but Hummel hasn’t seen the field too much in his career. The third catcher on the roster will likely DH more than catch but the young prospect has the potential to turn into a pure hitter. Given playing time and an opportunity to just focus on hitting, Hummel could turn into a healthier version of Kyle Lewis at the plate minus the speed.

Projected Lineup

1. Julio Rodriguez, CF
2. Kolten Wong, 2B
3. Ty France, 1B
4. Teoscar Hernandez, RF
5. Eugenio Suarez, 3B
6. Cal Raleigh, C
7. Jarred Kelenic/AJ Pollock, LF
8. Cooper Hummel/AJ Pollock, DH
9. JP Crawford, SS

Pitching Rotation

1. Luis Castillo, RHP
2. Robbie Ray, LHP
3. Logan Gilbert, RHP
4. Marco Gonzales, LHP
5. George Kirby, RHP

Bullpen

Paul Sewald, RHP
Andreas Munoz, RHP
Diego Castillo, RHP
Matt Brash, RHP
Chris Flexen, RHP
Penn Murfee, RHP
Matt Festa, RHP
Trevor Gott, RHP

AL West Preview

• Houston Astros- I still think Houston is the team to beat in the Amercian League, but the reigning champs look much less formidable. Justin Verlander leaving for Queens and Jose Altuve out to begin the season will test that depth immediately. The rotation when healthy is absolutely disgusting and if the lineup is healthy they can mash with anyone. Yordan Alvarez is an MVP candidate and Alex Bregman is due for a bounce back season. To be the man you have to beat the man and the Astros are still the man in the MLB. The M’s are closing the gap however on Houston.

• Los Angeles Angels- The final year of Shohei Ohtani as an Angel brings a lot of pressure on the Halos. Mike Trout isn’t getting any younger so it is now or never for the Angels. The rotation is where I look to as the reason the Mariners are still ahead of the Halos. They need Anthony Rendon to turn back the clock because if he struggles again, Ohtani might be traded before the end of the season. I think this is a Wild Card team in 2023. The World Baseball Classic jumpstarted Ohtani and Trout and I think the Angels do sneak into the playoffs.

• Texas Rangers- The biggest splash in the AL West in the offseason came deep in the heart of Texas. Jacob deGrom immediately changes the Rangers rotation but adding in Andrew Heaney and Nathan Eovaldi makes this a legit starting rotation joining Martin Perez and Jon Gray. The lineup has a ton of talent from top to bottom and Corey Seager is a dark horse MVP candidate. Marcus Semien came on strong in the 2nd half of 2022 and Nathaniel Lowe is a budding superstar. Health is the X-Factor for the Rangers. The bullpen is concerning although I am sure Bruce Bochte will make the most of it. If deGrom can stay healthy then watch out. That is a big if though.

• Oakland Athletics- Yikes. The A’s don’t even seem to be trying. The offense is horrendous with Sean Murphy leaving. This is just a showcase for other teams to see which A’s they want to trade for at the deadline. Oakland will not see playoff baseball for a very long time and that is because I think they will be moving to Las Vegas. One exciting player to watch is Japanese pitcher Shintaro Fujinami. Other than that, it will be a miserable season for A’s fans.

AL West Standings Predictions

1. Houston Astros (101-61)
2. Seattle Mariners (94-68)
3. Los Angeles Angels (88-74)
4. Texas Rangers (77-85)
5. Oakland Athletics (60-102)

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