Seattle Mariners - 5 questions

[Dr. Jack]

Seattle Mariners


1: Where will the runs come from? Despite all of the strides the Mariners made in 2009, they actually regressed offensively. After scoring a paltry 671 runs in 2008 they managed to score just 640 in 2009, good enough for 28th in the majors. The offseason saw the departure of key contributors 3B Adrian Beltre (.265, 8 HR, 44 RBI in 2009) and 1B Russell Branyan (.251, 31 HR, 76 RBI). So how will the Mariners make up for and hopefully improve upon that production? They will attempt to do that in a number of ways. Seattle signed 3B Chone Figgins (.298, 183 H, 54 RBI) from division rival Los Angeles, traded for OF Milton Bradley (.257, 12 HR, 40 RBI), and 1B Casey Kotchman (.268, 7 HR, 46 RBI). While none of these players are true RBI machines, they are all solid hitters. The M's hope Bradley and Kotchman, coming off of down years in 2009, regain their stroke and combine with 2B Jose Lopez (.272, 25 HR, 96 RBI) and CF Franklin Gutierrez (.283, 18 HR, 70 RBI) to form a more potent offense in 2010.


2: How good can the starting rotation be? The 2010 Mariners arguably sport the best one-two punch at the top of any major league rotation. RHP Felix Hernandez (19-5, 2.49 ERA, 217 K), aptly referred to as “King Felix”, is one of the best young pitchers in the game. Hernandez, who will turn 24 this year, finished 2nd in AL Cy Young voting in 2009 and was rewarded with a contract extension through the 2014 season that will pay him over $15M per year. Added to the rotation is 2008 AL Cy Young Award winner LHP Cliff Lee (14-13, 3.22 ERA). Lee, acquired via trade from the Philadelphia, is coming off of a 2009 postseason that saw him put on some heroic pitching exhibitions. Filling out the rotation for the start of the season is LHP Ryan Rowland-Smith (5-4, 3.74 ERA in 15 starts) who displayed great promise in the second half of 2009, RHP Ian Snell (7-10, 4.84 ERA) who pitched well after being acquired from the Pirates, going 5-2 in 12 starts, and RHP Doug Fister (3-4, 4.13 ERA in 10 starts). The rotation has a chance to get even better in the second half of the season if LHP Erik Bedard (5-3, 2.82 ERA, 15 starts in 2009) can successfully return from shoulder surgery.


3: How will LF Milton Bradley handle life in Seattle? Perennial malcontent OF Milton Bradley has a new team in 2010, his 9th in 11 seasons. An under performer in 2009, Bradley drew the ire of both Cubs management and the Wrigley Field faithful, which led to an offseason quest to trade the outfielder and his $10 million per year contract. Seattle, in dire need of offense, stepped up and sent RHP Carlos Silva to the Cubs for the troubled hitter. Hoping a change of scenery and the leadership of Manager Don Wakamatsu will be beneficial to Bradley, the Mariners need him to be a steady RBI producer for this lackluster offense.


4: Is this DH Ken Griffey Jr.'s last season? Ken Griffey Jr. is the greatest Mariner ever and a surefire Hall of Famer. His career offensive production is matched by few and he was one of the saviors of the game following the 1994 players strike. “Junior”, now 40, returned to his original team in 2009. While he is as beloved as ever, as a player he is only a shadow of his former self. In 117 games in 2009, Griffey hit .214 with 19 HR and 57 RBI, his lowest output in a season in which he played over 100 games. Now just a part-time player and with dwindling production, it seems likely that this will be the last season for this all-time great.


5: Where will the Mariners finish the season? No team may be entering the 2010 season surrounded by as much hype as the Mariners. Coming of an 85-77 2009 season, bigger and better things are expected in Seattle in 2010. While the rotation has clearly improved, offense still remains a huge question. If the Mariners improve production at the plate, they will challenge for the division title in 2010. You can find the Mariners at 8/1 to win the American League and at 16/1 to win the World Series over at BetJamaica.