MLB Season Preview: Seattle Mariners

Seattle Mariners


Last Season's Standings: In 2006, the Seattle Mariners were 78-84, including .500 in their last ten games to finish dead last in the AL West.

In: SP Miguel Batista (prev. team: Arizona Diamondbacks); RF Jose Guillen (prev. team: Washington Nationals); RP Justin Lehr (prev. team: Milwaukee Brewers); RP Chris Reitsma (prev. team: Atlanta Braves); RP Arthur Rhodes (prev. team: Philadelphia Phillies); RP Aaron Small (prev. team: NY Yankees); SP Jeff Weaver (prev. team: St. Louis Cardinals); SP Jim Parque; RP Horacio Ramirez (via trade w/Atlanta Braves); DH Ben Broussard; 3B Sean Burroughs (prev. team: Tampa Bay Devil Rays); 2B Jose Vidro (via trade w/ Washington Nationals); SP Sean White (via trade w/ Pittsburgh Pirates)

Out: LF Chris Snelling (via trade w/ Washington Nationals); RP Emiliano Fruto (via trade w/ Washington Nationals); RP Rafael Soriano (via trade w/ Atlanta Braves); RP Francisco Cruceta (new team: Texas Rangers); RP Jeff Harris (new team: Cleveland Indians); SP Gil Meche (new team: Kansas City Royals); 1B Eduardo Perez (new team: Chicago White Sox); SP Joel Pineiro (new team: Boston Red Sox); C Guillermo Quiroz (new team: Texas Rangers)

Starting Pitching: The ace of this staff will be youngster Felix Hernandez. The past few seasons, the Mariners have limited him to 200 innings and have been very careful not to injure him by overworking him; expect more of the same in 2007. Hernandez went 12-14 with a 4.52 ERA in 31 stats last season. This young pitcher can get a little flustered when runners are aboard and has had some first-inning jitters. Left-handed batters show a lot of power when facing him. Southpaw Jarrod Wasshburn will follow in the rotation. He was 8-14 with a 4.67 ERA in 31 starts last season. Washburn has a bad habit of leaving the ball out over the middle of the plate, which is the equivalent of setting the ball on a tee for big-league hitters. Also, he gets too work up and loses his smarts. Horacio Ramirez will pitch 3rd in the rotation and will be looking to prove he's over the finger injury that caused him to miss the final 2 and a half months plus a week of the season. He also missed a further month to a pulled hamstring. In 14 starts last season, he went 5-5 with a 4.48 ERA. To be successful, Ramirez needs to just pitch the ball and not try to be too fine with location, as well as not to over-throw the ball. Ex-Jays pitcher Miguel Batista is heading back to the AL, to pitch in the northwest. He'll likely be a reliable 4th starter for the Mariners. Batistsa was 11-8 with a 4.58 ERA in 33 starts last season. Batista has great intelligence that he can use to get into the hitters' heads causing them to hit the ball when they don't want to; possesses a great cut fastballthat he uses asan out pitch. However, Batista's intelligence can also be a negative especially when he over-thinks on the mound; at his worst he'll leave the ball up in the zone and those pitches get hit hard, usually over the wall. Finally, as a fifth starter, the Mariners will be running out veteran Jeff Weaver. Weaver has great control and can release the ball from different arm angles, keeping the batters off-balance. Sometimes Weaver fogets his grip on his breaking ball and tends to let things get to him a little too much on the mound. He went 8-14 with a 5.76 ERA in 31 starts in 2006.

Bullpen: Big rightie J.J. Putz will be the anchor of this youthful bullpen and will close things out in the ninth of close games. He saved 36 games, had a further record of 4-1 with a 2.30 earned run average in 2006. Putz will get you out will a mid-90's fastball and a knee-knocking curve; has a deceptive delivery. Putz loses his effectiveness after about fifteen pitches and struggles when facing a left-handed batter. If the Mariners can get to the ninth with a lead, most nights Putz will slam the door shut. The left-handed specialist will be George Sherril, who went 2-4 with one save and a 4.20 ERA in 72 appearances last season. Sherrill has a low-90's fastball, a good slider and a mediocre change. His deceptive delivery makes him tough on both righties and lefties. In the past Sherrill has struggled with his weight and his mediocre change leads to trouble against righties. He tends to wear down late in the season and is unable to effectively pitch on consecutive days. Julio Mateo missed a month of last season to a broken right hand and a further 2 weeks to a shoulder injury. He'll be looking to prove to the coaching staff that he's healthy again and ready to assume the role of set-up man from the right side to Putz. He went 9-4 with a 4-19 ERA in 48 games played last season. Look for Mateo to come into the ball game in the eighth inning primarily. Mateo is a power pitcher who is effective against hitters from either side. He loses some power when runners are aboard and can't hold those runners on base. Rookie Eric O'Flaherty is vying for a second lefty-specialist role, but is likely to wind-up in AAA Tacoma for further fine tuning. He had a 4.09 ERA in 15 appearances as a September call-up last season. Rookie Sean Green will likely be forced in as a middle reliever this season as the Mariners. He had a 4.50 ERA in 24 appearances as a September call-up last season. Rookie Sean White is in training camp mostly to show the coaching staff how he has progressed from last season, but at best he'll start in Tacoma and be a September call-up. Rigghtie Jon Huber is trying to be a middle reliever in the M's 'pennd should get the role to start the season. He was 2-1 with a 1.20 ERA in 16 appearances as a September call-up last season. Veteran middle-setup man rightie reliever Chris Reitsma will not be ready for game action until aeound the all-star break at the earliest after Tommy John surgery last July. He was 1-2 with a brutal 8.68 ERA in 24 appearances last season. Reitsma has a low-90's fastball and good control of his off-speed stuff. Reitsma can hold runners at bay when they are in scoring position. Left-handed hitters just pound him and he needs a couple of days in between appearances to be most effective. Arthur Rhodes is also coming off elbow problems last season. He'll be a very effective setup man when he returns. He went 0-5 with a 5.32 ERA in 55 appearances last season. Rhodes possesses a mid-90's fastball, a curve and an ever-improving change-up in his arsenal. Rhodes loves to use the high heat, and when he uses it too often that's when he gets in trouble. Rhodes is prone to the long ball and doesn't hold runners on very well. Lefty Jake Woods will serve as a middle/long man while making spot starts when needed. He went 7-4 with a 4.20 ERA in 37 appearances, eight of those being a start, in 2006. He has good movement of his three pitches (90 MPH fastball, curve and change-up). His curve is his out pitch and is equally effective when facing a batter from the left side and a batter from the right side. Woods has lapses in control and gets hit hardest in the first inning, often putting his team behind. Finally, rookie rightie Cha Seung Baek. In 6 appearances as a September call-up last season, Baek went 4-1 with a 3.67 earned run average last season. He's coming off a serious triceps injury and will likely start the season in AAA Tacoma for more experience and some possible rehab. Command and sound mechanics are Baek's biggests assets. He throws a few different curves, a slider, change and low-90's heater. He'll be a second option for spot starts and when not starting will be a middle reliever. As a starter he needs to work on his stamina. He lacks a dominant pitch and needs to work on his performance against lefties.

Designated Hitter: The injury-prone Jose Vidro will be looking to be the most effective DH since Edgar Martinez retired in 2004. He missed a month of the season to a pulled hamstring in 2006. He hit .289 with 7 HR and 47 RBI last season. He'll bat 6th in the line-up and play between 125 and 135 games if healthy. Vidro has an excellent line drive swing with ocassional power and can hit from either side of the plate. He lacks speed and still needs to work more pitchers for free passes. The left-handed power hitting Ben Broussard will also see some games at DH. Broussard hit .289 with 21 HR and 63 RBI lat season. He's not afraid to take a walk and can hit the ball to all fields. Breaking balls and southpaws give Broussard fits.

Catcher: Japanese phenom Kenji Johjima is entering his second season in America and will be looking to build on his fine rookie season in which he hit .291 with 18 HR and 76 RBI. Hereally showed why the Mariners were soo keen on inking him to a deal. He'll bat 8th and play between 135 and 145 games if healthy. Johjima consistently hits line drives to the gaps with good power and is stellar defensively, especially when it comes to throwing out runners. Johjima has very little power when facing a southpaw and rarely takes a walk, just twenty times last season. Rene Rivera ill provide the back-up and should be entering his first full season in the majors. He hit .152 with 2 HR and 4 RBI in 2006. He'll need to put up better numbers if he wants to see his stock rise.

First Baseman: Richie Sexson will be the every day first baseman for the Mariners. He hit .264 with 34 HR and drove in 107 runs in 2006. Sexson adds some pop from the right side due to a quick swing. He has become more patuent at the plate over the years and has learned to fend off the inside fastball. Sexson has a big target at first base and can play the position with considerable agility. He strikes out very frequently (154 times last season). Sexson will bat third and play 155+ games if healthy. Ben Broussard, who doesn't possess much defensive ability, will provide the back-up.

Second Baseman: Batting 2nd and playing between 150-155 games if healthy will be the young Jose Lopez. He hit .282 with 10 HR and 79 RBI last season. Lopez uses tremendous baseball instincts on defense and offense. He's a contact hitter with a little power; while displaying a strong arm and good range in the infield. He'll be valuable for years to come. Backing him up will be utility man Willie Bloomquist. He batted .241 with 1 HR and 15 RBI last season. Bloomquist's best assets are his intangibles (desire, work ethics, instincts). He's a strong base runner and good defender around the infield and outfield. Unfortunately, none of his tangible tools are great. Most of his offensive skills come when facing a rightie.

Shortstop: The speedy Yuniesky Betancourt will get the bulk of the starts at shortstop. He hit .289 with 8 HR and 47 RBI in 2006. Betancourt will likely bat 9th in the line-up and play 155+ games if healthy. He is a line drive hitter who uses his speed to his advantage around the bases, although he could stand to work on his base-stealing (stole just 10 bases last season despite having speed to burn). He's a good and versatile defender. Betancourt could stand to be more consistent against righties and with runners in scoring position. Bloomquist will be the back-up.

Third Baseman: At the hot corner is clean-up hitter and power hitter Adrian Beltre. He hit .268 with 25 HR and 89 RBI last season. Beltre has the speed to both steal bases and turn long singles into doubles. He's powerful and knows how to cash in runners. He shows little patience at the plate and doesn't have the mental toughness to come through in the clutch. His defense is still not refined. Bloomquist will back him up.

Left Fielder: Raul Ibanez will bat 5th in the line-up and play 155+ games if healthy. Ibanez hit .289 with 33 HR and 123 RBI last season. He has good power and a knack for driving in runners in scoring position. He doesn't strike out as much as you'd expect from a slugger of his calibre. The power Ibanez possesses is non-existent when facing a southpaw. Defensively he struggles no matter where he plays. Rookie Mike Morse should get his first full season in the majors as a corner outfielder back-up/4th outfielder. Morse hit an impressive .372 with 11 RBI last season. He has some power at the plate and hits righties and lefties equally well. However, he needs to be more disciplined at the plate and has trouble when facing tricky finesse pitchers; doesn't have a lot of range.

Center Fielder: Leading off and playing virtually every game will be speedster Ichiro Suzuki. He hit .322 with 9 HR and 49 RBI last season. He also stole an impressive 45 bases. He possesses a smooth, quick swing that produces line drives. He has te ability to drive the ball to all fields. Suzuki is a great run producer, has blazing speed and plays a superb outfield with an otherwordly throwing arm. Backing him up will be Jeremy Reed. He hit .217 with 6 HR and 17 RBI in 2006. Reed is an excellent contact hitter who hits line drives and burns up the bases. Reed plays hard and has ocassional power. He still has work to do on his defensive game in center field. The coaching staff would like to see a little more power out of him and he struggles against southpaws. Bloomquist is a third option in center field, but will likely only be used if an injury occurs.

Right Fielder: Finally Jose Guillen will play between 115 and 125 games if healthy and will bat 7th. Guillen batted .216 wth 9 HR and 40 RBI last season. He has great raw power with the ability to spray the ball all over the park and over all fences. Defensively, his arm ranks among the best in the game. Although he's made huge strides as an everyday player over the years, he's a clubhouse liability because of his bad temper. Guillen doesn't walk enough (just 15 times last season). Ichiro and Morse will provide the back-up.

Season Prediction: The Mariners will be a small-ball club, with a few players providing some pop in the line-up. Ultimately how they fare this season will come down to how well their youthful bullpen performs and how well their starters pitch. They may struggle to score as well, but they should manufacture ample runs, if their players perform to their potential. I believe the Mariners will finish in the basement of the AL West.