2008 Seattle Mariners Outlook
2007: (88-74), 2nd place
Manager: John McClaren (1st full season)
Key Additions -
P - Erik Bedard
P - Carlos Silva
OF - Brad Wilkerson
IF - Miguel Cairo
Key Losses -
OF - Adam Jones (to BAL)
P - George Sherrill (to BAL)
OF - Jose Guillen (to KC)
P - Jeff Weaver (released)
1B - Ben Broussard (to TEX)
Projected Starting Lineup -
C - Kenji Johjima
1B - Richie Sexson
2B - Jose Lopez
SS - Yunieski Betancourt
3B - Adrian Beltre
LF - Raul Ibanez
CF - Ichiro Suzuki
RF - Brad Wilkerson
DH - Jose Vidro
Projected Starting Rotation -
1. Erik Bedard (L)
2. Felix Hernandez (R)
3. Carlos Silva (R)
4. Jarrod Washburn (L)
5. Miguel Batista (R)
CL: J.J. Putz (R)
SU: Brandon Morrow (R), Arthur Rhodes (L)
2008 Outlook:
Possibly the biggest splash in the off-season was made by Seattle, when they traded for stud lefty Erik Bedard from Baltimore. Bedard was arguably baseball’s best pitcher in 2007, piling up 221 strikeouts in 181 innings, while allowing only 141 hits and posting a 3.16 ERA. The dominant lefty will jump to the top of Seattle’s rotation and be a true ace for the Mariners in 2008.
The move to the pitcher friendly park in Seattle will only help Bedard, as will not having to face the Red Sox and Yankees five times each. The addition of Bedard will allow young, hard-throwing right-hander Felix Hernandez to become the team’s number two starter, taking pressure off him to lead the staff. Hernandez is still learning how to pitch at the Major League level, but Hernandez and Bedard will make up the most dominant 1-2 starting duo in the American League.
In a much less publicized off-season move, Seattle also acquired free agent starter Carlos Silva. The veteran sinker baller will be solid in the middle of the rotation, and like Bedard, will benefit from the move to Seattle’s larger park. Jarrod Washburn and Miguel Batista round out the starting staff for Seattle. Both veterans have experience pitching in Seattle and should give the Mariners a chance to win many of their starts.
J.J. Putz returns to the closer role after an ascendent season in 2007, which saw him save 40 games with a 1.38 ERA. The All-Star has emerged as one of the games best relievers and should have another solid year in 2008. With Putz closing games, one of Seattle’s big question marks is who will get the ball to him in the bullpen. Expect Seattle to rely heavily on right-hander Brandon Morrow, who should start the year as the set-up man. If the hard-throwing Morrow can reach his potential, Seattle will be tough on the mound late in ballgames. Beyond Marrow, manager John McClaren will look to piece together innings out of the bullpen from a mixture of young and old arms, including Sean Green, Eric O’Flaherty, Chris Reitsma, Sean White, and Arthur Rhodes.
The Mariners return the majority of their offense from last season. They were a veteran offensive team last year, and they won’t be any younger in 2008. There are a lot of question marks around players that Seattle will need to produce for the Mariners to push for a playoff birth. Ichiro will continue to produce at the top of the lineup. Expect another 230 plus hit, 35 plus stolen base year from one of the games premier leadoff hitters. There is some speculation that he may begin to slow down as he reaches his mid-30’s, but Ichiro still has a few good years left in his tank.
The Mariners will only go as far as the middle of the lineup can take them. They have struggled scoring runs the past few years, and that will likely continue in 2008. Seattle will need big years from Adrian Beltre and Richie Sexson if they hope to contend with Anaheim in West, which sounds dooming. Both players have seen their production decrease since joining Seattle, and there is no reason to think that will change. Both players will likely slug 25-30 home runs in 2008, but will hit for a low average and strikeout over 100 times each.
Seattle doesn’t possess a lineup that will intimidate opposing pitchers. They have very few power threats, and Ichiro is the only true stolen base threat in the lineup. While they will score enough runs to win games, the pitching staff will have to constantly be on point as they’ll need to keep games low scoring.
Fantasy Impact:
Bedard was fantasy stud in 2007 for Baltimore. Bedard had become known for starting hot but then cooling off later during seasons, and 2007 was the first time he maintained his dominance throughout the season. Bedard should be one of the top pitchers selected this year, since he will provide a low ERA and WHIP, and should accumulate 16-18 wins for Seattle. You can also expect another 200+ strikeout season from Bedard.
Seattle has several players who could potentially provide great value late in a draft. They have several guys, like Sexson and Beltre, who have had monster seasons in the past but have struggled recently. Both guys have shown they have the ability to put up 40 home run 100 RBI years, so if you get the opportunity late in the draft to take a player like this, it is worth the risk. If you are looking for power production, it would not be wise to draft a Mariner early. They do not possesses any consistent home run/OPS type players, and their ball park is not suited for a lot of power.
2008 Record: (89-73), 2nd place
Team MVP: Erik Bedard
Also, check out our AL West preview with links to our team outlooks for each of Seattle’s division foes.
Rosenblogger
| 2.5 |
Leave a Reply