Well, the season has come to a close, the World Series is over, and we can all settle in for the Seahawks to make their own playoff run. The winter is off to a quiet start as always, but there’s so much
to look forward to for the Mariners for the first time in a while. While the Mariners did not achieve the results we wanted this season, they far exceeded my expectations coming into this year. Winning the division, making the ALCS, and taking it to Game 7, and holding the lead for most of the game, it was an incredible season that ended in devastating heartbreak. Let me be the first to say that, much like my dating life, I AM READY TO BE HURT AGAIN.
Of course, this all starts with the off-season; the Mariners have a massive amount of momentum to build on this year, and I discussed this as well in my recent free agent profile on Kazuma Okamoto (shameless plug). The Mariners have been pretty irrelevant for the past 20-ish years; part of that has been the total lack of playoff appearances, 100-loss seasons, and some of the longest travel times in MLB. As a result, the Mariners have never been major players in the free agent market outside of the occasional splash signing that usually was not supported by additional acquisitions. Now making a deep run in the playoffs, cementing themselves as a current top 4 team with potentially the best starting rotation in MLB, as well as sporting a home run leader and potential MVP in a ballpark notorious for suppressing hitting, will go a long way toward making the Mariners a more attractive destination. Plus, recent opaque comments from the front office indicate they may have more cash to splash this season. I think we can expect the Mariners to be players for some big names this offseason. So with that in mind, the question becomes, where? In the survey below, we ask you to tell us where the Mariners should really direct their focus this offseason. Now they aren’t limited to just one, but for the sake of argument, tell us what position the Mariners need to direct their attention to most urgently. If you don’t see your preferred option, let us know in the comments below!
More than just position playerss, there are some pitchers that could be of interest to the Mariners as well. The thing about the playoffs is that they magnify your team’s flaws and blow them up to be much larger than they would appear over more games. While I think the Mariners have a solid bullpen, the playoffs showed they could do with one more solid to elite arm, and Edwin Díaz has chosen to opt out of his contract. Díaz has had some interesting moments for the Mets over the past several years, but I don’t think anyone would disagree that he’d be a great addition to the bullpen. But let us know what you think in the poll below: Should the Mariners pursue a reunion with Edwin Díaz? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
