Close But No Cigar For Mariners Last Season. More Of The Same This Year?

Seattle Mariners Preview

It was so close, the team could almost smell the new hats and American League Championship gear that they would’ve donned had they been victorious. Alas, the Mariners couldn’t quite get the job done, and it was another year of the Seattle franchise not making the World Series. The good news is that this is one of the deepest teams, with a strong rotation, and that Championship window is wide open right now. So, is this the year the Mariners finally make it to the World Series?

Last year recap:

The AL West is a battlefield with the most recent AL World Series winners coming from that division. Last season, it was basically a battle to the wire to see who would win the division and if either of the other two teams would find a way to make it into the postseason. They did not, but the Mariners did and they were able to get within a few outs of making the World Series. They were up 3-1 going into the bottom of the 7th when they allowed a three run blast, losing Game 7 with a final score of 4-3. It was heartbreaking, and it will take some time for the team to recover from that. Still, a 90-win campaign, and coming that close has to mean something moving forward. We will see exactly what, if anything, it means this year.

Offseason moves:

I would’ve expected that this list of transactions worth sharing would be longer, but the Mariners tend to operate more during the season to address needs than doing it during the offseason. That’s a guess at least. They resigned Josh Naylor, who they traded for during the season. They ended up trading for Brendan Donovan from the Cardinals. This is a big addition as it replaces Eugenio Suarez who returns to the Reds. As of this writing, they are also linked to Paul Goldscmidt and Luis Arraez. Either way, you can tell there is a hole that needs to be filled in the lineup. 

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - AUGUST 08: Julio Rodriguez #44 of the Seattle Mariners makes a catch for an out during the fourth inning against the San Diego Padres at T-Mobile Park on August 08, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images)

Roster: 

Speaking of their lineup, they still have some very elite players. Cal Raliegh came in second place in the MVP voting last season, but if you ask me it will be the last time he gets in the top-3. Some guy on TikTok picked Raliegh to be part of his All-Time Team and I couldn’t help but debate with him to the point that we may have a large wager on if he gets into the Hall of Fame or not (I said no). Julio Rodriguez should take yet another step forward this season. Looking at their depth chart, they have a couple of guys playing the same positions, and then a few spots with literally no depth – Catcher and Center Field. Donovan gives a great addition to the lineup and field. Something has to be done there to ensure they have some backups. They may call up their stud prospect to be their starting shortstop, but even that is uncertain at the moment. They probably should’ve added some arms to the bullpen to strengthen that, and they almost certainly need another starter for injury depth. However, their rotation of Logan Gilbert, Luis Castillo, Bryan Woo, George Kirby, and Bryce Miller, might be the best in baseball. 

Betting outlook:

The Mariners are the third favorite to win the World Series, and they are largely the same roster as last year, so it makes sense. However, that doesn’t take into account the teams that have made additions to make them better while the Mariners haven’t really improved. I wouldn’t take them to win the AL West at +115. I also think they don’t reach the 89.5 win total, unless they add some depth or make some additional moves at the midway mark. As admitted earlier, they do have a tendency to do that. I do think that a +215 ticket for them to miss the playoffs has a bit of value, but ultimately, I’m not playing anything on them or against them.