Playing Pepper 2010: Seattle Mariners

The Mariners have been the talk of baseball this offseason.  After a strong bounce-back year in 2009, they've made some interesting and impressive moves, capped off by acquiring Cliff Lee from Philadelphia to pair with Felix Hernandez for their own pair of aces.

Griffin of SoDo Mojo took the time to look over the Playing Pepper Ten and give me his take on the upcoming Seattle season.

SM: If I was going to grade the Mariners offseason, I guess I'd have to give it an A-. This team had a long way to go when this offseason started if they wanted to have any chance of contending, and they've pretty much closed that gap completely. The one thing I would have liked to have seen, and no, it's not a big bat, is a little bit more pitching. Obviously, Cliff Lee is spectacular, but the back of the rotation is still going to be a bit of a mess, at least until Bedard gets healthy. Overall, though, Jack Zduriencik did an outstanding job.

C70: What is the key to success for 2010?

SM: The key to the success for the Mariners is probably going to be staying healthy. Guys like Milton Bradley, Eric Byrnes, Jack Wilson, Ken Griffey Jr., and Erik Bedard all come with injury risks. Avoiding losing too many guys at once is going to be big - fortunately, this team also has a pretty deep bench, to help them survive the injuries when they do happen.

C70: What will be the team's strength?

SM: Defense. Defense is easily this team's biggest strength, just like it was in 2009. The Mariners still have the best defense in baseball. The only difference, is that offense and pitching aren't as prominent weaknesses as they were last year.

C70: What could be their Achilles' heel?

SM: I guess the only real Achilles' heal would be the back of the rotation. Ian Snell is a giant question mark, and we don't even know who the #5 is going to be yet. Obviously, with Felix and Lee, the top is really solid, but after that, who knows?

C70: Who will be the team's MVP?

SM: Probably Felix Hernandez. He was the most valuable on this team last year at age 23, no reason to think he won't be just as good, if not better, in 2010 at age 24.

C70: Will a rookie make a significant impact on the team in 2010 and, if so, who?

SM: Adam Moore has a chance to get a good portion of time this year. He'll be battling it out in the Spring with Rob Johnson and Josh Bard, competing for a total of two spots. He's not likely to be a real big part of the team's success, but he could certainly be a factor, and he could certainly get a lot of time starting.

C70: Who will be the breakout player for the team?

SM: I don't think this team really has any players that are big breakout candidates. Michael Saunders would be one, but he'll probably spend most of the season in Triple-A. Most of the players on this team are already fairly established, and a few of them had their breakout year in 2009.

C70: Which player will drop off the most from 2009?

SM: This one pretty much has the same answer as #7. This is a fairly young team, and there isn't really anyone ready to head into decline just yet. Jack Wilson is one of the oldest players on the team, and he's still an excellent defensive shortstop who isn't as bad offensively as he looked during his time in Seattle last year. David Aardsma probably won't be able to sustain the stellar numbers he posted last year, but he shouldn't fall off a cliff or anything.

C70: Who is the most likely player to be dangled as trade bait?

SM: Jose Lopez, probably - and not necessarily only if this team has fallen out of contention. I don't think there's any chance this team falls out of contention before the trade deadline, but it might make sense to move Lopez anyway. He clearly doesn't fit the mold of this team - average defense, horrible OBP, so I wouldn't be all that surprised if they were to move him in an attempt to add pitching. But then, of course, it leaves second base un-manned, so the deal would have to make sense.

C70: What will be the team's final record and divisional standing?

SM: With my projections right now, I'd put them in first place with about 88 wins. 

My thanks to Griffin for his time.  With the changes in personnel in Anaheim, Seattle does seem poised to head back to the playoffs.  Whether that will happen or not, we'll just have to see.