Mariners sunk

Seattle Mariners
2017 Record - 78-84
Third Place, AL West
Team ERA: 4.72 (24th)
Team OPS: .738 (21st)


What Went Right

The Mariners continued to receive tremendous production from Nelson Cruz in the middle of their order, as he belted 39 homers with 119 RBI to go along with an impressive .288/.375/.549 slash line. It was his first time since 2013 failing to reach the 40-homer club, but his RBI were a career best. He also cut down his strikeouts slightly from his first two years in Seattle while also producing a career high in walks with 70. His partner in crime, Robinson Cano, drove in 97 runs while posting 33 doubles for the second consecutive campaign. In fact, he has at least 33 doubles in each of his 13 MLB seasons which speaks volumes about his durability. Cano was able to chop his strikeouts down to just 85 after hitting the century make for the first time in his career over the past two seasons. Mitch Haniger was a breath of fresh air, hitting .282 with 43 extra-base hits over 369 at-bats across 96 games while providing a steady .843 OPS and 3.4 WAR. Ben Gamel also settled into an everyday role rather nicely, giving the M's a .275 average with 27 doubles, five triples, 11 homers and 59 RBI over 134 games. And he might just be scratching the surface. Jean Segura was also a steadying force on both offense and defense, posting 43 extra-bae hits and 45 RBI while setting the table nicely with 22 stolen bases and 80 runs scored in just 125 games. Mike Zunino also showed tremendous power with 25 homers, while Kyle Seager remains one of the top third baseman in the league. James Paxton emerged as a reliable front-end starter to keep the Mariners afloat through the summer, one of a few bright spots in a makeshift and ever-changing Seattle rotation.

What Went Wrong

The Mariners saw key components unable to stay healthy, and the back of the bullpen was a mess at times. Injuries were especially prevalent in the starting rotation. Felix Hernandez was limited to just 16 starts and 86 2/3 innings, and when he was able to pitch he wasn't terribly effective. Hitters posted a .258 opponent batting average against him, highest since the 2008 season. For the third consecutive season hitters posted an OBP of .301 or higher and his .468 slugging percentage and .791 OPS against was the highest of his career. He might be showing some signs of wear and tear, and let's face it, he isn't exactly a spring chicken at 31 years old with 38,349 pitches and over 10,000 batters faced in his career. Hisashi Iwakuma was also limited to just six starts and 31 innings, going 0-2 with a 4.35 ERA. He recently had arthroscopic surgery on his ailing right shoulder and he won't resume throwing for five months, putting the start of his 2018 season in jeopardy, too. The team holds a $10 million option on Iwakuma, and it wouldn't be surprising to see the team allow him to test free agency and/or bring him back on a more club-friendly deal. Edwin Diaz was pulled from closer duties a couple of times, blowing five of his 39 save chances while posting a 4-6 record and 3.27 ERA over 66 innings in 66 appearances. The team hasn't had a reliable ninth inning option since Kasahiro Sasaki.

Fantasy Slants

** Andrew Albers came over in a deal with the Atlanta Braves that did not receive many headlines. This might have been one of the most underrated transactions of the summer. Albers had been one of the most effective arms in the Atlanta farm system, and all it cost Seattle was cash considerations. The left-hander really seemed to enjoy the change of scenery, posting a 5-1 record with a 3.51 ERA with 37 strikeouts across 41 innings in six starts and three relief appearances. He was even able to notch a save. Prior to this season he has appeared in 17 games in the majors, with a rather unspectacular 4.41 ERA. But he really looks like he has found a home in the Emerald City, and he could have a major role in 2018.

** Segura is an established major league, having now spent five full seasons at the highest level. But he has really come into his own over the past two seasons, and he was on target for a giant performance in his first season in the American League if not for a lengthy injury earlier in the season. While his OPS was .776, down from .867 the year before in Arizona, don't look too much into that. Chase Field in Arizona is a hitter's park well above sea level, and Safeco in Seattle is a pitcher's paradise. The fact Segura still piled up 43 extra-base hits over 125 games was a very good season. He has emerged as a top-notch fantasy option across the board for his give-tool ability. Segura has now swiped at least 20 bases in each of the past five seasons.

** Paxton was the only pitcher on the staff with five or more wins more than he had losses, finishing 12-5. He really emerged as a front-end starter for a Mariners team desperate for pitching despite a bevy of injuries all season. He pitched 15 more innings than he did the previous season, but still allowed just nine home runs over 136 innings while chopping his WHIP down from 1.31 to 1.10 and his ERA from 3.79 to 2.98. In fact, his ERA and WHIP has fallen in each of his past two campaigns, as he continues to get better. His stuff seemed to improve, too, as he struck out 156 over 136, posting a stellar 10.32 K/9 while holding batters to a .223 opponent batting average and career-best .602 OPS against. At some point he is going to plateau, but he continues to trend upward.

** It might the end of an era in the Pacific Northwest, as King Felix has been a fantasy staple for many years. But he looked very mortal, losing some velocity from his fastball in a season where he finished just one game over .500. It was also shocking to see when he was in there, he posted just seven quality starts in 16 outings. Once one of the more feared pitchers in the game, he was very hittable with a career-high .258 opponent average, a career-worst .791 OPS and a career-low 0.95 groundball to fly ball ratio. Hitters were making great contact against King Felix like never before, and he'll need to get crafty to beat batters rather than rely on a flagging fastball to get the job done.

Key Free Agents: The Mariners hold a $13M club option on Yovani Gallardo with a $2M buyout, and it's unlikely you'll see him back in Seattle after a disastrous campaign. As mentioned, there is also a $10M club option on Iwakuma, so he's unlikely to be back without some sort of major negotiation on that number. Yonder Alonso will also be a free agent coming off of a career year, while the speedy Jarred Dyson will also be a free agent and it's hard to believe he'll be back. Backup catcher Carlos Ruiz and infielder Danny Valencia will also be free agents, but they can easily be replaced on the open market.

Team Needs: The Mariners ran into a problem with a lack of rotation depth, as injuries killed their starters and a patchwork rotation just didn't get the job done most nights. The team appears to have found a reliable closer in Edwin Diaz, although he was shaky at times. They could use some dependable depth at the back end of their rotation. Seattle has plenty of offense, but they can't outslug teams every night. A front-end starter, a couple of power arms in the bullpen and some depth up the middle and this team is good to go. Seattle isn't terribly far from making a postseason run with the right combination.