Mariner Season Over Now to Analyze

The Seattle Mariners ended the season 68-94. Though the team was in rebuild mode I am not sure fans expected the team to have only 68 wins especially getting off to a 13-2 start.

Over the days ahead look at what they did and what we hope will happen next year.

I will begin with the starting pitching. Marco Gonzales had a solid season with a record of 16-13 with an ERA of 3.99. He could have had another win or two having pitched very well in his last two outings without any help by the offense.

Yusei Kikuchi didn’t have a very good season for his first one in the major leagues; however, everyone in the Mariner organization is hoping for success next year and beyond. He had to get acquainted with being in a new country, and the loss of his father.

Justus Sheffield came up to pitch for the Mariners when Mike Leake was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks at the end of July when the trading deadline ended. He shows promise though he wasn’t able to go more than five innings. We are expecting more from Sheffield next season. If he can get into the sixth innings more times than not and have a record around .500 it will be a good year.

Justin Dunn came up in September to make a few starts. He got off to a rocky start because of nervousness; however, he did show us what the future may look for him.

Wade LeBlanc and Tommy Milone both started early on in the season; however, manager Scott Servais and or general manager decided to go with an opener which was less successful than they would have liked. Both LeBlanc and Milone did OK at times but don’t show much to be on the team in the future. Except in the final game of the season, Milone came in after Dunn went a couple innings while LeBlanc was moved to the bullpen in September. They both might be invited back for spring training but I don’t see them making the team. If either does maybe as the fifth starter at the beginning of the season before Logan Gilbert is inserted into the starting lineup. Gilbert may start the season at double-A Arkansas or triple-A Tacoma if he isn’t on the Mariner staff. At some point, he will be there next year.

Erik Swanson who was part of the trade bringing over Justus Sheffield from the Yankees for James Paxton started early on in the season with mixed reviews. He was sent down to Tacoma in mid-June then returned on July 16. The Mariners used him as an opener a few times then moved him to the bullpen where he found success. The Mariners now will Swanson primarily in the bullpen. If he does start it would likely be as an opener or an injury causes one of the starters to be out for a period of time.

So the Mariners starters next season should be Gonzales, Kikuchi, Sheffield, Dunn, and Gilbert whether at the beginning of the season or during the season. The Mariners could acquire another starter whether by trade or free agency.

Next time I will look at the bullpen. In other news found out Monday pitching coach Paul Davis will be reassigned to another position within in the organization while third base coach Chris Prieto and bullpen coach Jim Brower contracts haven’t been renewed. Prieto worked with the outfielder as well. The outfield defensively didn’t go over well this season so not sure whether it was part of his dismissal; I will get into that when I write about the outfield. The bullpen wasn't much success for the most part though improved in the last half of the season. I will get into the bullpen on my next post about the Mariners.