The Seattle Mariners are finally capitalizing on a talented roster after struggling to contend the past few seasons. With fierce competition atop the American League West, the Mariners will likely make a few moves to bolster their roster down the stretch.
After finishing the 2015 season at 76-86, it seemed as if the Seattle Mariners would require a major overhaul in the offseason in order to keep up with the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers. Instead, the team opted to stick with their core and hope that something would change in the division.
And that’s exactly what happened.
The Mariners got off to a hot start early in 2016 due to a resurgent Robinson Cano and solid pitching, and jumped to a lead in the division with the struggles of the Astros. But now that the Rangers have cruised to a five game lead in the division and the Astros are slowly creeping their way up the standings, the Mariners will need to make some trades in the next month or two to solidify their relatively strong roster.
Despite losing Felix Hernandez to injury, the team still boasts one of the deepest pitching rotations in baseball. Hisashi Iwakuma and Taiwan Walker have proven to be solid middle-of-the-rotation arms while Nathan Karns has flashed greatness at times. While Wade Miley has struggled throughout the season, the addition of James Paxton to the rotation has shored up the back end.
The team’s real pitching strength comes in the bullpen, though, as closer Steve Cishek has led a dominant staff.
With solid pitching, Seattle will more than likely seek improvements at the plate. Despite ranking fifth in the league with 311 runs scored, the Mariners have a few key holes to fill in the outfield and at first base.
Here’s a preview of how the Mariners can improve as the trade season begins to heat up.
Next: Where to Improve: Outfield