Do the Seattle Mariners have enough hitting for 2018?
Seattle Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto recently said the team is set with their position players and will focus on pitching, but do they have enough offense?
Earlier this week, rumors were floating around that the Seattle Mariners are interested in Jay Bruce. Of course, when Jerry Dipoto is your GM, there will always be rumors swirling around player acquisitions. Dipoto is not shy about making roster changes.
In this case, he acknowledged that the organization is always open to adding players, both on offense and defense, but the focus is pitching.
In a Seattle Times article, Dipoto reiterated that the team isn’t looking to add any significant position players.
"“Like I said yesterday, I can’t envision a scenario—outside of an unexpected trade, a major complication or a paradigm shift in the way our roster sets up. That’s our group. We are looking at smaller moves on the position player side.”"
The Mariners will have two new faces in their everyday lineup next year. Ryon Healy was acquired from the A’s in a mid-November trade to play first base. Dee Gordon was acquired earlier this month in a trade with the rebuilding Miami Marlins. Gordon will be moving from second base to center field.
With their new additions and the holdovers from last year, do the Mariners have enough hitting to end their long playoff drought in 2018? Last year, they finished right in the middle of the pack among all MLB teams in runs scored, with 750, but they did this in a pitcher-friendly park. According to ESPN, Safeco Field had a runs park factor of .917.
When the Mariners’ hitting numbers from 2017 are adjusted for league and park effects, they move up to fifth in baseball with a 102 wRC+.
This means their offense last year was two percent better than league average. Add in a below average defense (21st) and the Mariners position player were 12th in Wins Above Replacement (WAR).