Seattle Mariners 2018 Season Preview
By David Hill
Expectations for the Seattle Mariners in 2018
The goal remains the same for the Seattle Mariners – to end their long standing playoff drought. However, they may be further away than they were at the start of last year.
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The offense should be solid, with Cano and Nelson Cruz still defying Father Time, and a true leadoff option with Gordon. Kyle Seager is a solid, if unspectacular, piece in the middle of the lineup. If Zunino continues his breakout, and Mitch Haniger can replicate his performance last year, the Mariners will put runs on the board.
And yet, the biggest problem from last year remains. The pitching staff, behind James Paxton, is a giant question mark. Mike Leake pitched well after being acquired in August, but is not ideal as the second starter. Felix Hernandez continued to age, and missed time last year. As the innings continue to pile up, he is slipping further and further from ace status. Ariel Miranda and Erasmo Ramirez are not pieces of a playoff caliber rotation.
Of course, there is still time for the Mariners to fix that problem. Plenty of options are available in free agency, and bringing in a pitcher like Alex Cobb or Lance Lynn could make a tremendous amount of difference. As the Wild Card should be a wide open race, the Mariners could finally return to the postseason if they can add one more option to the rotation.
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However, as they currently stand, the Seattle Mariners are not a playoff team. In fact, they may well be worse than they were last year. Prediction: Fourth place in the AL West.