BRENT STECKER

3 questions about Mariners with 2017 roster mostly in place

Jan 19, 2017, 6:00 AM | Updated: 12:28 pm

Felix Hernandez has seen declining results the last two years but it still locked in as Seattle's N...

Felix Hernandez has seen declining results the last two years but it still locked in as Seattle's No. 1 starter. (AP)

(AP)

With nine positions, a DH, a starting rotation and bullpen to fill, it’s nearly impossible to put together a Major League Baseball team without at least a few holes heading into spring training. Despite another busy offseason full of trades by general manager Jerry Dipoto, the Seattle Mariners are not immune to this. So with the roster appearing mostly in place, as Dipoto indicated both before and after acquiring southpaw starter Drew Smyly from Tampa Bay last week, let’s take a look at three areas where question marks remain for the M’s.

1. Will the rotation’s experience and improved outfield defense make up for the lack of an ace?

I’m sure many of you are preparing to throw proverbial tomatoes at me for not classifying “The King” Felix Hernandez as an ace, but his declining performance over the last two years suggest he’s no longer a top-of-the-line starter, and the one-time Cy Young Award winner’s reputation alone won’t make him an All-Star again in 2017. And while another big-name hurler would have helped, the asking prices in a shallow market for starting pitchers were through the roof this offseason, so Dipoto instead fixed his attention on middle and back-end rotation pieces to solidify Seattle’s staff. There are some obvious improvements – Taijuan Walker and a rotating cast of fifth starters have been replaced by talented, bounce-back candidates Smyly and Yovani Gallardo – and with a number of fringe starters stockpiled below them, the Mariners have much more depth than a year ago. Will five pitchers with ERAs between 3.50 and 4.00 make up for not having the one true stopper at No. 1? One advantage they should have is additional help from the outfield, where speedy Jarrod Dyson takes over left field next to Gold Glove candidate Leonys Martin (and possibly even takes some turns at center field from him), plus some combination of Mitch Haniger, Ben Gamel and Guillermo Heredia providing significantly better range than Nelson Cruz, Seth Smith and Franklin Gutierrez did in the corners. The Mariners’ pitchers are primed to make opponents hit more fly balls, and they have the outfielders to run them down. As the adage goes, a run saved is as good as a run scored. Seattle will put that to the test in 2017.

2. Will they add insurance at first base?

The Mariners have steady, everyday players at more positions now than a year ago, with All-Star shortstop Jean Segura an obvious upgrade over Ketel Marte, just one platoon in the outfield instead of two, and a very defensively capable backstop combination of Mike Zunino and Carlos Ruiz. Where they may have taken a step backwards, however, is at first base, where rookie Daniel Vogelbach is penciled to receive a lot of action as the lefty-swinging half of a platoon with veteran utility man Danny Valencia. Vogelbach, a powerful and patient 24-year-old hitting prospect, was the centerpiece of Seattle’s return from the Cubs for pitcher Mike Montgomery last season, but he is still very much unproven. He’s played just eight MLB games – all late last season with Seattle – in which he was just 1 for 12. Relying on a rookie slugger who is still looking for his first major league extra-base hit, not to mention one who does not have a good reputation for his defense, to take the lion’s share of playing time at a key position is a risky venture, and I don’t think it’s one the Mariners will jump headfirst into the pool on. Valencia will likely see more time at first against right-handed pitchers than previously believed, especially since his services won’t be needed as much in the outfield than thought when he was acquired. Seattle would be wise to invite to spring training a few left-handed hitters who could step in at first should Vogelbach need more seasoning in the minors, and I think it’s pretty likely they will. The only question is who will be left out there. By the way, last year’s left-handed half of the first base platoon, Adam Lind, is still unsigned, though he’d require an MLB contract rather than a minor league deal and spring training invite, which might be out of Seattle’s price range at this point.

3. Will less punch at the plate from the outfield hurt?

The Mariners were third in the American League with 768 runs scored and second with 223 home runs in 2016, and a good amount of that power came from Nelson Cruz (43 homers), Seth Smith (16) and Franklin Gutierrez (14). Cruz played 48 of his 155 games in the outfield, Smith played 109 of his 137 out there, and Gutierrez had 70 of his 98 games in the field. With the new emphasis on athleticism in the field, however, Smith was traded to Baltimore, Gutierrez has not been re-signed, and Cruz is penciled in to be even more of a full-time DH. That leaves Martin (15 homers in 2016) as the most powerful member of the current outfield, and don’t expect Dyson (seven homers in 550 career games) or the three rookies to suddenly provide much in that department, either. The hope is that the improved athleticism will translate into more runners on base – and ones who can swipe a few bags – as well as leadoff man Segura (20 homers in 2016) picking up a little of the slack to join Cruz, Robinson Cano and Kyle Seager as the newest member of Seattle’s core group of sluggers. If the strategy of going more athletic works out defensively and on the base paths, the Mariners will be in good shape. If not, get ready for a return of the low-scoring M’s of yesteryear.

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