Mariners Mailbag Video: 710 ESPN Seattle hosts ask the questions

Shannon Drayer and James “Boy Howdy” Osborn are back for the last Mariners offseason podcast video of 2018, and this time we changed things up.

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We’ve returned to the mailbag format, but for the questions we turned to the voices of 710 ESPN Seattle. So our Mariners experts tackle what Danny O’Neil, Mike Salk, Tom Wassell, Bob Stelton, Lydia Cruz and Jim Moore want to know about the Mariners in 2019 and beyond.

Here’s the full list of questions Drayer and Osborn answer, which you can watch in the attached video or listen to in an audio-only podcast at this link.

Danny O’Neil

• In re-imagining the Mariners, where does Jerry Dipoto plan on finding starting pitching?

Mike Salk

• This lineup actually looks major league quality and could be fun to watch (especially if Edwin Encarnacion stays). But who the heck is going to pitch for this team?

• How challenging will it be to keep this clubhouse together with a bunch of young players and guys not expected to be around too long?

Tom Wassell

• What is Kyle Seager’s future on this team? How does he fit – or not fit?

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Jim Moore

• Out of all the acquisitions in the last month, which two players project to be the best major leaguers in 2021 and why?

• What do you think about Félix Hernández being the new closer?

Bob Stelton

• Considering that the pitching staff looks like it will be a reach to even be mediocre, one would assume you need offense to make up for that. But you lost your most productive hitter of the last three seasons in Nelson Cruz as well as Robinson Canó, Jean Segura, and Mike Zunino. How do they replace that production?

Lydia Cruz

• We’ve seen the youthful spark that international free agent signings can provide, i.e. Juan Soto for the Nationals, Gleyber Torres and Miguel Andújar for the Yankees, and Seranthony Domínguez for the Phillies, all of whom are 24 and under. Have the Mariners under-achieved when it comes to international signings in recent years? Can prospects like Noelvi Marte and/or Julio Rodriguez be the next big under-24 star for the Mariners?

• The Mariners have struggled to find consistency from their starting rotation and their bullpen in Jerry Dipoto’s tenure. Is that simply a reflection of the zeitgeist (specialization, increased velocity, injury rates, etc.), or does it say more about the front office’s ability to evaluate pitching arms? Which pitching prospect should Mariners fans be most excited about?

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