State of The Mariners Address, April 2025

 

Stevil receives breaking news at HVH headquarters while composing the State of the Mariners address. The news remains confidential. 

By Tommy Gunner and Stevil, 21 April, 2025

Normally we would wait for a larger sample size before trying to assess what the Mariners are, but with so many questions, doubts, and surprising success over the last twelve games, now is a good time to take a shot at it. 

So, let's get to it...

The Rotation.

The early injury to Kirby immediately tested the Mariners' starter depth, and so far, so bad. Hancock's most recent start (at the time of writing this) was decent. Otherwise, it hasn't been pretty, and Logan Evans doesn't appear to be ready just yet. That may change over the next few weeks, but it's the opinion of HVH that we'll likely see more of Hancock while Kirby's out. This isn't the biggest concern, but it's still a concern.

The Bullpen.

The relievers have been busy due to short outings by the starters. Getting Brash back will obviously help as a set-up man and occasional closer, but the real problem is that they need to rotate fresh arms into the bullpen and that is becoming more and more difficult. Getting more innings from the starters would do wonders, but the relief pitching might be the most complicated problem Seattle is facing, because most of the relievers on the active roster don't have any options remaining. That probably means more DFAs, contracts selected from Tacoma and waiver claims are coming. 

The Catching. 

Garver hasn't been great, but the same size is incredibly small and they aren't going to DFA him. This would only be a real concern if Raleigh hit the IL. 

The Infield and DH.

With Raley in right field due to the Robles' injury, first base has been in question. Tellez has gotten the bulk of the starts, and though he had a great series against Toronto, he has struck out a lot and offered very little overall. He probably bought himself a little more time, but first base is an area where Seattle could stand to upgrade. Locklear might be an alternative at some point, but Solano or Moore should be getting more starts in the coming weeks. This is something to revisit at the end of May. 

Mastrobuoni hasn't stopped hitting. Maybe he will, but for now, having him in a platoon at second base makes plenty of sense, though he may be needed more at third eventually.  

Williamson has impressed, and his confidence, or lack of being  intimidated, may be the difference. That said, he's making typical rookie mistakes at the plate. There's plenty of room for improvement, but he has been resilient and the defensive boost was much needed. Hopefully he'll adjust and offer value along the way. 

Moore is being used all over and that is probably Seattle's preference. He's been a key to the offense, so any defensive questions are less concerning, especially at first if they move on from Tellez and prefer to limit Solano. 

Polanco may end up back at second base by the break, but for now, using him as the DH appears to be the plan and it's working. 

Rivas hasn't played a lot, but he's had solid PAs when he has played. He's being used at second, but it wouldn't be surprising if he gets occasional starts at short against LHPs. It isn't a stretch to think that his success could keep Bliss in Tacoma once healthy.

The Outfield.

Losing Robles for a few months--possibly longer--was an enormous blow to the offense. Seattle currently doesn't have a true fourth outfielder. Raley is in right field, regularly. Moore is serving as the backup along with several infield positions. Canzone was recalled and has already been optioned. Finding a corner outfielder who can play first base would be great, but it may be a while before a trade becomes possible and Moore is picking up the slack. 

The Management.

Dan Wilson has made a number of odd decisions, yet the team is just a game out of first and won nine of their last twelve games. He's doing something right. Sometimes we forget that he's still basically a rookie manager, so this is a learning process for him as well. In other words, his managing should get better...and, again, they've won nine of the last twelve. 

After a rocky start, the Mariners have grinded out a lot of wins over the last couple of weeks. This probably isn't sustainable without the starters going deeper into games, or fresh, effective, relievers. Today is a much needed off-day. They face Boston tomorrow.