Last season, the Seattle Mariners finished behind the Angels and Rangers in the American League West after winning 85 games. The Mariners entered the offseason with one goal in mind: to add the necessary pieces it would take to make a playoff run this season. Will it be a beautiful summer in Seattle in 2010? Let’s take a closer look at some of the additions the Mariners made this offseason in order to better their ball club.
Chone Figgins
After losing Adrian Beltre, the Mariners needed to replace the production at third base. They signed the veteran Figgins to a four-year, $36 million contract. Don’t expect Figgins to bring phenomenal power numbers to Seattle, but expect him to bring a great average, high on-base percentage, solid defense and, most importantly, leadership and experience. Figgins has been playing in postseason baseball for most of his career with the Angels, so he knows what it takes to win ball games.
Cliff Lee
In a three-team deal that sent Roy Halladay to the Phillies, the Mariners received Cliff Lee to lead their rotation in 2010. If you watched postseason baseball in 2009 you know exactly what Lee brings to the table. The lefty went 4-0 with a 1.56 ERA and two complete games, leading the Phillies to a National League Pennant. Lee will join King Felix at the top of the rotation, forming what can be argued as the best 1-2 punch in the game. The Mariners do not have much pitching behind their top two arms, which is why it is incredibly important for Lee to pitch the way he did during the second half of last year, not to mention he is coming into a contract year at the end of 2010.
Milton Bradley
In an attempt to unload a bad contract, the Mariners traded Carlos Silva to the Cubs for Bradley. Last year Bradley struggled with the Cubs hitting just 12 home runs, batting .257 and driving in 40 runs. The year before he had a career year with the Texas Rangers, batting .321 with 22 home runs. Although Bradley has had trouble in the past with the media and fans, it is not fair to say that his career is over. He will be splitting time in left field with newly acquired Eric Byrnes and Michael Saunders. The end result is that this was a good deal for the Mariners
Eric Byrnes
Byrnes is the type of the player that most teams would love to have. He is a do-it-all type of guy and will do whatever it takes for his team to win. Byrnes is an old school, hard-nosed ball player who won’t play every day, but can pinch hit off the bench, run, serve as the DH and play left field if needed. He has a positive attitude and is an excellent guy to have in your club house.
Erik Bedard
Bedard decided to test the market this offseason after coming off shoulder surgery to repair a torn labrum, knowing that teams would likely see him as a risk and not offer a significant contract. The Mariners capitalized on this and signed Bedard to a one-year, $1.5 million contract. This was a great move for the Mariners because this is a low risk/high reward signing for that price. Bedard is expected to start throwing off a mound towards the end of spring training, but may not be ready to return to the big leagues until May or June. If Bedard does come back healthy, the Mariners could go from one of the best 1-2 punches in the game to the best 1-2-3 punches in the game. With three top-tier starting pitchers, the Mariners would have an excellent shot to win their division
After a very successful offseason, the Mariners will look to get back to the top of the AL West. Over the last five years the Angels have always been the team to beat out West, but with the departures of Figgins and ace John Lackey, the Mariners have a legitimate shot at the division.
