Mariners Fans' Outlook: 42 Days Till Spring Training
As the holiday season winds down and we return to the mundane routine of daily life, it's only natural to look forward to the start of spring training, which is just around the corner. While it's still the offseason and there are still plenty of talented players available, the market tends to slow down around this time as major free agents focus on a select few teams that may be vying for their services, and minor free agents look to join teams for spring training in hopes of making the roster. Teams continue to operate, making the occasional trade, but in general, compared to November and December, I expect January and February to be pretty quiet.
In our last survey, conducted near the peak of free agency in late November and early December, we asked you, the fans, how the Mariners should address the holes in their team. Unsurprisingly, you all were convinced that free agency was the way to go.
I don't find this result shocking at all. The reality is that it just feels good when your team signs a big-name free agent or makes a big trade to get better. It's nice to see that the front office and ownership seem to be as committed as you are and are taking the steps to make a great team a reality. However, the Mariners' offseason reality has been far from signing big names all season. The occasional action here and there, sure, and they did give out the first big contract of the offseason to Josh Naylor, but otherwise, the Mariners have not been very active in the free agent market.
We also asked you who the Mariners should target for third base next year. The consensus was clear but surprising: despite clearly wanting more activity in free agency, you all actually wanted to address the biggest hole in the team via internal promotion. Although maybe this poll reflected how poor of a fit many of you felt Bregman was to the Mariners. (And correctly, as he just signed a big deal with the Cubs.) I'm no Bregman hater, but I have yet to see anything from the kid that warrants the confidence others seem to have that he will take a major jump next year. But I am willing to be proven wrong.
With spring training just a month away, is the Mariners' offseason over? There is certainly time to make a trade or signing, but no one immediately comes to mind who has had Mariners rumors circulating lately. Additionally, we would like to hear from you on whether the Mariners have a World Series-level roster right now. I think with the pitching rotation fully healthy, some smart additions to the bullpen, the Mariners may only be a few patches away from getting to the big enchilada. Let us know what you think through the poll and comments below!
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