Rising Tide

From the outside, the Seattle Mariners 2013 season looks like one to be quickly forgotten about.

The team finished second to last in the AL West with 71 wins, topping only the lowly Houston Astros. Fans grew even more dismayed with manager Eric Wedge, who looks to have overstayed his welcome in yet another city. Dustin Ackley failed to have the breakout season that was expected of him, hitting only .253 and bouncing back and forth between Tacoma and Seattle. Franklin Gutierrez furthered the theory that he is in fact made of glass, and Raul Ibanez got another year older.

All that aside, no one expected the Mariners to compete this year. 2013 was intended to be a year for player development where, overall, the Mariners saw resounding success. Late season call ups Taijuan Walker and James Paxton were very successful in limited time, and both look to be top of the rotation quality starters in the very near future at Safeco. The only negative factor in the equation is Danny Hultzen, who is going to see Dr. James Andrews about a shoulder injury.

Hisashi Iwakuma quietly had a very solid 2012 season, and emerged as an ace in 2013. Kuma won 14 games, posted a 2.66 ERA, and had a 4.2 WAR in 219 innings. Every indication is that he will continue to blow away hitters with relative ease.

Felix Hernandez had another mind-boggling 2013 season as the face of the Mariners. Though his fastball dropped off drastically in velocity (FBv dropped from 96 to 92 mph), he had the highest Swing-Strike rate of his career. Not only that, but his changeup found the lost velocity from the fastball, averaging approximately four more mph than his career average. This means that King Felix has evolved from an elite thrower to an elite pitcher. He no longer relies on radar-gun-breaking velocity, but on phenomenal control to dominate lineups.

To summarize, the Mariners should be going into next season with a pitching rotation of:
Felix Hernandez
Hisashi Iwakuma
Taijuan Walker
James Paxton
Erasmo Ramirez/Joe Saunders

That rotation can match any in baseball. Whether the Mariners compete in the West next year depends almost entirely on their offense.

Brad Miller could finally be the answer at shortstop, making the most of his time in Seattle. In 306 at bats, Miller showed some pop, hitting eight big flies. All indications are that Mike Zunino will be the catcher of the future, as well. Despite Zunino, the Mariners are rumored to be front runners for Cuban defect catcher Yenier Bello.

The Mariners have some decent pieces offensively. Third baseman Kyle Seager lived up to expectations, and looks to be a cornerstone of the future offensively. First baseman Kendrys Morales put together a nice season as well, hitting 23 home runs in his first season in Seattle. Justin Smoak stayed true to form, hitting 20 home runs while striking out at a 20% clip.

The bulk of the Mariners offense revolves around the long ball, while seemingly throwing numbers like on-base percentage to the wind. Recent World Series winners have shown that OBP is definitely the way to go, and it could be a huge issue going forward for the Mariners. Adding to the problem is that the Mariners have no immediate answer in their minor league system. Utility player Stefen Romero might change that mold slightly, but he seems to fit in with the Morales group.

Where do the Mariners turn in the offseason?

General Manager Jack Zduriencik has a wealth of pitching prospects that could be dealt in the offseason to bring in some immediate impact bats. Robinson Cano would be a match made in heaven for the Mariners, but there is no way that they would be willing to pay the sure-to-be record setting deal he is about to get. Outfielder Shin Soo Choo could be an equally solid, and much more plausible move, if the Reds elect not to resign him. His.423 OBP would obviously add a ton to the Mariners lineup. He wouldn't likely be too far out of their price range either, though he could draw a bidding war.

The Mariners have won half the battle, assembling a pitching staff capable of dropping jaws. This offseason could be crucial for them in terms of adding offense though. A couple of decent signings, such as Choo, could very easily put the M's in the hunt for the West next year.