Intro:
By all accounts the Mariners had a successful 2011 season, making the playoffs and showing promise. However, the team deviated from it’s traditional stance of building, building, building and made several moves this off season, including making a daring trade that shook the organization and its fans to their very cores! GM Mgcoug2 made changes that he says were designed to “solidify the offense and Starting Rotation and address our biggest weakness, out defense, we all remember the 2008 MLB Mariners and how hopeless they were defensively and last years team reminded me of them enough that we made some changes.” Below is a brief season preview focusing on new additions, either via trade or promotion and what to expect this season from the team, along with projected lineups and pitching roles.
New Additions:
The team was aggressive in the off season and has many new faces on the opening day roster. In fact, there are 7 new faces to the 25 man roster, 6 of whom are being counted on to be big contributors this season. The team lost it’s starting 3B in free agency and then promptly traded it’s starting 1B, 2B, and SS to Cleveland in a deal that netted them new starters Grady Sizemore (CF), Josh Fields (3B), Aaron Hornostaj (SS) while adding lefty SP Rafael Perez to an increasingly sturdy rotation. All 4 of these former Cleveland players are expected to improve the team and Sizemore and Fields as local products from the Pacific NW should help ease the loss of 3 quality starters including fan favorites LaHair and Kendrick. In free agency the team added utility player Wes Timmons as a patient bat and solid fielder for it’s bench and added some veteran relief depth in Cliff Politte, who will serve as the teams mop up reliever this season. The only big new addition from the farm system is 1B Joe Guillein 
who appears to be the power left handed bat the team has lacked the past several seasons. Big Joe struggled last year in a September call up but had a break out spring that allowed the team to be comfortable trading Bryan LaHair. All in all the team expects improved defense, a better offense and a much improved bench.
The Lineup:
Pending any injuries or trades (the team would love a leadoff hitting middle infielder with base stealing abilit, but who wouldn’t lol) this is the project lineup card for the Mariners in 2012. Position/Bats…Last years stats in ()…a * indicates a new starter.
1. *CF/L Grady Sizemore (.297/.376/.503 23HR 94RBI 27SB)
2. C/S Darby Mallory (.316/.381/.481 10 HR 64 RBI)
3. LF/R Brian Pettway (.308/.395/.539 29HR 117RBI 115R)
4. *1B/L Joe Guillein (.190/.306/.214 0HR 3RBI in 42 ABs)
5. RF/S Michael Wilson (.300/.395/.542 31 HR 119RBI 111R)
6. *3B/R Josh Fields (.217/.311/.356 17HR 63RBI)
7. *2B/L Luis Valbuena (.259/.331/.352 1 HR 11 RBI in 108 ABs)
8. DH/R Abera Espinol (.307/.350/.363 4 HR 51 RBI 16 SB)
9. *SS Aaron Hornostaj/L (.270/.372/.310 3 HR 38 RBI 70R)
A potentially potent and balanced offense, could be the best M’s lineup yet.
Bench:
C/1B/R Nick Hundley (.234/.282/.312 3 HR 31 RBI in 269 ABs)
*Util/R Wes Timmons (.225/.321/.296 1 HR 19 RBI in 169 Abs)
OF John Jay/L (.313/.352/.421 7HR 51RBI 13 SB in 406Abs)
Look for the team to add one more bench player either via trade or callup early in the season and go with 12 pitchers.
Starting Rotation:
1. RHP Johnny Cueto (20-6 3.36era 248k in 222.1IP)
2. *LHP Rafael Perez (9-10 4.51era in 219.2IP)
3. RHP Tim Stauffer (14-8 3.59era in 205.2IP)
4. LHP Wilfreddy Van Slyjk (9-10 5.44era 155k in 154.0IP)
5. LHP Billy Traber (9-3 5.11era in 107.0IP)
This is a deep rotation with others in the pen and AAA who could step in and start as needed. Van Slyjk will probably end up as the number 2 starter by midseason but the team went with the veteran lefty Perez to start the year.
Bullpen:
Closer/R Miguel Gonzalez (6-2 32S 3.20era)
Setup/L Cesar Jimenez (4-3 8S 2.16era in 75.oIP)
Setup/R Michael Nix 5-3 3.51era)
MR/L Joe Bateman (1-0 1.65era)
MR/R Craig Hansen (4-2 3.65era 96k in 86.1IP)
MR/L John Johnson (3-1 3.80 era)
MR/R Ben Hendrickson (6-10 4.18 era as 5th Starter)
Mopup/R Cliff Politte (5-5 3.97 era)
One member of the pen will be demoted or traded in favor of another bench player for the M’s.
Outlook:
This is a deep and talented roster with help on the way in the farm system. Management feels that this team can win it all now, so look for the team to be aggressive in looking to fix the few weaknesses it has such as bench depth and versatility, more power/run production at DH, a more prototypical leadoff hitter (who plays the middle infield and would allow the team to use Hornostaj off the bench), and perhaps making a run at an ace starting pitcher to really finish off a good rotation. Anything less than the playoffs will be a disappointment and once there the team expects to make some noise.
