http://www.oregonlive.com/sports/oregonian....xml&coll=7</p> <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>For Mariners fans, Seattle's September swoon masks a disturbing question: Just where is this team headed next season? Given the present roster, a dearth of minor league prospects and the leaguewide scarcity of starting pitchers, the answer is clear: The Mariners are not headed anywhere. As Seattle stumbled out of contention by losing 17 of 22 games, its surprise season concealed depressing truths. The Mariners play in a ballpark that favors speed and pitching. Yet, the team is among the slowest in the American League, and the starting pitching is a one-year experiment that imploded in September. The base-stealing Angels are built for Safeco Field, the sluggish Mariners are not.</div></p> I'mageek,andIlikestats,soIagreewiththesabermetricwayofthinking,whichincludestheideathatstealingbasesdoesnotgiveenoughbenefittobeworthriskingavaluableout. Doestheballparkchangethatatall?</p> Onthemainsubjectofthisarticle,aretheMarinersintroubleandaretheyfixable? Ifso,howshouldtheygoaboutit?</p> </p> </p>
The Mariners are definitely in trouble, but I don't think it's as bad as this writer thinks. Yes, the starting pitching is a jumble, and effectively terrible with Felix pitching to half of his ability. They don't have ALOT of huge prospects, but they do have some really good ones. Adam Jones is the truth, Jeff Clement is going to be a real good major leaguer, Wladimir Balentien is in the same boat as Adam Jones. Their good pitching prospects however are much further down the road, Philippe Aumont could be special. I see another season or two of mediocrity until ownership can land some pitching or make some kind of big time deal. Just no more billion dollar signings of Richie Sexson, please.
