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Pitchers and catchers report to Mariners Spring Training this week, and there will be some key players missing: Specifically, all the free agent starters still available that the M’s refuse to sign!
And while I hope their projected starting rotation works out, it’s not hard to understand why so many fans are skeptical that it will.
Let’s take a look: By my count, right now, the Mariners have one to two potential aces in this group – James Paxton and Felix Hernandez. They’re followed by Mike Leake, Erasmo Ramirez, Marco Gonzales, with Ariel Miranda and Andrew Moore waiting in the wings. Young, talented guys who have potential no-doubt.
But “potential” doesn’t fly here anymore. “Potential” wore out its welcome five, ten years ago. And whether general manager Jerry Dipoto wants to acknowledge that, he’s not getting a pass from most fans, when there’s a wealth of starting pitching talent still available on the free agent market.
Sure, Yu Darvish just signed a massive deal with the Cubs. But there are a number of pitchers still available, from Jake Arrieta to Alex Cobb and Lance Lynn, still seeking deals with new teams. And frankly, the lack of interest from a Mariners team that says it’s planning on contending this season is downright maddening.
Again, here’s what Dipoto had to say about their decision to stick with who they’ve got:
“We are doing the best we can to develop our system, not to clog it,” Dipoto said. “Could we go out and sign a free agent that would be better than our current fifth starter? Absolutely. Would that be the best thing for the present of the Mariners? Maybe. Would that be the best thing for the wider lens – for the present and future – of the Mariners? Probably not.”
:34853_doh:
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