Pitching
While Seattle’s rotation looked good on paper entering spring, the lack of depth in the system was a major concern. That became a major issue early on when the pitching staff was hit with multiple injuries.
Iwakuma and James Paxton both missed significant chunks of the season, another big reason behind Seattle’s poor start. J.A. Happ was traded after the Mariners fell out of contention, leaving them to scramble to put together the back-end of a rotation that put up poor numbers in the second half.
Not helping matters was the fact that Felix Hernandez posted a 3.53 ERA (3.72 FIP) according to FanGraphs, his worst mark since 2007. Lingering injuries contributed to that and Hernandez is still a very good pitcher, but it’s possible that his best years are behind him after taking on a heavy workload over the past decade.
The good news for Seattle was the emergence of former top prospect Taijuan Walker, who struggled out of the gate but was very good over the season’s final few months. Walker put up just a 4.56 ERA (4.07) overall per FanGraphs, but struck out 8.33 batters per nine innings and often flashed some of his ace potential.
Karns put up solid numbers in his rookie season and figures to start the year in the rotation. As the club currently stands, he would join Hernandez, Walker, Paxton and Roenis Elias, with no depth at all behind them.
Re-signing Iwakuma should be the club’s top priority, as he was very effective after returning from a lat injury. That would fill out Seattle’s rotation with Elias as a swingman, but adding one more starter wouldn’t hurt, particularly given the injury histories of Paxton and Iwakuma.
The Mariners’ bullpen was one of the worst in the Majors last season with largely the same group that put up an outstanding 2014 campaign, showing just how variable relievers can be year to year. Farquhar and Fernando Rodney were the two biggest culprits, and both are now gone.
Seattle has a nice relief foundation with Carson Smith after his excellent rookie season, and the Benoit trade will help. The Mariners don’t need to be in the market for a big name like Aroldis Chapman, but more low-risk moves are likely on the way.
Next: Potential Targets