Seattle Mariners Rant Week: Another year of Frustration – Jordan Cordano

Pitching

Unfortunately, though the pitching staff just isn’t where it needs to be as a whole. James Paxton, while at times has shown he can be a top three pitcher on the staff, has also shown he has durability issues. Marco Gonzalez pitched well in the first half of 2018, then faded after hitting the disabled list. He was never able to pick up where he left off.

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Wade LeBlanc and Mike Leake, while at times effective, have also bounced around the league because they are stop-gap starters. On a playoff team, they would not even be in a rotation.

Then there is Mr. Felix Hernandez, who looked and pitched like a fringe AAA pitcher for most of the season. He is due $26 million next year and his contract is in lack of a better term is “untradeable.” We all hope Felix can learn a new way how to pitch so that he can sustain his great MLB career. Now it seems like wishing on a star by the way he finished the season.

The Mariners desperately need to find at least one solid starting pitcher this winter and add another outfielder with power, or they will continue to fall behind the eight-ball in the American League West.

I don’t know about you but I’m becoming impatient as a Mariners fan can get and don’t want to be known as the “Cleveland Browns of baseball” any longer.

Its put up or shut up time for Dipoto and the gang this offseason.