Organizational report: Mariners hope to end 13-season drought

Sports Weekly takes an in-depth look at each major league organization during the offseason, from the major leagues to the farm system. We start with teams with the worst records and move up.

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The Seattle Mariners took a quantum leap in 2014, improving by 16 wins — third best in the majors — and getting to the final day of the season with a chance to reach the playoffs.

The excitement generated by the Mariners' pursuit of their first postseason berth since 2001 did more than wake up a dormant fan base, which responded by boosting attendance by more than 300,000, the largest such figure in baseball. The playoff chase also made believers of the players.

An 87-win season that fell a victory short of tying the Oakland Athletics for the final wild-card spot failed to satisfy a club that would have been thrilled with that total six months before.

"They went home with a sense of disappointment and didn't relish the fact it was a pretty good season for us," general manager Jack Zduriencik says. "I think that's going to leave a taste in their mouth coming back to spring training, knowing how close they were."

And the Mariners fully believe they'll end the 13-season drought in 2015, based on the expected improvement of their young players and their offseason roster additions.

The biggest one was the free agent signing of outfielder-designated hitter Nelson Cruz, who led the majors with 40 home runs and drove in 108 runs last season with the Baltimore Orioles.

Right-handed-hitting Cruz would seem like the perfect fit at the cleanup spot behind lefty-swinging Robinson Cano, who finished fifth in the American League MVP race and drove in 82 runs despite lacking protection behind him.

Seattle's DHs had by far the puniest batting average (.190) and on-base-plus-slugging percentage (.567), as well as the fewest RBI (50), in the AL. In addition, its No. 4 hitters ranked last in OPS (.647) and were third from the bottom in RBI with 75.

"We were challenged from an offensive standpoint on a lot of different fronts," says manager Lloyd McClendon, whose club tied for 11th in runs scored in the AL. "But I think having a bat that hits behind Robbie should give Robbie more pitches to hit. It should give (Kyle) Seager more opportunities to drive in runs."

The Mariners also are expecting solid production out of the new right-field platoon of Seth Smith and Justin Ruggiano, as well as offensive growth from homegrown players such as left fielder Dustin Ackley, catcher Mike Zunino (.199 average but 22homers) and shortstop candidates Brad Miller and Chris Taylor.

"The players that have been here that we have been patient with, we hope they take the next step," Zduriencik says, including first baseman Logan Morrison in that group along with Ackley, Zunino and the two young shortstops. "Those are really important elements to our ballclub."

As much as those developments would be welcome, though, Zduriencik says it all starts with pitching, a major strength last season with a league-best 3.17 ERA.

The Mariners ace is Felix Hernandez, followed by solid No. 2 Hisashi Iwakuma, second-year lefties James Paxton and Roenis Elias and newcomer J.A. Happ. Touted prospect Taijuan Walker is in the mix as well.

Other than veteran closer Fernando Rodney, who set a team record with 48saves, the bullpen is bursting with young arms, which makes a repeat of last year's major league-best 2.59 ERA at least possible.

A burden will fall on the starters, though, as unproved arms abound.

"All these guys — Paxton, Elias, Taijuan Walker, Erasmo Ramirez — are they all going to grow into really good major league pitchers?" Zduriencik said. "If they do, then it has a chance to be a lot of fun."

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POSITION-BY-POSITION (*prospect):

Catcher: Zunino, the third pick in the 2012 draft, is solidly in place as the Mariners catcher of the present and future, but he could use an experienced backup. Although Zunino, 23, has developed well defensively, his offense has suffered. Last season he set a team record for catchers with 22home runs but batted .199 and struck out 158 times. The backup candidates are little-used Jesus Sucre and John Hicks.

Depth chart: Zunino, Sucre, *Hicks, *Tyler Marlette.

First base: Morrison was brought in last season as an option in the outfield, first base and DH. With Justin Smoak gone, Morrison becomes the full-time first baseman despite producing 11 homers and a .735 OPS last season. The Mariners hope Morrison's hot September, in which he cranked out five home runs, batted .342 and had a 1.042 OPS, is a more accurate indicator of what he can do when healthy. Otherwise, they might need utility man Willie Bloomquist to pick up a fair number of his at-bats.

Depth chart: Morrison, Bloomquist, Jesus Montero, Ackley.

Second base: Cano's numbers were down considerably from his standards with the New York Yankees, yet the Mariners don't regret giving him a 10-year, $240 million contract one bit. Cano's contributions — offensively, defensively and in the clubhouse — were the biggest factor in Seattle's transformation into playoff contender. He gave the lineup the position-player superstar it had lacked since Ichiro Suzuki departed and set an example of professionalism for a young team to follow. Cano's 14homers and .836 OPS were his lowest figures since 2008, but his OPS+ of 142 — which adjusts for ballpark factors — ranked in the AL top 10.

Depth chart: Cano, Miller, Bloomquist, *Ketel Marte.

Third base: Having Cano consistently on the basepaths in front of him contributed to Seager's big season, but most of the credit belongs to the fourth-year third baseman. Seager, 27, slowed down after the All-Star break but wound up with career highs in home runs (25), RBI (96) and OPS+ (127). The Mariners rewarded him in the offseason with a seven-year, $100 million contract.

Depth chart: Seager, Bloomquist, Miller, *D.J. Peterson, *Patrick Kivlehan.

Shortstop: Cano's arrival last season meant Nick Franklin would have to challenge Miller for the shortstop job, which Miller won. Now he'll have to earn it back after Taylor drew most of the starts in the second half of the season. Miller has the superior power potential but lost his regular gig by batting .221 and faltering defensively. Taylor, promoted from Class AAA in late July, hit .287 with a .347 on-base percentage and was steadier in the field, though hardly flawless. They'll compete for the starting job in the spring.

Depth chart: Taylor, Miller, Bloomquist.

Left field: There are aspects of Ackley's 2014 season that encourage the Mariners to think he's on the way to becoming the player they expected when they selected him No. 2 overall in the 2009 draft. His 14 homers and 65 RBI, for instance, each ranked third on the club. If only Ackley demonstrated enough consistency to raise his batting average above last year's .245 or enough ability to improve his .293 on-base percentage. Alas, in the absence of those signs, the Mariners will have to consider other options, such as giving Cruz more starts in left field and trying Stefen Romero there as well.

Depth chart: Ackley, Cruz, James Jones, Romero.

Center field: The midseason trade that brought Austin Jackson to Seattle was supposed to address the club's need for a leadoff man. It still might, but it didn't happen last year. In fact, Jackson performed considerably worse than the player he was brought in to replace, rookie Jones, who had a puny .278 OBP but stole 27bases in 28 tries in 108 games. Jackson gave Seattle virtually nothing offensively, with a .229/.267/.260 slash line (batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage) in 54 games

Depth chart: Jackson, Jones, Ruggiano, Ackley.

Right field: The Mariners tried a group approach to right field last season, with Michael Saunders, Endy Chavez and Romero getting the most starts at the position. The paltry results led to the acquisition of lefty-swinging Smith and righty-hitting Ruggiano, who will platoon in right. On paper, it's a sound plan, considering Smith has a career OPS of .839 against right-handers and Ruggiano an .836 figure when facing lefties. As in left field, Romero and Cruz figure as alternatives.

Depth chart: Smith, Ruggiano, Cruz, Romero.

Designated hitter: If Cruz gets most of his at-bats here, Seattle could go from getting the worst production from its DHs to the best in the league. Cruz started about a third of his games last season at DH and performed well in that role (20 homers, .822 OPS), although he did better as an outfielder and surely will see action in the field as well. Cruz will have to adjust to the more challenging dimensions of Safeco Field. But his presence should prove a boon to Cano and along with Seager and Morrison they give the Mariners a solid middle of the lineup. Morrison could slot in here at times as well.

Depth chart: Cruz, Morrison, Smith, Montero.

Starting pitchers: Led by Hernandez, who was as good as ever in finishing second in the AL Cy Young Award voting, Mariners starters ranked third in the league with a 3.48 ERA. They could be even better this year if youngsters Paxton, Walker and Elias continue progressing. Rather than re-signing Chris Young, a surprise contributor who faltered late in the season, Seattle traded for lefty Happ to fill a spot at the end of the rotation. The top two slots are in excellent hands, with Hernandez at No. 1 and control artist Iwakuma at No. 2. Paxton was one of the top lefties in the game last year (1.65 ERA in August) but missed more than three months with shoulder trouble. Walker endured shoulder woes and remains an unproven commodity despite his talent. Elias stunned Seattle followers by earning a rotation spot despite having never pitched above Class AA. Elias, who was mostly used as a reliever in his native Cuba, put up a 3.85 ERA in 29starts and pitched 1632/3 innings as a rookie, but he was hampered by a strained forearm late in the season. Elias, Happ and Ramirez, who is coming off a rough season, will be in the mix for the final starting spot.

Depth chart: RHP Hernandez, RHP Iwakuma, LHP Paxton, LHP Happ, LHP Elias, RHP Walker, RHP Ramirez, LHP Michael Kickham.

Bullpen: Rodney set a franchise record with 48 saves but was far from the only reason Mariners relievers led the major leagues with a 2.59 ERA. The Mariners have a collection of outstanding setup men in Tom Wilhelmsen, Danny Farquhar, Yoervis Medina and Dominic Leone. All but Wilhelmsen are 28 or younger, a prime reason the Mariners think their relievers can replicate last season's exploits.

Depth chart: RHP Rodney, RHP Wilhelmsen, RHP Farquhar, RHP Medina, RHP Leone, LHP Charlie Furbush, RHP Carson Smith, LHP Lucas Luetge, LHP David Rollins.

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PROSPECTS TO WATCH

OF Alex Jackson: Regarded as the best hitter in last year's high school class, Jackson, 19, was taken sixth overall and converted from catcher. He is a solidly built 6-2 with the potential to hit for power and average. He also has the arm and athleticism to handle the outfield, which he played in high school, along with third base and catcher. He signed for $4.2 million and looked ready for the pros in 24 rookie league games, batting .280 with a .820 on-base-plus-slugging percentage (OPS).

3B D.J. Peterson: The 12th overall pick in 2013, he is a polished hitter with plenty of pop. He recovered from his jaw being broken by a pitch in 2013 to hit a combined .297 with 31 homers, 111 RBI and a .912 OPS between high Class A and

Class AA last year. Peterson, 23, finds his path to third base in Seattle blocked by Kyle Seager, and his defensive skills at the position are not major league-level anyway. But the team might find a spot for his quick bat, be it at first base or as a DH.

SS Ketel Marte: The Dominican native reached Class AAA last year before turning 21, continuing his steady ascent through the minors by batting a combined .304. The switch-hitter is a line-drive hitter with little power but lots of speed. There are questions as to whether the 6-1, 180-pounder can play shortstop every day in the majors because his arm strength is average, but he has soft hands and plenty of quickness to play second base. If he improves his plate discipline, Marte could push his way to Seattle soon.

OF Gabriel Guerrero: The nephew of Vladimir Guerrero bears more than just a passing resemblance. They are both 6-3 and equipped with big arms. Gabriel Guerrero, 21, also exhibits the family disdain for the strike zone (34 walks against 131 strikeouts last season in high-A ball). However, Guerrero also batted .307 with 18 home runs, 96 RBI and 18 steals, earning an invitation to the All-Star Futures Game.