Are the Seattle Mariners a legitimate threat?
Now I realize that when thinking about who will be American League champions, your brain almost immediately makes your mouth say New York or Boston...unfortunately. But the boys in the rainy city have been slowly putting together a strong team, and could very well see themselves with a playoff birth and a chance to make some noise in the post-season.
Now I realize that like in any sport there's a lot of things that can happen throughout a season such as injuries, personal issue,s and players just simply not playing as well as they could/should. That being said, the Mariners look like a strong team on paper, and a legitimate contender to win the AL West.
The biggest has clearly been the acquisition of Cliff Lee, giving the M's a true ace, something that the team has been missing in years past. The 2008 Cy Young winner solidified his status as a great player last year when he was traded to the Phillies and put on an amazing display in the post-season.
Back Lee up with Hernandez (Felix), who went 19-5 and posted a 2.49 ERA last season, and the Mariners have a 1-2 punch that will scare batters. Maybe not to the same extent as CC & Burnett or Lester & Beckett (& Lackey, I guess), but definitely one of the top rotations in the AL.
Then Seattle signed one of my favourite 3-baggers in Chone Figgins. His defensive ability mixed with his speed make him a great utility player, and give the Mariners the ability to play Figgins in many different positions, almost anywhere in the outfield or infield. Coming off his first all-star season where he batted just under .300 with 58 RBI. Figgins should be a good fit and has the chance to hurt his former Angels when facing them.
Add Milton Bradley into the mix, who came off a bad season and had some bad on and off-field antics, and the outfield did (I think) gain a strong player. I fully expect MB to bounce back to his 2008 ability, offering another strong player in the Mariners lineup.
Then keep some of the keystones of the team, most notably Ichiro, and assuming Lopez has another 25-homer year, and the Mariners top five in the lineup also looks good.
Expect the Mariners to run the West, likely beating out the winner of the Central also, and then possibly making a run deep into the playoffs if they're able to knock off one of the East dynasties.
Oh, one thing to say though after all of this. The one thing that could hurt the Mariners is the fact that they now have Brandon League...ha ha, another great move by AA. I'm lovin it.
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