The Mariners have already kicked off the 2019 season in Japan, even if it doesn’t really feel like the actual start of the season until the gates officially open at Safeco (strikethrough) T-Mobile Park. That means the off-season is officially over, and it’s time to review what happened, assess how well (or poorly) the team did, and look into the future, as we’ve been doing during our AL West preview series.
The goal of the off-season is to move the team forward in some important ways, either by signing free agents to bolster the team’s roster, or dealing established players for prospects who will become the core of the next competitive team.