With foundation set, Mariners aim to get closer to WS goal

For the first time in their entire tandem tenure in Seattle, Jerry Dipoto and Scott Servais find themselves in unfamiliar territory heading into the offseason.

They have roster clarity on a talented group, most of which will return. They have the backing from ownership to continue adding talent externally, with a payroll at roughly $110 million, per Cot's Baseball Contracts. They have a reinvigorated fanbase that brought one of the most electric atmospheres seen in recent memory. They have the attention of the American League heavyweights, even if their postseason elimination came with a sting to a division rival.

And, perhaps above all, they no longer have the drought lingering and the accompanying pressure to end it. For Dipoto, Seattle’s president of baseball operations, and the manager Servais, there’s a much more palpable sense of relief as they eye the winter -- but also the motivation to keep going.

“At the end of the day, ending the drought was a huge accomplishment,” Servais told reporters at T-Mobile Park at the club’s season-ending press conference. “What excited me most, and I said it after that final game, our fan base, thoroughly, they were so into it. It was so exciting to see what this city can be when we put a quality team out there.”

Yet, for as promising of a team as the 90-win Mariners were in 2022, there is recognition that the job is far from over. They went toe to toe with the Astros in a tense ALDS and were one pitch or swing away from the dynamic completely shifting. But that three-game sweep was a reminder of the climb ahead in the AL West, the division that Houston has won five of the past six years, with no signs of slowing.

“We’re really excited about the progress we made,” GM Justin Hollander told reporters. “We also finished 16 games behind the Astros. So the goal was not to get to the playoffs, the goal is to win the World Series.”

How the Mariners get there will heavily hinge on upgrades to an offense that was much improved from 2021, but also had its limitations. They ranked middle of the pack or above average in most offensive categories and were much better in the final two months, when they became one of MLB’s best slugging teams.

Second baseman Adam Frazier and right fielder Mitch Haniger are the most notable free agents, as is DH Carlos Santana, though the club will likely fill the latter’s void in some sort of rotation. Haniger has been a staple and would make a lot of sense for consideration for a qualifying offer. Frazier’s spot at second base might be the most logical at which to add a big bat.

“Our great preference would be that we can land a shortstop that would like to go play second base,” Dipoto told reporters.

There’s a loaded free-agent class at the position that includes Dansby Swanson, Carlos Correa, Xander Bogaerts and Trea Turner, very similar to the group last year, when Seattle was in a similar situation but with the clear direction that it wouldn’t force J.P. Crawford to change positions. That firm stance has shifted in Dipoto’s commentary, but only slightly.

“We’re not going to close the door to anything in that regard. J.P. is our shortstop and he’s our emotional leader. We feel like he does a very good job in anything that we asked him to do. ... He’ll line up for us on Opening Day at shortstop, and the goal is to find someone to put around him. If we do find someone who plays shortstop, that person would very likely move to second base, but that’s a discussion for then and not now.”

The Mariners have typically struggled to lure free agents to Seattle -- travel and a lack of on-field success being the more notable detractors -- but they took a big step in addressing their long losing stretch in each of the past two years.

“We are much more attractive than we used to be,” Servais said, adding that, for now, his entire coaching staff will return.

With a nucleus of Julio Rodríguez, Luis Castillo, Robbie Ray and more here for the long term, most of the core is already in Seattle -- but there is a desire to add a few additional impact pieces.

“We know there are a couple of holes to fill on the team,” Dipoto said. “Regardless of what we do, the bulk of what our 2023 team will look like is already here. That’s the most exciting part of this. I love the makeup of this team. There’s no reason to turn too much soil here. We have a really good young foundation to build on and we’ll continue to find ways to get better.”