Seattle Mariners Rumors: Where Do Experts Have Team In 2017 MLB Projections?

Seattle Mariners rumors have mostly been about general manager Jerry Dipoto and his player movement during the MLB offseason. Trades to acquire players like shortstop Jean Segura, pitcher Drew Smyly, and outfielder Jarrod Dyson have dominated the news. The new-look roster, with returning players like Robinson Cano and Felix Hernandez, is projected by fans to play even better than during the 2016 season. But what are the experts saying?

A report by USA Today breaks down some 2017 MLB projections. Within those projections are team-by-team breakdowns on how they feel the 2017 MLB standings will look. The baseball analysts at the site predict that the Seattle Mariners will finish with an 85-77 regular season record. That would put the team five games behind the Houston Astros in the American League West and two games behind the second Wild Card team (Toronto Blue Jays).

“The Mariners (85 wins) likely won’t confuse activity for achievement anytime soon. GM Jerry Dipoto has made 36 trades in two years and 11 this off-season. For all this, they win one less game than 2016?”

A report by Fox Sports also revealed their 2017 MLB rankings, where baseball writer Ryan Schultz also states that the Mariners will fail to make the postseason. Schultz predicts that the Mariners are only the sixth-best team in the American League, projecting another postseason where the team will be watching from home. Fans of the Mariners aren’t going to enjoy reading his thoughts.

“The Seattle Mariners have made a ton of moves, but there hasn’t been a whole lot of improvement in the roster. With that said, the team was within reach of a postseason spot last season. They could be in a similar frustrating position this coming season where their roster isn’t quite good enough to reach the postseason but there also isn’t much to get excited about in the future.”

CBS Sports released its first MLB power rankings for the 2017 season, with baseball writer Matt Snyder breaking down all 30 teams. An unsurprising result is that the Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Indians lead the way. This is a prediction that the Cubs and Indians will once again face off in the World Series, giving the latter team a shot at breaking its own title drought.

The Cubs and Indians are followed by the Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, Washington Nationals, Houston Astros, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Mets, San Francisco Giants, and Texas Rangers. For fans keeping score at home, this is another prediction that not only will the Seattle Mariners fail to make the 2017 MLB Playoffs, but they will also finish third place in the AL West. Where do the Mariners reside? No. 13. Behind the Baltimore Orioles.

When it comes to predicting the rosters for the 2017 MLB All-Star Game, there might be a very positive prediction that comes from ESPN. A report by the site states that three Mariners will be named to the team. They are second baseman Robinson Cano, designated hitter Nelson Cruz, and closer Edwin Diaz. It’s a pretty big deal for a closer to get invited to the All-Star Game, suggesting that Diaz could rank among the best relievers in the American League. That could certainly go a long way toward helping the Mariners compete in the West.

A report on the over/under for 2017 MLB win totals puts the Seattle Mariners at 85.5 victories. That wouldn’t be good enough to make the playoffs and it would actually be worse than the 86-76 record that the team posted in 2016. Are the Mariners actually a worse team this year than in 2016? Or are the experts not paying close enough attention?

As previously reported by the Inquisitr, Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto had already made seven trades by December 10 and he didn’t slow down from that point. There are new faces in the outfield, in the infield, in the starting rotation, and in the bullpen as Spring Training 2017 gets rolling. This means Arizona is going to be packed with new faces for Mariners fans to get to know.

While the MLB offseason has been flush with Seattle Mariners rumors as the franchise has looked to improve, most of the baseball analysts and experts still aren’t on board with the team making the postseason. Maybe that will change by Opening Day.

[Featured Image by Christian Petersen/Getty Images]