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Seattle Mariners
By John Donovan, CNNSI.com The Seattle Mariners didn't lose a superstar named Griffey, Johnson or Rodriguez this offseason. But since when did that matter? Coming off one of the best regular seasons in history -- we'll forget that playoff collapse, for now -- the Mariners didn't lose anyone they didn't want to lose, meaning they again will be favorites to win the American League West. Win 116 games? Well, that's asking a little much. But with their pitching mostly intact, their hitting actually improved and a hunger to try to make the World Series, the Mariners clearly have everything in line for another huge run. Certainly, 100 wins is not out of the question. The M's weren't all that interested in re-signing Aaron Sele (15-5, 3.60 ERA), despite the fact he's won more games since 1997 (69) than any other AL pitcher. Sele gave up too many home runs (25) and hits (216 in 215 innings) for Seattle's liking. It helps when you already have a rotation that boasts Jamie Moyer (20-6, 3.43), Freddy Garcia (18-6, 3.05), Paul Abbott (17-4, 4.25) and young Joel Pineiro (6-2, 2.03). And a closer, Kazuhiro Sasaki (45 saves in 52 chances), who is among the best in the game. And solid setup men like Jeff Nelson and Arthur Rhodes. The M's didn't stop with that, though, signing free-agent righty James Baldwin (10-11, 4.42 with the White Sox and Los Angeles), who probably will serve as their fourth or fifth starter. Offensively, MVP Ichiro Suzuki (.350, 36 stolen bases, 127 runs scored) actually has room for improvement, considering he walked only 30 times in nearly 700 at-bats. Which should scare a lot of Seattle opponents. Bret Boone (141 RBIs) may not equal his 2001 numbers, but he's a solid player who will play better than his .265 career average and is among the better second basemen in the AL. The M's upgraded at third, snatching Jeff Cirillo (.312, 83 RBIs) from Colorado. They also made sure one of their most valuable players, utility man Mark McLemore (.286 in 125 games), returned by signing him for two more years. The A's have awesome pitching (a 3.54 ERA that was the best in baseball), they hit (their .288 average was best in the AL), they take walks (second in the AL) and they score (927 runs, the most in baseball). They also had the best fielding team in the AL. Better? Well, maybe not 117 wins worth. But, yeah, the M's actually could be better. Up for grabs: The Mariners made a trade with the Padres that brought catcher Ben Davis into the fold. Expect him to immediately challenge Dan Wilson for the job, though Wilson and manager Lou Piniella go back a long way. Wilson is soon to be 33, so the Mariners were looking for someone else anyway. Davis is 6-foot-4, a switch hitter who will turn 25 in March. This spring might be Wilson's last stand. Spring chicken: Ryan Anderson, the 6-foot-10 left-hander dubbed "Little Unit" immediately after becoming the M's first-round pick in 1997, probably wasn't going to crack the staff this season even before another shoulder injury sidelined him for the season. It's the second major setback for Anderson, who has 460 strikeouts in 349 1/3 minor-league innings and an unimpressive 20-26 record and 4.51 ERA. One more and he'll no longer fit this category.
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