5 Biggest Questions Facing Seattle Mariners Going Into Opening Day 2016

By Dustin Martyn

It has been said many times before, but it is still true — the Seattle Mariners were one of the most active teams during the offseason. With all of the roster moves made, many questions were brought about. Add to that the injuries from last season and spring training this season, and the questions are aplenty with this new squad. All of the roster moves seem to have been made, now it’s just time for players and coaches to provide answers to those questions. The season starts in less than a week, but there are still plenty of questions facing the Mariners.

5 Biggest Questions Facing Seattle Mariners Going Into Opening Day 2016

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How Will Scott Servais Do As Manager? — Servais has never been a manager before in his life, which has become a new trend in MLB lately. He does have experience as a major league catcher for 11 years, which gives him a nice background for the job and his supporting staff is one of the best in baseball. He should be fine after a few hiccups.

Will Robinson Cano Rebound? — Robinson Cano had an awful start to the 2015 season, but was dealing with injuries at the time. He turned it back around at the end of last season, but the questions are still there. His great spring only helps to prove the point that he is past his injuries and prime for a bounce-back year.

Will Taijuan Walker Breakout This Year? — Last year, many thought that Walker was ready for a breakout year. He didn’t quite have the year he was expected to have, but he did show signs of brilliance at times. This year, all the pressure is on Walker to have the breakout year that so many expect him to have.

The Bullpen — The injuries in the bullpen have been piling up already, with Evan Scribner and Ryan Cook both expected to be out for extended periods of time. Now that Charlie Furbush is set to miss the beginning of the season, many are wondering if there are enough quality arms in the bullpen. The Mariners must have decided it wasn’t enough since they brought Nick Vincent in from the San Diego Padres for the last spot in the bullpen.

Will The Emphasis On OBP Mean More Wins? — Jerry Dipoto became the new GM of the Mariners last September and proceeded to tear apart the roster. After assembling his Frankenstein of a roster, it became apparent that the Mariners had made the transition from a team reliant on home runs to one that emphasized on-base percentage. Now it’s finally time to find out if all these moves will mean more wins for the Mariners and possibly even a playoff spot.

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