Earlier this offseason, Jerry Dipoto said something about focusing on bullpen additions as a way to improve the Mariners’ roster for 2021. I’m not going to hunt down the exact quote, but you read this site, you know what I’m talking about.
As visions of faceless veterans wriggling their way out of jams danced in Mariners fans’ heads, Dipoto went out and acquired Will Vest, Rafael Montero, and Keynan Middleton. These moves signified that the front office did at least have a clear plan, which was in line with the one Dipoto shared, but also that this offseason would not be the type of new player orientation that most fans were hoping for.