From the time Jerry Dipoto was hired on September 28, he lamented the lack of athleticism on the Mariners’ roster and how it needed to change. Later in the offseason, he got more specific to where those immediate changes needed to be made.
“We need to be more athletic in the outfield,” he told reporters at the GM meetings. “We need to cover ground a little bit better than we have the last couple of years, particularly last year.”
The Mariners were not good defensively in the outfield. Former GM Jack Zduriencik sacrificed defense, particularly at the corner outfield positions, for offense and the hope of home runs.