The Mariners, in the midst of a "step back," know they won't be World Series contenders in the near future. Their veterans know that, too. So, the team is being honest, and the vets are trying to control what they can.
PEORIA, Ariz. — The Mariners clubhouse is teeming with young players who are deemed the future of the organization. That’s what happens when you spend the offseason shipping out one established player after another, intent on gathering prospects designed to blossom in 2020 and beyond.
But it’s also dotted with a handful of veterans, all past 30, who are far less prominent in that rebuilding plan.