In early December 2017, I was optimistic that the Mariners were going to be able to snag two-way Japanese star, Shohei Ohtani. Bolstering their rotation and potentially their lineup in one signing. I found out, coincidentally enough, while having coffee with a die-hard Angels fan, that Ohtani, despite Dipoto’s and the Mariners’ best efforts, would be signing with the Los Angeles Angels.
My hope that 2018 would be the season to finally end the playoff drought began to diminish with the Ohtani signing and continued all the way through Spring Training. Sure, there were great pieces on the 2018 Mariners, but it seemed like there were some glaring roster holes that had not been addressed in the off-season.