in MLB Betting Trends

Following an 88-win season where the Seattle Mariners unexpectedly competed for the American League West division crown, expectations have grown now that the team acquired ace Erik Bedard.

Felix Hernandez is coming off a down season, but if he can bounce-back to his ace-like form of 2006, the Mariners will have a dangerous one-two punch.

Following King Felix will be Carlos Silva, Miguel Batista and Jarrod Washburn. This fivesome looks very solid.

The addition of Silva bolsters the three-spot and more importantly bumps Washburn down a notch.

Silva was 3-1 against the Mariners last year, so consider his signing an addition by subtraction from an opponent.

Relief Pitching:

The Mariners bullpen was overworked most of last season but held out until September before a collapse. That should change this time around with more capable starting pitchers in front of them and more quality arms in the ‘pen around them.

All-Star J.J. Putz is lights out in the ninth inning while Brandon Morrow and Mark Lowe are fairly underrated eighth-inning pitchers.

The addition of Chris Reitsma give the Mariners a versatile arm who has experience closing and long relief. One thing that appears to be missing is a reliable left-handed pitcher, although Arthur Rhodes is expected back around mid-season as he recovers from Tommy John surgery.

Hitting:

The way that Jose Vidro hit in the latter part of ’07, combined with Ichiro, the Mariners have an above average top of the order that sets the table as good as anyone in the Majors.

The Mariners don’t have a lot of pop in the order but the good news is that they might not need it. They play in a pitcher-friendly park and have both the pitching staff and the bullpen to win low-scoring games.

Raul Ibanez, Adrian Beltre, Kenji Johjima, Jose Vidro and Ichiro all hit with consistency, which means the Mariners should have enough in their order to be a competitive team. The good news is that they learned last year they can compete without Richie Sexson, who batted a measly .205 with only 21 home runs.

Any production Sexson gives them is a bonus, but should he start to earn some of the money they paid him, the Mariners will have a strong enough lineup to be consider a World Series contender.

Losing Jose Guillen stings a little, but the hope is that maybe Brad Wilkerson or one of the youngsters, Yuniesky Betancourt or Jose Lopez can step it up.

Regular Season Win Total: 84

The books are suggesting that the Mariners are merely four games better than .500, but they have the makeup to compete for a playoff spot.

Their pitching staff ranks among the five best in the American League, they have a solid bullpen with one of the best closers in the game, and they have enough hitting to support the pitching.

More importantly with the pitching staff, the addition of Bedard sets up all of the other pitchers in better spots. Hernandez felt a lot of pressure as the staff ace last year and given that he is still relatively young, moving him to the second spot is ideal for him. Silva fits in as a No. 3 and bumps Batista down a notch to No. 4, where the veteran can just quietly and effectively eat up innings. Washburn, who has essentially been a free agent bust for the Mariners, moves to the No. 5 spot. If he regains his previous form, he’ll be one of the top No. 5 pitchers around. If he’s average, he’s in the right place to be.

This looks like a team than can definitely win 85 games.

Free Pick: Over 84

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