Seems every year there are a similar number of answers and questions. There are things that are somewhat known facts about the Seattle Mariners and their season ahead, and things that remain a mystery.

Today, the 10 Questions. Tomorrow, 10 potential solutions to these questions, and others, should the incumbent roster not get it done.

The 10 Questions

10. Can Richie Sexson have a bounce-back season?

Yes and no. It’s hard to imagine Sexson struggling to the heights in which he did a year ago when the .263/.345/.514 hitter fell to .205/.285/.399. And though Sexson didn’t fail in 2007 because of fallen contact rates (he actually improved his K rates by .03%) it does appear he sacrificed some power in order to avoid the strikeout.

Sexson’s IsoP (SLG-AVG) dropped 46 points and despite maintaining solid walk rates, his career as a regular middle-of-the-order bat are clearly over. It’s not unreasonable to expect Sexson to split the differences between his career numbers and his 2007 output, but it’s also not out of the question that the 33-year-old Sexson’s bad knees just aren’t going to allow him to cover the plate like he did in 2005, or use his momentum to generate enough bat speed to be a big-timne run producer.

Sexson has already become a guess hitter, and could be replaced in the lineup should he repeat last season’s disaster.

Scout: “He is done hitting 35+ homers, but that should not come as a surprise. When he first came up in Cleveland you could see, physically, that he wasn’t going to have an extended prime. If he’s healthy he could be average offensively, but he should be DH’ing, too.”

9. Will the Mariners get much out of Jose Lopez?

Probably not. Lopez came up through the farm system with one above-average skill: bat speed. The fact that he’s outgrown his formerly athletic body, stiffened up at the plate and has not shown the ability to control the strike zone, certainly doesn’t provide much hope.

All of the above, along with the past hand and wrist problems Lopez has experienced, has contributed to his bat speed diminishing that has turned the 25-year-old into a singles hitters with no plate discipline.

Scout: “His slow bat and inability to use the whole field is a big problem for a player that is playing everyday. Pitchers and catchers are too smart to not figure him out. From watching him this spring, if he could just learn to hit the breaking ball to right field and turn on a fastball, he’s a Mark Reynolds-level bat.”

8. Will left-handed batters torture the relief corps without George Sherrill?

Nah. For one, Eric O’Flaherty is pretty good against LHBs and while Sean Green gives up a lot of hits (.329 BAA) and Ryan Rowland-Smith is merely average against southpaw bats (.275), Mark Lowe (.222) and J.J. Putz are terrific against anyone and Cha Seung Baek (.267) is respectable facing lefties.

If it becomes a problem or Eric O’Flaherty struggles for unforeseen reasons, Arthur Rhodes is probably capable of helping out in this area.

Sherrill was the best situational lefty in baseball, and while he’ll be missed the club shouldn’t notice it a whole lot on the field.

Scout: “All you have to do is get lefties out regularly, teams don’t have to dominate in that area to be a quality club. And those quality ABs versus tougher lefty batters don’t have to come from a left-handed reliever.”

7. Can the bottom of the rotation combine to be league average?

Maybe. Right-handers Carlos Silva and Miguel Batista are pitch-to-contact arms who try to get the groundball outs, while lefty Jarrod Washburn is a fastball-happy flyball pitcher.

When Silva’s sinker isn’t diving, which is about half the time, he gives up just as many flyballs and he does ground balls. And without a pitch that misses bats with any regularity, Silva is the one most likely to post the un-Safeco like ERA of more than five.

All three of them have been trying new pitches this spring; Silva and Batista are working on cutters, something Batista has tinkered with in the past, and Washburn added some confidence in a changeup he hasn’t thrown but 100 times in his Mariners career, as well as using a two-seam fastball to offset his average four-seamer.

Why are they adding pitches?

Scout: “When you don’t get strikeouts, you want as many ways as possible to get guys out regularly, or to have a go-to pitch, ya know. Even if that pitch is different for certain types of batters, at least he can’t sit on one or two offerings…

“Washburn’s breaking ball is better than he thinks it is, but a changeup is something he should have had long ago. Righties have never really torn him up, but as he loses velocity with the aging process, it can only help.

“Silva just gets through innings, and in the end nobody can explain how. His performances are volatile, though. And I think Batista should be in the bullpen, but he’s a smart pitcher and can be a fifth starter in the AL, even at his age.

“It would help if their outfield defense was better. Who is going to catch the ball in the corners?”

One of the trio may put up average numbers, and the other two are likely to be at least slightly worse than average.

6. Can John McLaren use his bench more effectively in order to keep the regulars, particularly catcher Kenji Johjima, fresh, healthy and primed for the stretch drive?

All signs point to that being a possibility through spring training, which is something we could not say about Mike Hargrove.

Taking five reserves north, albeit the wrong five, is a start, but McLaren will have to prove he’s willing to use them.

And any chance to rest Johjima in blowouts of the good and bad variety, should be taken advantage of, without question. While he hit .281 after the break in 2007, his power was sapped after starting 67 of the first 75 games, and catching all but 117 innings in the first half of the year.

Johjima slugged just .412 post all-star break and started 65 of the 75 games and because he’s one of the top three bats on the club, having him at his best during the second half may be the most critical change McLaren has a chance to make on the 2008 team versus last year.

Charleton Jimerson should be the late-inning replacement for Raul Ibanez in left - not Willie Bloomquist - so we’ll have to wait and see how McLaren handles that situation. One, will he remove Ibanez when defense is needed most, and will he use Jimerson, easily the better outfield defender between he and Bloomquist?

There aren’t many scenarios when Mike Morse shouldn’t pinch hit for Ibanez versus left-handed pitchers late in games, and there certainly aren’t situations when it makes sense to leave Ibanez in left field if the Mariners have a small lead late.

Scout: “Burke is an okay backup, he makes contact and is an average catch-and-throw guy, but the rest of them, I don’t know. Morse seems like he’ll be alright at the plate for them, but he can’t play the outfield right now.

“Bloomquist? Passable at second and third, better than Ibanez in left, but don’t play him at short or center unless it’s absolutely necessary. Cairo is a Mexican League-level reserve. His only true value over a replacement player is that he is one veteran that actually might be able to help Lopez offensively.

“Charleton (Jimerson) I really like, but his empty at-bats make him best used in this role. Run him, use his glove. That’s it. That’s a very average bench at best.”

Read the rest of this report �

After far too many setbacks and formatting issues in order to offer the book in both print and downloadable e-book versions, the 2008 Prospect Insider Handbook is finally complete and available. Inside you’ll find full profiles of the top 10 prospects and rankings that extend to the top 40 talents in the Seattle Mariners organization.

Other features include a recap of last year’s Top 10, where you’ll see at least one major blunder in PI’s rankings where I was fooled and then some by a certain left-handed bat, a Review and 20-20 grading of the 2007 Draft, a Preview of the 2008 Draft, the All-time Seattle Mariners Prospects Team, a historical view of the M’s farm system and the Top 20 Prospects in the American League West.

Also included:
Analysis of the club’s International signings, Ranking MLB’s Farm System’s 1-30, Under the Radar prospects to keep an eye on in the depths of the system, a glance at what happened to some of the club’s previous top prospects, a closer look at right-hander Juan Ramirez and 2007 second round draft pick Denny Almonte (with full scouting report), and more.

Perhaps my personal favorite feature is the Top 10 Most Valuable Seattle Mariners, on and off the field. This one was fun researching. And with the help of a former Mariners player and current minor league coach, there’s a feature consisting of the All-time Seattle Mariners team.

No, I didn’t forget Mike’s favorite feature, the Organizational Tool Box, rating the best pitches and skills in the entire farm system.

And thanks to Paul Marsh and Mike Andruski, there are photos of the top prospects, including the somewhat elusive Carlos Triunfel, in action.

Oh, and I almost forgot: The Projected 2011 Seattle Mariners. Pretty exciting lineup in the club’s future.

To get your downloadable copy in PDF form, Click Here.

To order your 118-page, paperback, spiral-bound handbook, Click Here.

Here’s an excerpt from the profiles of one of the Top 10 prospects.

Tuiasosopo is a good athlete with above-average tools across the board, including plus bat speed, solid pitch recognition and the ability to hit the ball the other way. He’s also considered to be the most mature of the M’s prospects due to great makeup and the ability to completely ignore his numbers and continue to work on his game day-in and day-out, never losing confidence or resting on his laurels from recent successes.

The 21-year-old does have adjustments to make at the plate, however, such as shortening his swing and possibly eliminating the leg kick that some believe prevents him from turning on pitches and hitting for more consistent power.

Since Rafael Soriano was given away for FREE to the Atlanta Braves last winter, there has been some question as to which of the remaining relievers was second only to closer J.J. Putz.

In brief conversations last season, some believed it was since-traded left-hander George Sherrill. Others thought it was rookie right-hander Brandon Morrow, at least at times, and there were stints in which right-hander Sean Green was that guy, too.

If you’re wondering who might get the nod in 2008, wonder no more.

Barring a lack of luck and a kick in the rear from karma itself, right-hander Mark Lowe is the easy choice to set up Putz and cover high-leverage situations in the seventh and eighth innings.

Lowe began the spring as a question mark, but ended it as a resounding exclamation point. After sitting in the 89-92 mph range very early in the Cactus League schedule, Lowe’s arm strength returned, as did much of his command, and his slider and change were thrown with more confidence and effectiveness.

While his elbow will be in the thoughts of everyone monitoring his progress, he’s shown no ill-effects this spring, and has cemented a spot in the Mariners bullpen as camp breaks this weekend.

In his final three outings, Lowe sat n the 92-95 mph range with his four-seam fastball that offers late life to go with a natural sinking action that assists him in the ground ball department. He reached as high as 97 on the gun and registered 95 on six occasions on Friday night in Las Vegas.

What’s great about the former 5th rounder is that he’s not a typical reliever who uses two pitches, and he’s even got a leg up on many closers who generally stick with two power offerings, and sometimes a true split-finger, like Putz.

Lowe has a nasty slider, that has improved every week and is about 75 percent back to where it was in 2006 before Lowe’s injury, and a changeup that he throws with great arm speed and a consistent release point.

His changeup looks so much like his fastball as the ball leaves his hand that he even crossed up catcher Jamie Burke earlier this week and it looked like Burke was trying to catch a screwball or a knuckler when he was expecting a fastball.

If his own catcher is baffled, how do you think hitters are going to react?

When comparing Lowe to Morrow, the pure stuff isn’t even close. Morrow has slightly better velocity and even better late action on his four-seamer, but Lowe’s secondary offerings and command out Morrow’s to shame.

There are only four other pitchers in the division with stuff that is equal to or better than Lowe’s; A healthy Rich Harden in Oakland, Angels closer Francisco Rodriguez, though a 100 percent healthy Lowe isn’t far off at all, Felix Hernandez and Putz.

You can make a case for Bedard, too, and Bedard is a much more valuable pitcher, but in terms of pure arsenals, Lowe probably edges him out by a slim but clear margin.

His two plus pitches and above-average change are why many have always believed Lowe was being wasted in the bullpen, but with the arm injury and his confidence and personal preference to pitch in relief, Lowe is right where he belongs.

As the second-best reliever in the M’s bullpen, and knocking on the door to No. 1.

Notes:
With Morrow optioned to Double-A West Tennessee, the bullpen is one decision shy of being complete. Six or seven, Mr. McLaren?

A six-man pen will consist of right-handers Putz, Lowe and Green, left-handers Eric O’Flaherty and Ryan Rowland-Smith, and either R.A. Dickey or Cha Seung Baek.

A seven-man relief corps is probably going to include both, but if the actions of the Seattle Mariners over the past week are any indication, the Mariners prefer to go with six.

The Mariners have put Dickey on waivers, which is step one in offering him back to the Minnesota Twins, via Rule 5 regulations.

But they have also been shopping Baek, so it’s possible they were allowing luck to make the choice for them. If Dickey is claimed, they pull Baek off the trade block and keep him. If Dickey clears and they either send Dickey back to Minnesota or have something worked out with the Twins, they get to keep Baek, who is out of options.

The third scenario is that the Mariners do what they have to do to keep Dickey at this stage, and either trade Baek or lose him through the waiver wire. Placing Baek on waivers seems unlikely at this point, if they haven’t already have done so, unless they feel the chances of squeezing him through outweighs the return they’d receive via trade.

With a six-man bullpen, both Mike Morse and Charleton Jimerson probably make the team. Two hours ago I believed Greg Norton was going to get the last spot on five-man bench, but with the thumb injury to third baseman Adrian Beltre, the club might have to use Morse and/or Willie Bloomquist to spell Beltre, which removes one of them from playing the outfield if necessary, something Norton isn’t as capable of doing as is Jimerson.

A seven-man ‘pen eliminates both Jimerson and Norton, most likely, and Jimerson, like Baek, Dickey and Morse, cannot be sent to the minors without at least getting him through waivers.

But…

“Right now I think there’s a good chance a guy like Jimerson gets through,” said a National scout, whose club may be joining the trade talk for Jeremy Reed, who was optioned out on Firday night. “So many teams are looking for another arm or someone that might have some development left. He may very well get through.”

So, going that route with Jimerson might be something the M’s try also, since Norton is not likely to be interested in a Triple-A assignment.

“I think we’d get in on someone like him if he were available,” said the scout. “I was sent here to find an arm and a bench bat, and he might be the best guy available - if Seattle lets him go.”

Lots to chew on in the next day or so for the Mariners.

Let’s hope they make the right decisions.

The 2008 season is fast approaching, with battles for the M’s precious few bench roles heading down to the wire. Much of the spring’s opening roster has been pared away while skipper John McLaren prepares to divvy up the playing time to those who’ll need it the most.

In the meantime, Seattle’s minor league affiliates have been juggling spring cleaning with spring planning.

Several minor league players were given their outright release in the last few days, including RHPs Chad Fillinger, Jose De La Cruz and Will Brown, LHP Paul Fagan, Infielder Reed Eastley, and C Juan Beltran, among others … Eastley requested his walking papers and the club obliged.

While the big-league club figures out their roster, High Desert appears to be wrapped up with 2008 supplemental first rounder Matt Mangini at 3B, top prospect Carlos Triunfel at SS, Chris Minaker at 2B, Johan Limonta at 1B, and Travis Scott catching. The OF will most likely consist of super athelete Greg Halman, Carlos Peguero and speedy Kuo Hui-Lo.

What does that mean for 3B Alex Liddi? The M’s are still very high on him and he’s likely to begin 2008 with the Mavs as well, switching between 3B and DH with Mangini. Whether or not he remains there is a story yet to be told, however, as the parent organization is considering a position move, possibly to left field.

RHPs Austin Bibens-Dirkx, Kyle Parker, Anthony Varvaro, Joseph Kantakevich and Ricky Orta are primed to form the core of High Desert’s pitching staff.

Triunfel, Mangini, Scott, Bibens-Dirkx, and Limonta are all 2007 Maverick returnees, while Halman is jumping a level after ending the year in Everett .

His 2007 season already a disaster thanks to a torn left knee ligament, RHP Stephen Kahn is now likely to miss the entire 2008 season as well, due to a tear in his right ACL. Once considered among the higher-ceiling relief prospects in Seattle’s ranks, Kahn now faces the commitment of another year recovering from knee surgery… 2007 11th round pick Jeff Dunbar, drafted as a catcher out of UC Riverside, has now converted to the mound this spring and has been topping the low-90’s so far. Not a bad start.