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.”

5. Erik Bedard: Great Year, Good Year or so-so year?

Solid year, but not great. Despite better bullpen and run support, Safeco Field and improved defense behind him, Bedard is more likely to regress slightly. But ignore his spring numbers, as the desert air erased his curve ball and forced him to throw too many fastballs and changeups.

Scout: “I’m still not convinced he’s a No.1, he hasn’t led a staff anywhere and while he has great stuff, he’s only been consistent with it for one year. If he was 25 I’d be sold on his future, but he’s 28-29 and running out of time to prove it.

“He’s a good pitcher and if he stays healthy has all the tools to be that No. 1 guy, so it’s not a shock if he repeats 2007 and throws 215 innings… but he’s yet to do so.”

4. Is this the Year Felix Hernandez puts on his crown?

I don’t think he wins the Cy Young this year, but I do believe he’s going to be pretty good in 2008. I think he’s going to struggle for the first month or so, then even out a bit before finish the final few months as one of the better half-dozen starters in the American League.

Overall, I think he has a better year than Erik Bedard.

Scout: “I absolutely think this is the year he puts it all together. Stottlemyre is a perfect fit for him at this point in his development and the fact that his problems aren’t health, control or work ethic, that’s a big deal.

“Two plus-plus pitches, two plus pitches and a useful changeup. He’s got Hall-of-Fame stuff and now he’ll learn how to use it.”

3. Can a 34-year-old Ichiro maintain superstar play as the rest of the Mariners hit the dog days?

Even though he’s not a game-changing bat, he is a game-changing offensive player with his base-stealing prowess and on-base ability, but he will need help.

And though I don’t buy the productive outs theory, the Mariners season-long approach of having better at-bats is critical in optimizing Ichiro’s consistent performances at the plate and on the bases.

It will be more important, however, for the bullpen to be kept fresh.

Scout: “This is where I am with Ichiro: He’s a highly-skilled player whose best talents are speed, defense, throwing… he’s at least average everywhere except maybe power in which he’s only slightly below in terms of actual power production, but he’s a star because he’s so consistent with all of his tools.

“But Seattle needs another star bat to be a serious contender come playoff time, and they don’t have that right now.”

2. How Long is McLaren’s Leash on Jose Vidro, Sexson and Lopez?

Probably not long with any of them, but longer with Sexson than either of the other two. This team lacks punch and Sexson is capable of some of that, so he’s probably safe for longer.

Vidro is the easiest to replace and his bat could prove very useful on the bench. In a perfect world, Vidro would be moved to the bench by mid-June or July with Cairo given his walking papers, Wladimir Balentien would earn a call-up to play left field everyday, and Ibanez slides in and DHs regularly.

Vidro looked horrid this spring, and even if you completely ignore his statistics, it appeared as if he was incapable of driving the ball at all, which is worse than he was a year ago when he could at least reach the gaps on pitches in his wheelhouse from the left side.

Lopez may be on the shortest leash of all, since the club has options in the minors, namely Yung Chi Chen.

Scout: “I haven’t seen Balentien a lot, but wouldn’t they be much better off with (Jeff) Clement, Balentien and Chen over Sexson, Lopez and Vidro? I think all three contribute more than the veterans do, and may possibly even be better bats right away.”

1. Do the Mariners have what it takes, in guts, guile and assets, to add a much-needed bat before the trade deadline, in order to get to 90 wins and beyond and make themselves legitimate threats in the American League?

Yes, maybe and maybe. They have the nads to do it, and perhaps they can identify the right player to chase, but the talent in which to send out may be lacking.

Clement and Balentien have B-level prospect value, and Carlos Triunfel is likely the one untouchable. Michael Saunders is still thought of as a C-level guy (I disagree) and Matt Tuiasosopo certainly fits that bill going into the season.

If Bavasi finds a rebounded Jason Bay available for one of Wlad or Clement plus, it maybe worth doing. But as tough as it may be to find a deal to make, it’s equally difficult to imagine that the M’s wouldn’t grossly overpay again, to finish off the attempt to win in 2008.