After a disappointing first round playoff exit last season, the future in Seattle looked bleak. Longtime ace Rafael Pineda was about to hit the free agent market, along with trade deadline acquisition Shawn Sinclair, and the team had no way to resign them. Instead, the Cascades faced an offseason without any draft picks, and $3 million over the salary cap. Their only hope seemed to be the compensatory draft picks expected to come from Sinclair' and Pineda's free agent contracts, and a retooling year as we approach the deepest draft class in rookie history. But, the picks never materialized. Pineda signed a 5 year, $65 million contract with the Chicago White Sox, but the team was denied a second round draft pick as compensation, with the ChiSox second rounder being shipped off to Minnesota as compensation for the signing of young superstar David Cone Jr. Sinclair's 6 year, $60 million contract with the New York Yankees didn't even net a second round draft pick, let alone the first rounder that was expected of his signing. GM sfascetta had a decision to make, with a young, up and coming offense, but a rotation that featured the perennially underachieving former Top 5 pick Gilberto Heredia, veteran Antonio Barbosa, and former Cy Young Award Winner Bobby Schmidt, who was coming off of a terrible follow up season to his Cy Young winning 2031 campaign, and appeared to be aging rather ungracefully.
Then came a flurry of trades. Long time reliever Mauricio Biswana was shipped to Carolina alongside Seattle's second round draft pick for former Cascades reliever Fernando Cotto in order to alleviate the team's cap problems. Then, Schmidt and trade deadline acquisition Shane Shoemaker were packaged to San Francisco, for the Giants 2032 first rounder, shortstop Renny Olivier, and veteran starter Jason Jarvisse. With Shoemaker', Biswana', and Schmidt's hefty contracts off the books, the Cascades now found themselves with ample space to build a team. Olivier was flipped to the St. Louis Cardinals for veteran first baseman Yamiro Hanna and starter Brandon Workman. With the first pick in the supplemental draft, granted as compensation for Pineda's departure, the team picked up starter AJ Griffin, then proceeded to snag fellow starters Bradley Swire and Robby Ray in the supplemental draft, as well as outfielder Bobby Helmhood. Swire turned in a brilliant spring training, going undefeated throughout, and made his way to the bullpen when the season began. With the team now set for the future, GM sfascetta seemed content to ride out whatever happened, figuring that if the team failed to make the playoffs, it would only result in a higher chance of netting an impact player in the draft. Both he and the critics were far off of the reality of their season.
Thirty-seven games into the 2033 season, Seattle sits atop the AL West at 25-11, 6 games above the second place Shanghai Crowned Cranes. Reigning reliever of the year Xin Su is atop the AL Cy Young discussions, and leads the league in wins with 8 in 22 appearances. The rest of the bullpen continues to be a strong point for the team. Swire has continued his Spring Training success into the season in his new role, sitting at 4-0 in 12 appearances. Stefan Beito is turning in yet another stunning season, holding a 1.61 ERA to go along with a 2-0 record in 19 appearances. Ron Trosky leads the team in saves with 5 to go along with his 1.65 ERA and 2-1 record in 19 appearances. Highly touted prospect Hugh Burton finally has found success in the majors, and is second on the team in saves (3), with a 1.54 ERA in 10 appearances. The rotation does not have any barn burners, but each starter has been solid to this point. Barbosa is 4-2 with a 4.50 ERA, and has begun picking it up in his last few starts. Heredia, tasked with being the team's ace, has a career high 3.69 ERA, despite only posting a 2-3 record in his 8 starts. Griffin has yet to lose a game in his 6 starts, and Jarvisse's ERA remains under 4.00. Only Workman has struggled a bit, only going 1-1 in his 6 starts, with a 5.40 ERA. Each is performing adequately enough, and have carried the team to third fewest runs allowed thus far.
It is Seattle's 4th ranked offense, however, that is getting the job done. For the most part, all of the pieces assembled by GM sfascetta have finally begun to click for the first time. Shortstop Derek Stanley has picked up where he left off last season, and has cracked 10 home runs and 6 doubles to go with his .302 average and 27 RBIs thus far. Catcher Kent Katt has the 7th most doubles in the league with 11, and has added 8 home runs and 27 RBIs as well in what might be his last year in Seattle as he heads to unrestricted free agency this year. Young right fielder and former AL MVP runner up Vincent Pastore leads the team in home runs with 12 (good enough for 4th highest league wide), and has added 7 doubles and 25 RBIs to that total. The much criticized centerfielderZomiro Puig has responded admirably to offseason trade rumors, and his off to the best start of his career: 9 doubles, team leading 2 triples, 10 home runs, and is tied for the team lead in RBIs with 27. Second baseman Delmon Cardenas has gotten off to a rocky start, but has picked things up tremendously as of late, and leads the team in stolen bases (4 in 6 attempts). Helmhood and veteran Mauricio Lacazette have been clutch off the bench, contributing 5 and 3 RBIs respectively in only a handful of appearances. The team is set up for the future, and appears headed for yet another playoff run this offseason, showing once and for all that starting pitching isn't always what it is cracked up to be.
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