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Mariners make changes, strides in 2016
- Updated: December 28, 2016
SEATTLE — The operative word for the Mariners in 2016 was “change.” From the team’s ownership group to the general manager, field manager, coaches and a large chunk of the roster, new faces were in new places.
And as the calendar closes, it’s fair to say the general direction seems extremely positive, even while the primary goal loomed just out of reach as Seattle came up just shy of landing a postseason berth despite a 10-win improvement in the American League West standings.
GM Jerry Dipoto isn’t one to preach patience, as evidenced by his 32 trades in the first 14 months of his tenure, but he does recognize the big picture at play as the new regime made its mark with fresh approaches across the board.
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“We built a foundation this year,” Dipoto said. “Organization-wide, we built a foundation that I think will breed winning.”
That included a farm system that saw all seven of the Mariners’ Minor League teams reach the postseason, as well as a Major League club that showed its resilience time and again — from its eight walk-off wins to its late-season push in the AL West to its ability to overcome a club-record 19 players going on the disabled list, including four members of the Opening Day rotation.
“We didn’t do it with great performances from one or two stars,” Dipoto said. “We did it with contributions from everyone.”
And that played perfectly into Dipoto’s …
