15 things to think about if you're as ready for '17 as I am.

1. Aoki is incredibly consistent. In 5 MLB seasons, he's never hit more than .288, never less that .283 (,288-.286-.285-.287-.283).  His OBP has never been less than .349 or more than .356 (.355-.356-.349-.353-.349). And minus his Ruthian (for him) rookie season he's slugged between .360 and .388) .370-.360-.380-.388).   Clockwork!

If you bring him back next year, you certainly know what you're going to get.  Bad glove and all.

2. B-R says that the M's are "leaning" towards keeping Smith around for his $7M option.  One statistic may indicate his declining skill set more than any other.  He hit only 15 doubles this year.  Since '11, he had never hit less than 23.  It was 27-31-31 the past three seasons.  His 16 HRs were just one shy of his career best, but it appears that he's become a cheater in some sense.  Maybe he's compensating for age by starting early and trying to launch the ball to RF?   Or maybe his wheels are rusting up. Maybe his legs were dinged all year and will be rejuvinated in the spring.  I do not know which of those makes the most sense.  He's also had his 2 career highs in GIDP the past two seasons. It just looks to me like he's trying to be a guy who hurts the RF seats more than he used to.  Although he hasn't seen any real decline in his defensive RF/9 (never his strong point), I'm going to be a bit concerned about him seeing some decent further decline next season.  I would figure he's a .250-.335-.430 guy next year and not an inch more.  His .782 vR was the 2nd worst of his career.  Your call:  Did he have a bad year or is he in decline?

Of Aoki and Smith, Aoki is the safer bet.

3.  Leonys Martin may not have another level guys.  He careers it in HR's and BB's this season, but still runs an 88 OPS+.  Weirdly, he doesn't hit doubles, either.  For him to jump another level as a hitter, he has to return to the .266-ish BA that he had his two healthy seasons in Texas AND hit 15 HR's AND BB at the rate he did last year (or better).   All of that gets him to a 104-5 OPS+ player, or so.  He would be Aoki/Smith.  It isn't out of the realm of possibility, and he likely will have one isolated season like that at some point, but I'm not seeing a jump to an elite CF bat.  Edgar or no Edgar.

4.  If we go grab an FA SS, Cozart would be just fine!  ++ SS glove and (this is weird) he hits almost exactly the same on the road as he does in the Cincy band box (.246-.291-.387 at home, .246-.288-.383 on the road) so he's not home park created.  Also hits .722 vs. LHP over his career.  He's a clear upgrade, maybe a 2-3 WAR upgrade, over Marte.

5.  Bet'cha O'Malley makes the team next year.  Showed he could handle SS in a pinch.  Plays 3 OF positions well.  Dirt dog approach.  Willie B., but better.  Two thumbs up.

6. We're not paying $4M to bring Iannetta back.  I could see us declining the option and then resigning him, but for pennies on the $4M dollar.  How much do you trust in the bashing Sucre we saw?  Weirdly, Sucre was 0-6 after throwing out 50% of base-stealers last year.

7. Seager-somebody like Cozart-Cano-Vogelbach/Lee; left to right across the IF.  That's 5.  Zunino and a relief catcher makes 7.  Cruz is 8.  Fowler (in my dreams), Martin and Gamel make 11.  Aoki makes 12.  O'Malley would be 13.  Since Cruz can go play OF, it is possible that the Aoki slot could be filled by a more versatile FA, one who can play IF, too.  But there is too much smoke that the M's are interested in bringing back Smith/Aoki/Both for there to not be some fire.  No way we resign both, however.

8. Zach Shank, Mike Freeman, Tyler Smith all have some outside shot at a move from Tacoma into a utility role. Shank doesn't play SS, but does play 2B-3B-OF.  Smith plays SS-2B-3B.  Freeman plays everywhere and did have a pretty big hit for the M's this year.  He's a career .314-.376-.414 AAA guy.  If you're willing to give Cruz some RF time, then a team could choose to go with two IF/OF types (an O'Malley and Freeman, say) rather than a pure 4th OF.  Especially if you were loaded with CF's like Martin-Gamel-Fowler.  

9.  Stefen Romero (with 0 options remaining, I believe) offers more flexibility than Lee, if he were to light up ST.  Alas, as much as I'm rooting for him to be an M, I think he plays in the bigs for someone else next season.  We're I Romero, I would be picking IF grounders at 2B and 3B (as well as 1B and shagging OF fungoes) all winter, to maximize my flexibility.

10.  Deej showed life last year.  All the same, .753 in Tacoma isn't getting too many people too excited, even after an .808 Jackson stint.  But at least he's not totally DOA.

11. My favorite Columbia U. Gumba, Dario Pizzano was broke last year.  Sigh.  C'mon kid!!! Point for Matty on this one.  I was high on Pizzano, he not so much. 

12. Steve Baron is going to have the Tacoma job, behind the plate, if Sucre doesn't.  And he may have it anyway.  He bounced back.  Good to see.

13.  Herschel Mack Powell will be back at some point next year.  He was once a Diaper Dandy, now a Diaper Druggy.  Gamel and Heredia have jetted past him.  Not sure of his Seattle role, anymore.

14. And then there's Tank.  If he didn't strike out 150 times, you would say he just had his way with the Southern League at age 21.  He was consistent all year:  Minus a handfull of Sept. PA's, he never had a month below .811 and his monthly HR total was 5-4-5-5-5.  He didn't parlay one hot month into a season's worth of numbers.  You gotta like that in a kid.  The fact that he just hit .915 vs. RHP is something to giggle about. He actually K'ed less frequently vs. RHP than he did vs. lefties, too.  There is much much to like here.  MLB teams routinely make early moves with their AA rocket prospects; if O'Neill bashes the AFL about a bit AND looks good in ST, PLUS May in Tacoma....the M's may be inclined to move him up early.  If all of those things are true, I certainly would.  Follow the Houston template.

15.  Looking forward to '17.  Of course, on all of this your mileage may vary.

Play Ball!