Commentary: Mariners salvaged their offseason - but excuses are no longer valid for season ahead

We’re just four days from the start of the Mariners season – and I’ll honor the annual "Hope Springs Eternal"-fest by starting with a genuine compliment to the M’s front office. 

Because given the cards it was dealt – on short notice, mind you – they did an admirable job assembling the roster we’ll see on Opening Day. 

For those who preferred to ignore the offseason after Jerry Dipoto put both his feet in his mouth at the end-of-season press conference, things only got worse when it was reported that team ownership set a smaller budget than anticipated for the upcoming season. This was all because of the uncertainty surrounding ROOT Sports Northwest, a situation affecting many teams across the country and their reliance on TV rights packages to help subsidize team payroll. 

So in an offseason that began with shedding payroll – and immediately bowing out of the race for the biggest free-agent names on the market, which was a big disappointment – all things considered, the M’s did a pretty decent job. 

The additions they ultimately made – from Mitch Garver to Jorge Polanco to Luke Raley and bringing back Mitch Haniger – make this roster arguably better than last year. Again, compare the current roster to how it looked after trading guys Geno Suarez, Marco Gonzalez and Jarred Kelenic, and things are actually looking up. 

But frankly, that’s where the good grace ends. Because while ownership might prioritize the bottom line, to me and most fans at this point, results – wins and losses – are the only thing that matters. 

If the Mariners don’t reach the playoffs this season at the very least, there’s absolutely nothing they should publicly hang their hat on. 

Dipoto learned this the hard way at the end of last season. No one wants to hear that an organization has taken a step forward when they miss the postseason a year after getting there. No one wants to hear a goal of winning 54 percent of games over a ten-year stretch – especially from a guy who’s only won 51.6% of his games and made the playoffs just twice in 14 seasons as a major league general manager or president of baseball operations.

The time for excuses with this organization ran out years ago. Which means the payroll excuse rings hollow. The rebuild excuse has now run its course and more. 

I give everyone in that building credit for grinding away toward a common goal, but the results are either there, or they’re not. 

So again, the start of this season is an inflection point for the Mariners. Like everyone else, I’m hopeful they have a playoff run in them. And I’m pleased with the way the front office put together a competitive roster, relative to being forced by ownership to pivot last-minute. 

But the patience thing? It’s long gone. Give the fans what they deserve – a playoff team, and one that ultimately contends for a World Series.

The slogan for this season is simple: "Mariners Baseball: Put Up or Shut Up."