Bullpen: Seattle's bullpen performed pretty well in 2017 considering it was forced to throw over 569 innings, thanks to the shaky rotation. Fire-throwing closer Edwin Diaz will be back for his third MLB season, and he will be expected to improve after an up-and-down 2017 campaign that saw him struggle with control at times (his strikeouts-per-walk ratio declined by more than half from 2016). Setup man David Phelps, acquired via trade in July, should be back for the start of spring training after undergoing surgery to remove bone spurs in his elbow. Young players such as Emilio Pagain, James Pazos and Tony Zych likely figure into the team's long-term plans, and veteran Nick Vincent should return after a stellar season.
{}