Logan Gilbert mentioned the need for tough internal conversations at the end of a difficult season. But what do those look and sound like? We asked Ryon Healy on the 'Refuse to Lose Territory' podcast.
The Seattle Mariners season has been incredibly disappointing, and that's easy to see for everyone involved: Fans, players, the front office and ownership.
Armed with World Series expectations at the beginning of the season, the Mariners enter play on Friday at 71-82, in the throws of their first losing season since the COVID-shortened 2020 season.
The Mariners had put together five consecutive winning seasons before this one (2021-25). J.P. Crawford is the only player on this roster to have experienced a losing season with the M's. It's been that long.
After a 2-1 loss against the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday, Mariners pitcher Logan Gilbert spoke about the reflection and conversations needed by M's players this offseason.
Speaking on the 'Refuse to Lose Territory' podcast on Thursday, we asked former Mariners infielder and current M's broadcaster Ryon Healy about what kinds of internal conversations players will have with themselves in the offseason.
Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Logan Gilbert (36) delivers a pitch against the Toronto Blue Jays in the first inning at Rogers Centre. Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images"You have to pinpoint individually what your contribution or lack of contribution was throughout the course of the season. You don't have control over other players. You only have control over yourself.
So it's really just a deep dive audit into your own season to see where you could have been better, and then formulating a plan for the four or five month offseason that these guys have to figure out.
What can I chip away at? What's the thing that stood out the most, that really got me away from what makes me great?
What parts of my game needs the most development, needs the most focus, and how do I go all in on that from day one of the offseason?
Whether that's an injury of something that I'm trying to recover from, whether that's a strike zone awareness, trying to be more patient with my approach. Maybe it's a specific pitch for a guy like Logan Gilbert that he wants to refine or eliminate.
Picking something specific and then figuring out how you're going to attack it day by day so that next spring training when you show up, you're ready to go."
That all sounds like sage advice, but now the question is "when will the next spring training start?" The anticipation is that there will be a lockout over the collective bargaining agreement's expiration on Dec. 1. At that point, there's no telling how long the standoff between the MLB owners and the Players Association will go in crafting the next one.
Up next
With nine games left in the regular season, the Mariners will open up a three-game series with the Colorado Rockies on Friday night. First pitch is set for 6:10 p.m. PT.
Bryan Woo, who has been on the road in the second half of the season, will be on the mound for the M's. He's 12-9 with a 3.88 ERA.
Of note
The latest 'Refuse to Lose Territory' podcast, featuring ESPN MLB Insider Buster Olney, is now out. You can listen here, or you can watch in the YouTube player below.
