Mariners Moose Tracks, 11/3/17: Hisashi Iwakuma, Justin Upton, and Deshaun Watson

Good morning everyone! Happy Friday! I’ve just come down with a wicked head cold, it really seems to be that time of the year. Yesterday was a surprisingly busy first day of the offseason. Let’s recap.

In Mariners news...

• Greg Johns reports that the Mariners are likely to focus on first base and pitching this offseason.
• Shannon seems to think we haven’t seen the last of Kuma.

• A belated congratulations to Nick and Jaclyn!

• Here’s Taylor Motter spending some quality offseason time with his dog.

Around the league...

• For Dave Cameron, Charlie Morton’s 2017 season perfectly encapsulated the oddities of the year in baseball.
• The Los Angeles Angels agreed to a five-year contract extension with outfielder Justin Upton, further tying down their finances for future years.
• Jed Lowrie will return to the A’s next year after Oakland picked up the infielder’s option.
• A familiar face will be on a rival coaching staff in 2018.

• MLB Trade Rumors dropped some early offseason predictions.
• Charlotte Wilder gives Carlos Correa the pass on proposing to his girlfriend at a ballpark.
• While Correa had one of the best nights ever, Yasiel Puig had one to forget. The outfielder lost the World Series, then went home to find that he’d been robbed.
• Grant Brisbee looks back on how the Astros went from being the laughing stock of baseball to the ones on top.
• Somehow, the Astros managed to crush their competition without a solid bullpen, which was thought to be a must for the playoffs.
• The Giants have named former Mariners instructor Alonzo Powell as the team’s new hitting coach.
• Tony La Russa simply can’t stay away from the game. The former manager has joined the Red Sox front office.
• The Nationals have swiped Kevin Long from the Mets to serve as Washington’s new hitting coach.
• Meanwhile, the Ruben Amaro saga continues. The former Phillies GM will coach first base for the Mets.

Anders’ picks...

• A frontrunning MVP candidate suffered a horrible tragedy in practice.

• For all of you Mario Baseball (Gamecube version) fans out there, I tweeted out my optimal lineup. I’m curious on your opinions. I recognize Waluigi is generally a better alternative to Boo on the mound but I prefer the ghost.