The 2014 edition of the Seattle Mariners came oh so close to making the post season for the first time in 13 years. They missed out on the "Hunt for October" by one game and were left wondering what went wrong and where they could improve going into the 2015 season.

Spring Training begins next week when pitchers and catchers report on Friday, February 20. The rest of the team will report on February 25 to begin their march to the 2015 MLB postseason. The Mariners needed to add some pop to their lineup to go along with All-Star second baseman Robinson Cano and Gold Glove third baseman Kyle Seager. A position, if you want to call it that, at which the Mariners have struggled as of late, has been the designated hitter. Since Edgar Martinez retired at the end of the 2004 season, it has been a revolving door with player after player who has failed to live up to the position.

One player who did well as the DH was Russell Branyan in 2009. That being said, he had back issues and could not be counted on as the season went on. The last few years, the Mariners have used players such as Jesus Montero, Corey Hart, and Logan Morrison. No offense to those players, but they do not make an opposing pitcher tremble with fear.

The Mariners went out this past offseason and made it a priority to get a big bat in the lineup to help protect Cano and Seager. They believe they got their main in Nelson Cruz. Cruz and the Mariners spoke prior to the 2014 season, but the Mariners ultimately decided against signing him due to his suspension for his involvement in the Biogenesis scandal. 

In a way, Cruz went out and made the Mariners pay for that mistake. He ended up signing a one-year deal with the Baltimore Orioles and hit .271 in 159 games with 40 home runs and 108 RBI in 678 plate appearances. Cruz's 40 dingers led the league in 2014 and helped him earn his four-year, $57 million contract.

The Mariners now have some offense to go along with their great pitching and stingy defense. This could be a make-or-break year for the Mariners. Expectations are high in Seattle, and after last year's near miss, fans will want nothing less than a playoff appearance. Keep in mind, there are kids in junior high that do not know what playoff baseball is in Seattle.