KC at the Bat: Mariners & Storm offseason news; UW needs a new defensive coordinator?

Seattle Sports Roundup: Seahawks Playoff Push, Mariners Trade Rumors, Huskies Hoops, and More

There seem to be so many things happening right now in the Seattle sports scene. The Seahawks are in pursuit of a playoff berth and an NFC West title (though Sunday Night’s loss to Green Bay is not encouraging), the Huskies are reloading via the transfer portal (mostly adding beef in the trenches), college basketball is in full swing (whether you follow Washington, Gonzaga, or Seattle U), and then there’s the offseason for the WNBA and baseball.

Here are some of my thoughts on a smattering of things. And please let me know if you like the format of this, as I’m inclined, as of now, to do this more often.

• We are only two months away from Spring Training. The Mariners have done nothing so far. One one of our recent podcast episodes,

  Brian Elsner
  and I chatted with
  Patrick Leary
  about the offseason. Seattle has needs at second base and third base. Patrick surmises a hodge-podge solution in a recent post here on SeaTown Sports:

  Let's Talk About Second Base

  Wait For It Seattle, Ep. 27

• There are also rumors flying about the Mariners moving starting pitcher Luis Castillo. His contract isn’t the best and he’s the oldest of the starting rotation, so it makes sense for Seattle to entertain the trade market for him. It is just not clear whether the return will be worth it. I’ve always stuck with Brian’s refrain of doubling down on strengths. I get that the Mariners need hitting. But does improving the team’s offense necessarily have to come at the expense of weakening its incredible rotation?

• By the way,

  Luke Arkins
  at Mariners Consigliere has been pumping out quality content this offseason. As an example, here’s his analysis of hitters that have thrived at T-Mobile Park:

  Mariners who thrived at T-Mobile Park

• If I’m the Mariners, I’m putting together a pitch book showcasing what Nelson Cruz, Robinson Cano, Alex Rodriguez, and Edgar Martinez were all able to accomplish in Seattle. Seattle has to find ways to shed the “this is the place where hitters go to die” reputation. Perhaps they already have something they use.

• Seattle Storm star guard Jewell Loyd has requested a trade out of Seattle. This news comes after an investigation found no violations by the Storm’s coaching staff. What does this mean for Seattle? There will be a new face of the team next season, and one candidate is 25-year old center Ezi Magbegor.

  Storm Chasers w/ Jeff Brown
  broke down the possibility here:

  Should the Storm Build Around Ezi Magbegor?

• I don’t know if Magbegor is the new centerpiece, but it still feels like this team is searching for its next bona fide star after Breanna Stewart’s departure.

• The Washington Huskies men’s basketball team is 7-3 with three more non-conference games before fully diving into Big Ten conference play. I say “fully diving” because the team has already dropped its first two conference games to UCLA and USC. The Huskies appeared competitive against No. 24 UCLA, only losing by 11 points, but then got slaughtered by unranked USC, 87-69. Husky legend and current USC assistant coach Quincy Pondexter wanted all the smoke on social media after the game:

  

• It would be a miracle if Steve Belichick decided to stay in Seattle after his dad, Bill, has taken the head football coach position at the University of North Carolina. Steve’s buyout turns to $0 after January 1st, 2026. Who will replace Steve as Washington’s defensive coordinator. Should Fisch go try to find another guy with NFL experience? Or should he find someone with a wealth of experience at the college level? Both options have their pros (no pun intended) and cons. If you go with NFL-type, you show a commitment to the Be A Pro theme that’s been pushed since Fisch took over. If you go with the experienced college coach route, you may have a more seasoned recruiter (I don’t think recruiting was Belichick’s strength).

  

  @evan_feather

• The name that is being thrown around is Fisch’s former defensive coordinator at Arizona, Johnny Nansen, who is the current co-defensive coordinator at Texas under former Washington head coach Steve Sarkisian. The other name that people are speculating about is recently fired former New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh. He’d fall in the NFL category.

• Substack is attracting some of Seattle’s best in sports journalism.

  Jim Moore
  , aka, the Go2Guy, and former Seattle PI sports columnist, is writing on Substack. I worked with Jim when I interned with the then-710 ESPN radio station, and we also worked together on a startup sports show that never took off. His column about being Santa Claus was real, reflective, and funny:

Tales of being a rookie Santa

• Mason Kelley
  , former Seattle Times High School Sports reporter is writing about high school sports again around King County. I enjoyed his debut piece on O’Dea football winning a state championship and the school’s legendary coach, Monte Kohler:

  A State Record Seems Like a Great Place to Start

• Here are some of my other recent reads on Substack:

  Canzano: Washington State waits on John Mateer

  Top 12 Players With the Most Career Grand Slams in MLB History