THE CHEAP SEATS with STEVE CAMERON: A lot to fix with this Mariners squad in '27

The Angels visit Seattle four times this weekend.

You know what that means, right?

Yep.

You can throw out the records when these rivals go head-to-head.

Wait, there's more.

As a bonus, there are thousands of fans in the Northwest who would be pleased to throw out the Mariners, as well.

This clash of the titans against the Angels wraps up the 2026 train crash that ruined the summer for plenty of ticket-holders who hoped they'd be witnessing Seattle in the final few days of a furious pennant race.

Instead, the American League West has been a non-stop nightmare of bad baseball, with the winner quite possibly finishing below .500.

The fact that the Mariners couldn't even clear THAT bar makes plenty of loyalists grit their teeth and hiss: "Why us?"

There is a litany of reasons, of course.

This team has been just plain terrible.

YOU WANT some good news?

"I think the Mariners will begin making changes within a couple days after the end of the season," said ESPN analyst Jeff Passan. "They've got a lot to do."

So, what's the rush?

"They need to turn things around, on the field and in the office," Passan said. "If there are talented people who can help, they might as well begin recruiting ahead of those teams who are in the playoffs."

Like everyone else who's been shocked as the Mariners shoved baseball back a few decades, Passan assumes that the off-season moves will begin with the firing of manager Dan Wilson.

The verdict on Wilson, who has been with the organization almost forever — first as a player, then in various other duties — will not spread any joy.

But it's close to unanimous: Dan's a helluva nice guy, but a terrible manager.

Even with his players stumbling over themselves night after night, Wilson could have gotten them to the postseason with just a FEW less foolish maneuvers.

He has to go.

What about vice president Jerry Dipoto and GM Justin Hollander?

It's easy to blame the front office, but Dipoto and his staff have collected plenty of talent (the hopes for '26 were based on good reason) and one of the best farm systems in baseball.

The Mariners are solid going forward.

OK, WHAT about the athletes — current and future?

Remember all the excitement back on opening day?

"They had the core of a good team," Passan said. "Then almost everyone had a terrible season. I tried to come up with Mariners who had a decent year, and I only got to (Dominic) Canzone and Cole Young, who tired near the end."

Here's a slap from an AL coach: "Randy Arozarena was their only legit all-star, and he was loafing way too often. I don't think he cares about winning or losing."

There's agreement at home — and around the league — that the Mariners are loaded with potential stars.

Even this awful '26 team was several injuries away from making noise in the playoffs: pitchers Kade Anderson and Ryan Sloan, along with outfielders Lazaro Montes and Michael Arroyo and starting shortstop Colt Emerson.

"They have a lot of decisions to make," Passan said. "As bad as these Mariners were, the talent is still there."

Running through all these names only makes this year's fiasco even more painful.

This team has gotta be fixed.