Can the Yankees avoid the missteps of the Red Sox and Mariners?

The Seattle Mariners

Born in 1977, the Mariners are one of seven teams to have never won a World Series. That’s not for lack of trying, however, as the M’s seem like they are in the midst of a decade-long rolling rebuild.

Seattle fans remember the days of Richie Sexson, Jeremy Reed and Raul Ibanez.

The Mariners got the vision for their current run in 2009, when they held two picks in the first round, including number two overall. They used that pick to take 2B Dustin Ackley, whom they assumed would be a cornerstone player for the next decade, once he reached the majors.

That off-season they traded infielder Luis Valbuena for CF Franklin Gutierrez, whom they saw as their center fielder for the next ten years.

They had acquired Cliff Lee from Philly in the winter of ’09 as part of their ever-revolving roster, but, by July, the front office could see it was time to flip him for another young, cornerstone player.

So, they traded Cliff Lee for the 2008 eleventh overall pick, 1B Justin Smoak. He was supposed to be a key part of the Mariners’ blueprint.

The team spent the next few years doing everything right. Even fortune favored them as they continued to get top ten draft picks.