Kuzul

The Seattle Mariners roster is full of unknowns with spring training just over a month away. The front office has done little to address the team’s biggest positional needs (outfield and pitching) and the fact that it has an interesting blend of youth and experience.

There are several intriguing position battles and storylines to watch for this spring. What will the outfield depth chart look like? Who will be in the starting rotation? Who will be starting at catcher? Those questions and more are addressed in the following slides, as I broke down key position battles and discussed players who need to make a case to earn a roster spot on Opening Day.

*All stats and info were obtained via ESPN.com, Baseball-Reference.com and FanGraphs.com.

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The Seattle Mariners have already made plenty of noise this winter, and if early signs are any indication, they’ll continue to be busy until spring training.

The moves have not only been unexpected, but monumental as well and heavily focused on hitting. A new skipper is at the helm and a new superstar in town. 

The following moves are the biggest ones made by the Mariners so far, with their grades reflecting the quality of player/coach and value of their contracts.

*All stats via ESPN.com and Baseball-Reference.com.

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Seattle Mariners trade rumors have been abundant so far this offseason, but the club has yet to pull any triggers. They’ve been included in trade talks for Dexter Fowler, Billy Butler and even Matt Kemp, but putting a package together to acquire said all-star caliber players is easier said than done, and it would likely include at least one of Seattle’s top prospects, which doesn’t always work out as planned (i.e. Adam Jones for Erik Bedard). 

That being said, the Mariners do have some weak spots that can be filled via trade or free agency without letting go of coveted high-end prospects.

Catcher

The three backstops currently on Seattle’s roster are Jesus Montero, Jesus Sucre and Mike Zunino.

I’m sure Jack Zduriencik doesn’t want to give up on Montero just yet, but if he was hitting in the low .200s with single digit homers while taking PEDs, I don’t like the chances of him being much better off the juice.

Zunino is undoubtedly Seattle’s catcher of the future but needs grooming and a veteran to help the process along. I’m not saying Zunino shouldn’t start, but adding a guy who’s well traveled and can start if needed would fill a void that the Mariners’ retirement-home catching staff couldn’t last year. 

Solution: Kurt Suzuki

Suzuki is currently a free agent after Oakland declined his $650,000 2014 option, and he would make a perfect complement to Zunino.

For one, he’s a solid all-around player. He gets on base and has some pop, and although his defense is on the decline, he’s been an above-average defensive catcher throughout his career.

For two, is doesn’t feel right not having a Suzuki on the roster.

For three, Suzuki is a veteran guy who can help Zunino along without getting in the way of his development. He’s also more than capable of taking on a starting role if need be.

Outfielder

The outfield has been the position of emphasis for months now, and with Franklin Gutierrez’s option being declined, the position has an even greater need. 

Trading for Fowler would make sense, but it would likely come at the expense of one of Seattle’s top pitching prospects. Taijuan Walker, Danny Hultzen and James Paxton could be safe, but Tyler Pike could have to be let go. Pike is the Mariners fourth-rated prospect and went 7-4 with a 2.37 ERA for Single-A Clinton last season in 27 starts.

The Rockies are in desperate need of pitching and may want someone who can fill a spot in the rotation right away, though in which case they could get greedy and ask for one of the aforementioned “big three.”

Free-agent outfielder Nate McLouth is another option. The recently turned 32-year-old amassed a career-high 30 stolen bases last season, is a scrappy player who goes all out and is a solid hitter who gets on base a ton. He would also be a bargain—likely sign-able for $5 million per season.

McLouth‘s former teammate in Baltimore, Nick Markakis wold be a viable option as a corner outfielder in Seattle. He’s durable, he’s a good hitter with power, he gets on base and he’s an excellent fielder. He has one year left on his contract with a team option for 2015 and will be making $15 million this season. Markakis has a monster arm and would get plenty of extra base hits in Safeco.

Like Fowler, Markakis would likely be traded for a pitcher. Pike could be the guy, or Seattle could package Tyler Smith and Edwin Diaz, a pair of right-handed pitchers in Seattle’s farm system.

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For a team that finished with 91 losses like the Seattle Mariners, the offseason is exceptionally crucial. The roster is full of an interesting but not necessarily intriguing or promising mix of youth and experience, and it was ineffective last season.

The pitching staff was one of the worst in baseball (mostly the bullpen), and the offense improved its power but hit just as poorly as in years past. The right combinations simply weren’t there. The team looked promising at times and feeble at others, performing wildly inconsistent and without a true leadoff hitter.

Speaking of a true leadoff hitter, that should be one of Seattle’s points of emphasis this winter. Players hitting first in the order hit just .247 this season with 88 runs scored—both near the bottom of the league.

They plan to pursue Jacoby Ellsbury and Shin-Soo Choo, according to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports. Both of those guys have been leadoff hitters throughout their respective careers and would be great fits in Seattle.

Choo has struggled against left-handed pitching (.220 against lefties the last three seasons) but has some power and netted career highs in OBP (.423), walks (112) and runs (107) last season. He’s 31 years old, but unlike Ellsbury, the majority of his value doesn’t lie in his legs.

Ellsbury is one of the best base stealers in the game but has an injury history and recently turned 30. That being said, the high reward probably outweighs the risk, mostly because he’s also a .297 career hitter and well above average defensively (career 27 defensive runs saved above average).

Neither of these guys will be cheap, but the fact that the Mariners will be pursuing them indicates their willingness to spend.

Joe Saunders. Aaron Harang. Jeremy Bonderman. Signing fringe starters like these will take the team nowhere, as evidenced by the trio’s combined line of 17-30, 5.41 ERA and 1.50 WHIP last season.

Felix Hernandez and Hisashi Iwakuma are a scary one-two, and Taijuan Walker and James Paxton can shore up the back end, so Seattle just needs that third starter in order to have a legitimate starting rotation. Maybe it’ll come from within in the form of Erasmo Ramirez or Brandon Maurer. Most likely, though, they’ll have to go out of the organization and sign a free agent or trade a package of prospects for a veteran.

Seattle starters’ ERA was a combined 4.18 last season, and while that’s respectable, it’s an obvious downgrade from 3.93 the year before. Phil Hughes could be a viable addition, as would former Mariner Jason Vargas. Both pitchers have had success in Seattle—Hughes is 4-0 with a 0.82 ERA at Safeco Field (22 innings pitched) and Vargas is 22-21 with a 3.33 ERA in 376 innings at Safeco.

Neither should be overly pricey and both would be perfect third starters in the rotation.

The Mariners bullpen was one of the worst in baseball last season. Relievers went 16-33 with a 4.58 ERA while opponents hit .253. However, the same unit by far totaled the most strikeouts (535) yet gave up the third-most walks (224). Part of it was youth. Part of it was injuries.

With everyone a year older and Stephen Pryor on the mend, the unit should naturally be better. The frustrating part is not knowing why they digressed so much from 2012 when they had a collective 3.39 ERA. The ballpark dimensions could have had something to do with it. The ERA of the pitching staff at home in 2012 was 2.96. In 2013, it climbed to 4.17. Tom Wilhelmsen should be back to old form, but if he’s not, someone like Pryor or Danny Farquhar will have to take the reins as closer.

All stats via ESPN.com, MLB.com and baseball-reference.com.

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Contrary to what it may seem, the Seattle Mariners are a mess at first base. 

Justin Smoak was supposed to be Seattle’s first baseman of the future, but has been wildly inconsistent, even getting demoted to Triple-A for stints in each of the past two seasons. The relegations have helped, but he hasn’t made great strides in his offensive game. 

Dustin Ackley can play first, but may need to share time at second base or in the outfield next season, depending on who Seattle can sign in free agency. He’s also been disappointing and may be better suited for a utility role until further notice. 

First round pick D.J. Peterson will probably eventually be making the transition from third to first, but is in Single-A and won’t be seen in Seattle for at least another season or two.

Kendrys Morales is the ideal first baseman for the Mariners, although he was mostly a DH. He’s already said he won’t accept Seattle’s qualifying offer, but that doesn’t mean Morales won’t play for the Mariners next season. He’ll be tough to bring back, considering the limited power on the market, but his familiarity with the club and the organization could help Jack Zduriencik’s chances of bringing him back, or hurt them depending on their relationship.

Based on their career-long body of work and estimated salaries, here are free agent first basemen the Mariners should target this winter.

All stats via ESPN.com and baseball-reference.com.

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It’s unclear what direction the Seattle Mariners want to go in. They have a wealth of young talent in the minor leagues, some of which has seen major league action. 

The front office also has some fairly deep pockets to play with this off season, so it will be interesting to see whether Jack Zduriencik wants to rely on a mix of veterans and youth, or bring in a superstar player or two to help right what has been a very disappointing and consistently mediocre ship.

Besides the likes of Taijuan Walker, James Paxton and Danny Hultzen, here are three prospects the Mariners can build around in the near future, provided they elect to go that route.

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It’s not even July and already we’ve seen some prominent players sent down in the Seattle Mariners system. A season that was supposed be one of contention and progress has, thus far, been yet another year of rebuilding and disappointment.

The Mariners are currently 35-45, 12 games back in the American League West. Barring a drastic turnaround, they’ll be sellers at the trade deadline, allowing for some young prospects to get a taste of major league action, a process all too familiar among the club and its fans by now.

We’re halfway through the marathon that is an MLB season, and here are predictions for every Mariners player for the second half.

All statistics via ESPN.com and MLB.com.

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The month of May wasn’t the easiest for the Seattle Mariners. The highest highs were all but negated by the lowest lows, and multiple significant personnel changes occurred, drastically changing the look of the Mariners for the time being.

If this team is going to fully turn things around and at least make a push at a winning record, improvements need to be made quickly. June will be friendlier, schedule-wise, as the Mariners play 18 of their 27 games at Safeco Field where they’ve played much better this season. The Mariners also play five teams that currently own losing records, so an improvement in the win column can be expected.

If the M’s continue their slumping ways, skipper Eric Wedge may find himself out of a job midseason.

With a new month ready to begin, let’s take a look at letter grades for every player for the month of May.

All statistics current as of May 30.

*All statistics via ESPN.com, baseball-reference.com and MLB.com unless noted otherwise.*

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What was anticipated as being a big offseason for the Seattle Mariners has been anything but. To this point, Seattle has re-signed pitchers Oliver Pérez and Hisashi Iwakuma, traded for Robert Andino and Kendrys Morales, and signed free-agent outfielders Jason Bay and Raúl Ibañez.

Although Jack Zduriencik hasn’t signed any marquee free agents this winter, several big names are still on the market. Among ESPN’s top 50 free agents, two in the top 10 are still available: outfielder Michael Bourn and pitcher Kyle Lohse.

Any of the aforementioned star players would be a valuable and welcomed addition to the Pacific Northwest, but here’s why the Mariners’ front office should focus all their attention on two-time Gold Glove winner and All-Star Michael Bourn.

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Ever since Major League Baseball was founded in 1869, franchises have been relocated, renamed, players have come and gone and legends have been born and enshrined in history. 

In the 143 years since baseball has been deemed a profession in America, 30 franchises have stood the test of time, each of them with their own incredible histories and traditions. 

As a personal vice and out of curiosity, I compiled a spreadsheet calculating the all-time winning percentage of every franchise, including how often they appear in the postseason, win pennants and world championships, as well as how many of their playoff trips result in World Series berths and titles, relative to how long each team has been in existence.

The placement of some teams will be obvious, but others were a shock to me and may be to you as well.

Here are my rankings of the 30 current MLB franchises based on all-time records.

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