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The Seattle Mariners enter the 2015 season with high hopes of making the postseason for the first time in 13 years.

By adding Nelson Cruz, Justin Ruggiano and Seth Smith, the Mariners addressed the biggest weaknesses of a team that fell one game short a year ago. None of those players are projected to be game-changers on their own, but they are worth a few wins over what Seattle had at those positions previously.

Even with these additions, Seattle is still led by a core of Robinson Cano, Felix Hernandez, Kyle Seager and Hisashi Iwakuma. Those players need to perform at an elite level for the Mariners to compete.

They very likely will. It’s the play of a few others that will determine exactly how far the Mariners can go.

Austin Jackson and Mike Zunino are among Seattle’s most important players for 2015 success.

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With the MLB offseason winding down, most teams around the league have a solid idea of what their 25-man rosters will look like come Opening Day.

The Seattle Mariners made some critical improvements over the offseason and look ready to compete for a playoff spot. With the additions of Nelson Cruz, Seth Smith and Justin Ruggiano, the Mariners have one of the strongest rosters in the American League on paper.

Only three starting positions remain up for grabs: shortstop, one spot in the rotation and one spot in the bullpen. The majority of roster battles in spring training will be for bench roles.

Seattle may not be done making moves, as it could use more depth at first base or the outfield. Bob Dutton of The News Tribune indicates that the Mariners might interested in re-signing Joe Beimel for that last bullpen spot.

As the roster currently stands, Seattle’s projected starting lineup looks strong while the bench looks weak.

Infielders

1B Logan Morrison

2B Robinson Cano

SS Brad Miller

3B Kyle Seager

UTIL Willie Bloomquist

Cano and Seager are obvious locks, while Morrison won the starting first base job by posting a 127 wRC+ in the second half of 2014. The other two infield roster spots are yet to be decided.

General manager Jack Zduriencik indicated there was “no favorite right now” between Miller and Chris Taylor for the starting shortstop position, via Dutton. 

Seattle could platoon the two, but Miller likely has the slight edge due to his higher ceiling and ability to hit for power. The Mariners must then decide if Taylor should have the final bench spot or if it should go to Bloomquist.

Taylor clearly has more upside and Bloomquist is a 37-year-old coming off of major knee surgery. Still, the Mariners will probably favor Bloomquist’s versatility and might be hesitant to cut the veteran.

If Bloomquist’s recovery hits any setbacks, look for Taylor or utility man Carlos Rivero to get the last bench spot.

There’s also the fact that Bloomquist is one of the few depth players on the 40-man roster with even minimal experience at first base. Jesus Montero is also a possibility and fits a need as a right-handed first baseman, but he has quite a lot to prove before the organization will be willing to call him up.

Outfielders

LF Dustin Ackley

CF Austin Jackson

RF Seth Smith

OF Justin Ruggiano

OF/DH Nelson Cruz

OF James Jones

The top four outfielders are set, including what figures to be a fairly strict platoon in right field. Cruz won’t play the outfield unless it’s an emergency, leaving one more outfield bench position.

None of the current options are exactly appealing. As it stands, the competition will likely come down to Stefen Romero and James Jones.

Romero got off to an unimpressive start in the big leagues last year with a .192/.234/.299 line and -1.2 WAR in 72 games. Jones wasn’t much more impressive at the plate but has the decisive advantage due to his speed and base-stealing ability.

Seattle could use some more depth in the outfield. There isn’t much left in free agency, although the Mariners recently brought back Endy Chavez on a minor-league deal, per Dutton. 

One in-house option could be converting Miller to the outfield, which in turn might open up a bench spot for Taylor.

Catchers

C Mike Zunino

C Jesus Sucre

The Mariners have put a lot on Zunino’s plate early in his career and could use an upgrade at backup catcher. Even so, Greg Johns of MLB.com reported last December that Seattle was happy with its current catching situation.

Sucre is regarded as a good defensive catcher, and his receiving ability was the reason the Mariners let go of John Buck last July. Defense is the most important trait for a backup catcher, so it’s not a pressing need, but Sucre is too much of a liability at the plate.

One more name to keep an eye on is intriguing prospect John Hicks. Hicks dominated the Arizona Fall League with a 153 wRC+ and shouldn’t need much more seasoning in Triple-A.

Starting Pitchers

SP Felix Hernandez

SP Hisashi Iwakuma

SP James Paxton

SP J.A. Happ

SP Taijuan Walker

The first three are locked in if healthy. Manager Lloyd McClendon all but guaranteed Happ a spot in the rotation at Seattle’s pre-spring training media conference, saying, “we didn’t acquire Happ to pitch out of the bullpen,” via Dutton. 

The fifth spot will be decided between Walker and Roenis Elias. Walker gets the edge due to his tremendous upside and Elias’ injury concerns, but the 26-year-old Cuban was impressive in his rookie year and has a place in the club’s future.

No team is going to make it through the year with only five starters, so Elias will get his shot eventually. The Mariners may also choose to keep him in the majors in a long-relief role.

Bullpen

CL Fernando Rodney

RHP Tom Wilhelmsen

LHP Charlie Furbush

RHP Yoervis Medina

RHP Danny Farquhar

RHP Dominic Leone

LHP David Rollins

Seattle will return the majority of what was an outstanding bullpen in 2014. Brandon Maurer was traded to the San Diego Padres and Beimel is still a free agent, but Seattle has the depth to replace those losses.

The biggest decision will be which left-hander makes the roster, as the Mariners will likely want one more lefty behind Furbush. Rollins, Edgar Olmos and Mike Kickham are among those who will battle for one spot in spring training.

Rollins has posted solid numbers in the minors and must stay on the active roster as a Rule 5 pick if Seattle wishes to retain him. Kickham was ranked by Baseball America as the San Francisco Giants‘ No.5 prospect just two years ago and could be a sneaky-good acquisition if he manages to reach his potential.

One more player with a chance to win a spot is Carson Smith, who looked a potentially dominant closer of the future in his September stint last year. It’s hard to see who Smith would beat out of spring training, but Medina’s job could be in jeopardy a little further down the line.

All stats via FanGraphs.com unless otherwise noted. 

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Oakland Athletics general manager Billy Beane has had the busiest offseason of any GM, making nine trades involving 27 players in total. His most recent deal, swapping shortstop Yunel Escobar for Washington Nationals relief pitcher Tyler Clippard, was his best one of the winter.

Beane acquired Escobar and utility man Ben Zobrist from the Tampa Bay Rays for catcher John Jaso and prospects Daniel Robertson and Boog Powell on January 10.

The Athletics needed someone to fill in at short after allowing Jed Lowrie to walk, and they got their man from Tampa Bay. But it was Zobrist, not Escobar, as he was flipped to the Nationals for Clippard four days later.

Shortstop is arguably the weakest offensive position in the league, and Escobar has long enjoyed a reputation as an above-average hitter. His best season came with the Atlanta Braves in 2009, when he hit .299/.377/.436.

The problem is, he hasn’t hit at such a high level since 2011. His OPS has fallen under .700 in each of the last three seasons, and he’s only hit double-digit home runs in three of his eight major league seasons.

Middle infielders don’t often carry a lot of power, so Escobar‘s waning power isn’t a deal-breaker on its own. But his 31 career stolen bases are surprisingly low for such a tenured shortstop, and if he’s not a threat in the batter’s box or on the basepaths, where is he a threat?

The answer: he’s a threat in the field—for his own team.

Defensive regression is natural for an aging shortstop, and Escobar is 32. Many players’ arm strength and/or agility starts disappearing around then.

Escobar was actually a good defensive player as recently as 2013, when he posted a 10.7 Ultimate Zone Rating (UZR), more than double his previous career high and third in the majors among everyday shortstops, per Fangraphs. For comparison, Lowrie had a -6.7 UZR that season, third-worst in the majors for his position.

But Escobar‘s UZR shot down to an abysmal -17.0 in 2014, worst among starting shortstops by a wide margin. His range has all but disappeared, and the Nationals are expected to play him at second base, as the A’s would have.

In fact, Escobar‘s UZR over 150 games (UZR/150) in 2014 was the worst by a shortstop since Fangraphs began keeping track of the stat (h/t Athletics Nation’s Jeremy F. Koo).

Escobar never wanted to play for the A’s, and he would have been a horrible fit in Oakland. The A’s weren’t going to win over Bay Area fans by employing a middle infielder who once wrote an anti-gay slur into his eye black.

After the A’s claimed Escobar on waivers last August, his agent, Alex Esteban, told CBS’ Jon Heyman he was “very concerned” with Oakland’s selection. Tampa Bay pulled Escobar back from waivers after Esteban continued to drop hints about Escobar‘s aversion for suiting up in Oakland.

Clippard, on the other hand, shows no signs of fitting in poorly for the A’s. The Washington Post‘s James Wagner called him “an earnest, thoughtful and funny teammate, who was always accountable—good or bad—for his performances and the teams’s performance.”

He has been named to two All-Star Games despite functioning as a set-up man—not a closer—for most of his career. With a 2.68 ERA in just over six years with the Nationals, he’s been one of the most consistent relief options in baseball throughout his career.

Clippard was the Nats closer in 2012 and has the stuff to end for the A’s—which he may be expected to do after Sean Doolittle’s slight rotator cuff tear.

 Oakland acquired a similarly steady relief arm last season in Luke Gregerson, who turned in a 2.12 ERA and 1.01 WHIP in his one season with the A’s. Clippard is more of a power arm than Gregerson, but he should be just as good in an eighth-inning set-up role once Doolittle returns.

The A’s are flush with back-of-the-rotation starters, some of whom may turn into bullpen guys. They don’t actually have too many true right-handed relievers like Clippard, though, so he and Ryan Cook will be counted on as dependable late-inning arms.

Fans have bemoaned Beane‘s trading of five of the A’s seven 2014 All-Stars, but Clippard appeared in last year’s Midsummer Classic for the National League team. Oakland flipped an old, defenseless middle infielder with little pop for a shutdown bullpen arm.

Trade information courtesy of Athletics Nation. Statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com, unless noted otherwise.

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The Oakland A’s have planned to contend in 2015 all along.

While they were dumping All-Stars and stockpiling younger talent over the last two months, they were still planning on making their now-annual run at the top of their division. Billy Beane is still the organization’s general manager, and he still can draw his six shooter with the best in the American League West.

The A’s pulled off a stunning trade Saturday in what has been an offseason full of them, particularly for Oakland. Beane acquired second baseman/utility man Ben Zobrist and shortstop Yunel Escobar from the Tampa Bay Rays, pushing the A’s into contending position with a steady lineup and good-looking pitching staff.

It cost them, though. The Rays received Oakland’s top prospect, as rated by Baseball America last month and the publication’s No. 39 prospect overall, shortstop Daniel Robertson. Catcher John Jaso and outfielder prospect Boog Powell also go to Tampa Bay. Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle first reported the trade Saturday morning, and others trickled in with further details.

Full trade, as first reported by @susanslusser: Zobrist and Y. Escobar to #Athletics for Jaso, SS Daniel Robertson and OF Boog Powell.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) January 10, 2015

Several baseball pundits and analysts have criticized Beane’s offseason moves, but those people had tunnel vision. The A’s were not being blown up, and the GM was not the bad guy. He was again surviving in the environment he’d been placed in and had a plan on how to do so the entire time.

“Billy is about as good as it gets as far as being able to handle that balance, keeping us competitive currently and looking down the road for the future,” A’s manager Bob Melvin told Slusser a month ago after the team traded away Brandon Moss.

When Beane was shuttling out All-Stars Josh Donaldson, Moss, Jeff Samardzija and Derek Norris, he was looking toward the future. His move to acquire Zobrist and Escobar, as when he traded Yoenis Cespedes for Jon Lester last July, is playing to win immediately.

Starting with that Cespedes deal, the A’s have dealt away five All-Stars in the last five-plus months, a block of trades that have sent some scrambling to put Beane in the stocks while prompting others to preach patience as we see how it ultimately plays out.

A’s fans don’t have Billy Beane‘s phone number so they’re taking it out on me on twitter.

— Ann Killion (@annkillion) October 3, 2014

Now we know. The A’s are pretty much done making moves now, and here is what we know heading into spring training in about five weeks: Their lineup is solid with an upgraded infield overall, they have a good starting rotation even without Lester and Samardzija, and the bullpen is still one of the best in the majors.

After double-checking the math, that outlook is pretty damn good.

“That total rebuild is not something we really believe in, and not something Billy or I want to do,” A’s assistant GM David Forst told Eno Sarris of FanGraphs last month. “It’s not enjoyable to sit through six months of a season and lose 95-100 games. Luckily, I’ve never had to do it.”

This year will not be any different. The A’s plan to play for a fourth consecutive playoff berth and a third division title in four years. With the addition of Zobrist, who is in a contract year, this team will contend.

If you don’t know Zobrist’s skill set or what he is worth to a team, don’t worry. You’re not alone. Zobrist is the most underrated, undervalued player in the game who can play multiple positions, though he will primarily play second base for Oakland.

Making $7.5 million next season, Zobrist has a 23.2 WAR since 2011 based on FanGraphs’ calculations. That is the fourth-highest total in the American League during that time, trailing a trio of superstars in Mike Trout (29.1), Miguel Cabrera (26.5) and Robinson Cano (24.3).

In each of the last six seasons, only Zobrist and Cabrera have been worth at least a 4.5 WAR by the Baseball-Reference.com calculation.

The A’s are losing a couple of highly regarded prospects in this deal—Powell was the Class-A Midwest League All-Star Game MVP last season before being suspended 50 games for amphetamines—but people can’t complain when Beane builds for the future, or future trades, and when he goes for it in the now.

That double standard is undeserved, especially since virtually the entire baseball-loving world slammed Beane for his “rebuild” before the 2012 season when he traded away three All-Stars only to win the division the following two years.

Beane’s track record earned him the benefit of the doubt during all of his earlier trades this offseason, even if he did not get it from everyone. This Zobrist/Escobar trade is why. Before Saturday, knee-jerk reactors had the A’s being a terrible baseball team next season. That was always laughable considering what remained, mainly a very good rotation and bullpen.

Now, those same people may very well call the A’s contenders even though Zobrist by himself does not make them such.

Beane traded away his recognized talent, but plenty is left, much of it still unrecognized by casual observers. With a spotlight on Beane and the A’s in 2015, the rest of the talent will soon be known commodities.

And maybe this offseason will be the reason people are patient with Beane if he makes other trades shortly down the road.

Anthony Witrado covers Major League Baseball for Bleacher Report. He spent the previous three seasons as the national baseball columnist at Sporting News and four years before that as the Brewers beat writer for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Follow Anthony on Twitter @awitrado and talk baseball here.

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Ben Zobrist, one of the most versatile players and best bargains in Major League Baseball since becoming a full-time player with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2009, has a new home. 

After playing more than 1,000 MLB games with the Rays, Zobrist has been traded to the Oakland Athletics, according to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports:

An offseason of change continues for the Rays, who lost their best front office man when Andrew Friedman joined the Los Angeles Dodgers. Manager Joe Maddon exercised an opt-out clause in his contract and moved to the Chicago Cubs. 

Trading Zobrist is the latest sign that the era of Rays baseball that we knew, which produced great success for seven years, is no more.

The Rays were thought to be contenders for a playoff spot in 2014—no surprise since they made the postseason in 2013 and won at least 90 games five times from 2008 to 2013—but a rash of injuries and poor performances left them with a huge hole to climb out of last season. 

Last summer, before the Rays went into sell mode and moved David Price, Peter Gammons, during an appearance on the Dennis & Callahan radio show in Boston, via WEEI.com, said the team was close to a deal involving Zobrist going to Seattle before pulling the plug on it:

I know this: Tampa Bay really thinks it has a chance. Now their pitching has come back together again, I talked to people in Seattle who thought they were very close to a deal for Ben Zobrist and they said the Rays pulled back the last couple of days because they want to take it right down to the last 48 hours before the deadline.

Since Tampa Bay can’t compete financially with other teams in the American League East, it has to make some drastic moves in order to field a competitive team. No player has better exemplified the Rays’ style during their run of success than Zobrist, who has played every position except pitcher and catcher at some point in his career. 

A sixth-round pick by Houston in the 2004 draft, Zobrist and Mitch Talbot were dealt to Tampa Bay in July 2006 for Aubrey Huff. Zorilla debuted on Aug. 1, 2006, and played 145 games through 2008 before becoming a regular in 2009. 

The 2009 season saw Zobrist turn in a superstar campaign with a .297/.405/.543 line and 27 home runs. He finished eighth in AL MVP voting that year. The Rays signed the versatile utility player to a contract extension in 2010 that includes a $7.5 million option for 2015 that looks like a bargain now. 

The Rays picked up Zobrist’s option for 2015, which is no surprise given how cheap it is compared to what he would be worth on the open market. He told Adam Berry of MLB.com at the time that it was a thrill to know Tampa Bay is where he would be playing in 2015:

I’m absolutely ecstatic that they picked up the option for 2015. The fact that I have been here as long as I have makes this very special to me. When I first signed this contract, I thought then that if we got to the point where they picked up the options, that would be icing on the cake and that both sides would be really happy. And that’s how it has played out.

Dealing cost-controlled assets isn’t something that Tampa Bay usually does, especially with the market it plays in, but the Rays were stuck in limbo this deadline season and had to make tough choices. 

It also doesn’t help that the farm system is lacking in impact talent at all levels, ranking 23rd on ESPN.com analyst Keith Law’s (Insider subscription required) preseason list last year, but especially at the upper levels so they can’t supplement any injured player with a cheap player at the minor league level. 

Zobrist’s presence gave the Rays versatility that few players can match. Now, the talented utility player will bring his versatile all-around ability to a new manager who can take advantage of those unique gifts. 

If you want to talk sports, hit me up on Twitter. 

Follow @adamwells1985

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It’s no secret: The Seattle Mariners regained relevance last season due in large part to their starting rotation.

As general manager Jack Zduriencik puts the finishing touches on 2015’s roster, however, that may not hold so true as the M’s make their first playoff push since the early 2000s.

Last year’s rotation was a veteran-laden group of pitchers, complemented by rookie surprise Roenis Elias and a revolving door that was the No. 5 spot. There’s more unknown about the 2015 group, but there’s far more potential, too.

That comes when you’re expected to run out three pitchers with a year or less of major league experience on their resumes. Let’s take a look at the group of six pitchers battling for the five rotation spots.

All stats via FanGraphs and projections by Steamer.

*Steamer projects 48.0 IP for Walker, resulting in lower projected WAR.

One thing the Mariners have going for them is the top of their rotation. They possess a perennial Cy Young candidate and one of the most effective No. 2s in baseball and certainly the American League West. However, just one pitcher in the projected rotation threw 200 innings last season.

The Atlanta Braves teams of the mid-1990s set the standard for the modern major league rotation: Combine for at least 1,000 innings from the starters. Excluding Walker, this group combined for just 830.2 last season—that’s a big jump to make for young pitchers.

Felix Hernandez is a relatively known commodity. Barring injury, the King will throw more than 200 innings of exceptional baseball. The rest, however, are more mysterious. Yes, even Hisashi Iwakuma.

In his five September starts last season, Iwakuma allowed 21 runs (all earned) in 23.2 innings. He averaged fewer than five innings per start.

At 33 years old, Iwakuma is exiting his prime years and entering the back end of his career. In 2013, his second MLB season, he threw a career-high 219.2 innings—don’t expect those kinds of numbers again. Iwakuma could hit 200, but he only did so twice—201.2 and 201.0—in his 10-year Nippon Professional Baseball career.

That’s not to cool anyone’s jets on the Mariners’ chances in 2015. By all means, they are the favorites in the AL West. And they have the luxury of starting pitching depth, which could alleviate the need for their young starters to drastically increase their innings.

It’s essentially the same group as last season, except with J.A. Happ replacing Chris Young. Regardless of your thoughts on the Michael Saunders-Happ trade (here are Lookout Landing’s Matt Ellis’), it provided the M’s a more projectable middle-of-the-rotation starter. 

Young was a huge surprise last season, but that sparkling 3.65 ERA can’t be expected to be maintained for another season, especially not with a 5.02 FIP. Young remains unsigned on the free-agent market.

It doesn’t sound like Happ will need to compete for his rotation spot.

“We didn’t acquire J.A. Happ to pitch in the bullpen,” manager Lloyd McClendon told reporters at the winter meetings. “We gave up an everyday player for a starting pitcher. We expect him to be in the rotation.”

A spring training battle is unavoidable, though. Barring injury, there are six starters for five spots. There’s another name in the mix, too: Erasmo Ramirez.

The 24-year-old right-hander has had stints with the big league club every season since 2010. Each one has been progressively worse, though—not what you want to see from a young pitcher. Those results have resulted in Ramirez having exercised all of his options. 

This forces the Mariners’ hand a bit. Based on previous results, he shouldn’t be in the competition for the rotation. But he’s also still a young pitcher, who has had limited major league success—usually a commodity organizations don’t want to give up.

But in order to keep him and not on the big club, he’ll have to pass through waivers.

Ramirez would likely be claimed, so if the Mariners don’t want to lose him, they could either keep him as a long reliever and spot starter or their No. 5 starter.

Although the decision seems trivial on the surface—keep or cut a mediocre MLB pitcher—it will result in a domino effect.

If Ramirez makes the roster, that’s one of 25 spots, and at most, one of 13 pitchers’ spots. It means whoever of that aforementioned group of six doesn’t make the rotation will almost certainly start the season at Triple-A Tacoma.

The rotation is similar to the team, as a whole. It’s safe to be excited—you should—but do so with cautious optimism. Personnel-wise, this is an upgraded group. However, it may not outperform last year’s because, well, last year’s significantly outperformed its talent level.

With so many variables in the rotation and significant upgrades offensively, the Mariners, for the first time in about a decade, could find themselves relying on their bats rather than their arms.

Evan Webeck is a junior at Arizona State University, studying journalism at the Walter Cronkite School. He’s interned at Sports Illustrated and covered ASU football. Follow him on Twitter or email him at ewebeck@asu.edu.

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With the additions of Nelson Cruz, Justin Ruggiano and Seth Smith, the 2015 Seattle Mariners roster is nearly complete.

Seattle did a nice job of addressing its major needs while only adding payroll and trading marginal prospects. At the very least, this team looks ready to contend for a playoff spot.

With a few minor tweaks, the Mariners can contend for even more. Any remaining roster battles will be settled in spring training, but Seattle has a few things to accomplish before pitchers and catchers report on Feb. 20.

Sign a left-handed reliever

Lloyd McClendon did a nice job of managing Seattle’s bullpen last season by avoiding relying too much on matchups and defined roles. Still, the Mariners would like to add another left-handed specialist before the spring, as Charlie Furbush is currently the only returning lefty reliever.

Rule 5 selection David Rollins and waiver-wire addition Edgar Olmos are likely the next left-handers in line. Relievers can be volatile from year to year, so going with one of the young, inexpensive options is not a bad idea.

Even so, Seattle’s best move right now might be re-signing Joe Beimel. Bob Dutton of The Tacoma News Tribune reported last month that the Mariners were interested in bringing back the veteran after he posted a 2.20 ERA (4.18 FIP) in 45 innings.

Beimel seems unlikely to pitch at quite the same level at 37 years old, but he’ll be cheap and it would be nice to have another lefty with some major league experience. If Beimel struggles, the Mariners would have Olmos or Rollins waiting in Triple-A.

Look for depth in the outfield and at first base

Seattle’s starting lineup appears to be set for 2015 after trading for Smith last week. What the Mariners need now is some bench depth.

Two areas, in particular, stand out as weak in terms of depth: the outfield and first base. The Mariners have a capable starting outfield, but it’s dependent on Dustin Ackley continuing his 2014 second-half surge and Austin Jackson successfully bouncing back from his poor performance after the trade deadline.

First base is even more of a concern. While Logan Morrison earned the starting job by posting a 127 wRC+ in the second half last year, he’s been inconsistent and injury-prone throughout his career.

If Morrison goes down for an extended period of time, the Mariners would likely have to turn to Jesus Montero or hope prospects D.J. Peterson and Patrick Kivlehan develop quickly. It seems likely that the Mariners will need 30-plus games from another first baseman, and the current replacement options are not appealing.

An ideal addition would be a right-handed first baseman who could be stashed in Triple-A at the beginning of the season if necessary. Allen Craig is also still out there as a potentially interesting trade option.

Although Craig’s poor 2014 season and foot problems are very concerning, he’s a good buy-low candidate who won’t cost much beyond some added payroll. Craig could shield Morrison from left-handers and fill in as an outfielder in an emergency.

Of course, the Mariners don’t need Craig badly enough where they should give up anyone of much value to acquire him. Erasmo Ramirez could be used as part of a package to acquire some depth, as he is out of minor league options and figures to be shopped around before the season.

Figure out the shortstop situation

The Mariners don’t necessarily need to firmly commit to either Brad Miller or Chris Taylor before the season starts. Both can exist on the 25-man roster, and Seattle may choose to platoon the two.

Miller should have the upper hand for now, as he has much more power potential. Still, Taylor’s defense and baserunning make him a valuable player, even if he is just a singles hitter.

Even if they don’t officially name a starter, the Mariners need to have some idea for a plan at shortstop so they can properly manage their bench going into spring training.

If Miller indeed gets the nod, would the Mariners be willing to use a 25-man roster spot on a player who can only play shortstop with a thin bench? Dutton indicates Seattle may send Taylor back to Triple-A if that were the case.

Miller needs to get as many reps in the outfield as possible if the Mariners decide to platoon the position or start Taylor. Miller could add more value to the bench as the fifth outfielder than Stefen Romero or James Jones.

All stats via FanGraphs.com unless otherwise noted.

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You can bet, like most people, the players on the Oakland A’s have New Year’s resolutions for 2015.

During the week of Christmas, I asked A’s fans what would be on their wish list. This week I’ll keep the holiday spirit alive and venture a guess as to what many of the A’s starters’ New Year’s resolutions might be, specifically pertaining to the 2015 baseball season.

Of course there are a few disclaimers to mention.

First, the following list is made up by me. The resolutions on this list were not provided by the player unless otherwise specifically stated. As such, take them lightly and enjoy.

Lastly, because many resolutions could be similar for a few guys, I combined them to save you a slide.

You’re welcome. And Happy New Year!

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Taken in isolation, the trade that landed Seth Smith on the Seattle Mariners won’t rock the baseball world.

Taken in the context of Seattle’s offseason outfield overhaul, however, it could shift the balance of power in the American League West.

The swap, per ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick, will bring Smith to the Mariners and send 24-year-old right-hander Brandon Maurer to the San Diego Padres. 

The trade makes sense for San Diego, which had a glut of outfielders after acquiring Matt Kemp, Wil Myers and Justin Upton in separate deals. 

But it also benefits Seattle, which scored the fourth-fewest runs in the American League last year. “Our No. 1 goal this offseason was to improve our offense,” general manager Jack Zduriencik told MLB.com‘s Greg Johns. 

And that’s exactly what they’ve done.

Smith figures to platoon with Justin Ruggiano, acquired by the M’s in a Dec. 17 trade with the Chicago Cubs.

The left-handed Smith owns an anemic .205/.291/.314 slash line against southpaws but has tagged righties to the tune of .277/.358/.481.

Ruggiano’s splits aren’t as extreme, but he has fared better against lefties over his career. 

Joining them in the outfield will be Austin Jackson, who came over from the Detroit Tigers as part of the David Price deadline deal last season. Jackson hit an unimpressive .229 in 54 games with the Mariners but posted a .256/.308/.347 slash line overall with 20 stolen bases.

Then there’s Nelson Cruz, who should see significant time at designated hitter but can also play the outfield. Cruz signed a four-year, $57 million deal with the Mariners in early December and was the only player in baseball to crack 40 home runs last season while driving in 108.

The soon-to-be 35-year-old comes with warts—most notably his PED past—but he’ll provide thump in the middle of the order and needed protection for Robinson Cano.

Even with its subpar offense, Seattle finished with an 87-75 record in 2014 and stayed in the playoff picture until the season’s final day. Would these new additions, paired with the Mariners’ superlative pitching led by King Felix Hernandez, have been enough to get them over the hump?

Larry Stone of The Seattle Times thinks so, writing after the Cruz signing, “It’s not hard to imagine how the addition of a hitter like Cruz to stick between Robinson Cano and Kyle Seager could have made up the one-game deficit that kept the Mariners out of the playoffs.” 

Speaking of Seager, Seattle inked him to a seven-year, $100 million pact this winter, locking up the All-Star third baseman and gritty fan favorite for the long haul.

Add it all up, and surely M’s fans are imagining big things. Like, say, Seattle stepping into the role of division favorite?

The Los Angeles Angels ran away with the AL West last year and remain dangerous. But the Oakland A’s, who narrowly edged Seattle for the second wild-card spot, are in full-on fire-sale mode, while the injury-bit Texas Rangers and young, small-market Astros figure to tussle at the bottom of the pack.

It’s been 13 seasons and counting since the Mariners last played a postseason game, and during that span they’ve endured seven last-place finishes. So a return to relevance would be a ray of sunshine in the soggy Pacific Northwest. 

Maybe they’d even compete for attention with the Super Bowl champion Seahawks. 

Count manager Lloyd McClendon among the believers. “I told you guys when I took the job this was a golden era for the Seattle Mariners, and they haven’t let me down,” McClendon said after last season, per The Seattle Times‘ Jerry Brewer. “And we’re only going to get better.”

All statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference.

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2014 was an exciting year for a suddenly revitalized Seattle Mariners team.

Robinson Cano was brilliant in his first season in Seattle, and Felix Hernandez just missed out on a Cy Young award, leading the Mariners to within one game of a playoff spot after the franchise looked lost for the previous four years.

In 2015, things should be even more exciting. The Mariners are poised to make the postseason for the first time since 2001 and even look like a World Series contender on paper.

The pieces are in place for the Mariners to be an excellent team in 2015, but first they must adhere to some New Year’s resolutions.

Add some depth

The Mariners rounded out their 2015 starting lineup on Tuesday, acquiring Seth Smith in exchange for Brandon Maurer, per Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com. 

However, if one or more starters get injured—which is almost certain to happen—the Mariners would be in trouble from a depth standpoint.

Smith will be used in the corner spots against righties, and Justin Ruggiano can play all three outfield positions if needed. Still, Seattle could use another outfielder, as they don’t want to be playing Nelson Cruz extensively in the field or giving Stefen Romero regular at-bats should someone go down.

Logan Morrison has won the first-base job, but he has never played more than 123 games in a season. Unless Morrison suddenly sheds his injury-prone label, the Mariners could be looking at a lot of Jesus Montero or Ji-Man Choi.

The best depth addition for the Mariners would be someone who can play the corner outfield and fill in at first base. Ben Zobrist fits in well with the roster and appears to be available after the Tampa Bay Rays agreed to a deal with Asdrubal Cabrera on Tuesday, per Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports.

However, just about every team in the majors could use Zobrist‘s versatility, so he is going to cost some talent. The Mariners might be better off targeting inexpensive trade candidates (like Ruggiano) or adding a free agent like Emilio Bonifacio for next to nothing.

A team in contention for a division—or even pennant—shouldn’t be relying on Willie Bloomquist, Romero and James Jones as it’s primary depth pieces. Seattle’s front office has done an excellent job of assembling a capable starting lineup, but it needs to apply some finishing touches before opening day.

Work on converting Brad Miller into an outfielder

One of the best in-house outfield options is converting Miller to the outfield. Miller is the type of athlete who could be successful in at least a corner spot and could fill a need on Seattle’s roster in a Zobrist-like type of role.

With Smith around, Miller won’t necessarily be needed as part of a right-field platoon. Still, he can help with the depth problems listed above and would allow the Mariners to keep both Chris Taylor and Miller in the lineup regularly, should they both play well.

It’s hard to predict how any player will respond to a position change, but the Mariners have had some success in the past transitioning infielders to the outfield. Outfield coach Andy Van Slyke deserves plenty of credit for helping Dustin Ackley convert into a successful left fielder, and he should get a chance to do the same with Miller.

Even it doesn’t pan out, there’s no harm in getting Miller some outfield reps during spring training.

Avoid selling the farm

General manager Jack Zduriencik has done a nice job of building a contender without giving up much top-tier young talent. Trading prospects could become even more tempting at the 2015 deadline depending on the situation the Mariners are in.

Apart from a questionable Michael Saunders trade, Zduriencik‘s deals dating back to last offseason have all been sound. The Mariners have been able to acquire players who filled needs while only giving up marginal prospects such as Abraham Almonte, Matt Brazis and Carter Capps.

The only real big name to be traded was Nick Franklin, but he was blocked in Seattle and returned a player with more than one year of team control.

Zduriencik must continue that for the rest of the offseason and the trade deadline. Young talent like Taijuan Walker and D.J. Peterson should not be leaving Seattle, particularly for rental players, even if the Mariners have a “win now” focus.

The Mariners have assembled a roster that can compete both now and in the future. They need to keep it that way in 2015.

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