Kuzul

Prior to a year in which they are expected to contend, the Seattle Mariners have a few key decisions to make during the offseason.

Seattle finds itself in the rare position of trying to win now rather than building toward the future. The last two times the Mariners were coming off a winning season (2007 and 2009), they made disastrous signings and trades that resulted in poor records the following year.

While the Mariners won’t lose too much from their 2014 roster, they do need a few upgrades to be a playoff team in 2015. Seattle needs a better offense and will have to think carefully about a few free agents or trades over the winter.

Most of the Mariners’ biggest decisions this offseason will revolve around the offense, but Jack Zduriencik and Company will look carefully at the entire roster to try and build a contending team.

What to Do with Michael Saunders

The biggest news coming out of Seattle this offseason has revolved around Saunders.

At the Mariners’ wrap-up press conference, both Zduriencik and manager Lloyd McClendon claimed that Saunders needed to do more to keep himself healthy over the course of the season, via Colin O’Keefe of Lookout Landing. Then, in an interview with 1090 The Fan (via CBS Seattle), Saunders’ agent said that he was “frustrated” with the comments and that the team lacked communication with his client.

The relationship between the Mariners and Saunders is fractured, meaning the team will have a big decision to make regarding him this offseason. Saunders is the most talented outfielder on the team and put up a 1.9 WAR in just 78 games but has been injured far too often during his career.

Seattle could choose to move in a different direction and try to trade Saunders, although that could end up being a huge mistake with little outfield depth behind him. The Mariners also may look for a reliable backup to start in place of Saunders two or three times per week in order to keep him off the disabled list.

Either way, the Mariners must decide what Saunders’ future role on the team will look like.

Which Risky Free-Agent Slugger Is Worth It?

Club president Kevin Mather told 710 ESPN that payroll will increase in 2015. That means the Mariners will look at some free-agent signings likely to upgrade the designated hitter position, which produced all of minus-2.1 WAR in 2014.

While they are far from the only options, the Mariners will be connected with three free agents throughout the offseason: Victor Martinez, Nelson Cruz and Billy Butler—if the Kansas City Royals decline his $12.5 million option.

All three could help the Mariners, but they each carry a significant risk.

Martinez is about to turn 36 (Dec.) and will be expensive after coming off the best offensive season of his career. Any suitor would have to expect Martinez’s numbers to trend downward, but he could still be a huge factor in the middle of Seattle’s lineup by just matching his career 125 wRC+ over the next couple of seasons.

Cruz will turn 35 next year and will also be looking for a multiyear contract. While Cruz won’t hit 40 home runs in Seattle and his skill set may be more prone to decline than Martinez’s, he could help the Mariners for at least the next two years.

Butler is coming off the worst season of any of the three but has not yet turned 29. He will be cheaper than the other two and might be worth a flier to see if he can return to his 2009-2013 form, when he posted no worse than a 117 wRC+.

Any one of those three could be the missing piece to Seattle’s lineup, but they all could backfire down the road.

How Much Outfield Help Do the Mariners Need?

The Mariners currently have the pieces to form a starting outfield, but all three potential members have some questions heading into 2015.

Saunders’ future in Seattle is a complete question mark at this point. Even if he enters the season as the starting right fielder, the Mariners will need a capable backup in case Saunders heads to the disabled list again.

Who knows if the Mariners will have the Dustin Ackley of the first half (76 wRC+) or the second half (123 wRC+)? Even Austin Jackson will be monitored closely into next season after struggling mightily since coming to Seattle at the trade deadline.

Assuming Chris Denorfia and Endy Chavez are gone, the Mariners will need outfield depth, but they must decide what type of player to bring in. Seattle could choose to bring in a fourth outfielder-type who could start if needed or target a bigger name like Melky Cabrera.

Is the Rotation Set?

Much like with the outfield, the Mariners could form a starting rotation with the current roster in 2015 but may decide to add some depth.

Felix Hernandez and Hisashi Iwakuma are locked in at the top of the rotation, while James Paxton looks very good through his first 17 career starts. As it stands now, Taijuan Walker and Roenis Elias would occupy the last two rotation spots.

Both have great potential, but that’s asking a lot out of two young pitchers, particularly the 22-year-old Walker. Paxton, Walker and Elias also have some health concerns, so the Mariners will likely decide to add some depth unless they trust Erasmo Ramirez to fill in. 

The easiest decision for the Mariners to make would be to bring back Chris Young on a short incentive-laden deal, which would be beneficial for both parties. If Young ends up elsewhere, Seattle will have to choose between moving forward with what it has or adding a mid-level starter.

Who Are the Trade Chips?

With a relatively weak market, the Mariners may have to make some trades to add offense. They must decide what positions are strong enough to trade assets from while also balancing the present and future.

One position the Mariners will have to make a decision at is shortstop. Both Brad Miller and Chris Taylor received playing time last year, while the 21-year-old Ketel Marte has risen fast through the minors and looks to have some value.

The Mariners may be content to let Miller and Taylor battle for playing time out of spring training. If they do commit to one (likely Miller), the other could end up on the trading block.

Another position Seattle has some depth at is relief pitcher. While having a shutdown bullpen was a big part of the Mariners’ success in 2014, trading someone whose value is currently at a peak like Brandon Maurer for some offense could be worth it.

All stats via FanGraphs unless otherwise noted.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Coming off of an 87-75 season, the Seattle Mariners are set up to make a run at the postseason in 2015.

Seattle retains the top two members of an outstanding starting rotation that could be even greater soon if some young pitchers continue to develop. Offensively, the Mariners have a strong core in Robinson Cano and Kyle Seager to build around and become contenders.

However, the Mariners have a few needs they need to address if they are to get over the hump and make the postseason for the first time since 2001. With some free-agent options, Mariners president Kevin Mather told 710 ESPN Seattle that payroll would increase next season.

Upgrading anywhere would obviously help, but the Mariners have four needs to focus on over the offseason.

4. Left-handed Reliever

Seattle’s pitching success was not just due to its rotation, as the Mariners’ bullpen posted the best ERA in the majors. Seven of the eight main relievers will be back for 2015, with Carson Smith also looking ready for the majors.

The only member of the bullpen who is a free agent is Joe Beimel. Beimel far exceeded expectations at 37 years old, posting a 2.20 ERA (4.18 FIP) in 55 games.

While Beimel was probably a bit fortunate to post such a low ERA given his peripherals, he was one of only two left-handers in the Seattle bullpen. If Beimel leaves, the only lefty remaining will be Charlie Furbush.

Seattle’s bullpen might have enough talent to be fine with only one left-hander, so signing another isn’t an absolute must. Still, bringing in another wouldn’t hurt.

The free-agent class doesn’t offer much other than Andrew Miller and Zach Duke, who are going to command big contracts. Giving Beimel another one-year deal makes as much sense as anything.

3. Starting pitcher

As the roster currently stands, the Mariners could form a strong starting rotation to open 2015. Felix Hernandez, Hisashi Iwakuma, James Paxton, Taijuan Walker and Roenis Elias will all be returning to Seattle, giving the Mariners a staff with plenty of upside.

However, that’s placing a lot of the club’s potential success in the hands of a trio of very young pitchers. Paxton was injured for much of 2014, while Walker also suffered a shoulder injury and at times didn’t look quite ready for the major leagues when he was healthy.

The Mariners discovered Elias, who looks to be a solid back-end starter, as a result of the injuries, but there are some concerns about a flexor bundle strain he picked up in the last start of his season.

Without being completely necessary to the club’s success, it would make sense for the Mariners to target a mid-level starter to add some depth. Re-signing Chris Young would make sense, as he is a perfect fit in Seattle, and the Mariners would have either Walker or Elias to replace Young should he get injured or show signs of regression.

If Young ends up somewhere else for whatever reason, a relatively cheap addition like Brandon McCarthy would be a good option.

2. Outfield

The Mariners’ starting outfield appears to be set for Opening Day 2015 with Austin Jackson, Dustin Ackley and Michael Saunders. However, all three have question marks heading into the season.

Saunders carries the biggest risk. When healthy, Saunders is one of Seattle’s most productive players, but he isn’t shedding the “injury prone” label anytime soon after appearing in only 78 games in 2014.

General manager Jack Zduriencik echoed that sentiment in an interview with 1090 The Fan’s The Steve Sandmeyer Show (h/t Lookout Landing):

I think the biggest challenge with Michael has been trying to keep him healthy. I think he had 230-some at-bats this year, through the course of the season when you were hoping he’d have 500-600. I think that’s been the issue, not only this year but in years gone by so, the challenge for Michael is to prepare himself to be able to play a complete season. Now, some injuries are freak injuries—other injuries are injuries that are, you know, could they have been prevented and I think that’s something for Michael to answer. But he’s a talented player, he’s a very, very nice young man and, do I hope Michael’s a part of this thing? Of course I do. But it’s up to Michael to put himself in a position where he can play through the course of a full season.

That seems to indicate that the Mariners will need a strong fourth outfielder behind Saunders. Seattle hoped to get that when they traded for Chris Denorfia at the trade deadline, but he struggled over the last two months of the season.

The Mariners would be quite happy if Ackley continued the production he put up in the second half of 2014, but he has to prove he can sustain it long-term. Even Jackson isn’t a certainty after struggling since the trade deadline, but a two-month slump shouldn’t cause him to lose the center field job to start 2015.

Unless Seattle believes Stefen Romero or Julio Morban is ready to contribute in the majors, it needs to add some outfield depth in the offseason.

1. Designated Hitter/First Base

Zduriencik didn’t hide his plans for the offseason, via Bob Dutton of The Tacoma News Tribune:

We will explore every opportunity out there.I think we’ll be reasonably aggressive in trying to do something to try to add an offensive piece or two. Where all of this ends up, none of us knows. We’ll enter the free-agent scenario, and (we’ll) see what’s available on the trade market. We will be pretty aggressive in trying to add to this ballclub.

Looking at current roster construction, that offensive piece needs to be either a designated hitter or first baseman. Logan Morrison has done enough to earn the starting job at one of those positions (likely first), but the Mariners desperately need a middle-of-the-order bat to fill the other.

Seattle is going to be connected with names like Nelson Cruz, Victor Martinez and Billy Butler all offseason long. All of those players are risky and will likely be overpaid, but the Mariners might be in a position to take a long-term risk if it means getting better over the next year or two.

The Mariners are also going to take a long look at Kendrys Morales, but it’s probably time for both parties to move in another direction. If Seattle can add the right offensive piece, they will make a serious run at the postseason in 2015.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Despite falling just short of making the postseason, the Seattle Mariners had an exciting 2014 season.

The Mariners were in contention for the AL Wild Card until Game 162 of the year and were relevant well into September for the first time in several seasons. The wild-card race provided several thrilling moments for a fanbase that hasn’t had much to cheer for in quite some time.

Austin Jackson’s stretch to beat out the game-winner in Game 161 and Logan Morrison’s three-run home run in the ninth inning against the Los Angles Angels will be remembered as some of the top moments from the race in September. However, the Mariners provided thrills to remember throughout the year.

Ten of these moments stand out as the best, based on importance and the long-term impact on the team.

Begin Slideshow

A disappointing 4-7 road trip has left the Seattle Mariners on the brink of playoff elimination.

The Mariners dropped crucial series to the Houston Astros and Toronto Blue Jays, leaving them two games out of the AL wild-card race with three to play. Anything can happen until a team is mathematically eliminated, but it would take nothing short of a miracle for the Mariners to make the postseason at this point.

Seattle’s offense continued to struggle apart from a pair of outbursts, while the rotation finally hit a wall and showed signs of regression. While the Mariners have put together a better season than just about anyone anticipated, it still hurt to watch the team crash so hard suddenly when it was given a golden opportunity.

If the Mariners are indeed eliminated this weekend, they will spend a lot of time looking back on this past road trip. Seattle was hit with an absolutely brutal travel schedule at an unfortunate time, but a playoff-caliber team needed to do better than 2-5 against the Astros and Blue Jays.

As disastrous as the road trip was, the Mariners did have one silver lining.

Phenom Taijuan Walker received the start against Toronto on Wednesday, desperately needing a win to boost Seattle’s hopes. While the Mariners would lose 1-0 on a bloop single in the eighth inning, Walker would turn in the best outing of his career.

Walker went eight strong innings, allowing the one run on four hits while walking one and striking out six batters. He looked more dominant than that strikeout total would indicate and was far better with his command than in some previous starts.

Wednesday’s outing put Walker’s electric fastball on display, as it touched 97 miles per hour with late life. Walker has shown flashes with the pitch before but struggled to throw strikes with it on a consistent basis.

According to FanGraphs.com, Walker has thrown his fastball for a strike only 63.6 percent of the time in 2014. That percentage was much improved on Wednesday, as Walker threw 99 pitches overall for 66 strikes.

Better fastball command helped make Walker’s arsenal of off-speed pitches more effective. Walker mixed in a devastating splitter well on Wednesday to go with his curveball and changeup, which looked better than in any other previous start of his young major league career.

His standout moment came on a 3-2 pitch in the fourth inning to Jose Bautista, as Walker was able to completely fool one of the best hitters in the majors with a curveball. Bautista doesn’t look so off-balance often, as he has walked more than he’s struck out in 2014.

The Blue Jays were fooled all night until the eighth inning, as Mariners announcer Aaron Goldsmith highlights. 

Nobody was panicking about a 22-year-old Walker yet, but Mariners fans were patiently waiting for Walker to display his full arsenal. He did that effectively on Wednesday.

Manager Lloyd McClendon believes Walker’s outing was an important step toward building for next season despite the disappointing result of the game, via Greg Johns of MLB.com. 

In all of this, that’s one thing I certainly don’t want to get lost, That young man threw a tremendous ballgame, really stepped up and did everything we asked him to do. He was outstanding. I think his last two outings have really given us a glimpse of the future. We have a lot to be proud of and this young man is going to be part of that future. We have a lot to be excited about. Was this important? Yeah. I think it was. I think he’s turned a corner and is starting to move in the right direction.

Walker is going to be an important part of the Mariners in 2015. If Walker lives up to his potential, the Mariners will have an outstanding rotation again, even if Chris Young leaves in free agency or Roenis Elias isn’t as effective.

The 4-7 road trip put a serious dent in the Mariners’ hopes, but it gave them one reason to be optimistic for the future.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The Seattle Mariners had several prospects make their major league debuts in 2014, with a few of them going on to be important contributors on a contending ballclub.

Roenis Elias, James Jones, Dominic Leone, Carson Smith, Chris Taylor and Stefen Romero all made their way to Seattle from the minors this year. With James Paxton and Taijuan Walker also in the majors, the Mariners figure to have quite a few young players on their roster next year.

Expect more prospects to debut in 2015. While many of Seattle’s top pitchers have already reached the majors, a few position players should be on the way in the near future.

D.J. Peterson and Patrick Kivlehan shared Seattle’s Minor League Player of the Year honors and rank among the Mariners’ most major league ready prospects for next season, along with a few others.

Begin Slideshow

Felix Hernandez has put together an illustrious career as the ace of the Seattle Mariners for nearly a decade, with 2014 ranking as his best season yet.

However, Hernandez has tended to stumble a bit as each year winds down, owning a career 3.55 ERA in September, second worst of any month. His strikeout, walk and home run rates down the stretch have also been slightly worse than his career averages. 

The trend has been especially noticeable in the past three seasons after Hernandez posted a 4.11 ERA in the second half last year and ERAs above 5.00 in September of 2012 and 2011. 

Whether it be fatigue, random statistical noise with a small sample size or the fact the Mariners have always been out of the race by September, Hernandez has tended to give up more runs down the stretch. 

This year has to be different. With Seattle narrowly trailing in the wild-card race and a tough schedule coming up, it can’t afford to have Hernandez at anything less than full capacity.

When Hernandez turned in a couple of poor starts near the end of August, concern began to grow. Hernandez’s major league record of 16 consecutive starts with at least seven innings pitched and fewer than three earned runs came to an end on August 16 against the Detroit Tigers, and he lasted just 5.2 innings while allowing three runs in his next outing against the Boston Red Sox.

The worst start of Hernandez’s season followed that, as he gave up five runs in seven innings to the Washington Nationals. Most concerning was the fact that Hernandez gave up four home runs after just allowing nine all season up to that point.

As Tim Booth of the Associated Press highlights, that was not a typical outing for Hernandez.

Hernandez appeared to have trouble locating his devastating changeup and said he left too many pitches up in the zone, via Adam Lewis of MLB.com

“It was a tough day. I couldn’t get out of the middle of the plate the first four innings. I was up and I got crushed…Everything was off.”

Some of that was to be expected, as every pitcher around the league is dealing with fatigue at this point in the season and Hernandez wasn’t going to run a sub-2.00 ERA forever. Still, he looked off in those three starts and given his recent history in the final six weeks of seasons, there was reason to be a little troubled.

The Mariners pitching staff as a whole has been struggling over the past couple of weeks, at least compared to its previous run of form since the All-Star break. Hernandez is counted on to stop those streaks more than any other Seattle pitcher.

His turn in the rotation came last Wednesday against the Oakland Athletics with the Mariners needing a win to avoid dropping their third consecutive series. Fortunately for the Mariners, Hernandez returned right to form.

This is the latest in a season Hernandez has pitched a meaningful regular-season game since at least 2007, if not his entire career. He has been patiently waiting for a big stage (other than the All-Star Game) and certainly got one Wednesday against Jon Lester and an Oakland team that is suddenly only three games ahead of Seattle.

Hernandez delivered, allowing one run on three hits over eight innings. Other than an impressive Adam Dunn home run in the fourth inning, Hernandez was in complete control of the game.

Lloyd McClendon noted that Hernandez looked like himself bouncing back from the start against Washington, via Greg Johns of MLB.com

“He had tremendous command, he was down in the zone, he was 94 [mph] when he wanted to be 94, he elevated when he wanted to elevate. He made one bad pitch on a swing-back fastball that ran back over the plate just a little too much. But he was vintage Felix today.”

That home run looked like it was going to be enough to beat the Mariners, as Lester cruised through the first six innings. Kyle Seager and Cory Hart than launched unexpected back-to-back shots, giving Seattle a 2-1 victory and much-needed series win.

Hernandez has been far more dominant in other starts, as he struck out just four to two walks. But the fact that allowing five baserunners in eight innings against a tough lineup isn’t Hernandez at his most dominant speaks to his own lofty standards.

With the intensity ratcheted up, Hernandez proved he will keep pitching at the same level this time around.

That’s a huge positive for the Mariners. They trail a Detroit Tigers team, which seems like it should catch fire at any time, by half a game in the wild-card standings. Seattle simply needs to win every time Hernandez takes the mound here on out.

Hernandez is the perfect pitcher to take the mound in a one-game playoff. He will just have to lead the Mariners there first.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The Seattle Mariners called up seven players from Triple-A Tacoma to boost a push toward the postseason, according to Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times and other media reports.  

Interestingly enough, six of those seven call-ups have experience in the major leagues. A couple of prospects, particularly Ty Kelly, could have filled holes on the roster, but the Mariners decided to go with known veterans instead of unknown younger players.

Seattle’s starting lineup appears set, especially if Michael Saunders is able to return. Still, five of the additions appeared in Monday’s loss to the Oakland Athletics, and manager Lloyd McClendon said they could continue to get opportunities, via Greg Johns of MLB.com.

“I think all of them bring something to the table. And hopefully they’ll get opportunities to help us win games.”

While the Mariners have some idea of what to expect from most of the new additions, their roles on the team may change from previous stints in Seattle.

Begin Slideshow

UPDATE: August 29 at 8:17 p.m. ET

According to ESPN, Montero will not play again this season after this incident.

—End of Update—

UPDATE: August 29 at 3:08 p.m. ET

Mariners cross-checker Butch Baccala (the scout involved in this strange incident) denies provoking or taunting Montero on Thursday night.

Baccala told Geoff Baker of The Seattle Times on Friday that he did not attempt to anger the catcher and that the events of the evening are being portrayed incorrectly. First, he denied sending Montero an ice cream sandwich then said he wasn’t allowed to talk about it.

He also told Baker to check whether they even sell ice cream sandwiches at Everett, Washington‘s Memorial Stadium (where the game was played).

“It’s not what is being portrayed,” Baccala told Baker. “Of course I wasn’t [trying to instigate Montero]. Why would I? I work for the Mariners. I’ve worked my [expletive] off for the Mariners. Why would I do anything to hurt anybody? That wasn’t even close to the intention.”

Baccala told Baker he didn’t know what the club intended to do regarding his employment and will not be able to speak further until meeting with Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik.

—End of Update—

In an incident straight out of a Seinfeld episode, Seattle Mariners catcher Jesus Montero threw an ice cream sandwich at an MLB scout after a bizarre heckling incident. 

MiLB.com’s Tyler Maun (h/t HardBallTalk’s Craig Calcaterra) brings news of the strange, ridiculous minor league run-in that occurred on Thursday night. 

According to Maun’s report, the drama occurred during a minor league game between the Everett AquaSox and the Boise Hawks.

Montero, playing with the AquaSox while rehabbing a strained oblique, heard a voice in the crowd yelling “Rapido! Rapido!” as he jogged off the field between innings.

This voice belonged to a “cross-checker,” which is a major league scout who presides over other scouts within a regional territory.

To reiterate the significance of this moment: A professional major league observer decided to put the screws to one of his team’s own players.

The screaming likely surprised Montero, who ignored the taunts and went to the dugout. A stadium employee approached the catcher with a special delivery shortly thereafter: one ice cream sandwich. 

Montero’s not-so-secret admirer? The yelling Mariners scout, who ostensibly sent the dessert over as a means of taunting the catcher’s overweight arrival at spring training in February.

Montero snapped upon receiving the sandwich.

The catcher stormed out of the dugout with a baseball bat and hurled the delicious frozen treat at his tormentor. Maun reports he was restrained by Everett pitching coach Nasusel Cabrera and returned to the dugout. Montero sat out the remainder of the game.

Zduriencik told Maun the team is assessing the situation and cannot comment. 

“I am aware of the incident in Boise,” Zduriencik said. “We are currently in the process of gathering information, but until I have all the details, I cannot comment.”

More details will certainly emerge as this story develops, but for now, it’s safe to say that the Mariners need to get their house in order. 

It’s time for Zduriencik to put on the big-boy pants and straighten out this tussle. You can’t fight ice cream sandwiches with ice cream sandwiches and expect to solve anything.

Follow Dan on Twitter for more sports and pop culture news.

Follow @Dr_Carson

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The Seattle Mariners are focused on a September push to the playoffs but also have a bright future to look forward to in 2015 and beyond.

After five months, the Mariners have a strong idea of what their strengths and weaknesses are heading into the offseason. As exciting as the current chase for a wild-card spot is, the Mariners could be even better next season with a couple of moves in free agency.

General manager Jack Zduriencik did a nice job of balancing Seattle’s present and future at the trade deadline and again will be faced with a similar circumstance during the offseason. This season’s unexpected run set the Mariners up nicely for 2015, so a couple of win-now moves would not be surprising.

The club’s performance in September, and potentially October, will impact the offseason, but there are already a few storylines shaping up for the winter.

Free Agents

The core will be intact for 2015, but the Mariners still have a few players who are due to enter free agency:

• Kendrys Morales, DH
• Corey Hart, DH
• Chris Denorfia, OF
• Chris Young, SP
• Franklin Gutierrez, OF
• Endy Chavez, OF

That list is assuming the Mariners exercise a $7 million team option on Hisashi Iwakuma, which seems certain to happen.

Hart and Chavez are the most likely to be gone, while Gutierrez probably won’t be ready to return to return to the majors at all due to his health situation. The Mariners will have some interesting choices to make regarding the other three players.

September will be most critical for Morales, as he will have to finish strong to get anywhere near the amount of money he was offered last offseason.  

If Morales continues to hit relatively well (106 wRC+ in August), the Mariners will look to bring him back, but Morales didn’t seem interested in signing with Seattle last offseason, and the cost may be too high.

Bob Dutton of The Tacoma News Tribune mentions that the Mariners will at least look at bringing Morales back in 2015. 

Attempting to retain Young would make sense for both parties. Young was built for Safeco Field, while Taijuan Walker doesn’t appear as ready for the majors as the Mariners would have hoped at this point. James Paxton has some health concerns—meaning the team could use the veteran depth.

The Mariners will be gambling on Young avoiding regression and his shoulder holding up, but he’s been consistently strong in 2013. A short, incentive-laden contract would be ideal.

To the point about Young’s health, the 35-year-old says he’s been pain free since undergoing surgery to fix thoracic outlet syndrome last June, via Jim Caple of ESPN.com.

It’s been pain free. It’s been a big blessing for me and I don’t take it for granted. I was at a point where I was basically ready to walk away. ‘I’ve done what I can and my shoulder just is not meant for this.’ And so, after having surgery, I woke up and I knew the pain was gone. Ever since, it’s just continued to get better and better.

Finding Help at First Base and Designated Hitter

The Mariners have received little production at the plate from either position until the last few weeks, which needs to change in 2015. Help could be on the way soon from the minors, but the Mariners may want to make some moves that focus on the present rather than the future.

One decision the Mariners will have to make is figuring out where Logan Morrison fits into their plans as he heads into an arbitration year. Morrison ran an unfortunate .211 BABIP in July but has rebounded with a .352/.403/.465 line since.

Morrison would be a fine placeholder until D.J. Peterson is ready, unless a better option presents itself.  

It seems unlikely at this point that Morales will be coming back. September will provide a brief look at Ji-Man Choi, who could DH or split time with Morrison at first, but the Mariners may want to look for more experienced hitters.

However, the free agent class doesn’t look too promising. Many of the big-name free agent first basemen are well into their 30s. Victor Martinez appears to be the best designated hitter available but will be expensive.  

Potential Trade Chips

The Mariners used a valuable trade community in Nick Franklin to fill a need with Austin Jackson on July 31. Some similar moves could be on the way in the offseason.

Last winter, the Mariners flipped Carter Capps, a young reliever with high upside, for offensive help in Morrison. A similar move could be coming in the offseason, as the Mariners have several high-upside relievers, like Brandon Maurer, who could be available.  

The team will also have to make a decision at shortstop between Chris Taylor and Brad Miller. Having one sit in Triple-A long-term isn’t going to help the club, and either one could land a decent return.

For now, the Mariners appear to be favoring Taylor, but they will have a better read on him after another full month in the majors.

If the Mariners don’t make a trade for a first basemen or designated hitter, they could be in the market for outfield help, particularly if Denorfia leaves.

Seattle’s outfield looks decent heading into 2015, but it depends on Dustin Ackley sustaining his current hot streak and Michael Saunders staying healthy. Both things could be impacted in September.  

Possible Contract Extensions

Instead of spending a large amount on free agents, the Mariners may look to work on contract extensions for Hisashi Iwakuma and Kyle Seager.

Iwakuma has pitched like an ace for the past two seasons and could make upwards of $20 million if he hits free agency in 2016, so it would be wise for the Mariners to work on an extension shortly after the season ends. He signed a two-year extension following the 2012 season with the option for the third year.

Another three-year deal would be perfect as Iwakuma turns 34 next season, but he may want to test free agency.  

Following his last extension, Iwakuma said he was pleased to be in Seattle, which means there could be interest from both sides to get another deal done, via Greg Johns of MLB.com:

“First and foremost, I am very happy with how the Seattle Mariners treated me throughout the season and for their evaluation in me as a starter…My family was a big factor in our decision [and] we are very happy and satisfied with Seattle, and we look forward to staying for at least two years.”

Seager ranks ninth in the majors in WAR and is a critical part of Seattle’s core, so it’s time to think about locking him up long-term. The Mariners have more time with Seager, as he has three arbitration years remaining, but the price could go up if they wait another year or two.

Buying out those arbitration years will be more expensive over the next three seasons, but if the Mariners sign him for a few years beyond that it will save them money long-term.

All stats via FanGraphs.com unless otherwise noted. 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Felix Hernandez casts a long shadow over opposing batters and his teammates. So it goes when you’re baseball royalty.

Two of King Felix’s Seattle Mariners rotation-mates, though, deserve a moment in the sun.

Entering play Tuesday, the 71-59 Mariners hold a half-game lead over the Detroit Tigers for the second wild-card spot, and unheralded hurlers Chris Young and Hisashi Iwakuma have more than pitched in.

Iwakuma, 33, made the All-Star team in 2013 but began this season on the disabled list with a torn tendon in his middle finger.

He’s long since put the injury behind him and is in the midst of another stellar campaign. His 2.83 ERA and 0.98 WHIP would qualify for No. 1 status on most clubs.

In fact, as ESPN.com‘s Katie Sharp argues, the Japanese import is a de facto second ace:

It’s hard to imagine where the Mariners would be without their dynamic duo of Iwakuma and Hernandez at the top of the rotation. The playoffs would certainly be a pipe dream. But thanks to the combination of baseball’s most anonymous ace (Iwakuma) and most deserving ace (Hernandez), Seattle is now in prime position to give its fans something besides football to cheer about in October.

Here’s another way of looking at how quietly dominant Iwakuma has been: He and Hernandez are on pace to become just the third duo in the live-ball era to finish the season with sub-1.00 WHIPs, per MLB.com‘s Roger Schlueter.

The other pairs? Derek Lowe and Pedro Martinez on the 2002 Boston Red Sox, and Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale on the 1964 Los Angeles Dodgers.

Pretty decent company.

Young, 35, is emerging as one of baseball’s best comeback stories. Lingering shoulder issues that ultimately required surgery limited him to just nine minor league starts in the Washington Nationals system last season.

His 6.81 ERA in those minor league starts did not portend great things.

But after inking a one-year deal with Seattle this spring, the right-hander has bounced back in a big way. His 150.1 innings pitched speak to a pitcher who’s healthy. And his 12-6 record and 3.17 ERA are pleasant surprises.

Pitching, indeed, has been Seattle’s calling card. Thanks to a stable of quality arms—and to Safeco Field, the most pitcher-friendly yard in baseball, per ESPN.com—the M’s are this season’s most unexpected success story.

The bats can’t be dismissed completely. Robinson Cano is living up to his 10-year, $240 million contract, and All-Star third baseman Kyle Seager has become a grind-it-out fan favorite.

The Mariners’ improbable success, though, emanates from the mound. As of Monday, the M’s own the best team ERA (2.95) and lowest opponents’ batting average (.225) in MLB.

“We’ve got it all,” catcher Mike Zunino told Jerry Brewer of The Seattle Times. “We have guys with great curveballs, great cutters, great sliders, guys with plus fastballs. We have the whole spectrum covered. To have that much talent, we can pretty much match up with any lineup.”

Count manager Lloyd McClendon among the early believers. “I think we have shutdown pitching,” McClendon told Brewer at the outset of spring training.

Still, Seattle’s skipper recently admitted to Brewer, “I can’t say I knew we’d be this good.”

If the Mariners are going to keep being this good, and insert themselves squarely into the suddenly murky American League playoff picture, they’ll need King Felix and his long shadow. 

Just as essentially, though, they’ll need the guys laboring in relative anonymity. Guys like Young and Iwakuma, who might soon get a chance to shine under the bright lights of October.

All statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com