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Much like the Seattle Mariners as a whole, third baseman Kyle Seager had an up-and-down first month of the 2014 MLB season.

The 26-year-old Seager is one of the young cornerstones of the Mariners franchise and has been Seattle’s best hitter for the past two years prior to the arrival of Robinson Cano. Seager’s busy April included a horrid start, an AL Player of the Week Award and a walk-off home run to snap an extended losing streak.

Small sample size is still a factor at this point in the year, but there are still a few important takeaways from Seager’s early-season performance. In any case, it’s become clearer and clearer that Seager is going to have a major impact on how the Mariners perform in 2014. 

Seager is still a streaky hitter

Through his first two-and-a-half years in the big leagues, Seager has numerous dominant stretches to go along with some cold spells. April 2014 was no different.

Just at the point where some were starting to get concerned, Seager ripped off a huge week, April 20 to 27, to return his season numbers to respectability. He shared league player of the week honors with wonder rookie Jose Abreu.

The most important thing at this point is that Seager’s awful first 15 games were just a bump in the road and not indicative of a more long-term problem. Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington explained it best following a series where Seager hit three home runs against the Rangers. Via Adam Lewis of MLB.com, Washington said, “I thought we had him. For a moment I thought he was in a slump. I guess he’s not.”

His plate discipline numbers are changing

Some interesting trends have emerged with Seager’s plate discipline over the first month of the season. So far, his walk rate is up to career-high 10.4 percent, and he is swinging at fewer pitches outside the zone than at any other point in his career. At the same time, Seager is striking out in 21.7 percent of his plate appearances this season, up a little over four percent from his career rate.

As Seager’s whiff chart on Brooksbaseball.net shows, the pitches he has struggled with the most have been low and away, but he is doing fairly well with everything else. 

A number of factors could be influencing Seager’s changing plate discipline numbers. Seattle has a brand new coaching staff with a different approach, including hitting coach Howard Johnson. The Mariners as a whole are striking out a lot, and strikeouts league-wide have been steadily climbing. It could also just be April noise.

In any case, Seager’s plate discipline will be something to keep an eye on through the rest of the season.

Seager will again play in at least 150 games

The only reason Seager is not more known around the league is that poor finishes in both of his full major league seasons have severely hampered his overall numbers. On July 31 of last year, Seager was hitting .298 with 17 home runs and 27 doubles before hitting below .200 in both August and September and seeing his power numbers sharply decline.

There’s no telling what the cause for Seager’s late-season swoons have been, but he played in 155 games in 2012 and 160 a year ago. It could be the case that he simply wore down by the end of the season. That was mostly out of necessity, as the Mariners had no other options at third, but that changed during the offseason with the addition of utility man Willie Bloomquist.

Nobody is going to argue that Bloomquist gives the Mariners a better chance of winning than Seager, so Seager should be in the lineup as much as possible. So far, Bloomquist has started twice at third, and Seager is on pace to play in about 150 games. Maybe that just occasional off day will make a difference come August, and it will be interesting to see if manager Lloyd McClendon is thinking about that along the way.

Leading Seattle in home runs is a possibility

Seager led the Mariners in home runs in 2012 and was third last year behind Raul Ibanez and Kendrys Morales, who are both no longer with the team. The Mariners added some more power with Robinson Cano and Corey Hart, but Seager still leads the team in home runs with five.

Of course, all five of those came in a span of four games. But spurts like that mean Seager could hit 25 to 30 home runs if he can avoid the aforementioned late-season problems. When Seager is locked in, he has the ability to launch some deep shots. 

Cano has been getting his hits, and the home runs will eventually come, albeit at a decreased rate moving from Yankee Stadium to Safeco Field, but he has some work to do to catch Seager. Hart has more power, but also might not be in the lineup quite enough to overtake Seager by the end of the season.  

The Mariners’ success is heavily dependent on Seager

The big question for the Mariners coming into the season was who would produce offensively besides Cano. That placed a lot of pressure on a number of young players, none more so than Seager.

An eight-game losing streak in mid-April coincided with the worst part of Seager’s slump. On April 23, the Mariners were in danger of being swept by the Houston Astros for their ninth consecutive loss, one that could have easily sent things spiraling out of control.

Seager then picked a good time to get out of his slump.

It’s hard to call something in April a “turning point,” but Seager’s two home runs in that game were about as important as they come at that point in the season.

McClendon highlighted how important it was that Seager finally turned things around after the game, via Greg Johns of MLB.com:

He has a track record, and I’ve said all along he’s going to hit. Obviously when you’re in a losing streak and the guys you expect to hit don’t hit, it’s a little frustrating. But in that case, you have two options: You can sit ’em or you can play ’em. I chose to play him and he didn’t disappoint. I think he’s going to be just fine.

The Mariners have now won six out of their last eight games to get to one game under .500, thanks in large part to Seager. If he produces more like his last 15 games then his first 14, Seattle might be able to hang around in the division race just a little longer.

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The Seattle Mariners finally continued their spending ways after agreeing to a two-year, $14 million deal with reliever Fernando Rodney, as reported by Grantland’s Jonah Keri. Keri also notes that the deal could be worth up to $15 million with incentives:

Just two seasons ago, Rodney made history by surpassing Dennis Eckersley to record the lowest ERA of all time at 0.60. While still productive in 2013, he took a bit of a step back, posting a 3.38 ERA and 37 saves over 66.2 innings pitched.

Rodney averaged 11.07 strikeouts, 4.86 walks and 0.41 home runs per nine innings on the season. The K/9 was actually the best of Rodney’s career, but there was a dramatic increase in walks (up 3.05 points from 2012).

For the Mariners, Rodney should provide some stability to a bullpen that blew 23 saves last season, per ESPN.com. The video below shows Tom Wilhelmsen missing with his fastball location in a blown save against the Houston Astros.

Wilhelmsen, who started last season as the team’s closer after an impressive 2012, struggled mightily and finished the season with a 4.12 ERA and 5.03 BB/9. 

Relievers Charlie Furbush (1.1 WAR) and Danny Farquhar (1.9 WAR) were really the only reliable relievers on the team before the Rodney signing.

FanGraphs’ Jeff Sullivan wrote about the deal and noted that the Mariners needed another bullpen arm if they are to contend in 2014:

This was a bullpen in considerable need. Maybe not of a closer, but of help. Outside of Farquhar and Charlie Furbush, the Mariners had a bunch of question marks, made worse by Stephen Pryor coming off an unusual surgery. No one has any idea what to expect from Wilhelmsen, and Yoervis Medina is not unlike Rodney on his worse days. The goal for any contender ought to be to improve, and the Mariners intend to contend, and Rodney makes them an incrementally more talented team. 

MLB.com’s Richard Justice agrees that it is a positive signing, and he discusses Rodney and other potential moves:

Signing relievers to multiyear deals is always a gamble, but the Mariners were able to land one of the better ones at a reasonable price. If Wilhelmsen (or Stephen Pryor, Yoervis Medina, etc.) can step up, then the Mariners have a chance to feature an elite bullpen.

Whether they continue to spend (Nelson Cruz?) to fill their remaining holes will be the question going forward.

All statistics courtesy of FanGraphs.com, unless otherwise noted.

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It’s been rough going for the Seattle Mariners of late, as they have posted four straight losing seasons and have not reached the postseason since 2001.

After going 71-91 in 2013, they kicked off their offseason with a bang, signing superstar second baseman Robinson Cano to a massive 10-year, $240 million deal prior to the winter meetings. That’s been far from their only notable addition, though.

Reliever Fernando Rodney is their latest major signing, as the right-hander agreed to terms on a two-year, $14 million deal, according to Jonah Keri of Grantland:

The 36-year-old will serve as the team’s closer for the upcoming season, bolstering a bullpen that ranked 29th in the MLB last season with a 4.58 ERA.

Rodney spent the past two seasons at the back end of the Tampa Bay Rays bullpen, going 85-of-95 on save chances with a 1.91 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 10.1 K/9.

He won AL Comeback Player of the Year in 2012, converting 48 of 50 save opportunities with a 0.60 ERA and finishing fifth in AL Cy Young voting. He was not nearly as dominant this past season, but he still represents an upgrade in the ninth inning, and his addition should help the bullpen as a whole.

The Mariners still may not be done making moves this offseason, but they’ve already significantly overhauled their roster. Here is a quick rundown of all of their activity this winter:

Those moves have undoubtedly made the Mariners a better team, especially on the offensive side. They ranked 12th in the AL in runs scored last season, which came after four straight seasons as the lowest-scoring team in the league.

Is it enough to make them contenders in the AL West, though? At this point I’d be inclined to say no, as there is still work to be done if they hope to be playing in October.

The Oakland Athletics have captured back-to-back AL West titles and look to be strong once again, the Texas Rangers have as dangerous a lineup as any in baseball with the additions of Shin-Soo Choo and Prince Fielder, and the Los Angeles Angels still have an incredibly talented roster that just needs to play to its potential.

That potentially leaves the Mariners as the fourth-best team in their own division. The potential is there for them to pull off a surprise, but some things need to happen if they are going to make that happen.

Here is a look at what those things are:

Get solid rookie seasons from Taijuan Walker and James Paxton.

The Mariners had one of the best one-two punches in baseball last season atop their rotation in Felix Hernandez and Hisashi Iwakuma, and they’ll be back atop the staff once again this season.

Those two combined to go 26-16 with a 2.84 ERA in 64 games last season, but the rest of the team’s starting pitchers were just 29-42 with a 5.24 ERA over 98 starts.

Enter prospects Taijuan Walker and James Paxton, both of whom saw time down the stretch last season and have been among the top pitching prospects in the game for several years now.

Walker, in particular, looks to have an incredibly bright future, and he enters the season as a consensus top-three pitching prospect in the MLB.

Those two will likely be handed rotation spots from day one, and they will need to hold down those jobs and post at least respectable numbers for the Mariners to have any chance of contending.

Sign another veteran starting pitcher or get a healthy season from Scott Baker.

Even if Walker and Paxton pan out and are able to hold down their two rotation spots for the entire season, the No. 5 spot remains up in the air.

Incumbents Erasmo Ramirez, Hector Noesi and Brandon Maurer are expected to battle minor league free-agent signing Scott Baker for the job this spring. 

Baker missed all of 2012 following Tommy John surgery, finally returning last September to make three starts for the Chicago Cubs down the stretch. Prior to the injury, he was a solid starter for the Minnesota Twins, going 55-37 with a 3.98 ERA in 134 starts from 2007-2011.

He’ll make $1 million if he can make the Opening Day roster, with another $3.5 million available in incentives. The Mariners would love nothing more than for him to impress this spring and give the young rotation another veteran arm.

If the team doesn’t think he can win that job, though, signing someone like Paul Maholm, Chris Capuano or even bringing back Joe Saunders could be a wise move to help add some depth to the back of the starting rotation.

Sign Nelson Cruz

The Mariners have already spent a ton this offseason, but they may not be done, as Bob Nightengale of USA Today tweeted that the team is “all-in” and optimistic about landing free-agent slugger Nelson Cruz before the offseason is over.

Dustin Ackley and Michael Saunders have a loose grasp at best on starting jobs in the outfield, and adding Cruz to the mix would take some pressure off Corey Hart, considering the need to protect Robinson Cano.

The team’s first-round pick is protected after finishing with the sixth-worst record in the league last year, and they already gave up their second-round pick to sign Cano, so the qualifying offer tied to Cruz doesn’t mean much.

As the offseason goes on, his price has no doubt dropped. If the Mariners can add a proven slugger like Cruz on a reasonable two-year deal, they could really take a big step forward offensively.

Keep Corey Hart and Logan Morrison healthy and productive.

Last offseason, the Mariners traded for Kendrys Morales and Michael Morse in an effort to bolster their offensive attack and received a mixed bag in return. They’ve taken a similar approach this offseason with those two both gone, adding a pair of first baseman/outfielder types to the middle of the lineup.

Corey Hart missed all of the 2013 season with a pair of knee surgeries, and chances are he’ll be used as the primary DH in an effort to keep him in the lineup. He was fairly durable leading up to last year, averaging 139 games per season from 2007-2012.

If Hart can return to his 2012 form—when he had an .841 OPS with 30 home runs and 83 RBI hitting in the middle of the Milwaukee Brewers lineup—he’d provide some much-needed protection for Robinson Cano in the middle of the Mariners’ order.

Logan Morrison burst onto the scene with 23 home runs and 72 RBI as a 23-year-old for the Florida Marlins back in 2011, but he’s had trouble staying on the field since. Various knee injuries have limited him to just 178 games the past two seasons.

Still just 26, the potential is certainly there with Morrison, and if he can give the team 20-plus home runs and a respectable batting average out of the No. 6 spot in the lineup, it would be big for their overall production.

Counting on two guys who battled knee injuries last season is certainly risky, especially considering the team’s lack of depth behind them. If they can stay healthy and produce to their capabilities, Seattle’s offense could climb into the top 10 in the American League for the first time since 2007.

Play better in close games.

This one could be greatly influenced by the Rodney signing, but the Mariners will need to do a much better job in close games if they hope to have a real chance at earning a postseason spot.

Last year, they were 19-29 in one-run games and 6-15 in extra innings, giving them the most extra inning losses of any team in baseball.

Squeaking out wins in close games and grinding out a victory in extra innings not only helps from a record standpoint, but those are the kinds of things that bring a team together and help build momentum over the course of a season.

On the flip side, consistently losing close games can certainly take its toll on a team mentally and bring any potential momentum to a screeching halt.

Conclusion

Regardless of whether or not the Mariners add any more pieces to the puzzle this offseason, they have already shown that they are committed to putting a winning team on the field with their all-in approach.

They will still have their work cut out for them if they want to reach the playoffs in a deep American League, though, and they could have trouble even finishing as the third-best team in their own division in 2014.

Still, they are a team that has improved significantly this winter, and if the aforementioned things happen they could have a real shot this season.

At the very least, a run at their first winning season since 2009 seems reasonable. Expectations will likely be much higher than that entering the year, regardless of whether or not they are realistic.

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It’s been a hectic past few months for Taijuan Walker.

In September (well, technically Aug. 30), Walker—who is widely considered the Seattle Mariners’ top prospect, as well as one of the top-ranked pitching prospects in baseball headed into the 2014 season—made his major league debut. By early December, the 21-year-old right-hander was the subject of trade rumors as the Mariners explored a deal for Tampa Bay’s David Price.

However, in spite of the swirling rumors, the trade for Price never transpired, as the Mariners quickly backed off their presumed willingness to include Walker in a hypothetical deal.

But after months of uncertainty surrounding Walker’s immediate future in the organization, new Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon now expects the right-hander to open the 2014 season in the team’s starting rotation.

According to Robert Emrich of MiLB.com:

McClendon declared Friday that the team’s top prospect is expected to be part of the Mariners’ Opening Day roster.

…

“I’d be very disappointed if he’s not [in the rotation],” he said.

So, what can be expected from Walker if he does crack the Opening Day rotation?

Background

Selected by the Mariners in the supplemental first round of the 2010 draft, Walker has everything one looks for in a future ace. At 6’4” and 210 pounds, the right-hander is an outstanding athlete with a fluid delivery, quick arm and exceptional stuff.

After an up-and-down age-19 campaign in 2012 at Double-A Jackson, Walker’s control and execution of his electric arsenal developed rapidly during his second tour of the level last season.

The 21-year-old began the 2013 season by mastering the Southern League, posting a 2.46 ERA and a 96-30 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 84 innings at Jackson, and he ultimately earned a promotion to Triple-A Tacoma in late June.

Despite the fact that he was one of the younger pitchers at the level, Walker held his own with a 3.61 ERA and 64 strikeouts in 57.1 innings in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League.

Even though he had logged a career-high 141.1 innings between both minor league levels, the Mariners still decided to offer their top prospect a taste of the major leagues as a September call-up.

Suffice it to say that Walker responded favorably to the challenge.

Making his debut against the Astros on Aug. 30, Walker tossed five solid innings to capture his first major league victory. The right-hander allowed one unearned run on two hits and a walk while notching a pair of strikeouts, and he threw 43 of his 70 pitches for a strike in the outing.

Success didn’t come as easily for Walker in his follow-up start in Kansas City on Sept. 4, as he was tagged for four earned runs on four hits but still completed his scheduled five innings. He also recorded a pair of walks and strikeouts in the outing.

Walker benefited from facing the Astros a second time in his final start of the year on Sept. 9, as the promising right-hander allowed two earned runs on five hits and a walk with eight strikeouts over five innings.

Overall, Walker registered a 3.60 ERA, .204 opponent batting average and 12-4 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 15 innings spanning three starts.

Scouting Report

At 6’4″ and 210 pounds, the 21-year-old is a top-notch athlete with highly projectable talent, and he’s shown the ability to handle a sizable workload throughout his young career.

Walker’s fastball explodes out of his hand and consistently registers between 93-96 mph, and he’ll dial it up to 97-98 on occasion. The Mariners introduced a cutter into his arsenal in 2012, and he’s quickly adopted a feel for the pitch, throwing it in the low-90s with excellent slicing action to his glove side.

Walker’s curveball is still inconsistent and leaves something to be desired, though it has good shape and downward bite when he’s on.

As reflected by the above graphic, which covers Walker’s three starts in the majors last season, his overall inconsistency with the pitch stemmed from a varying release point.

When he would get on top of the pitch and achieve a higher arm slot, it featured excellent pace and shape, not to mention sharper biting action in and around the zone. However, when he failed to achieve said arm slot, the offering had significantly less shape and, therefore, less vertical movement.

Finally, his changeup has come a long way over the past year and could surpass initial projections with further development, though it’s still a fringe-average offering at the present.

The Year Ahead

While Felix Hernandez and Hisashi Iwakuma are locked in as the Mariners’ No. 1 and 2 starters for the 2014 season, the rest of the team’s starting rotation is likely to be decided during spring training.

As of now, the Mariners have six pitchers competing for the final three spots in the rotation: Walker, James Paxton, Brandon Maurer, Erasmo Ramirez, Blake Beavan and Hector Noesi. However, that could change in a hurry should the team sign one of the remaining big-name free-agent pitchers such as Ervin Santana or Ubaldo Jimenez.

In order for Walker to both make the Opening Day roster and stick in the major leagues next season, he will need to show improved control compared to his 2013 campaign (particularly his time spent at Triple-A). Walker certainly has the raw stuff to be effective and hold his own at the highest level—as he demonstrated last September—but he still lacks the efficiency needed to work deep into games.

Expectations must be tempered if Walker wins a spot in the Mariners’ Opening Day rotation next spring, as it’s important to remember that he’s far from a finished prospect and will be forced to make adjustments on the fly against the game’s best hitters.

The three main statistical projection models (Steamer, Oliver and ZIPS) each suggest that Walker’s performance will be up and down next season, which makes sense considering the aforementioned concerns about his control and lack of polish.

Here’s a look at each projection:

Though the numbers don’t exactly jump off the page and imply that Walker will face some form of team-imposed innings limit, they should be good enough to allow him to stick at the back end of the Mariners’ rotation for the duration of the season.

Plus, Walker’s history of year-to-year improvements against advanced competition is an encouraging sign—one that accurately portrays his capacity to make adjustments, as well as his desire to become one of the top pitchers in baseball.

Still, Walker’s 2014 role with the Mariners will depend on his showing in spring training. However, if his performance comes remotely close to the expectations set by the organization, then it’s difficult to envision him not beginning the year in The Show.

All videos courtesy of MLB Advanced Media.

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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.

Begin Slideshow

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.

Begin Slideshow

There are a number of clichés to characterize what the Seattle Mariners must do at the Winter Meetings. Strike while the iron is hot…Get while the getting’s good…

Alright, maybe that’s it. But the point stands: The Mariners need to do something. Preferably something worthy of headlines, as the one headline-grabbing move they have made this winter isn’t enough.

After a noisy courtship, the Mariners agreed to terms with former New York Yankees superstar second baseman Robinson Cano last week. At 10 years and $240 million, his contract is one of the biggest in MLB history.

“People can write and say what they want, but this is an exciting time in Seattle,” Seattle general manager Jack Zduriencik told USA Today. “Any time you can make your club better, especially if you can upgrade with a star, it helps everybody. A star coming to our market is a great thing.”

Even at the time the Cano deal was struck, however, it was clear that the Mariners couldn’t stop there.

Cano is 31 years old. There are studies that suggest that’s a scary age, and you can look and see that Alex Rodriguez, Albert Pujols and Josh Hamilton all had their last great seasons at 31.

Since the Mariners can’t let Cano’s prime years go to waste, it’s imperative that they put their fourth straight losing season behind them and win now. And to win now, they need more talent.

More than anything, the Mariners need more talent around Cano. On the offensive side, after all, this was not a team that was one superstar away from contention.

With data courtesy of FanGraphs, here’s a simple comparison of what Cano was worth in 2013 to what the entire Mariners offense was worth:

In other words: If the Yankees had dealt Cano for Seattle’s entire offense last season, it would have been a bad trade for them.

Maybe that’s being a bit extreme, but things really were bad in Seattle last season. It can vary, but FanGraphs sets the baseline WAR for an average regular at 2.0. The list of Mariners who did that well in 2013 includes:

• Kyle Seager: 3.4 WAR

And that’s it. After Seager, the best Mariners player was Brad Miller at 1.7 WAR. Which, to his credit, he compiled in about half-a-season’s worth of work.

Miller’s one reason things should be better in 2014…but only to a degree. Here are the Mariners whom Steamer projects will be quality regulars in 2014:

Steamer sees Cano being a superstar, as well as Miller building on a strong debut season and Seager being above-average once again. Mike Zunino, meanwhile, is projected to make good on his considerable talent.

However, four quality regulars likely won’t be good enough. If we look back at how many 2.0 WAR players the 10 playoff teams in 2013 had, a baseline materializes:

A baseline of five quality regulars does sound about right. That’s more than half a lineup consisting of quality regulars, which is better than the basically one-ninth that the Mariners had in 2013 and the four-ninths they’re currently projected to have in 2014.

With an assist from FanGraphs’ free-agent leaderboard, here are some free agents who could help the Mariners based on their 2013 production.

With Steamer expecting Seager, Miller and Cano to earn their keep in 2014, the Mariners aren’t the best fit for Juan Uribe, Stephen Drew or Omar Infante. Shin-Soo Choo and James Loney, however, are both players who could work.

Choo, who Jason A. Churchill of Prospect Insider says is on Seattle’s radar, would be a tremendous upgrade for a leadoff spot that produced just a .296 on-base percentage in 2013. There’s also a fit for him in right field, where the Mariners currently have Abraham Almonte penciled in as their starter.

Loney is coming off a season that saw him post a 118 wRC+ while playing characteristically solid defense at first base. He’d be an upgrade over Justin Smoak, who had a 109 wRC+ while playing less-solid defense at first base. 

The Mariners could turn to the trade market instead. Names they’ve been linked to include Matt Kemp, who would be an upside play, and Billy Butler, whose right-handed stick would look good next to Cano’s lefty stick.

One thing the Mariners must not do is throw money at Nelson Cruz, which is something Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times says they already tried to do with a five-year, $75 million contract offer. If the Mariners sign him, they’ll be signing a guy who hasn’t been worth 2.0 WAR in any of the last three years. 

Any of the other names listed above would be better. Choo and Loney are coming off strong seasons, and Kemp and Butler both have 2.0 WAR upside. If he can stay healthy, Kemp’s potential obviously far exceeds mere 2.0 WAR upside.

As to other matters, while support for Cano should be Seattle’s priority, the Mariners certainly shouldn’t neglect their starting rotation.

Felix Hernandez and Hisashi Iwakuma were both fantastic in 2013, combining for 10.2 WAR. Beyond them, though, there wasn’t much in Seattle’s rotation. The baseline WAR for an average starting pitcher is also in the 2.0 range, and Hernandez and Iwakuma were the only Mariners starters to go there.

Steamer sees more of the same in 2014:

Taijuan Walker and Jamex Paxton are ready to contribute, but Steamer sees a 1.6 WAR for Walker and a 1.3 WAR for Paxton. Growing pains, in other words, which is a fair expectation given their youth and inexperience. Not every young pitcher is going to be Jose Fernandez or Matt Harvey.

The Mariners would have three quality starters lined up if they acquire an established pitcher at the Winter Meetings, and that’s a baseline met by most of last year’s playoff teams:

There are still options for the Mariners out on the free-agent market, as the list of available starters who were worth 2.0 WAR in 2013 includes:

Per MLBTradeRumors.com, Peter Gammons said on Monday that Bartolo Colon is on the Mariners’ radar, and they’re definitely a team with the means to get in on the big three still out there: Ubaldo Jimenez, Ervin Santana or Matt Garza.

And why rule out Masahiro Tanaka? If the Rakuten Golden Eagles choose to post him, there would be no harm in the Mariners meeting the maximum bid of $20 million to get in on the bidding. Given the Mariners’ notable tradition of being a home to Japanese stars like Ichiro Suzuki, Kazuhiro Sasaki and now Iwakuma, Tanaka’s undeniably an intriguing target.

Or the Mariners could go for the big one on the trade market: David Price. Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com has listed the Mariners as a top suitor for Price, and Dan Szymborski made a compelling argument on ESPN Insider for why the Mariners actually need the Cy Young-winning lefty.

Whether it’s Choo, Loney, Kemp, Butler, Colon, Tanaka, Price or whoever else, or some combination of players, the best part of all this is that there’s not much the Mariners can’t do. In terms of assets, they’re pretty well off.

In addition to young talent to deal, the Mariners have enough financial leeway to afford any big contracts they might be eyeing. We don’t think of Seattle as one of MLB’s top spenders, but it has a $2 billion TV deal coming its way and only Hernandez and Cano signed to rich long-term contracts.

The Mariners need to go big, can go big, and the time for them to go big is now. They went into the Winter Meetings with momentum after signing Cano, but things tend to happen fast when the Meetings are in swing. The players who fit Seattle’s needs could soon be spoken for.

If the Mariners don’t act, they’ll be in danger of leaving the Meetings with fewer options to fill their needs, and then they’ll be in danger of something even worse: wasting one of the precious few prime years they just paid $240 million for.

One can only imagine the criticism that would be directed at Seattle’s front office. And at last check, it doesn’t need any more of that.

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

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The Seattle Mariners are back. That’s the main message that one can take away from their signing of Robinson Cano. The deal was first reported by ESPN Deportes‘ Enrique Rojas. 

CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman reports that the deal is for $240 million over 10 years. While the years and the numbers are stunning, they are almost besides the point. The Mariners are telling MLB that they are back to being a relevant franchise again.

The Mariners vastly overpaid for Cano, but they know that. It was the only way that Cano was going to leave the New York Yankees. This is about setting a new tone for a franchise, one that has drifted toward mediocrity and irrelevance over the years outside of Felix Hernandez.

Seattle has the money to make this type of deal without crippling the franchise long term based on a new $2 billion television deal that Forbes’ Mike Ozanian breaks down here. The Los Angeles Dodgers, for example, have spent heavily since signing their new television deal last season. 

Having prospects and a highly ranked farm systems is great, but no one was watching or talking about the Mariners last season. On Friday, everyone was talking about Seattle, talking about the deal, talking about other moves that the Mariners might be able to pull off this winter.

I would compare this deal to when the Boston Red Sox signed Manny Ramirez after the 2000 season. The Red Sox signed Ramirez to an eight-year deal worth roughly $160 million. It was a deal that no other team was offering. When the deal was announced, it immediately put a buzz back into the city of Boston and started the Red Sox back toward being a contender. Boston eventually won a World Series in 2004.

The Mariners remain an untapped gem of a franchise in a great market that hasn’t been able to reap the benefits of not having to compete with an NBA or NHL franchise for consumer dollars. The fact that attendance was dwindling shows that the product on the field wasn’t very exciting or interesting.

Last year, attendance was 1.76 million people, the third season in a row that attendance has been below 2 million. It’s a far cry from 2002 when the Mariners led the American League in attendance at 3.5 million, more than twice as much as they drew last season. 

Signing Cano is just as much about what he can provide off of the field than what his numbers might look like at the end of this deal. As great as Hernandez has been for Seattle, it is really tough to have a pitcher be the face of the franchise.

Other free agents will now take Seattle more seriously when the offer a deal. Corporate and business partners might be far more likely to invest now that the team has a daily face of the franchise.

Cano’s success in New York is something that can be sold as promise for the Mariners. Cano’s brand comes with him winning a World Series in New York, receiving MVP votes during six different seasons, five-time All-Star, five-time Silver Slugger and a two-time Gold Glove winner. 

I am normally against teams signing players to this type of contract—there is normally just too much downside. In this case, I understand the reasoning behind it. Seattle wanted back in to the AL West, back to being in the playoff conversation, back to its fanbase having hope in spring training again. 

If Cano’s contract results in the Mariners becoming relevant again, then it will be well worth it.  

Information used from Enrique Rojas/ESPN Deportes, Jon Heyman/CBS Sports, Baseball Reference, Mike Ozanian/Forbes and Baseball America.

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After coming up short in the sweepstakes for Prince Fielder and Josh Hamilton in each of the last two offseasons, respectively, the Seattle Mariners were determined to land one of the few elite hitters in this year’s free-agent class.

Well, they got one Friday.

According the Enrique Rojas of ESPNDesportes.com, Robinson Cano and the Mariners have agreed in principle on a 10-year, $240 million contract, which ties Albert Pujols for the third-largest deal in major league history.

Though the Mariners will have the 31-year-old Cano under contract for the next decade, it’s doubtful the organization would have pursued him so aggressively if it didn’t plan on contending in the near future; the M’s wanted Cano anchoring their lineup for the back end of his prime years.

While Cano’s contract will likely prevent Seattle from signing another big-name free agent this offseason, there is a growing belief that the organization will trade for Tampa Bays ace David Price during next week’s winter meetings.

Had you asked me at the beginning of the week which is most likely to occur this offseason, the Mariners signing free agent Robinson Cano or trading for David Price, I would have said the latter without hesitation.

Despite graduating Nick Franklin, Brandon Maurer, Brad Miller and Mike Zunino to the major leagues in 2013, the Mariners have both the talent and depth on the farm to execute a potential blockbuster trade—and the front office knows it.

Considering the Rays’ return last offseason—a four-player prospect package headlined by AL rookie of the year Wil Myers—from the Kansas City Royals in exchange for James Shields (and Wade Davis), it’s almost a foregone conclusion they will want Seattle’s top prospects in return for Price, the 2012 AL Cy Young Award winner.

With that said, here’s one realistic trade package Seattle may offer the Rays to land David Price. 

Taijuan Walker, RHP

Selected by the Mariners in the supplemental first round of the 2010 draft, Walker has everything you want in a future ace. At 6’4” and 210 pounds, the right-hander is an outstanding athlete with a fluid delivery, quick arm and exceptional stuff.

After an up-and-down age-19 campaign at Double-A in 2012, Walker’s command and overall execution of his electric arsenal developed rapidly during his second tour of the level this past season.

The 21-year-old opened the season by mastering the Southern League with a 2.46 ERA and a 96-30 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 84 innings at Double-A Jackson, and he ultimately earned a promotion to Triple-A Tacoma in late June.

Despite the fact that he was one of the younger pitchers at the level, Walker held his own with a 3.61 ERA and 64 strikeouts in 57.1 innings in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League.

Even though he logged a career-high 141.1 innings between both minor league levels, the Mariners decided to give their top prospect a taste of the major leagues as a September call-up.

Suffice it to say that Walker responded favorably to the challenge. In his final start of the year, on Sept. 9 against the Houston Astros, the promising right-hander allowed two earned runs on five hits and a walk with eight strikeouts over five innings.

Overall, Walker registered a 3.60 ERA, .a 204 opponent batting average and a 12-4 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 15 innings spanning three starts.

Walker boasts a plus-plus fastball that reaches the upper-90s, and he has also developed a high-80s/low-90s cutter that should be at least above-average at maturity. Although his command of both pitches has vastly improved this season, he still tends to leave too many up in the zone—something that will need to improve moving forward.

Both of Walker’s secondary offerings are also in need of refinement. The right-hander induces whiffs with a curveball that has big-time depth and heavy downer action, though his lack of control makes it an inconsistent offering. Meanwhile, he’s still developing a feel for a changeup that’s average at the moment but plays up when he’s working the corners with the fastball and cutter.

I think I speak for all prospect enthusiasts in saying that I hope Walker isn’t traded this winter. It’s not that he’d necessarily be less successful or worse off with another organization; I just think his future is especially bright with Seattle.

However, according to Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times, the Rays won’t trade Price to the Mariners unless Walker is included in the deal.

The only question is whether the Mariners are willing to make a long-term sacrifice (trading Walker) in favor of a potential short-term gain (acquiring Price).

Nick Franklin, 2B-SS

Selected by the Mariners in the first round of the 2009 out of a Florida high school, Nick Franklin asserted his place on the big league radar the following year with an outstanding full-season debut.

Assigned to Low-A Clinton, the switch-hitting shortstop batted .281/.351/.485 with 52 extra-base hits (23 home runs) and 25 stolen bases in 129 games. The Mariners moved Franklin up to Double-A for the final game of the regular season—a challenge to which he responded by going 2-for-3 with three runs scored.

After battling through an injury-plagued 2011 campaign and playing in only 88 games, Franklin bounced back in a big way in 2012, batting .278/.347/.453 with 52 extra-base hits (11 home runs) and 12 stolen bases in 121 games between Double-A and Triple-A.

Although he has developed at both middle infield positions, Franklin’s range and arm are a cleaner fit at second base than shortstop. Therefore, when he moved to second base on a near-full-time basis early in the season at Triple-A, it was a strong indication that his call-up was near.

After batting .324/.440/.472 with 13 extra-base hits and more walks (30) than strikeouts (20) in 39 games at Triple-A Tacoma to begin the season, Franklin finally was promoted to the major leagues in late May.

It didn’t take long for the 22-year-old to enjoy success at the highest level.

In his third big league start, Franklin was 2-for-4 with a pair of solo home runs—the first and second of his promising career—at spacious PetCo Park in San Diego. So it’s not like either home run was cheap.

At the All-Star break in July, Franklin was considered a legitimate rookie of the year candidate in the AL after batting .268/.337/.451 with 16 extra-base hits (six home runs), five stolen bases and a 36-16 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 169 plate appearances.

However, Franklin’s second half of the season was essentially a two-and-a-half month slump during which he pressed at the plate and seemingly swung through everything. As a result, he batted .194/.280/.333 with a 77-26 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 243 plate appearances during that span.

While Franklin’s overall body of work as a rookie was impressive, it’s difficult to look past the severity of his struggles following the All-Star break. And with Cano now in the equation and presumably taking over at second base next season, the 22-year-old now represents the Mariners’ most expendable young player.

Meanwhile, Tampa Bay has been attempting to solidify its middle-infield situation for the last several years with minimal success. So expect Franklin to be included in a potential trade should the Mariners pursue Price.

Ji-Man Choi, 1B

Signed in 2009 out of South Korea, Ji-Man Choi had a very promising professional debut the following year, batting .360/.440/.517 with 21 extra-base hits and 10 steals in 50 games between the AZL Mariners and High-A High Desert.

Unfortunately, he spent the entire 2011 season on the disabled list with a strained back muscle. The setback in his development resulted in an assignment to Low-A Clinton in 2012, where Choi made up for lost time by batting .298/.420/.463 with eight home runs and 43 RBI in 66 games.

This year, Choi enjoyed the type of quick ascent through the Mariners’ system that had seemed inevitable back in 2010. It’s easy to point out that the 22-year-old’s triple-slash line deteriorated upon reaching Double- and Triple-A; however, it also marked the first time that he’d played at either level.

Depending on whether they re-sign James Loney, the Rays could be in the market for an inexpensive first basemen. On top of that, the Mariners still have Justin Smoak under contract through the 2016 season, so including Choi in a potential trade for Price actually makes plenty of sense for both teams.

Dominic Leone, RHP

Dominic Leone may not look like much at 5’11” and 185 pounds, but don’t let his size fool you.

Selected in the 16th round of the 2012 draft out of Clemson, Leone hopped on the fast track to the major leagues this past season (also his full-season debut).

The 22-year-old—in his age-21 season—amassed 16 saves and posted a 2.25 ERA with a 64-18 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 64 innings between Low-A Clinton, High-A High Desert and Double-A Jackson.

Concern about Leone’s size and lack of downhill plane will continue to follow him through his career. However, that should never detract from the overall nastiness of his stuff.

The right-hander boasts a mid-90s fastball that will play up due to his quick arm and release point. Leone will also attack hitters with a cutter that comes in a few ticks below his regular fastball velocity and features late slicing action to the glove side. Leone’s out-pitch is a nasty slider that dives out of the zone at the last minute to generate a favorable number of strikeouts and weak-hit outs.

Leone continued to improve his prospect stock even more this fall with a strong showing in the Arizona Fall League, saving six games and posting a stellar 15-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 12 innings.

Although he’ll presumably open the 2014 season in the minor leagues—either at Double- or Triple-A—it shouldn’t take long for Leone to pitch his way to the major leagues. Once he gets the call, Leone’s combination of swing-and-miss, plus stuff and an above-average command profile should allow him to carve out a role as a solid seventh- or eighth-inning arm.

With a host of young, hard-throwing relievers ahead of him on Seattle’s depth chart, Leone represents intriguing trade bait, given his proximity to the major leagues.

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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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