Kuzul

The Seattle Mariners have finally started playing baseball. They did drop their spring training opener (via MLB.com) by a score of 9-3 to the San Diego Padres, but it is good to finally get things started.

Position battles have begun, and it was not a good start for Hector Noesi. It is only one game, but Noesi surrendered six runs and a grand slam in the first inning. He only retired two batters before being pulled, and he was rewarded with a 54.00 ERA for his efforts.

Not exactly a good first impression for a guy that will be likely be battling for the fifth spot in the Seattle rotation.

Greg Johns of MLB.com tweeted the summary:

Hector Noesi hit hard in 2/3 inning, allows 6R, 4H, 4BB and one sun error on Ibanez in LF, lifted with bases still full after 11 batters.

— Greg Johns (@GregJohnsMLB) February 22, 2013

Based on his performance in 2012, Noesi was going to be facing a tough battle anyway. Noesi finished 2012 with a dismal 2-14 record and an ERA of 5.82 for the year. He had a WAR of -1.1 last season.

Not exactly overwhelming statistics.

Obviously this is one game. Noesi will pitch again, and there is no guarantee that everyone else will dazzle.

Blake Beavan may be unspectacular as well as he fights for a spot in the rotation. Erasmo Ramirez may not continue to show the promise that he displayed at the end of 2012. Jon Garland and Jeremy Bonderman may prove to have nothing left in the tank. The hot young prospects may be sent to Tacoma for a bit more seasoning.

Lots of maybes.

This is just the start, but it is fair to say that Noesi did not impress the people around the table at his first interview. For the sake of argument, it may be fair to suggest that Noesi will have to look pretty sharp in his next outing. He will at least have to show a good deal of improvement.

As noted by Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times, “He was already facing a steep, steep climb trying to make this rotation and did not do himself any early favors here.”

Noesi may be the first name penciled onto the cut list in manager Eric Wedge’s head.

Starting pitcher is not the only position battle in camps. The other big battle will be in the outfield, and Casper Wells got out to an early lead with a two-run home run in the ninth inning. Again it is early, but every at-bat counts in the spring.

Perhaps Noesi could find a spot in the bullpen, but there are a number of young, talented throwers who will likely be ahead of him. He may be left without a chair when the music stops.

Maybe this was Hector Noesi’s one chance to prove that he deserves to be on this team. If so, his prospects are not looking good.

The good news is that baseball has finally begun. Hope springs eternal.

Follow @tpheifer

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Remember Kyle Seager?

Third baseman for the Seattle Mariners? 

It’s strange, for a guy that led his team in a handful of key offensive categories last year, you’re not hearing too much about him so far this spring. 

With all of the excitement surrounding Felix Hernandez’s contract extension, the additions of Michael Morse and Kendrys Morales, and the questions surrounding the young trio of Dustin Ackley, Jesus Montero, and Justin Smoak, Seager seems to be a bit of an afterthought.

I myself am guilty of this oversight given the fact that I lumped Seager in with the rest of the M’s youngsters during my 2013 season preview earlier this week. 

Yet when you really think about it, it seems ridiculous to ignore a player who in his first full season as a professional hit .259 with 20 home runs and 86 RBI as the M’s starting third baseman after he barely made the team’s opening day roster.

As we look ahead to 2013, the big question is whether Seager can build upon last year’s breakthrough performance or will he end up like Mike Carp?

Remember Carp and his breakout performance in the second half of 2011? 

On opening day in 2012 he was the team’s starting left fielder in Tokyo, but before most of us were even awake to get the final score, Carp was on his way to the DL after spraining his right shoulder.  From there things only got worse and just this week Carp was shipped off to Boston for either cash or a player to be named later. 

Could the same thing happen to Seager?

It’s possible, but I have my doubts. 

Looking back to last season, what impressed me most about Seager was his consistency.  Beyond a rough stretch at the end of June/early July, Seager made contact from April through October.  Every time you thought he would fade, he would go out and deliver a clutch hit to drive in two runs. 

While I doubt he will lead the M’s in home runs and RBI in 2013, it will be interesting to see how additions like Morse and Morales in the middle of the order will affect Seager‘s numbers.  Right now the current projections from Fangraphs have him hitting roughly .270 with 15 HR and 70 RBI. 

By themselves those numbers won’t quite amaze anyone, but if you add them to a reasonably healthy and more consistent lineup, perhaps the Mariners offense will actually start to frighten opponents?

It’s all part of a domino effect that will hopefully take hold this season, but even if it doesn’t I doubt Seager will embarrass himself.  

Deep down I believe Seager will remain a key fixture in Seattle as one of the team’s more productive players at the plate for this and several years to come.

Feel free to doubt him, as Kyle Seager is the kind of gritty player that is easy to underestimate, but in time I like to think both fans and foes alike will come to realize that he’s a keeper. 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The Seattle Mariners’ farm system is one of the best in the game, with a majority of their top prospects stashed at Double-A or above. Although the on-field product at the major league level has been generally uninspiring, the organization has done an admirable job drafting both high-ceiling and high-floor talent over the last three years.

Headed into the 2013 season, the Mariners have an impressive collection of top 100 prospects in RHP Taijuan Walker, C Mike Zunino, LHP Danny Hultzen, SS-2B Nick Franklin and LHP James Paxton. Beyond those players, their system is exceptionally deep and loaded with potential impact talent—including several under-the-radar prospects.

In selecting players for this article, I targeted prospects who are behind the developmental curve relative to their age, have a concerning medical history, lack significant professional experience or are simply underappreciated. 

Here’s a look at the most underrated prospects in the Seattle Mariners’ farm system.

Begin Slideshow

This series will evaluate one team per day, starting on Jan. 23 and ending on Feb. 22 (the first game of spring training). It is based on last season’s performance, the offseason changes since then and the author’s outlook for the team in 2013. Please keep in mind that rosters can, and will, change before Opening Day. We started in the American League East, worked across to the National League, tackled the Central divisions, and now jump to the AL West, going in alphabetical order. Next up, the Seattle Mariners.

2012 finish: 75-87 (4th place, AL West)

Notable additions

LHP Joe Saunders, RHP Jeremy Bonderman, RHP Kameron Loe, RHP Jon Garland, OF Raul Ibanez, OF Michael Morse, OF Jason Bay, 1B Kendrys Morales, 1B Mike Jacobs, 2B Robert Andino, C Kelly Shoppach, C Ronny Paulino.

Notable losses

LHP Jason Vargas, LHP George Sherrill, RHP Kevin Millwood, RHP Shawn Kelley, OF Scott Cousins, INF/OF Chone Figgins, OF Trayvon Robinson, C John Jaso, C Miguel Olivo.

Why they will improve this year

I’m in love with this team. I’ll just put that out there. The young talent is amazing and you’d have to be crazy to dislike Felix Hernandez. But in order to improve, the M’s need big progressions from guys like Dustin Ackley, Kyle Seager and Jesus Montero.

One of the things holding Seattle back in recent years has been their lack of pop in the lineup. Safeco Field was where home runs went to die (Richie Sexson and Adrian Beltre can confirm), but they have moved the fences in for 2013.

Even if they hadn’t, the additions of sluggers Morse and Morales might still have added 25 homers each. The lineup is instantly upgraded with those two, as well as Ibanez off the bench as a designated hitter. I really like Vargas, but it was necessary to unload him for a big bat, and they may have found a better replacement with Saunders anyway.

The pitching staff should be strong again this season, but it’s the strides they made on offense that intrigue me the most. Adding Morse, Morales and Ibanez are huge moves that will definitely improve a team that finished dead last in the American League in both runs scored and batting average a season ago. With the new bats, plus growth from the young guns, they could climb those ranks rapidly.

Why they will regress this year

One thing Mariners fans never wanted to hear, even if just a whisper, was that there could be something wrong with Hernandez’s throwing arm. In a worst-case scenario, there actually is something wrong with that golden arm and the Mariners are absolutely sunk for 2013.

Without Hernandez, the team is significantly worse. But another big worry in Seattle is if Ackley continues to struggle with the bat (he definitely did not meet expectations in 2012), and Seager regresses from his powerful rookie season.

Both are very real possibilities. However, assuming the best for those two, what if Morse and Morales’ power don’t translate to Seattle? They can both hit the ball a mile, but as previously mentioned, that didn’t help former big bats that came to Seattle. Even if they all have great years, will the offense be good enough? It will be tough to measure up to the Angels and Rangers in their own division.

Behind Hernandez, the Mariners figure to line up Saunders, Hisashi Iwakuma, Blake Beaven and Erasmo Ramirez. Really? That’s it? That’s even more evidence that losing Hernandez would ruin this team’s season. There’s potential in that rotation, but it could be shockingly mediocre this year.

The outlook for 2013

Like I wrote, I do really like this team. The lineup excites me and I really do expect Seager to continue growing and Ackley to turn it around after last year. Morse and Morales are two of my favorite “under-the-radar” players and I think they were exactly the right moves for Seattle.

If Hernandez is healthy, he will be one of the best pitchers in baseball again, but the biggest question marks for me come after that. Saunders has been pretty solid over the last few years, but can he be consistent? Even less of a sure thing is the rest of the rotation who is either inexperienced, young or both.

One thing I’m really looking forward to is seeing the impending call-ups of Taijuan Walker, Danny Hultzen and James Paxton. All three have been studs in the minor leagues and could make immediate impacts in the rotation down the stretch. And don’t forget about top catching prospect Mike Zunino and top infield prospect Nick Franklin, who should get a shot at some point this year.

For me, watching the development of all the young talent will be the most exciting aspect of this Mariners season. I don’t think 2013 is their year, but they are very close. In 2014, they could legitimately contend for the division title, as long as health and regression don’t become huge issues.

It’s the opinion of this writer that the Mariners stay stuck in fourth place, but finish at .500 and start opening some eyes around baseball. Once the aforementioned minor league pitchers, as well as Ackley, Montero and Seager really get comfortable, this team is a force to be reckoned with.

Potential changes before Opening Day

According to Pete Abraham on Twitter, the Red Sox have “internally discussed” acquiring Mike Carp, who was recently designated for assignment by Seattle. The Mariners have nothing to lose with him, and might as well try to pick up a prospect or two from Boston there.

I doubt that general manager Jack Zduriencik will make a run at Kyle Lohse, but it wouldn’t hurt if they can afford to give up that draft pick. If anything, I could see the M’s making a run at another bullpen arm or two and a veteran bat like Casey Kotchman would have been nice if he didn’t just sign with Tampa Bay.

Biggest surprise: Joe Saunders

Biggest disappointment: Jesus Montero

Bold prediction: Mike Morse hits 35 home runs, drives in 125 runs

Projected lineup

1. Dustin Ackley, 2B

2. Franklin Gutierrez, CF

3. Kyle Seager, 3B

4. Michael Morse, LF

5. Kendrys Morales, DH

6. Jesus Montero, C

7. Justin Smoak, 1B

8. Michael Saunders, RF

9. Brendan Ryan, SS

Projected rotation

1. Felix Hernandez, RHP

2. Joe Saunders, LHP

3. Hisashi Iwakuma, RHP

4. Blake Beaven, RHP

5. Erasmo Ramirez, RHP

Projected finish: 81-81, 4th place

For more preseason evaluations:

*Teams [in brackets] have not yet been evaluated.

You can follow Jeremy on Twitter @Jamblinman. 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The starting rotation for the Seattle Mariners is far from set as the team gets ready to start spring training for the 2013 season.

Would it be a stretch to suggest that only two spots are assured at this point?

Felix Hernandez. Ace. Top of the rotation. In process of signing huge long-term deal. Check.

Hisashi Iwakuma. Signed two-year deal. Probable second or third, depending on other performances. Check.

Joe Saunders. One year-deal. Represents veteran experience, though there are no guarantees. Check?

Beyond that? Take your pick. Blake Beavan. Erasmo Ramirez. Hector Noesi. Jeremy Bonderman. Taijuan Walker. James Paxton. Danny Hultzen. Brandon Maurer.

Now you can add Jon Garland to the mix, as tweeted by Geoff Baker.

Jon Garland agrees to minor league deal with Mariners. Invite to ST. Will take physical in Peoria next week.

— Geoff Baker (@gbakermariners) February 9, 2013

For those of you scoring at home, that is nine pitchers for two spots, and there could theoretically be more. Who will be the odd men out?

This really could be a sort of open tryout for those spots. Seattle currently has a penciled-in depth chart, but that could be completely negotiable.

There are positives and negatives to every one of these pitchers.

Blake Beavan is currently listed in the rotation, but he will arguably need to pitch well in order to keep that spot. His consistently high ERA and his propensity to give up the long ball have some wondering if he has reached his ceiling or if he is poised for a breakout year.

Erasmo Ramirez looked good in September, but he will also be auditioning for his spot in the rotation. Obviously the Mariners like what they see in Ramirez, but the youngster has a very limited body of work. He could theoretically lose his job in Arizona.

Hector Noesi seems destined for the minors unless he puts together an impressive spring. The add-on to the Jesus Montero for Michael Pineda trade was dreadful in 2012, which means that he will need a rebound performance in order to stay on the roster.

Jeremy Bonderman and Jon Garland bring veteran savvy to a staff that could probably use some experience. Unfortunately, Garland has not pitched since 2011 and Bonderman has not thrown since 2010. Therefore, “veteran savvy” might be a nice way of suggesting that both are barely hanging on. Both will either have to pitch very well in Arizona or win jobs by default if no one else steps up.

At the risk of lumping the rest into one group, there is a common theme with the highly-touted youngsters. Now is the time where we see which players are ready, close to ready or need another year or two of seasoning. Will there be a breakout performance? You have to suspect that Seattle would love to see a Taijuan Walker step up, dazzle and win a spot in the rotation.

Still, there will be caution about rushing the young arms. This is why guys like Bonderman and Garland are in camp. The veterans may represent the future for this team, but they might serve as placeholders until the young arms are ready. At the risk of being insensitive, the veterans are a bit more expendable at this point.

A more conservative rotation probably looks like this:

Hernandez, Iwakuma, Saunders, Beavan/Ramirez, Garland

However, what happens if the young pitchers look really good? The rotation might then look like this:

Hernandez, Iwakuma, Saunders, Walker, Hultzen

Is the future upon us? Or will this be a conservative rotation that is filled in with uninspiring but semi-reliable experience?

Let the tryouts begin.

Follow @tpheifer

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

For a team that was struggling for pitching depth about a week ago, the Seattle Mariners seem to be intent on having as many options as possible heading into the 2013 season.

Geoff Baker has reported that the Mariners have come to a minor league agreement with 33-year old pitcher Jon Garland. This report was broken by Jason A. Churchill of Prospect Insider as well.

Garland has not pitched since 2011, when he was with the Los Angeles Dodgers. In that season, Garland finished 1-5 with a 4.33 ERA in 54.0 IP before being shut down with shoulder surgery. Garland is better known for his eight-year stretch with the Chicago White Sox, with his best season coming in 2005 when he finished 18-10 with a 3.50 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP.

Garland isn’t the only project the Mariners have picked up this offseason, as they signed former Detroit Tiger Jeremy Bonderman to a minor league deal back in December. Much like Garland, Bonderman did not pitch in the majors last season and hasn’t since 2010, when he finished the season 8-10 with a 5.53 ERA.

The question at this point for the Mariners is whether or not either pitcher has enough left in the tank to earn a spot in the rotation in 2013 if the young talent isn’t ready. Many fans will remember that the Mariners made a similar signing last season when they signed Kevin Millwood, who proceeded to throw 161.0 innings for the Mariners with a respectable 4.25 ERA. In fact, Millwood was the starting pitcher when the Mariners used six pitchers to no-hit the Los Angeles Dodgers on June 8 of last season.

When comparing the track records of Jeremy Bonderman and Jon Garland, one has to think that Garland has the upper hand when it comes to potentially earning a spot in the rotation. Over his career, Garland only posted one season with a negative WAR, and that was his rookie season in 2000 when he only started 13 games.

In fact, in 2010 Garland posted a 1.1 WAR and threw 200.0 innings for the San Diego Padres while posting a 3.47 ERA, the third lowest ERA of his career. On the other hand, Bonderman hasn’t posted a positive WAR since 2008 and has never had a season in which his ERA was below 4.00.

At this point, it may not be positive for the Mariners start the 2013 season with either Garland or Bonderman in the rotation. In order for that to happen, either Blake Beavan or Erasmo Ramirez would have to have had an extraordinarily poor spring training AND none of the young talent in the Mariners system would have impressed enough to warrant a spot in the rotation as well. However, nobody expected Kevin Millwood to start the 2012 season in the rotation, either.

When it comes down to it, the signings of Jon Garland and Jeremy Bonderman are truly low risk as both of them are signed to minor league deals, and it is entirely possible that one of them could show enough in spring training to keep on the 25-man roster. But needless to say, there are not many Mariners fans who would be thrilled if they did.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Whether or not you like the moves that the Seattle Mariners made this offseason, you must applaud the effort that the front office put into making the M’s a better team.

When signing Josh Hamilton didn’t happen, GM Jack Zduriencik turned to the trade market to acquire the necessary hitters to improve the Mariners lineup in Kendrys Morales and Michael Morse.

He also attempted to bring Justin Upton to Seattle, but that deal fell through when Upton refused to make the move to the Pacific Northwest, exercising his no-trade clause (instead, he ended up with his brother in Atlanta).

Zduriencik was also smart enough to realize that moves like signing Michael Bourn just weren’t worth the cost associated with making that type of move (though the M’s may still end up signing the veteran leadoff man).

But just how good is this Mariners squad?

Are Morse and Morales enough to turn this team into a playoff contender? Will some of the Mariners’ young guns break out and make this team a tough one to play against?

With the division still boasting teams like the Texas Rangers and Oakland Athletics, as well as what could be the best lineup in all of baseball in the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, making a run at the postseason may be too lofty of a goal for the Mariners in 2013.

Yet this team is better than the 2012 version of the Seattle Mariners, especially at the plate, and we must also keep in mind that the lowly Houston Astros will be joining the AL West division this season.

Those are both reasons to believe that the M’s win total should increase from 75 last season.

Toss in the fact that the Oakland Athletics are going to have a tough time replicating their 94-win season, and there is no reason to believe that the Mariners can’t improve their win total in 2013.

While a playoff run may not be in the M’s immediate future, Mariners fans can look forward to their team improving in 2013.

Playing to a .500 record of 81-81 is not out of the realm of possibility.

It may not be what some Mariners fans want, but it’s certainly a step in the right direction.

Follow @LeafsWriterBR

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The Seattle Mariners haven’t necessarily had the best offseason so far. Sure, the M’s were able to reel in players like Kendrys Morales and Mike Morse through trade, but both deals came with questions.

The big names the Mariners were chasing this offseason were Josh Hamilton and Justin Upton, both of whom decided the Pacific Northwest was not for them.

So with time ticking down until pitchers and catchers report, is there any realistic move out there that Seattle can do to appease a restless fan base?

As a matter of fact there is.

Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports recently reported that Mariners ownership has again picked up the pace in trying to ink Felix Hernandez to an extension to keep the King in Seattle. In the article, Rosenthal points out that no deal is imminent, but that the Mariners are at least weighing the idea of offering a four-year, $100 million extension.

If that’s all it’s going to take to keep Felix in Seattle, then General Manager Jack Zduriencik should be at Felix’s front door right now holding a pen. Back in August, Dave Cameron of U.S.S Mariner discussed what a possible Felix Hernandez extension would look like, which he believed would look very similar to what the Mariners are rumored to be offering now. However, there are others out there including Bleacher Report’s own Ian Casselberry, who believe Felix could be the first $200 million man.

Locking up Felix Hernandez now would rescue the Mariners from the disappointment of the 2013 offseason and would put a rest to the Felix trade rumors that never seem to die. If Seattle can find a way to get an extension done, it would at least put the Mariners on a high note going into the 2013 season and would make Mariners fans can stop worrying about the current 2014 deadline.

By extending Felix, the Seattle Mariners ownership shows pending free agents like Curtis Granderson, Jacoby Ellsbury and Robinson Cano that they are serious about winning. In fact, getting a deal done with the King would be a good starting point for when Seattle has to resign either Morales or Morse at the end of the season as both players currently have only one year left on their deals.

With the hoard of pitching talent Seattle has in Danny Hultzen, James Paxton and Taijuan Walker, Seattle will need the King to lead the rotation as the young arms continue to develop. Felix’s presence will do nothing but benefit the young trio, and could potentially help Seattle have one of the best rotations in baseball for years to come.

When it comes down to it, this is a move that the Mariners need to get done. Not just for the benefit of the team moving forward, but to reward a fan base that has been desperate for a winner for years. 

Sure, Felix may not be the big bat all M’s fans were looking for this offseason. But the King is, and will be the face of the franchise, and making him a “Mariner for life” is a deal everyone can agree on.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

What an offseason it’s been for the Seattle Mariners and their fans.

From being in hot pursuit of superstar free agent Josh Hamilton to contemplating a potential signing of leadoff man Michael Bourn, the Mariners have looked to make moves all offseason.

Eventually GM Jack Zduriencik was able to bring in a few bats via trade in Kendrys Morales and Michael Morse.

With the Mariners signing Kendrys Morales and Michael Morse for just the 2013 season, Seattle could lose one or both of its new acquisitions this offseason.

Seattle hopes at least one of them will be willing to re-sign at some point during the season. Of course, Seattle will have to fork over the necessary contract, and one or both players will have to produce.

Either way, here are a few free agents the Seattle Mariners may look to sign next offseason.

Michael Morse, OF

The most likely option for the Seattle Mariners is the newly acquired Michael Morse.

If Morse is able to continue his trend of hitting for an average of more than .285 and can knock out 20 or more home runs, Seattle would be wise to lock him up for the next four or five seasons.

The team will also have the first crack at signing Morse as it can work on a new deal with the 30-year-old throughout the 2013 season.

Curtis Granderson, CF

With the M’s current center fielder Franklin Gutierrez set to hit the open market (assuming the Mariners choose to forgo his option for 2014), Seattle will be searching for someone to man center field.

One such option is Curtis Granderson, who will be looking for a big payday next offseason and could elect to leave the New York Yankees if they decide to bring their payroll below $189 million.

While Granderson’s batting average wasn’t anything spectacular in 2012 (he registered an abysmal .232 mark), his OPS has been over .800 in each of the last two seasons. In 2011 and 2012, the 31-year-old slugger hit at least 40 home runs and 100 RBI.

If Granderson can elevate his average in 2013 and steal a few more bases (as he has shown he can do in the past), Seattle should be willing to dole out the cash to lure him to the Pacific Northwest.

Jason Vargas, SP

The other option for the Mariners next offseason is Jason Vargas.

The man who was just dealt by the Mariners to the Los Angeles Angels for Kendrys Morales could choose to return to Seattle as early as next offseason.

While other teams will be focusing on names like Matt Garza, Dan Haren and Tim Lincecum (if he proves he can rebound and return to being a dominant top-of-the-rotation starter), Seattle could turn its attention to bringing the southpaw back to Safeco Field.

Considering that prospects like Danny Hultzen, Taijuan Walker and James Paxton could be ready for major league action in 2014, Seattle doesn’t need a big name like Garza or Haren. It would also be wise to use the cash it would take to sign them to work on re-inking Seattle ace Felix Hernandez.

Bringing back Vargas would give the M’s a middle-of-the-rotation kind of arm with experience to go with the infusion of young talent that may crack the rotation next season.

Follow @LeafsWriterBR

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

With Adam Kilgore of The Washington Post reporting that the Washington Nationals have reached an agreement to bring back free-agent first baseman Adam LaRoche, it feels like an appropriate time to speculate what the team’s next move might be.

That move should involve trading Michael Morse to the Seattle Mariners.

According to Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal, the Nationals are already speaking to 5-6 teams regarding Morse.

Rosenthal points out that Morse will earn $7 million this season and then will be a free agent.

While the Mainers could easily begin the season with Justin Smoak at first base, Morse represents a fairly significant upgrade.

CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman tweeted a list of potential suitors for Morse that includes the Orioles, Rays, Yankees, Rangers, Phillies, Mets and Indians along with the Mariners.

Needless to say, there is stiff competition.

Rosenthal goes on to report that Morse strongly opposes being a DH wherever he ends up playing.

While he is poor defensively, according to Fangraphs.com owning a -21.9 career UZR and an .882 RZR, Rosenthal points out that the Mariners have shown that they are more focused on offense over defense after having just signed Raul Ibanez and trading for Kendrys Morales.

Morse owns a lifetime .295/.347/.492/.839 batting line which stands out as somewhat above average.

However, when looking at his career performances playing in Cleveland, New York, Philly, Baltimore, Tampa Bay and Seattle, Morse absolutely rakes at Safeco Field.

In 58 career games, he posted a .309/.382/.441/.822 line with 14 extra base hits and 25 RBI.

The only other comparable landing spot is Philadelphia. While having only played there 28 times, he owns a lifetime .353/.411/.667/1.077 line with 6 extra base hits and 13 RBI.

The Mariners, short of the Morales trade and Jason Bay signing, have really done little to obtain the talent they’ve sought this winter.

When given a full-time opportunity to play, Morse can be an excellent offensive option. In 2011, he played 146 games for the Nationals, starting most of them as Adam LaRoche was injured and just played 43 games.

That season Morse posted a 303/.360/.550/.910 batting line with 31 home runs, 36 doubles and 95 RBI.

While he is no Josh Hamilton, with numbers like that Morse would be a fine silver medal for the Mariners.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com