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With the clock ticking down to the beginning of Spring Training, General Manager Jack Zduriencik and the Seattle Mariners continue to search high and low for ways to improve their roster.

To recap, GM Z has made a slew of minor moves including the acquisition of Robert Andino, re-signing Hisashi Iwakuma and Oliver Perez, and bringing in veteran outfielders Raul Ibanez and Jason Bay.

To date Seattle has made only one “big” move, trading Jason Vargas to the Los Angeles Angels for 1B/DH Kendrys Morales.

With questions still remaining on how the Mariners will improve their roster, GM Z and the rest of ownership have a bevy of options still available to them.

Here’s a look at the top five ways the Mariners can improve before spring training.

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The Seattle Mariners should not trade for Andre Ethier of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Rumors continue to circulate that the two teams are talking, including a recent tweet from Mike Petriello of ESPN.

Yes. RT @prospectinsider: Hearing Mariners have progressed in trade talks for a hitter. Indications it’s Ethier. Multiple players involved.

— Mike Petriello (@mike_petriello) December 31, 2012

Certainly the Mariners need offensive help and Ethier has proven to be a solid player throughout his career. All things being equal, Ethier would be a nice addition to any lineup.

Nice, but not must-have.

For the Mariners, it isn’t just about adding nice pieces. Instead, Seattle is in a payroll situation where it always has to be very careful about expensive contracts.

Go ahead and take a chance on a one-year deal for Jason Bay.

Don’t commit five years to Andre Ethier.

This is not the NFL where teams can more easily cut a player when they get hurt or stop producing.

Ethier officially qualifies as an expensive contract, at least from the standpoint of the Mariners.

In 2012, Ethier was signed to a five-year, $85 million contract extension that begins in 2013. This was part of the new-regime Dodgers and their free-spending ways in 2012.

For Seattle, Ethier could be a pricey part of the payroll for quite some time.

If the Dodgers want to pick up a sizeable part of the contract, that could change part of the equation. However, it is doubtful that Los Angeles will pay that much of the deal.

There are a numbers of strikes (no pun intended) against an Ethier trade.

Ethier will turn 31 at the beginning of the 2013 season. The Mariners do not necessarily want a 36-year-old outfielder in 2017 that is making $17.5 million.

Andre’s career statistics (via Baseball-Reference.com), are solid, and Seattle could certainly benefit from a player who is a career .290 hitter. Ethier has been a very consistent player at the plate throughout his career, as his career low was .272 in 2009.

But if the Mariners are looking for Ethier to provide more power in the lineup, they may be disappointed.

Ethier did hit 31 home runs one year, but that was in 2009. Since then, his seasonal home run totals have been 23, 11 and 20.

These are good numbers compared to the current Seattle lineup, but Ethier is not exactly slugger material, particularly as he ages.

Then there is Ethier’s health, which has been adequate, but not exactly stellar.

Throughout his career, Ethier has never played a full season of baseball. He played the most games in 2009 (can you say career year?) when he played 160 games and drove in a career-best 106.

Over the last three seasons, Ethier’s games played has looked like this:

2010: 139
2011: 135
2012: 149

You wouldn’t put those numbers in the “injury-prone” category, but these totals should raise some concerns about durability.

Guys who have missed games in the past do not typically get healthier as they get older.

The question the Mariners have to ask is whether they want to pay a guy an average of $17 million a year to play 140 games and hit 20 home runs.

That may be a more conservative projection for a player like Ethier, but it is arguably realistic considering what he has produced in recent years.

If Ethier follows the normal decline experienced by many baseball players, he could be hitting .260 with 12-15 home runs in a couple of seasons.

Is that worth $17 million a year?

Even with the shorter fences at Safeco Field, is Andre going to pound 30 home runs and play 150-160 games for the next five years?

That seems unlikely. History is against such a scenario.

If the Mariners were looking for a complementary player and they had additional payroll flexibility, it might be a good deal to ship a couple of prospects to Los Angeles for Andre Ethier.

However, the future for Ethier is not necessarily bright. He certainly is not worth one of Seattle’s premier pitching projects.

Too many years, too much money and too many questions in the latter years of the contract.

This trade rumor has some intrigue, but Seattle should let this deal pass them by.

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The Seattle Mariners need more offensive production if they are going to compete in the American League West.

They need Michael Bourn—preferably now before he signs somewhere else.

There have been a few rumors of late regarding the speedy outfielder, and one has to wonder where the supposedly coveted Bourn may eventually land.

Has the market played out to the point where Bourn will be forced to accept a lesser offer?

Moves have been made by the Mariners, such as the acquisition of Kendrys Morales and the free-agent signings of Jason Bay and Raul Ibanez, and something tells me that the Rangers, Angels and A’s are not scared by these transactions.

Bourn is not the type of player who can solve all of the needs of a historically weak-hitting Mariners lineup. However, he would certainly help.

Consider what Bourn would bring to the lineup. He would be a true leadoff man, which is something that Seattle currently lacks in its lineup. Dustin Ackley could theoretically bat first, but that is not necessarily a guaranteed solution.

Given that the Mariners batted .234 as a team in 2012, it would be nice to add a player with a .272 lifetime average.

Granted, a 30-year-old is not necessarily going to improve his hitting in the future, but Bourn did hit .274 in 2012, and one would hope that Bourn would not decline too quickly.

The Mariners would also benefit from Bourn’s base-stealing ability, as he swiped 42 bags in 2012 and 61 in 2011.

Seattle may not be very interested in a player like Bourn, simply because he would not necessarily provide a great deal of power. Bourn’s nine home runs in 2012 were a career high, but he only has 22 dingers since breaking into the majors in 2006.

You can understand why the Mariners might be a bit hesitant to throw big money at someone like Bourn. His age is a concern, and his asking price might be beyond what the Mariners want to spend.

If Bourn signs a four- or five-year deal and hits .240 in his first year, Seattle could be facing another Chone Figgins-like situation.

Signing Bourn would add to the logjam in the outfield, but the reality is that Seattle does not really have a bevy of proven commodities in the grassy areas of Safeco Field.

Franklin Gutierrez could continue to struggle with health issues. Jason Bay and Raul Ibanez may not have much left in the tank.

Michael Saunders, Casper Wells, Alex Liddi, Carlos Peguero and Eric Thames may struggle mightily to hit .250 for the season.

Translation? It is not hard to argue that none of the outfielders’ jobs are safe.

Supposedly, the Mariners offered Josh Hamilton a four-year deal worth $100 million, though, according to The Seattle Times, Hamilton downplayed Seattle’s pursuit.

Seattle clearly should not offer that much money to Bourn. If anything, it would be prudent to offer less than half of that amount. If Bourn wants to sign for five or more years, walk away.

Three years would probably be best.

At this point, the Mariners may only be part of the conversation because they always seem to be in need of an upgrade in their lineup. However, this may still be a good move.

Go get him, Mariners.

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

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

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

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Could the Mariners be making a play towards Miami Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton?

Jon Paul Morosi of Fox Sports recently tweeted that Seattle has contacted Miami about Stanton’s availability. However, Morosi also stated that sources doubted anything would occur.

Mariners have contacted Marlins about Giancarlo Stanton, but one source I talked with doubts a trade will occur.

— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) January 1, 2013

The uber-talented 23-year-old has been the subject of many rumors this offseason ever since Miami Marlins general manager Jeffrey Loria traded most of his major league talent to Toronto in order to dump salary.

The move left the Marlins with very little MLB-ready talent on the current roster and an infuriated young star:

Alright, I’m pissed off!!! Plain & Simple

— Giancarlo Stanton (@Giancarlo818) November 13, 2012

After the trade in November, Marlins ownership made it clear that Stanton would not be going anywhere, as reported by Jon Heyman at CBS Sports. However, ESPN’s Jim Bowden recently reported that Assistant General Manager Dan Jennings stated the Marlins would listen to any offer for Stanton, but were not looking to deal him away:

Dan Jennings Marlins AGM told us they will listen to all offers on Giancarlo Stanton but they’re not shopping him and don’t want to move him

— JIM BOWDEN (@JimBowdenESPNxm) December 30, 2012

Now there is a big difference between listening to offers and considering offers, but this does show that general manager Jack Zduriencik is leaving no stone unturned when it comes to improving Seattle’s anemic offense.

It also shows that no prospect in the Marinerss farm system is untouchable, as a trade for Stanton would almost certainly have to start with highly-rated prospects such as catcher Mike Zunino and pitcher Taijuan Walker.

Even that may not be nearly enough. Danny Knobler of CBS Sports reported that almost every other team in the MLB has contacted the Marlins about Stanton’s availability, with one source stating that it would be “easier to list who hasn’t called.”

It would be hard for any team not to be interested in Stanton. He’s one of the top young hitters in the game and already has 93 homers in his first two-and-a-half seasons in the big leagues. Along with that, Stanton has four more years before he hits free agency and is very disgruntled with the direction the Marlins are going in.

If the Mariners are really serious about Stanton, it will probably take a package of prospects that would dwarf the talent sent to Baltimore for Erik Bedard back in 2008, and even that may not convince the Marlins to move Stanton.

At the very least, it shows again that ownership remains aggressive in trying to upgrade Seattle’s offense. But talk is cheap, and Mariners fans will not be happy until they start seeing deals, not rumors.

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With fewer than 100 days remaining until opening day 2013, the Seattle Mariners still seem to be looking for ways to improve their team.

After trading for Kendrys Morales just before Christmas, rumors began swirling about whether the Mariners would deal their young first baseman Justin Smoak.

Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe mentions the Balitmore Orioles as one team interested in Smoak‘s services, while Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun opines that a Smoak-for-Brian Matusz swap could work out well for both teams.

Would it be worth it for Seattle, though?

On a positive note, Matusz would fill one of the open spots in the starting rotation, and he is a southpaw, which would help replace the void left by trading Jason Vargas.

Matusz, however, has struggled his entire career at the major league level and hasn’t really shown any signs of turning the corner.

Only once has Matusz managed to pitch 100 innings in the last three years and has never posted an ERA below 4.30 in his career.

Last season saw the 25-year-old register an ERA of 4.87 and WHIP of 1.56 in just 98 innings pitched in what was his fourth year playing major league baaseball.

Smoak has been disappointing up to this point as well, but after being sent down to work on his swing, Smoak was able to return and hit more effectively for the M’s.

Furthermore, the premise that he is expendable thanks to the acquisition of Kendrys Morales is a risky notion.

Morales, after all, will be a free agent at the conclusion of the 2013 season and could walk, which would leave the Mariners without either player.

Consider the fact that Smoak still has minor league options left as well. It would be a wise move for the Mariners to send him down for the season and use one of his options, as opposed to trading him away as an insurance policy to Morales’ potential departure.

Trading Smoak before he has a chance to prove that his bounce back at the end of last year wasn’t a fluke could really come back to haunt the Mariners.

At this point, trading Smoak for Matusz straight up seems to present more risk to Seattle than reward.

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With the New Year almost upon us, the Seattle Mariners have yet to truly make the splash that most of the baseball world expected them to this offseason. General manager Jack Zduriencik has been turning over every stone in an effort to find an answer for the lack of offensive production that has plagued the Mariners for years.

Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported recently that—although most of the big-name free agents have signed—Zduriencik is still exploring all options:

#Mariners‘ Jack Z says team “wide open” to making other moves. Perfect world: Would like to get leadoff man, middle-of-the-order bat.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 27, 2012

Now the Mariners certainly have the money to sign one of those bats. In fact, Ben Lindbergh of Baseball Prospectus believes that signing (ESPN Insider Only) free-agent Michael Bourn would benefit Seattle more than anyone else.

But even after Bourn, Seattle still needs another middle-of-the-order bat to pair with recently acquired Kendrys Morales. But where is Seattle going to find this bat?

It’s not like there are any GMs out there who are open to getting rid of their middle-of-the-order bats!

Oh wait, there is. 

Jon Heyman of CBS Sports believes that with the recent signing of Cody Ross, general manager Kevin Towers of the Arizona Diamondbacks will again entertain the thought of trading away outfielder Justin Upton.

Acquiring Upton would not be easy. Many fans will cringe at the talent the Mariners would have to give up to acquire the power-hitting outfielder.

A trade of this magnitude would most likely require Seattle to relinquish two of the big three pitching prospects (Taijuan Walker, Danny Hultzen and James Paxton), either Nick Franklin or Brad Miller and two more lower-level talents with high ceilings.

Many fans will think back to the five-for-one trade Seattle made back in 2008 for Erik Bedard and use that as a reason why the M’s shouldn’t make this deal. But giving up five prospects for one star in Justin Upton would be the only comparison that these two deals would have.

Plain and simple, Bedard is not Justin Upton.

Other fans will point out that Upton hasn’t performed up to the expectations since he signed a six-year $51.26 million extension with Arizona in 2010. But would any Mariner fan complain about a two-time All-Star outfielder with career averages of .278/.357/.475, 25 doubles, 18 homers and 60 RBI? 

When it comes down to it, Upton is a franchise-altering player. Sure, Seattle may have to send away two potential front-of-the-rotation starters and a potential All-Star middle infielder.

But both of those labels come with a big word in front of them: potential. Upton is a two-time All-Star and one of the best young players in the game. Adding a bat like Upton’s to the Mariners would drastically improve what has been one of MLB‘s most stagnant lineups over the last few seasons.

It would offer manager Eric Wedge the flexibility to move young hitters like Dustin Ackley, Michael Saunders, Kyle Seager and Jesus Montero into better spots in the order where they would be more likely to thrive.

As good as Seager was last year, imagine how much better he would be with a player like Upton in the lineup. It would take pressure of Montero and Ackley who struggled mightily at times last season to carry the load on offense.

And it’s not like Upton is some slouch in the outfield either. According to fangraphs.com, from 2009-2011, Upton had an average ultimate zone rating (UZR) of 7.3 while playing right field in Arizona. In that same time frame, former Mariner Ichiro Suzuki had an average UZR of 5.5.

Now Upton is not Ichiro defensively by any means, but it does show that Upton is more than capable of holding his own in the outfield.

The addition of Upton would make the Mariners a threat not only for a wild card but the American League West title as well. Remember, Seattle scored the fewest runs in the American League last season and still won 75 games. Imagine what adding a bat like Upton’s to go along with that of Morales’ would do for that win total.

This is a trade the Mariners have to make. Without drastic improvement from the offense in 2013, Zduriencik may not be around to see whether his highly touted prospects were worth holding onto.

A player like Upton doesn’t come around very often. This would be just what it would take to turn the Mariners into winners and Seattle into a baseball town again.

Upton would be the answer to many of the Mariners problems. Acquiring him would not only improve the team now, but it would show all free agents that ownership is serious about building a winner in the Pacific Northwest.

You want to live in a perfect world, Jack? Trade for Upton.

Then we’ll see how long it takes for a certain “leadoff man” to show up.

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There are always questions with the Seattle Mariners.

While other teams are readying for playoff runs in 2013, the Mariners faithful are left to wonder if their team will be competitive. After the weak hitting of the last few years, just being relevant would be nice.

Seattle missed out on Josh Hamilton, but moves are being made. Kendrys Morales is a solid addition, and perhaps Jason Bay will rediscover his power stroke with the Mariners.

Still, there are lingering questions that remain unanswered. This is a team that is definitively in progress, and there are multiple areas of weakness.

With that in mind, here are five big offseason Seattle Mariners questions that need to be answered.

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Raul Ibanez is 40 years old, but apparently the Seattle Mariners still believe that the left-handed power-hitter can contribute.

Ibanez appeared in 130 games for the New York Yankees in 2012. He faced right-hand pitching almost exclusively in that time.

According to The Associated Press (via ESPN), “A person familiar with the negotiations tells The Associated Press that Raul Ibanez and the Seattle Mariners have agreed to a $2.75 million, one-year contract.”

Per Baseball-Reference.com, 85 percent of Ibanez’s at-bats came with a platoon advantage.

He posted a batting average of .240 with 19 home runs and 62 RBI for the Bombers. The last two seasons have seen Ibanez’s batting average dip dramatically. He’s a lifetime .271 hitter, but at this stage of his career, that is a long shot.

He hit .275 in 2010 and .245 in 2011.

He still has some pop from the left side, as he hit 19 home runs in the 2012 season. That is likely the quality that endeared him to Seattle. Power from the left side of the plate is still a rare commodity.

When there is an experienced player with a proven track record availale, he’ll always have suitors.

Ibanez’s power came exclusively against right-handers. He hit all 19 of his home runs against right-handed pitching. Though he played the field the majority of the time for the Yankees, he is not one of the most fleet outfielders.

He could hold his greatest value as a designated hitter, especially in a platoon situation with right-handed slugger Jesus Montero.

Ibanez brings a wealth of playoff experience to the table as well. Over his time with the Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies, Ibanez has appeared in 44 postseason games.

Overall, this is a good veteran bat to add to the fold.

As long as a team can hit Ibanez seventh or even sixth against right-handed starters, he can certainly help.

Because Ibanez has had two previous stints with the Mariners organization, he fits the team perfectly. He can split time with Montero as a designated hitter, or he can provide depth in the outfield. 

Above all else though, he will provide proven leadership on an unproven team.

That’s exactly what the Mariners are hoping for, and what they need. He’s not a superstar, but Ibanez still gives his new team solid value at this point in his career.

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Justin Smoak‘s days with the Seattle Mariners may be numbered.

Anytime a team acquires a new player, there is going to be a domino effect that impacts other individuals on the roster. Now that the Mariners have acquired Kendrys Morales, someone may be losing their job in the future.

There are a few different scenarios when it comes to roster spots and positions on the field.

Assume that Morales may be occupying first base on a regular basis in 2013. Or, he may be the designated hitter on some days. Morales was the DH in 92 games for the Los Angeles Angels in 2012.

The decision of where to play Morales will be influenced by how the Mariners want to handle the tandem of John Jaso and Jesus Montero. If Montero stays behind the plate, there may be some room for a first baseman like Smoak.

However, if the Mariners have faith in Montero‘s bat and eventually want to move him away from playing catcher, this may impact player time, particularly at DH. Montero played 56 games at catcher in 2012, while playing 78 games at DH.

To keep John Jaso and his .276 average (2012) in the lineup, he may need to play some catcher or trade time with Montero, like he did last year.

Therefore, you may have Morales at first while Montero and Jaso split time at catcher and DH.

Where do you put Smoak?

The rest of your infield of arguably set with Kyle Seager at third, Dustin Ackley at second and either Brendan Ryan or Robert Andino at shortstop. None of those positions really suit Smoak anyway.

Smoak may not have a place to go.

Can you put Smoak in the outfield? Unfortunately for Justin, he has never played in the outfield, and there is already a logjam in the open spaces of Safeco Field.

Saunders. Gutierrez. Bay.

Add in Liddi, Carp, Wells, Peguero and any other hot bat that might be lurking in Tacoma.

Not much room for another player in the outfield. Oh, and there are rumors (via NBC Sports) that the Mariners are chasing Raul Ibanez.

Another potential outfielder.

It would be different if Justin Smoak was a valuable hitter that was worth a spot in the lineup on a regular basis. Unfortunately, his stats over the last two years have looked like this:

2011: .234, 15 home runs, 105 strikeouts, 123 games
2012: .217, 19 home runs, 111 strikeouts, 132 games

Obviously, you can apply different what-if scenarios to Justin Smoak. What if 2013 is his breakout year where he hits .275 with 30 home runs? What if moving in the fences benefits someone like Smoak the most?

What the Mariners get rid of him and he becomes the next Adam Jones?

Then again, what if the Mariners keep giving him time in the lineup and he hits .225 for the year?

Sure, Seattle could put Smoak on the bench, platoon him or keep him as insurance if someone gets hurt.

Then again, maybe Justin Smoak will never live up to the hype. Perhaps the consolation prize from the Cliff Lee trade will never be that much of a consolation.

Kendrys Morales may have cost Justin Smoak his roster spot.

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