Offseason Series: Seattle Mariners

Can they go back those days?

Like the Nationals, this season was a disaster for the Seattle Mariners as they ended the season 61-101. After trading key, young players for Erik Bedard, Bedard only pitched in 15 games. Miguel Batista and Carlos Silva had extremely disappointing seasons. Kenji Johjima and Richie Sexson were just terrible. Coming into the season, there was reason for optimism, but it became apparent very soon that this was not to be their season. Will next year be?

Catcher is one of the positions that the Mariners will have to make a decision. Will they go with Johjima, Jeff Clement, or Jamie Burke? After making the bad decision to extend Johjima, it seems as though the Mariners are stuck with him behind the plate. Yet, that allows for Clement to move to first or to simply be the DH, but his line was hardly better than Johjima's. There are no real options in the minors, but they should have enough options as it is now. They just have to decide which one.

First base is a bit of a mystery. Sexson won't be back, but other than that, nothing is certain. Bryan LaHair is the current option, but Johan Limonta and Thomas Hubbard could be other in-house options. The thing is they were in AA, so they may not be ready next season. If the Mariners choose to rebuild, they'll give one of the three the chance, but if they choose to contend, Tony Clark and Jason Giambi make some sense.

Jose Lopez is the second baseman, and that's a fairly good thing for the Mariners. His .297/.322/.443 line was pretty good (although you might like to see more walks), and he's pretty entrenched in that spot. If they chose to trade him for whatever reason (he might actually be able to bring back quite a bit), Tug Huglett or Luis Valbuena could be handed the reins. I don't see it, but it could happen.

Yuniesky Betancourt seems to be the shortstop for better or worse next season. He's terrible defensively, but he offers some value offensively. As for minor leaguers, Kevin Howard could be a viable option, but I wouldn't expect it. Other than that, the cupboard is pretty bear for next season.

Adrian Beltre is another interesting situation for the Mariners. He's solid offensively and a Gold Glover defensively, but he's also the biggest trade bait the Mariners have. There would be plenty of teams lining up for him this offseason if he goes on the block. Matt Tuiasosopo would be the heir-apparent, but he did struggle in his brief time in the majors. If they rebuild, Tuiasosopo will be the guy, but if they decide to contend, Beltre is the guy.

The outfield could be the in flux for next season. Raul Ibañez is probably headed for greener pastures, and I wouldn't expect him back, although he'd be an excellent option should the Mariners try to build a winning team for next season. Ichiro seems hated, and it might be safest to trade him this offseason. He'd bring back a lot, and he would clear some cap space. Then, they could sign Kotsay to play center. Again, I don't see it, but it might not be the worst idea. In right, it seems as though Wladimir Balentien will be the guy, but he did worse than anyone. I'm not sure he's the guy they really want out there. Jeremy Reed, Charlton Jimerson, and Michael Saunders could be other options, but those really seem like worst-case scenario guys. If they choose to go to the market, Adam Dunn, Pat Burrell, and Raul Ibañez are definitely within their payroll possibilities and would add the power bat they need.

The starting rotation is one source of promise for this organization. Bedard's shoulder injury doesn't seem to be too serious, but the Mariners may choose to say good-bye (I wouldn't blame them). I still say they should keep him in the off-chance they can contend. Putting him between Felix Hernandez and Brandon Morrow would be the beginning of a pretty good rotation. Jarrod Washburn, Carlos Silva, and Miguel Batista could then duke it out for the final spots. Ryan Feierabend and Travis Chick could be in-house candidates, but Feierabend struggled in his 8 MLB starts and Chick only had 5 AAA starts. As for free-agents, the Mariners could use the Bedard and Ibañez money to charge after a guy like Sheets or Lowe. Other starters such as Ryan Dempster and Jon Garland could also make some sense.

The bullpen also doesn't look too bad next season. JJ Putz will still be there. Sean Green, Roy Corcoran, Cesar Jimenez, and Ryan Rowland-Smith give them a good base. Should they choose to go for it, Arthur Rhodes, Juan Cruz, and Joe Beimel could be options considering those guys have primarily played on the West Coast. Shawn Kelley could be a dark-horse guy, but he only pitched in AA this past season.

So, can the Mariners contend next season? Yes, but whether or not they should try is another story. The rotation and bullpen look solid for next season, but the offense needs major work. They need a 1B, LF, and RF, and to get those, they would have to pay a lot of money for them. They could spring up in the Teixeira conversation, and I wouldn't bat an eye. However, I think it would be a bad investment considering how much the Mariners still need. I think they should start over. Trading Ichiro, Beltre, Lopez, and Putz could fill some holes on the team with some impact prospects, but it might guarantee another losing season and some bad attendance numbers. However, those new prospects could team with a strong core of Hernandez and Morrow.