Jack
Z is going all out this offseason. ROBINSON CANO. Wow.
The
Mariners are tired of losing and if they don’t make the playoffs this year,
Zduriencik may lose his job. Signing the best second baseman in the American
League is a great step forward, but one player isn’t going to turn everything
around. There are several more pieces Jack Z needs to add to make Seattle a
successful team in 2014.
On a
related note, a lot of you are probably asking “Where did we get all this money
from?” Well the Mariners have finally paid off players we had released or
traded, like Ichiro and Chone Figgins who were being paid a combined $27
million a year. There are now only two players on the roster with large
payrolls: Felix at $22.5 million and Iwakuma at $6.5 million. That leaves a
load of money for Jack Z to spend.
By
himself, Cano can’t fix the Mariners less than average offense. We need at
least one more big bat, preferably an outfielder, and Nelson Cruz and
ex-Mariner Shin-Soo Choo could be potential acquisitions. In fact, as I write
this article, there’s been a report that Nelson Cruz has turned down 5 years
$75 million from the M’s. Nothing has been confirmed yet though. Matt Kemp
could also come our way, but rumors are swirling that a trade between the
Dodgers and the Red Sox for Kemp is brewing. Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reports
that another Dodgers’ outfielder, Andre Ethier, is also on their radar, as well
as Corey Hart.
Could Nelson Cruz be the next big signing for Jack Zduriencik and the Mariners?
Black Sports Online
By
signing Cano, the Mariners’ other second basemen, Dustin Ackley and Nick Franklin,
could be used as trade bait. Ackley especially is drawing interest from teams
across the league. Outfielder Michael Saunders and pitcher James Paxton have
been also been mentioned as trading pieces.
If
Kendrys Morales doesn’t re-sign, which he most likely will not, as he turned
down our $14.1 million offer, another DH will need to be traded for or signed.
Billy Butler, the designated hitter of the Kansas City Royals, could assume
this role. Butler batted .289 and hit 15 bombs with 82 RBI’s. His highest home
run total in his career is 29, the same year he knocked in 107 runs. But acquiring
Cano may entice Morales to sign back with the Mariners. Morales led the
Mariners in batting last season.
The
Mariners also need another consistent starting pitcher to go along with Felix Hernandez
and Hisashi Iwakuma. Sources have reported that Tampa Bay Rays’ ace David Price
is their top priority. Price won only 10 games last year, but in 2012 he won
the Cy Young with a 20-5 record, a 2.56 ERA and 205 punch-outs. I like the idea
of a trade, but Tampa Bay wants Taijuan Walker in exchange. Walker is the
Mariners’ best pitching prospect, and had a bit of success at the end of last
year. Jack Z says, however, that he has no intentions of trading Walker. MLB
Network’s analyst Richard Justice has said that any trade for Price would
almost certainly include first baseman Justin Smoak.
A Mariners rotation with David Price included within it would be second to none in Major League Baseball.
Mike Carlson/AP
Price
isn’t the only starting pitcher Jack Z has shown interest in. Matt Garza,
Ubaldo Jimenez and Bartolo Colon are all possibilities. But I would sure like
to get Price, without losing Walker. I’m sitting here imagining a starting
rotation with Felix, Kuma, Price, Walker and Paxton and it makes me the most
excited for Mariners baseball than I have been in a while.
The
last time I was this happy about baseball in Seattle was when we signed Chone
Figgins. I don’t even want to think about how that turned out.
But
if Jack Z can manage to sign a power hitting outfielder and ace David Price,
the Mariners could be good. Like playoff good. When was the last time we said
that? We wouldn’t have to worry about whether a field of inexperienced
prospects could turn into wins. The fate of the 2014 Seattle Mariners is in
Zduriencik’s hands, and it looks like he means business.
Thanks for reading and follow us on Twitter @seasportssoup! Like us on Facebook as well. Keep checking back for more updates.
No comments:
Post a Comment