Now That Tanaka Is Gone, What Do the Mariners Do Next?

By Jackson Safon

Today, Masahiro Tanaka signed a seven year, $155 million deal with the New York Yankees. The deal includes an opt-out clause after four years and a full no-trade clause. These figures are just monstrous. I wanted the Mariners to sign Tanaka as much as anyone, but these numbers are just ridiculous. I was hoping the M’s could get him for around six years, $120 million. That is still an expensive price, but much more reasonable than his actual contract, which when combined with the $20 million posting fee the Yankees will have to pay Tanaka’s Japanese team, equals the amount the Mariners are paying Felix Hernandez. Is Tanaka worth that to you? Yeah, me neither.

But now that Tanaka has signed, it is time for the Mariners to make their next move. The next logical step is to sign a starter, because as of right now, the Mariners only have four starters in Felix, Iwakuma, Walker, and Paxton. The three top starting pitchers on the market are Matt Garza, Ubaldo Jimenez, and Ervin Santana. Garza is my top choice for a number of reasons, namely because he is the only of the three that wouldn’t require draft pick compensation. All three are great pitchers, but I think Garza has the best combination of consistency and skill. Ubaldo Jiminez was the best of the three in his prime, but his questionable mechanics have left him wildly inconsistent. Ervin Santana is quite good as well, but is asking for far too much money for his value as a pitcher.

Garza has a strong ERA, WHIP, and strikeout ratio. The biggest knock on Garza is his injury history, which is fair, because he hasn’t had 30 starts in a season since 2011. That being said, he had a period of four straight 30+ start seasons from 2008-2011. Furthermore, he has fantastic stuff when he is healthy, as was displayed during his 2011 standout season with the Cubs and his no-hitter in 2010 with the Rays.

The Mariners haven't been linked to Matt Garza, but he makes the most sense out of the three elite pitchers available.

Baltimore Sun

The other big hole in the Mariners lineup remains a right-fielder. The biggest outfield free agents in Shin-Soo Choo, Jacoby Ellsbury, and Carlos Beltran have all signed with new teams, so it seems one of the few logical options in free agency is Nelson Cruz. I am not a big Cruz fan and especially not for the value he is asking. I would be fine with signing him for a contract around 3 years/$45 million, but not much more. I am much more on board with making a trade for an outfielder, whether it be with Nick Franklin, Kyle Seager, or even one of our two young pitchers.

It remains to be seen what Jack Z and management will do, but now that Tanaka is off the board, it is time to make some moves, and a starter is the biggest hole to fill. 

Thanks for reading and follow us on Twitter @seasportssoup! Like us on Facebook as well. Keep checking back for more updates. 

Mariners' Next Steps after Signing Cano

By Kevin Calderhead

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.

Mariners Bold Predictions Revisited and Our Team Awards

By Jackson Safon

Before the season, I made a series of bold predictions for the Mariners 2013 season. I warned that the predictions would be bold. I did. I came closer on some of these than others, but before I get ridiculed on the predictions I want it to be clear that I warned you that they would be bold. That being said, the short version is the predictions were pretty far off. Enjoy laughing at how wrong I was.

Prediction 1: “Justin Smoak will lead the team in RBI”
Smoak was 30 RBI short of the team lead as Kendrys Morales had 80. The fact is I was dead wrong. But looking closer, how wrong was I really? If you pro-rate Justin Smoak’s numbers from when he returned from injury, he would have led the team in RBI. So really I wasn’t that far off. Okay I was way off. But mark my words this kid will be good. I believe that he is seeing the ball much better than he has been in the past and that if he continues the trajectory he is on, he could be a key part of the Mariners infield for years.

Justin Smoak has proved his abilities in the field, but can he continue to prove himself at the plate?

Ben Van Houten/Mariners

Prediction 2: “Brandon Maurer will be the MVP of the pitching staff"
Yikes. Brandon Maurer had approximately one good start out of many before he was sent down to the minors. It took him a while to get back up where he was a reliever and spot starter. In his return to the big leagues, Maurer actually pitched decent and ate up some innings when they were needed. He wasn’t spectacular by any means but he showed some signs of life and I don’t think all hope should be lost for this kid. But once again we are a no-go for my predictions. 0-2 so far.

Prediction 3: “The Mariners will not be last in the division”

There we go! That’s right folks, I correctly predicted that the Mariners could beat out the Astros this season. Sometimes even I’m amazed at my foresight capabilities. This prediction wasn’t all that bold, but to be fair, it wasn’t close. The M’s beat the Astros by 20 games and were only 7 back of the Angels for third in the division. No matter how cheap, this point still goes to me. 1-2.

 

Prediction 4: “Franklin Gutierrez will miss nine or less games this year"

Oh boy. Gutierrez played in only 23 games this year. That is horrendous. This prediction wasn’t based on any facts, simply a gut feeling. No matter, still a brutal loss that I wasn’t even close on. 1-3.

 

Prediction 5: “Felix Hernandez will set a career high in wins with 20”

Nope. Felix finished 12-10 and missed a couple starts due to a back injury. He was pitching fantastic in the first half of the season, but simply wasn’t getting the wins due to a lack of offense. In the second half of the year, he slipped just a tick and then had some back issues which led to his performance slipping even more. Felix didn’t even lead the team in wins, but I put most of the blame on the team seemingly not wanting to hit whenever Felix pitched. 1-4.

 

Prediction 6: “The Mariners will win get 90 wins and contend for a wild card spot”

The irony is that they actually finished with 91 losses. Rough year after there was more optimism going into the season than I had heard in a while. I was dead wrong here, but I don’t think many people predicted them to be this bad. Oh well. Always next year. I promise there is reason to be optimistic about next year. Taijuan Walker and James Paxton looked fantastic in their limited action in the major leagues. If they can continue that success the Mariners will have Felix, Kuma, Walker, and Paxton as the first four in their rotation next year. Dirty.

 

One of the most effective pitchers towards the end of the year was James Paxton.

Ted S. Warren/The Associated Press

Well that’s that for my bold predictions. Finished one for six. Not very good. But hey, if that was my batting average I would have been better than the Mariners starting catcher for 35 games this season (Henry Blanco batted .125). I hope you had a good time laughing at my stupidity in thinking the Mariners had a chance to be good this year. Whether you did or didn’t, I hope you enjoy my team awards.

MVP: Hisashi Iwakuma
Kuma was dirty good this season, finishing third in the American League in ERA, second in WHIP, and a remarkable eighth even with the Mariners horrific offense. Iwakuma was absolutely fantastic this year and he should be a part of a great starting rotation next year.

Cy Young: Hisashi Iwakuma
See above.

*Honorable mention goes to my man Danny Farquhar. Lord Farquhar pitched great when he took over the closer role and had some absolutely dirty stuff. Can’t wait to see him in that role next year.

Offensive POY: Kendrys Morales
This award was perennially called the “Kyle Seager Award”, but this year Morales came in and stole the show. It’s hard not to give him this award as he led the team in batting average and RBI while being second in homeruns. He wasn’t the superstar this team truly needed, but he was a much needed boost, and I don’t know where the Mariners offense would have been without him this year.

The Mariners need to make resigning Kendrys Morales a priority this offseason.

Ted S. Warren/The Associated Press

Rookie of the Year: Brad Miller
Brad was fantastic to watch and he really brought energy to the Mariners. Of players who got any real playing time he was third in average, and if you pro-rated his numbers over the whole season he would have only been five RBI behind Morales for the team lead. While batting out of the leadoff spot. “Crazy Legs” is just an exciting player who puts up darn good numbers too.

Thanks for reading and follow us on Twitter @seasportssoup! Like us on Facebook as well. Keep checking back for more updates!

Mariners Early Season Awards

by Jackson Safon

Forty-five games into the Mariners season and they are 20-25. After playing really well for a stretch and even getting within one game of .500, they got swept by the Indians and have now moved back well below .500. We are just over a fourth of the way through the season, which means of course that it is time for some awards. Who doesn't like awards? Also because I need something to cheer me up considering the Mariners just got swept by the Indians and are, as I’m typing, losing to the 17-27 Angels. I am going to give the standard awards and some creative ones as well.

Offensive MVP: Kyle Seager

-No surprise here as Seager probably would have won this award last year as well, but this choice wasn't as obvious as it would seem. Kendrys Morales is nipping at his heels in virtually all categories. Of players who get regular playing time, Seager leads the team in batting average, hits, runs, and RBI, which would make it obvious that he would win the award. But as I said, Morales is not far behind, as he is only three hits, one homerun, and one RBI behind Seager. Whatever the case may be, Seager has followed up his stellar season last year with a strong start to the season so far and is the offensive MVP through 45 games.

Kyle Seager has proven to be the Mariner's best option on offense this year.

AP Photo/Ted S. Warren

Cy Young: Felix Hernandez

-This was a VERY tough choice because Hisashi Iwakuma is having such a stellar season, and Tom Wilhelmsen has been virtually flawless as well, but as is the norm, Felix takes home the top pitching honors. One of the main reasons I gave him the nod over the other two guys is the fact that he might very well be the Cy Young of the American League, never mind the Seattle Mariners. He has been absolutely stellar this season, posting a 2.07 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, and posting a great 6-1 strikeout to walk ratio. At this rate, Felix will not hit the 20 win mark I predicted for him before the season, but his pitching gives the team a great chance to win almost every time he goes out there and he gets my early season Cy Young.

Newcomer of the Year: Kendrys Morales

-A number of guys were up for this award and a number of guys could arguably have won it, but Kendrys is having the best overall season so far. He is second on the team in runs, RBI, and average among regular players. I just love the guy and think he has made a major impact in the middle of the lineup, even though the team’s offense hasn't been quite as good as everyone had anticipated. Honorable mention for this award goes to Michael Morse who leads the team in home runs, and Raul Ibanez, who isn't totally new to the team, but has been absolutely on fire recently and has 8 homers and 20 RBI in only 27 games.

(This is where it gets fun)

The David-Freese “Where has this been” Award: Justin Smoak

-This award is named so because of David Freese’s breakout performance for the Cardinals in the playoffs two years ago. He was always a good player, but one that people around the league thought could be so much better. He finally showed this and broke out in the playoffs that year. However, I hesitate to call this award the most improved award because it is specifically given to someone who we all expected to be good, but hasn't been up until this point. This is why this award is perfect for Justin Smoak. Everyone assumes he is having a terrible season because he has had a terrible career as a Mariner, but recently he has been playing terrific baseball. In fact, as Greg Johns of MLB.com notes, over the past 30 days Smoak is second among American League first basemen in on-base percentage (.422), fourth in batting average (.297), sixth in OPS (.922), and eighth in slugging percentage (.500). This is exactly the type of hitting we expected from Smoak when he came over from the Rangers, and if he can keep it up, he will be a force to be reckoned with. This improved hitting, plus his always stellar defense, makes him perfect for the David Freese (who also plays very good defense) award. The Smoakamotive has risen.

Justin Smoak has caught fire recently.

Steven Bisig - US PRESSWIRE

The Franklin Gutierrez “Needs to Stay Healthy” Award: Franklin Gutierrez*

-I’m just kidding. That wouldn't be fair to give the award to its namesake in the first year of its existence, but in all seriousness he does deserve it. To be fair to the rest of the team and to give it to the person that I really think means more to the team, this award goes to Michael Saunders. When Saunders is in the game the Mariners are just a different team, both on offense and defense. He obviously plays great defense, but his presence at the top of lineup absolutely makes a difference. Without him, there is so much less potency in the lineup and it just has a different feel with Endy Chavez leading off games. I really think Michael Saunders makes a huge difference to this team on both offense and defense, which is why he gets the Franklin Gutierrez Award.

The Omar Vizquel “Please God Let Me Hit the Ball Better” Award: Brendan Ryan

-This award really can only go to Ryan, because of the caveat that the award winner must play good defense, as Omar Vizquel did. Brendan Ryan is the modern day version of Omar Vizquel, who for those of you don’t know won nine gold gloves, but could never really hit the ball at a great level. I also happen to know Omar personally and used to be friends with his son, but I digress. The point is Brendan Ryan is the epitome of this award because his .178 batting average really doesn't cut it, but the fact that his defense is just so good almost makes up for it.

It’s time for my last early season award. I hope you guys have liked them.

The Hasheem Thabeet “Doesn’t Really Belong” Award: Jesus Montero

-Hasheem Thabeet is one of the more interesting players in the NBA in my opinion because he was drafted so highly at the second overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, was immediately sent to the D-League, but now has made it back up to the bigs. He has shown flashes of serious talent, but has never put it together for long enough to maintain relevance and every time I watch him play all I think is, “He really doesn't belong”. This is why the award goes to Jesus Montero. Occasionally, he will show what he’s got and blast a long home run, but his .208 average and lack of consistency really isn't cutting it. I personally think he should be sent down to triple-A where he can develop into a real player. I think he has shown enough potential to not quit on the project forever, but I don’t think he belongs in the MLB right now. 

Thank you for reading and follow us on Twitter @seasportssoup! Like us on Facebook as well! Keep checking back for more updates.

Felix Avoids Getting “Felixed” Again

by Jackson Safon

Last Wednesday’s 2-1 win over the Pirates was just another example of how Felix Hernandez is not getting the run support he needs or deserved. He had to hold the Pirates to one run over eight innings to avoid, as Mitch Levy put it, “getting Felixed”. Throughout his entire career, Felix has not gotten the same run support as not only other pitchers in the league, but other pitchers on the team. Perhaps this is just perception, but the statistics show that he really is getting very little support. In six of his eight starts this season, the Mariners have scored three runs or less, and in three of those six they have scored two or less. It is not only that however. In the three games Felix has started that the Mariners have not won, the team scored three runs twice, and one in the other game. Additionally, all three of these games were one run losses. This wouldn't be so hard to take if the Mariners were actually better. They are under five hundred, as seems to be the norm recently, and over a fourth of their losses are one or two runs games. Furthermore, the knock on Felix’s Cy Young bid every season is that he doesn't have a high enough win total, even though his other numbers are near or at the top of the league. If the M’s offense could simply produce at a league average level on a consistent basis for Felix, he would earn many more wins.

Felix wishes his offense could spare him a few runs to work with.

Howard Simmons/NYT

One interesting note about Felix and his success is that his WAR (wins above replacement) is only 2.5. Although I am not an expert on this statistic, it would seem that leading the American League in ERA, is second in WHIP, tied for third in strikeouts, and second in strikeout to walk ratio would be worth more 2.5 wins above the average starter. The real issue however is that Felix has to avoid “getting Felixed” seemingly every start. Although he is on a really hot four-start stretch, he won’t be able to hold offenses to one run or less every game. When he cools off a little bit the team will really be in trouble. If the pattern of run support, or lack thereof continues, we won’t even be able to win games when Felix does start. This article is as much a praise of Felix as it is a challenge to our offense. It is really time for the offense to step up. Almost a fourth of the way through the season, and after starting the season around the middle of the pack, the Mariners have regressed back to the norm for them, and are second to last in the league in average and runs scored. The Mariners have managed to hang around and are now just three games below five hundred even with this crappy offense, so if they can finally step up a little bit I don’t see why this team can’t break through. So this is my official challenge to the offense. Step up. Make progress. Let’s finally get a winning season again.

Thanks for reading and follow us on Twitter @seasportssoup! Like us on Facebook! Keep checking back for more updates.

The King Hits 100

by Jackson Safon

On Monday Felix Hernandez became the third pitcher in Mariners history (Jamie Moyer and Randy Johnson) to get 100 wins. First I would like to say congratulations to him because this is a really great accomplishment, especially pitching for a team that has had consistently terrible offensive production throughout his career. He achieved this accomplishment against the Astros in a game where the Mariners provided him with seven runs, an unbelievably high amount considering how inept the Mariners offense has been recently. It always seems like Felix gets the least run support out of all of the Mariner’s starters. Whenever Felix hits any sort of milestone in wins, it always gets me thinking how many he could have if the Mariners offense wasn’t so terrible. His career high in wins is 19, but besides that season, he has never had more than 14. Considering Felix has almost always been a top five pitcher in the American League, it is crazy how few wins he has. He is always towards the top of the list in strikeouts, ERA, WHIP, K/9 innings, and basically every statistical category other than wins, which makes you realize how bad his run support must be. I have no doubt that if he was on a team with a halfway decent offense or better, he would have many more wins and probably a few more Cy Young awards as well.



Felix Hernandez has had an exceptional season thus far, but as is the norm, he has not received substantial run support from the offense.

Ben Margot / The Associated Press

To prove how good Felix’s stats are, we are going to play a little game called player A vs. player B. To do this we simply use stats to decide which player we would prefer as opposed to the perception of the public.

Player A: 15-6, 3.38 ERA, 197 K’s, 1.14 WHIP

Player B: 13-9, 3.06 ERA, 223 K’s, 1.14 WHIP

Player C: 17-8, 2.64 ERA, 239 K’s, 1.06 WHIP

I think it is obvious that the best of the three pitchers is player C, who happens to be Justin Verlander. Second best would be player B who is King Felix, and the third of the three is player A, who is C.C. Sabathia. Few would say argue against Verlander being the best pitcher in baseball, but as Felix’s numbers show, he isn’t all that far behind. The biggest disparity for Felix against all other pitchers and therefore his biggest obstacle in winning the Cy Young, is wins. However, this shouldn’t be held against him, because it isn’t really his fault. The Mariners have had a consistently terrible offense throughout the entirety of Felix’s time in Seattle, while teams like the Yankees and Tigers have been towards the top of the league in terms of run support. I have no doubt that if Felix was pitching for the Tigers, Yankees, or any other team with an average or above average offense, his win total would skyrocket.

At this point, Felix is the second highest paid pitcher in baseball and I would argue that he is the second best pitcher in baseball. It is disappointing that it has taken him this long to hit 100 wins because our offense has been so terrible, but it is still a great accomplishment and the biggest congratulations go out to him from us. In short, Seattle loves Felix, and they go to great lengths to show it, but I still think his greatness is under appreciated and hitting a milestone like this is a great time to show our gratitude. Thank you Felix for all you do, and thank you for being a Mariner for life.

Thanks for reading and follow us on Twitter @seasportssoup! Like us on Facebook and keep checking back for more updates.

Seattle Mariner's 2013 Season: Bold Predictions

by Jackson Safon

In a season where expectations are as high as they have been in years for the Mariners, it is important to temper these hopes. Chances are this Mariners team will not win the AL West and chances are there will not be a player on this roster to lead the MLB in home runs. But this team does have potential, and these predictions will be bold, but they will not be impossible. Enjoy.

           

1. Justin Smoak will lead the team in RBI

Before you send an angry email complaining about how this will never happen and how Smoak has underperformed in every sense of the word, let me explain. Smoak has underperformed, but I think this really could be his breakout year. In spring training Smoak was tied for the team lead in RBI and was only four back of Morse for the team lead in homeruns. When I suggest Smoak as the team leader in RBI most people would counter with Morales or Morse, and don’t get me wrong, I am unbelievably excited for those guys as well, but I really think this is Smoak’s year. All of the attention of opposing pitchers will be centered on Morales and Morse and I think this will allow Smoak some great opportunities to drive in a lot of runs.

2. Brandon Maurer will be the MVP of the pitching staff

Calm down. Just calm down. I am not saying he will pitch better than Felix this season. Let me repeat, I am NOT saying he will pitch better than Felix. I am simply saying he will be a very valuable back end of the rotation guy. Think Pippen to Felix’s Michael Jordan. This Mariners team is one that has far less pitching depth which means that guys like Brandon Maurer and Blake Beaven will be increasingly important. Maurer is a monster at 6’5’’, 215 pounds and can really bring the heat. During the spring he had 25 strikeouts in 24 innings and had a 1.50 ERA, which is a great and encouraging number. I think Maurer will have a fantastic season and will be as good as any fourth starter in the league. This success at the back end of the rotation will reflect directly in the win column. Hence, value in MVP.

Brandon Maurer is another gem the Mariners have raised in their rich farm system.

Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

3. The Mariners will not be last in the division

This is sort of a trick statement and not really that bold either because the Astros are in the AL West now, but I had to put it in here because they have been in the cellar four of the last five seasons. I say this more because I think this team will be better, than because the Astros have joined the division. I really think this team has the power to contend in the division and if they are lucky, a playoff spot.

4. Franklin Gutierrez will miss nine or less games this year

Over the past two seasons Gutierrez has missed a total of 192 games. That’s a lot. But in his first two years in Seattle he only missed 19 games combined. I think Guti is rearing for a bounce-back year to prove to the Seattle fans that he can live up to his potential. He is obviously a gold glove caliber center fielder defensively, but I think with a full season he could potentially be a 20 homerun and 20 steal guy, which would be great production to add to Morales, Morse, and Smoak. If this prediction comes true, the Mariners lineup could prove to be a deadly offense.

5. Felix Hernandez will set a career high in wins with 20

Felix has never hit this benchmark in his pro career with his highest being 19 in 2009, but besides that season he has never had more than 14. He has had unbelievable success so far in Seattle in all statistical categories except wins, which generally means his team has not been good enough and he has not received enough run support. I think this is the year that could really change because of the additions of Morales and Morse, along with the improvement of guys like Smoak and the health of Gutierrez. If Felix can get some run support, there is no doubt in my mind he could hit the magic number 20 and potentially win his second Cy Young award.

Felix Hernandez will be pitching with comfort this season after signing a massive contract extension in the offseason. 

butattheendoftheday.com

6. The Mariners will win get 90 wins and contend for a wild card spot

I told you they would be bold. I do think this could actually happen. If the back end of the rotation guys can pitch well and the bullpen lead by Wilhelmsen can stay strong, this team finally has the hitting to make some noise in the American League. The division they are in is obviously a tough one, but I think this team has a lot of potential and could make some noise. Last year it took 93 wins to get one of the two wild card spots, but the year before it would have only taken 91 to be the second wild card team. If everything goes right for this team, I really think that this is a possibility. 

Thanks for reading and follow us on Twitter @seasportssoup! Like us on Facebook as well! Keep checking back for more updates. 

2013 Mariners Offseason Review and Season Preview

by Marshall Cherrington

After a 2012 season where the Mariners improved by seven wins from the past season, the Mariners will look to improve on that mark significantly. Fans have been disgruntled with the team for at least five years now and are looking for a change. Manager Eric Wedge and General Manager Jack Zduriencik have made significant strides to achieving their goal of success. They furthered that process during this offseason with some key signings and trades.

It was a busy offseason for the Mariners as they gained some key power bats that should help out as well as some veteran starters who could surprise some people. Although they weren't their first options, the mariners gained some valuable players. Jack Zduriencik pursued Josh Hamilton very hard only to lose out to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Apparently the team offered about $100 million to Hamilton, but he chose to take the Angels offer over the Mariners’ offer. The Mariners also struck-out on another free agent Nick Swisher, but is unknown how hard the Mariners went after him. Jack Zduriencik had agreed to a deal with Diamondback’s General Manager Kevin Towers for outfielder Justin Upton, but Upton rejected the trade with his no-trade clause. The two biggest acquisitions through the trade route were Kendrys Morales and Michael Morse. Both of these big guys will provide the Mariners with some much needed power in the middle of their lineup. Morales will most likely hit third with Morse hitting fourth. Morales was sixth in MVP voting in 2010, which shows some of the potential he has. However, he broke his leg in the 2011 season and had to rehab for the entire offseason. He started playing again in the late part of the 2012 season and even though he wasn't at 100%, he put up some great numbers which should look promising to Mariners fans. This will be Morse’s second stint with the Mariners as he played in the Mariners minor league system in the early part of his career. He really never got the opportunity to play every day in Seattle as there were already experienced players ahead of him so the Mariners traded him off to the Washington Nationals. After having several very successful campaigns in Washington, Morse returns to the Mariners as a “grown man.” He thinks that he didn't show Seattle fans his full potential in his first stint and will look to show them his great power in his second stint with the team. The Mariner’s made some other offseason moves for power bats, such as the signings of Raul Ibanez and Jason Bay, two veteran outfielders. With the plethora of outfielders that the team has, it will be important in spring training for each player to show his value to the team. It is expected Ibanez will make the team, however it is a different story with Jason Bay. Bay comes to the Mariners after never living up to his mega-million dollar deal with the Mets. He was an MVP candidate when he played for the Red Sox towards the early part of his career, but really never found success in New York. The Mariners are hoping this veteran can return to his form as a Red Sock and provide the team with some needed help at the plate. There is one snag, however. The Mariners have a pretty similar player to Bay; that player being Casper Wells. These two guys will battle it out all spring, which is a good thing, and fans should have confidence in Eric Wedge to make the right choice in which player to keep and which player to drop. The Mariners outfield, as well as lineup, should look much improved to what it was in the 2012 season.

Michael Morse could provide the Mariners with some much needed power. He could possibly be a 25+ HR guy...

AP Photo/Charlie Riedel

When the Mariners traded Jason Vargas away for Kendrys Morales, they lost a guy who could just eat up innings. Vargas is the type of pitcher that every team needs and wants so the Mariners shopped him on the open market. With the loss of Vargas, they needed to find a player similar to the type of Vargas, a guy who could eat up innings. The Mariners think they have found that in Joe Saunders. After coming off a successful campaign with the Baltimore Orioles, the Mariners signed Joe Saunders to a one-year $7 million contract. This guy was a Mariners killer when he played for the Angels, as well as the Orioles, so the Mariners are glad he is on their team now. He will eat innings up, kind of like Vargas did, and will prove to be a solid option in the starting rotation behind Felix Hernandez and Hisashi Iwakuma. Speaking of Felix Hernandez, the Mariners’ ace signed a huge contract extension this offseason and it couldn't have happened to a better person. Felix was overjoyed at his press conference and stated that he will do everything he can to get the Mariners back to the playoffs. With the huge seven-year $175 million contract, Hernandez won’t miss any meals anytime soon. Iwakuma should provide some great pitching after a very solid 2012 campaign where he was second in ERA after the All-Star break, only trailing AL Cy Young winner David Price. There will be a fight for the 4^th and 5^th starting rotation spots, but many expect Erasmo Ramirez and Blake Beaven to win those spots. One or more of the big three, Danny Hultzen, James Paxton or Taijuan Walker, could be called up mid-season to add some skill to the pitching staff. Until then, the current rotation will be able to hold down the fort.

With the loss of Jason Vargas, Joe Saunders was a much needed addition.

AP Photo/Charlie Riedel

After a plethora of moves in the offseason, the Mariners are hoping to have a winning record this year. Fans will not be disappointed this season. The Mariners are a young team and now that they have added some solid veterans, the young guys should have some role models to look up to. Sure, there have been veterans on past Mariners teams, but this group is different. First off, all of these veterans speak English. In past years, Mariners leaders such as Ichiro and Miguel Olivo haven’t really played their role in the clubhouse. Veterans this year such as Jason Bay, Raul Ibanez, Jon Garland, Oliver Perez and Kelly Shoppach should provide that great clubhouse atmosphere that all the good teams need. Nobody in the past has expected the Mariners to be contenders, but there are whispers this year that the M’s could be on the fringe of contending. Many analysts have compared this year’s Mariner’s team to the Cinderella’s of last year such as the Oakland Athletics and Baltimore Orioles. If the Mariners are contending by the All-Star break, look for Jack Zduriencik to make some bold moves to put the M’s further into playoff contention. However, that is only if the Mariners are contending. Even if the Mariners aren't contenders this year, which is likely to happen in a division with the Texas Rangers and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, they will most likely make huge progress as they are a young team. With experience comes knowledge, and with knowledge comes success. Hopefully that is true for the 2013 Seattle Mariners.

Thanks for reading and follow us on Twitter @seasportssoup! Like us on Facebook as well! Keep checking back for more updates.

Quick Hits: What You Might Have Missed

by Jackson Safon

First I would like to start off by apologizing that we could not get a podcast out last week. We had said we would make a new one every two weeks, but because of our schedules and each of the two of us getting sick, we just couldn't make it happen. That’s what this article is about. Making it up to you. Like good, true people because we love all of our readers. There will be ideas on all aspects of Seattle sports so you will be able to know what has been going on in the last few weeks.

Seahawks

Obviously the only news with the Hawks will be free-agent signings and a look ahead to the draft, but that does not mean nothing has happened. It is clear that the Hawks main needs are defensive line and wide receiver, which are two positions that are deep either in free agency, the draft, or both. A couple of names in free agency the Hawks could look at are Paul Kruger and the recently released Dwight Freeney. These are both guys on the older side of their careers, but who still have some good years left and could be great to pair with Chris Clemons on the ends of the defensive line. If the price is right, Henry Melton could also be an excellent option for the ‘Hawks. Wide receiver is a position that should be deep in the draft which should help the ‘Hawks get a young, talented, and cheap playmaker. A couple of names to look for are Tavon Austin, the speedster, slot receiver out of West Virginia and DeAndre Hopkins, the all-around stud from Clemson. Both are guys that could fall to the Hawks at their 25th pick, and be valuable additions to the team.

Henry Melton will get PAID this off-season as he is in high demand.

Phelan M. Ebenhack, The Associated Press

Mariners

Despite pitchers and catchers just reporting to spring training recently, and now position players, the news around the M’s has been all on Felix Hernandez. He recently signed an extension for seven years and $175 million. This makes him the highest paid pitcher in the history of baseball. This in itself is big news, but the reason it got so much hype is that there was word Felix had an elbow problem which caused a snag in the deal. Everything ended up being worked out, and there was a clause added to the deal which stated if Felix missed about 130 or more days in a single season on the DL, then the Mariners could have a club option for an eighth year at only $1 million. It’s great that everything could get worked out, and we are all looking forward to another outstanding season from King Felix.

Sonics

The deal that would move the Sacramento Kings to Seattle is still in flux and working itself out, because there is a deadline of March 1 that essentially allows another group to make an offer and refute the deal already made between the Maloofs and Chris Hansen. Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson is continually fighting the Seattle group and trying to keep the Kings in Sacramento. He has supposedly scheduled a meeting with NBA Commissioner David Stern about the matter and Stern has come out and said things that seem to support both sides. However, Stern never had that meeting with Johnson and the two men did not speak at the all-star break. It’s unclear how this is possible, but he has said that Seattle is a great market but also has said things to the tune of Kevin Johnson is making a great pitch to keep the team in Sacramento. Basically, since the initial report came out about the potential deal to move the Kings to Seattle, there has been a lot of running in circles with nothing actually happening. Sort of like the plot of Identity Thief (just saw it, very average). The NBA Board of Governors will have the ultimate say and they will decide whether the Kings stay in Sacramento or move to Seattle.

Chris Hansen is working his hardest to get NBA basketball back in Seattle.

Reuters

Huskies

For all news on the Huskies, be sure to check out The Husky Haul (@HuskyHaul) and UDUBNation.com (@UDUBNation). I am now writing for the Haul and Marshall is writing for UDUBNation, so those are the places to find the latest and greatest for all things Huskies. 

Thanks for reading and follow us on Twitter @seasportssoup! Like us on Facebook as well! Keep checking back for more updates.

Sweet Perfection: King Felix

When an unthinkable event happens in a city used to losing, people become overjoyed. These kind of events make goosebumps rise on everybody's skin throughout the city and that's exactly what went down at Safeco Wednesday afternoon. I'm just glad that Jack Z. had never thought of or will trade Felix and that the city so used to losing got to witness an amazing event in history.

Felix has been untouchable in his last 7 starts going 4-0 with a 1.84 ERA so leading up to the game everyone was expecting dominance, just maybe not quite this good. After three innings, Felix was only at 24 pitches and he was looking to go at least the distance. He would get hitters in 1-2, 2-2, and 0-2 counts and just make them look like harmless little children as he dropped the 12-6 curve on them at-bat after at-bat and finished with 12 K's on the day. His off speed stuff was probably the best I have ever seen it from him in his career as he had control over those pitches the whole game and threw every pitch with confidence. He caused the Rays to swing and miss 25 times in the game, the most by any pitcher since 2009. Along with the amazing off speed stuff, Felix had his fastball working. His fastball consistently sat in the 91-94 mph range and would occasionally hit 95. Felix's velocity has been in question this season, but he showed improved velocity Wednesday as well as complete control of his fastball. Another thing that I observed while watching the game was that Felix got better as the game went on. His stuff broke more, his velocity rose and his control was on point. That was what made this perfect game so amazing. To show how dominant he was in the latter part of the game, he struck out the side in the 6th and the 8th and 8 of his twelve strikeouts came in the last four innings. He made major league hitters in the rays, playoff contenders, look straight up bad. The Rays had a good of chance against Felix as a toddler has playing one on one against Michael Jordan. That's how dominant Felix was. This perfect game was one of the more dominant ones I have ever seen or heard of. Felix straight up balled out Wednesday afternoon.

This game ends all speculation in Seattle that Felix is the best athlete in the city. No doubt about it. I think this game also was one of the top 3 performances in Seattle sports history. This performance goes along with the double by Edgar, as well as Marques Tuiasosopo's 300/200 game against Stanford. All three performed by hall of fame caliber athletes. Truly amazing.

One more thought on the perfecto. Melky Cabrera should buy Felix dinner for the remainder of his life. On a day where Melky was suspended for the season for his use of Testosterone, Felix stole the show and turned all attention to him and off of the disappointment shrouding over Melky. Just shows how great of a person Felix Hernandez is.

The final part of every blog we write will be dedicated to how high schoolers view all of these events. It gives a truly unique perspective to the blog. I viewed this perfect game overall as inspiring. Felix inspired me to become dominant at what I do and to give it all 24/7. At such an early point in my life, as a high schooler, I still can decide what path my life goes on and this performance inspires me to be the best, and shoot for the best, just like Felix did and was Wednesday afternoon. Felix said he was thinking about a perfect game after the third inning, which shows me that dreaming big can end up in being big. Big time that is. Exactly what Felix Hernandez is. Thanks for reading and keep updated with the blog as more will be coming out day by day.

Marshall