Opening Day is a mere 11 days away, and Eric Wedge appears to have taken a page from Jack Zduriencik’s playbook. In other words, very little regarding definitive roster decisions has slipped from the skipper’s lips these days. Here’s the roster speculation floating around the blogosphere at the moment:

• The battle for rotation spots #3-5 is heating up, with Erasmo Ramirez, Blake Beavan, Brandon Maurer, Jeremy Bonderman, and Jon Garland in the mix. Although no names have been selected so far, Shannon Drayer believes Maurer is making a convincing case for his time in the sun. Following Tuesday’s win over the defending San Francisco Giants, she quoted Eric Wedge: “We feel strongly he is going to be able to get major league outs […] It’s just a matter as we prep everything out decisions we have to make and we have to take everything into consideration. The experience level, what the other guys have done and match that up to what he he done.”
• Seattle Times’ Geoff Baker seems to have other thoughts. In a nutshell, his opinions leave Maurer out in the cold: “If Garland makes it, Maurer has no chance. The team would give the final spot to either Blake Beavan or Erasmo Ramirez. In fact, even if Garland doesn’t make it, I think the team would give the final two remaining spots to Beavan and Ramirez. Not to Maurer.”
• On Tuesday, Dustin Ackley batted eighth. Is this a sign of things to come? According to Greg Johns and Eric Wedge, it very well might be. “Wedge said afterward that Ackley could well wind up down in that area during the regular season given the addition of the middle-of-the-order veterans and improvement of some of the young core players,” Johns writes. He added that Franklin Gutierrez is likely for the leadoff spot, while Kyle Seager could take his place if Guti fails to stay healthy.
• The Mariners roster has been pruned to 37 after another round of cuts.

Players reassigned to minor league camp:
Logan Bawcom
Andrew Carraway
John Hicks
Jhonny Nunez
Ronny Paulino
James Paxton
Stefen Romero
Taijuan Walker
Mike Zunino

Players sent to Triple-A:
Vinnie Catricala
Bobby LaFromboise
Alex Liddi
Danny Hultzen
Yoervis Medina
Hector Noesi
Eric Thames
Carlos Triunfel

Players optioned to Double-A:
Francisco Martinez
Julio Morban

Next game: @ Rockies | March 16 | 1:10pm

No home run hoarders here: To date, 21 different Mariners have rung up a home run in Cactus League play. Of those 21, 12 players have logged multiple homers, with Michael Morse (5), Franklin Gutierrez (3), Carlos Peguero (3), and Justin Smoak (3) leading the pack.

Guti back under scrutiny: Franklin Gutierrez has been sidelined for six days of Cactus League games with tightness in his legs. According to Greg Johns’ report, the center fielder appears unconcerned, and believes he will be back on the field soon.

Opening (Day) acts: When April 8th rolls around, here’s one Safeco Field debut you can count on—that of Pickwick, a Seattle-bred folk band. Their first self-released record, Can’t Talk Medicine, can be heard on iTunes or at the band’s official website.

If you need even more incentive to attend the Opening Day festivities, single-game tickets will be available for purchase through Mariners.com beginning at 10am tomorrow morning.

40-man roster gets trimmed again: Four more cuts were made from Seattle’s major league camp this afternoon. Here’s the current list of players who have been sent down or reassigned so far:

Reassigned to minor league camp:

• John Hicks
• Jhonny Nunez
• Ronny Paulino
• James Paxton
• Stefen Romero
• Taijuan Walker

Sent to Triple-A:

• Alex Liddi
• Danny Hultzen
• Hector Noesi

Currently, the roster stands at 47 players.

According to online reports from Greg Johns, the Mariners have moved five players from their spring training camp today.

Hector Noesi and Danny Hultzen have been reassigned to Tacoma, while Jhonny Nunez, Taijuan Walker, and James Paxton have been sent to minor league camp.

Of the Big Four—LHPs Hultzen and Paxton and RHPs Walker and Maurer—only one will remain in the major league camp with a legitimate shot at the rotation. From Shannon Drayer’s blog post:

“So the one remaining pitcher from the group of four is Maurer and this is not a surprise. I have said for some time now that he was my pick to be the first up because he is more polished. I assumed this before I saw him in person from things I had heard, the numbers I saw and his history. He has come up through the organization. He has pitched professionally for over four years. What I have learned since I have seen him is his stuff is better than I imagined it to be. He’s not just a guy who knows how to pitch. He’s got weapons.”

As both Drayer and Johns point out, all four are expected to make their major league debuts fairly soon, and all have shown progress and varying levels of readiness this spring. With 51 players left in the Mariners camp, more cuts will follow shortly.

Next game: @ Rangers | March 1 | 12:05pm

Projected starters: James Paxton and Brandon Maurer.

The King is alive: Felix isn’t scheduled to appear in a spring training game until next week, but he’s keeping busy at camp in the meantime. So far, he’s tossed several 10-minute bullpens, and held his first session against live hitters yesterday afternoon. According to Greg Johns’ report, Jack Zduriencik and Eric Wedge like what they’ve been seeing.

Cactus League MVPs: Dustin Ackley and Brendan Ryan, who both sat out of the first few games recuperating from surgeries, have returned to the Mariners’ lineup this week. Ackley is 1-for-5 with a triple, while Brendan has a home run to his name, as well as a single in 4 PA. Gotta love spring training stats, right?

(Speaking of meaningless numbers, it may be worth pointing out that the Mariners are sporting a 6-1 record so far.)

Party like it’s Opening Day: Bud Selig and the baseball-powers-that-be favored Mariners fans this year, scheduling their opening game on a Monday evening. If you don’t already have plans to host your own party, sit on the couch and tweet, or catch the action at a local sports bar, the Mariners may have a suitable alternative in mind:

Next game: vs. Padres | February 24 | 12:05pm

Projected pitchers: Erasmo Ramirez receives the nod for starter today, with the following mix of pitchers—James Paxton, Tom Wilhelmsen, Charlie Furbush, Stephen Pryor, Carter Capps, Josh Kinney, and Lucas Luetge. [h/t Greg Johns]

And you get a home run! And you get a home run! Over two tumultuous match-ups with their Peoria Sports Complex rivals, the San Diego Padres, the Mariners have managed 15 hits, 11 runs and 4 homers. In order of appearance: Casper Wells, Jason Bay, Justin Smoak, and Mike Jacobs.

Catch ‘em all: Wondering when you can catch the next Mariners game on your radio and TV? Check out the official broadcast schedule here.

Best shape of their lives? Well, this isn’t good:

I really hate pushing the news of an imminent(?) Felix extension down by one post, and feel more than welcome to completely skip this and scroll down a bit, but there was another little tidbit of information passed on by one Ken Rosenthal today via Twitter, who tweeted that the “Mariners are in agreement with [Joe] Saunders on one-year contract, pending a physical.”

Many Mariners fans were pleading for the club to add to the pitching rotation before Spring Training got under way, and though nothing is official yet, it looks as if Jack Z. will do just that by bringing in Joe Saunders. Before I proceed, remember that Saunders was the main piece the Anaheim Angels sent to the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for Dan Haren, so Saunders must be pretty awesome.

Just kidding. He’s not awesome, but I wouldn’t call him atrocious. Saunders should basically fill the void created in the rotation when Jason Vargas was traded for Kendrys Morales. Matthew over at Lookout Landing wrote a great piece about the similiarities between Jason Vargas and Joe Saunders. He’s a lefty who throws mostly fastballs and changeups and who will probably pitch 180+ not-horrible innings. I would imagine Eric Wedge will slot him into the #3 spot in the rotation behind Hisashi Iwakuma and the probably RECENTLY EXTENDED KING FELIX HERNANDEZ! YEAH!

Sorry.

But the best thing about the possibility of bringing in Joe Saunders: he’s not Hector Noesi. Noesi WAS atrocious last year, and it looked as if he was going to see some time in the rotation this season short of one of the three heads of Cerberus breaking camp with the big club. With Saunders in the fold, the rotation might look like this:

Felix, Iwakuma, Saunders, Ramirez, Beavan

That rotation is probably lacking a legitimate #2 starter that pushes one of Beavan or Ramirez out, but it would look a whole lot worse with Noesi anywhere near it. It lacks something, but also leaves room for growth, which could be another signing, a trade, or one of Danny Hultzen, Taijuan Walker, or James Paxton proving they’re ready.

No, Joe Saunders on a one-year deal certainly shouldn’t hurt.*

*Edit: Especially at the reported $6.5MM price tag. Apparently incentives can make it $7.5MM, but that’s still pretty darn cheap. I like this move.

News is scarce with FanFest still a week and a half out, and spring training a good four weeks away. In lieu of actual news, here are some ruminations on failed trade proposals and reflections on past Mariners.

The Mariners Still Need a Starting Pitcher — While Taijuan Walker, James Paxton, Danny Hultzen, and Brandon Maurer’s arrivals in Seattle are greatly anticipated, they may not be ready to tackle a full major league season just yet. Brendan Gawlowski suggests a list of pitchers who can fill out the rotation while the Mariners wait on their prospects’ development.

Mariners Sign Jhonny Nunez: Scouting Report — Clint Hulsey profiles the Mariners’ latest acquisition, a 27-year-old RHP who spent 2012 with Tampa Bay’s Triple-A club.

Justin Upton’s Trade Value — After last week’s hit and miss on Justin Upton, I consoled myself with the fact that the Mariners still got to hang onto top prospects Taijuan Walker and Nick Franklin. What looked like overpay, however, may have been closer to a sensible deal for both sides. Dave Cameron weighs Upton’s value against Walker and Franklin’s upside, using prospect valuation tools developed by Victor Wang, Kevin Creagh, and Michael Valencius.

Out-Of-Character Season: American League West — Among the anomalies found in the 2001 Mariners, their 116 wins included, was second baseman Bret Boone. Jeff Sullivan attempts to explain just why Boone was so valuable to the club in his tenth career year, surpassing the recently-departed Alex Rodriguez and helping fuel the team’s MLB-best year.

What have you read this week? Share it with us on Twitter or in the comments below!

Credit: @RealKingFelix

This weekend, the Mariners are rocking College Navy and Action Green as the Seattle Seahawks battle the Atlanta Falcons for a berth in next week’s NFC Championship game. In case you were wondering, that’s Felix’s game face.

And now for some baseball news…

• The Baseball Writers’ Association of America failed to elect a single member of the 37-man ballot to the Hall of Fame this year. Edgar’s percentage of the vote jumped to 35.9% from 32.9% in 2011. While induction may be a few years away, he is still well above the cutoff mark (less than 5%) and eligible for entry again in 2014.
• Baseball Canada has reported that Michael Saunders will represent Canada in this year’s World Baseball Classic. The official roster will be released on January 17. From the announcement:

“Of the 23 players, 8 were part of the World Baseball Classic in 2009 which includes Phillippe Aumont, Crain, Chris Leroux, Martin, Lawrie, Morneau, Pete Orr and Saunders.”

• Jack Zduriencik struck out for the second time this season when Justin Upton turned up his nose at a trade proposition from the Mariners last week (h/t MLB Trade Rumors). The proposed trade involved noted Seattle prospects Taijuan Walker and Nick Franklin, as well as relievers Stephen Pryor and Charlie Furbush. While the trade is not entirely impossible to pull off, should Upton change his mind in the face of less appealing offers, such a move is deemed highly improbable at this point.
• The Mariners announced 18 non-roster invitees to their spring training camp, scheduled to open on February 12. The list, via Greg Johns:
  • RHP Jonathan Arias
  • RHP Logan Bawcom
  • RHP Jeremy Bonderman
  • RHP Andrew Carraway
  • RHP Danny Farquhar
  • LHP Danny Hultzen
  • RHP D.J. Mitchell
  • LHP Brian Moran
  • RHP Jhonny Nunez
  • LHP James Paxton
  • RHP Carson Smith
  • RHP Taijuan Walker
  • C Jesus Sucre
  • C Mike Zunino
  • SS Nick Franklin
  • 1B Mike Jacobs
  • IF Brad Miller
  • IF Stefen Romero

As baseball drags its feet this winter, trade rumors continue to pile up. Andre Ethier, Justin Upton, and Giancarlo Stanton have been linked to the Mariners in the past week, but as usual, Jack Zduriencik is keeping any future plans under wraps.

• The Mariners Caravan is taking off this Wednesday, beginning in Lacey and ending in Tukwila. Scheduled stops will be made in Longview, Yakima, Spokane, Walla Walla, and the Tri-Cities as well.
• Earlier this week, the Mariners signed Arizona first baseman Mike Jacobs to a minor league contract and spring training invite. Jacob earned a .849 OPS in 387 PA with the Triple-A Reno Aces, putting up 93 hits, 18 home runs, and 60 RBI in 101 games. He made his MLB appearances at the tail end of the Diamondbacks’ season, batting .211 with 4 hits, a double, and 2 RBI in 23 PA.
• According to Greg Johns, right-handed reliever D.J. Mitchell has been sent to Tacoma to clear a roster spot for Raul Ibanez.
• Eric Wedge and Jack Zduriencik will be making appearances at this year’s Mariners FanFest. They will be joined by the following lineup of players:
  • Blake Beavan
  • Jay Buhner
  • Nick Franklin
  • Jesus Montero
  • James Paxton
  • Stefen Romero
  • Brendan Ryan
  • Michael Saunders
  • Kyle Seager
  • Casper Wells
  • Tom Wilhelmsen
  • Dan Wilson
  • Mike Zunino

You can find more event information and ticket prices here.

Merry Christmas, Mariner fans.

Yesterday, Jack Zduriencik made his first trade of the offseason, swapping No. 2 starter Jason Vargas for the Angels’ first baseman and designated hitter Kendrys Morales.

Over 33 starts in 2012, Jason maintained a 3.85 ERA over 217.1 IP, his lowest since 2010. Vargas struggled to keep the ball in Safeco Field, accounting for 35 home runs in what was once a pitcher’s park. When he was good, he was very good, finishing the season with a sparkling seven inning performance against Oakland, granting the soon-to-be playoff contenders five hits, a run, and seven strikeouts. When he was bad, things got ugly—for instance, his season-low performance in Arizona, where he sent the Mariners spiraling after giving up nine hits, ten runs, five home runs, and two walks in just 4.1 IP.

In Kendrys Morales, the Mariners find the missing middle-of-the-order hitter they had hoped to secure with the Michael Pineda-Jesus Montero trade last winter. Morales has somewhat successfully bounced back from two injury-laden seasons, caused in part by his new home team.

“That injury occurred when he landed awkwardly while jumping into a group of teammates at home plate after hitting a walk-off grand slam off Mariners closer Brandon League in Anaheim on May 29, 2010.” — Greg Johns, Mariners.com

Last season, Kendrys batted .273/.320/.467 in 522 PA with 22 home runs and a .339 wOBA. Morales peaked in 2009, with a .306 average, 4.0 bWAR, and fifth place in the MVP award voting. According to Greg Johns’ wrap-up, the 29-year-old has fared well in Seattle so far, managing seven home runs, a .292 average, and .904 OPS over 34 games. One can only hope that the shortened fences will work in his favor, while Jason finds the spacious dimensions of Angel Stadium more to his liking.

By this time next year, both Vargas and Morales will be free agents. Last season, Vargas fed on a $4.85M contract, while Morales topped out at $2.98M.

With a potential power hitter gracing the Mariners’ lineup, the team turns to its rotation once again. Rumors cropped up early in the offseason, hinting that Jack Z put another starter on his Christmas wish list. Today, it is a pressing need, lest we see Eric Wedge throw Hector Noesi back in the mix. Although much remains to be tested and proven in the months to come, Jack and Wedge are looking at a rotation captained by King Felix and followed by a combination of Hisashi Iwakuma, Erasmo Ramirez, Danny Hultzen, Taijuan Walker, James Paxton, or Brandon Maurer.

Jack may still have a few more surprises up his sleeve this winter, but at least through the holiday weekend, Mariner fans can finally sleep peacefully.