With the World Baseball Classic come and gone, the Mariners have returned to their spring training camp for the last week and a half of Cactus League competition.

Currently, they are riding a five-game winning streak, six if you discount the 8-1 drubbing they suffered at the hands of The Netherlands’ WBC team.

Sams channeling former Mariner Halman in Classic — Kalian Sams, a 26-year-old outfielder from the Mariners Double-A Generals, has a lot on his plate this spring. As he competed with The Netherlands’ squad in the World Baseball Classic, he drew his inspiration from a fellow countryman and beloved, late member of the Mariners: Greg Halman.

Here Goes Nothing — For those who have been mourning Lookout Landing’s loss of Jeff Sullivan, there is a new Mariners expert at the helm of SBNation’s favorite Seattle Mariners blog.

Why I Don’t Care Too Much About The Opening Day Roster — Dave Cameron is here to tell you why you should read even less into the Opening Day roster than you already do.

How Jesus Montero Threw Out Mike Trout — Jeff Sullivan delves into a second-by-second replay of the one time Jesus Montero managed to nab Mike Trout at second base. (Watch out for the ending–you’ll never see it coming.)

Catching up on Mike Carp, Chone Figgins, and other ex-Mariners — You know you miss them. Now, thanks to Larry Stone, you can also know just where they stand in roster battles so far. Unfortunately, no matter how hard Figgins tries to make the Marlins 25-man roster, the chances of him reappearing in Safeco Field this season look pretty slim.

What have you read lately? Share it with us in the comments below!

The bid for first base just got a little easier. As Greg Johns wrote on Monday, Mike Carp was on the trading block after being designated for assignment last week. Today, he has been traded to the Boston Red Sox for a player to be named later or cash.

From Greg Johns’ report:

“Mike is tremendously excited to be in Boston,” said Carp’s agent Tom O’Connell. “We’re very grateful that [Seattle general manager] Jack Zduriencik worked with Mike to put him in a good situation — and he’s just looking forward to starting the next chapter of his career.”

Carp split his time between the big club and the Triple-A Rainiers in 2012, filling in during Smoak’s pre-September slumps. In 59 games, he batted .213/.312/.341 with a .645 OPS, and contributed a 0.1 fWAR overall. His career peaked in 2011, when he saw half a season’s worth of playing time and reached a batting line of .276/.326/.466 with 12 home runs and a .791 OPS.

For now, Jesus Montero is the only guaranteed catcher on the Mariners’ roster.

I’ll give Jack Zduriencik this much: he certainly knows how to pull off a surprise.

Today, the Mariners announced a three-way trade with the Oakland Athletics and Washington Nationals. John Jaso went to Oakland, A.J. Cole, Blake Treinen, and a PTBNL went to Washington, and Mike Morse went to Seattle.

It’s a move that, according to Twitter, left many fans scratching their heads.

In 2012, Jaso held a backup catching role, splitting time behind the plate with Miguel Olivo and Jesus Montero, and coming in as a left-handed pinch-hitter during late innings and extra-inning games. Offensively, he was the hottest lefty on the team, batting .276/.394/.456 in 108 games and 361 PA, with a .372 wOBA, 15.5% walk rate and 3.3 bWAR.

Mike Morse is a familiar name to Seattle fans. The Mariners saw him through the first four years of his career, from his MLB debut in 2005 to an injury-riddled 2008. In just 107 games and 337 PA, he batted .300/.365/.397 for a -0.2 bWAR. His batting average and playing time increased considerably after his departure, peaking at .303 in 2011 and dipping to a comfortable .291/.321/.470 over 430 PA in 2012.

While Morse has experience at first base (123 career games) and left/right field (247 career games), he will be fighting for a position that is over-saturated with candidates: Kendrys Morales, Mike Carp, and Justin Smoak at first, and Casper Wells, Michael Saunders, Eric Thames, Franklin Gutierrez, Jason Bay, Raul Ibanez, and Carlos Peguero in the outfield.

Where does this leave the Mariners’ catching situation? Miguel Olivo is gone. Montero is on the 40-man, but will not be expected to catch 162 games next year. Mike Zunino is promising, but as of yet unproven—and the Mariners seem to be in no rush to hurry him through the next level of minor league development. From Greg Johns’ trade report:

“We’re going to be shopping,” Zduriencik said. “We have our list; we’ve already talked to people this afternoon. We like our catching in the organization. We’ve got some good young kids right on the horizon. But for immediate needs, we’ll definitely be shopping.”

In a nutshell, this trade sees a poor defensive catcher with decent offensive production swapped for a poor defensive outfielder with decent offensive production. It leans in Oakland’s favor (and, for that matter, Washington’s), but bear in mind that Jack isn’t quite finished with the Mariners’ 2013 roster yet.

As 2012 winds down, here’s a look at the Mariners’ recent holiday gifts to the Seattle fanbase—and a few presents you may have neglected to leave under the tree for your Mariner-loving family and friends.

Awful Gifts For Mariners Fans You Hate — The only thing worse than giving someone a bad present is giving them a bad present one day too late.

Radio comments by Josh Hamilton on whether Mariners made strong play for him: ‘No, not really’ — Continuing the spirit of bad taste in gift giving, here’s another one the Mariners missed out on giving the fans this year: Josh Hamilton. Geoff Baker breaks down Hamilton’s recent interview on The Dan Patrick Show, shedding more light on the talks between the Rangers and Mariners this offseason.

Anatomy of a transaction: Morales trade was 36 years in the making — The Seattle Times‘ Larry Stone weighs in on the Morales-Vargas trade with a round of Six Degrees of former Mariner infielder Bill Stein (actually, it’s 38 degrees, but who’s counting?).

The End of Mike Carp — As we celebrate the arrival of a promising power hitter in Safeco Field, the increasingly crowded roster means that someone will be booted out of the first base/catcher/designated hitter platoon. According to U.S.S. Mariner, it won’t be Justin Smoak, Jesus Montero, or John Jaso.

Prospects Will Break Your Heart: Seattle Mariners Top 10 Prospects —- Finally, a small ray of sunshine in the middle of a long, now Christmas-less winter: the Mariners top ten prospects, as ranked by Baseball Prospectus’s Jason Parks. Note: This article comes at the price of $4.95, and it will be money well spent to find out just how soon Taijuan Walker and Mike Zunino are scheduled to arrive in Seattle.

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

As the Hot Stove simmers over the holiday weekend, the Mariners focus on finding a few more pieces for the 2013 roster.

• Here’s something guaranteed to make you go “aww”… Felix Hernandez snuggling with a pair of adorable puppies ready to be adopted. You can find ways to support the Seattle Humane Society here at the “Felix Says Donate” donation page.
• With three new faces on the Mariners’ 2013 roster, there are a few jersey changes to be made. Per the team’s official Twitter account, Robert Andino will don #3, Oliver Perez will switch from #36 to #59, Jason Bay will take Trayvon Robinson’s #12, and Kendrys Morales will stick with #8. Carlos Triunfel, #8 in 2012, will receive another jersey number shortly.
• Although we glossed over this yesterday, Morales will slip into a joint 1B/DH role next season, splitting the positions with Jesus Montero, Justin Smoak, and, to a lesser extent, John Jaso and Mike Carp.
• According to Greg Johns, these are the remaining holes the Mariners need to fill over the rest of the offseason:

A back-end starter
A hot-hitting outfielder
A veteran backstop
A veteran hitter

• Speaking of future moves from Jack Zduriencik, here is an updated list of names the Mariners have been linked to this month. Free agents are identified with asterisks.

RHP Rick Porcello
LHP J.P. Howell*
OF Nick Swisher*
OF Michael Bourn*
OF Andre Ethier
OF Curtis Granderson
OF Carlos Gonzalez
OF Giancarlo Stanton
OF Mike Morse

• Several weeks ago, the Mariners announced their plans to restructure the left field seating area for a new open-air pub. The Southwest-flavored cantina is called Edgar’s, named for iconic Mariner and future Hall of Famer Edgar Martinez. As Kevin Martinez pointed out, the restaurant will not be open to fans during FanFest this January, but is expected to be up and running by Opening Day on April 8.

Opening Day may still be a distant 122 days away, but Christmas is just around the corner, giving you the perfect excuse to ditch the offseason blues for some Mariners-themed memorabilia. Here are a few of our favorites:

King of Perfection DVD, $10

Relive each out of King Felix’s perfect game with this commemorative DVD, available exclusively in Mariners Team Stores. In addition to game footage, the film features postgame interviews with Felix Hernandez, a special video montage, and the choice of radio or TV play-by-play.

» Continue reading “Mariners Holiday Shopping Guide”

Final score: Mariners 3, Rays 2

Tonight did not feel like a loss.

Don’t worry, I haven’t gone crazy. I was at the game. I know how it ended. The Mariners rallied, Justin Smoak delivered, and Eric Thames was shaving-cream-pied in the face (and mouth). It was a fantastic night.

To clarify, however, the six innings when Seattle trailed Tampa Bay did not feel like the aimless banging our heads against the wall we’ve been trained to expect. Kevin Millwood hit a season high with 8 strikeouts, holding the Rays scoreless through 6 of 7 IP. Stephen Pryor’s fastballs aimed for 100, and peaked around 99 for a double and 2 strikeouts in 1.2 IP.

Even Smoak had a productive night, going 1-for-2 with a leadoff double, walk, and a sac fly that was Safeco’d on the warning track. It would be an understatement to say that Justin responded positively to the pressure he now faces, given a poor showing in Tacoma and Mike Carp’s trip to the 15-day DL.

By the time the 9th rolled around, I was mildly concerned that Chone Figgins and Miguel Olivo were up to bat. Joe Maddon was concerned as well, albeit for different reasons. I turned my cap inside out. Maddon turned his outfield inside out.

Fortunately for him, and unfortunately for me, Olivo was not destined to be the hero of tonight’s game. Perhaps another day he will send a two-run jack into a two-man outfield. Tonight’s win belonged to Thames, who popped a walk-off single over the head of a somersaulting Sean Rodriguez.

To cap the Mariners’ finest win in recent memory, I’ll leave you with Eric’s parting words of the night, moments after John Jaso delivered the victory pie mask: “My mouth was OPEN!”

Next game: vs. Rays | August 15 | 12:40pm

Final score: Orioles 8, Mariners 7

There are some Mariners’ games where, as a fan, the end leaves you disappointed. Actually, let’s be honest. Over the past 10 years, there have been many of these sorts of games. You know that your team could’ve won the game if a player came through in the clutch. They could’ve won if only the outfielder reached that line drive in time or if his throw to the plate was a bit more accurate. The talent on the team, that night, just wasn’t up to snuff and their opponent emerged the victor.

Tonight was not one of those nights.

Tonight’s contest against the Orioles was one of those that, somehow, bring out emotions that generally are reserved for areas of life other than sport. After tonight’s loss, I felt cheated. I felt anger, but not at the Mariners’ players. Tonight just didn’t feel right.

I’m going to spare you the details of the first thirteen innings of this game and give you the gist of them: The Mariners were up by a lot and then the Orioles came back and tied it. After the seventh inning, the game was tied 7-7. Sure, sometimes pitchers can collapse, and neither Blake Beavan nor Lucas Luetge had their best nights tonight. Things like that can be overlooked – not each player on your team is going to perform like an MVP every single night.

» Continue reading “Mariners Postgame Recap: Orioles ‘Win’”

Final score: Yankees 6, Mariners 2

No one expected Hisashi Iwakuma to repeat his 13-strikeout performance when he took the mound in New York today. Still, it wouldn’t have hurt.

In this weekend’s rubber match, the Mariners took their second loss in ten games on five hits and two runs. Excepting Trayvon Robinson and Eric Thames, each player managed to reach base, while the bulk of the offense was fueled by a pair of RBI singles from Jesus Montero. While the team saw over 44% of outs on ground balls and over 14% of outs on the first pitch, they also recorded just 3 strikeouts, their lowest strikeout total since a 5-0 shutout by Boston on June 29, 2012.

Iwakuma, looking more like the spot starter we saw last month and less like the powerhouse that showed up against the Blue Jays, lasted just 5 innings, allowing 7 hits, 4 runs, 2 walks, and a moonshot to center field by Raul Ibanez. Josh Kinney broke a scoreless streak of 3 appearances, padding the Yankees’ lead by 2 runs, while Oliver Perez, Shawn Kelley, and Lucas Luetge polished off the last 3 innings with 3 hits and a walk.

Tomorrow, the Mariners head to Baltimore for their second series of this 9-game road trip. Both Brendan Ryan and Mike Carp, who sat out with elbow soreness and paternity leave, respectively, are scheduled to return in the next day or so.

Next game: @ Orioles | August 6 | 4:05pm

Final score: Mariners 7, Royals 6

On July 10, 2005, the Mariners defeated the Anaheim Angels. Miguel Olivo ripped a home run off Ervin Santana. Gil Meche notched his ninth win of the year. The Mariners’ record inflated to 39-48, and would plummet to 93 losses and just 69 wins by the end of the season.

These four games have been mostly forgotten, mostly lost in the last 7 years. In fact, they are only significant in light of today’s game, the clincher in a four-game sweep of the Kansas City Royals—the first four-game sweep since that day in 2005.

And you thought the Mariners couldn’t top their run in Kansas City last week.

Last week, the Mariners produced 31 runs and only allowed 19. Jesus Montero went 10-for-17 with 5 R, 8 RBI, and 3 XBH. Felix put up a line of 8 H, 1 BB, 1 ER, and 3 SO in an 8-inning start.

This weekend, the Mariners produced 21 runs and allowed 9. Mike Carp, newly-promoted first baseman, went 8-for-15 with 3 R, 8 RBI, and 3 XBH. With a sweep on the line, Felix finished his outing at 7 IP, with 5 H, 2 BB, 2 ER, and 6 SO.

While there were plenty of things to enjoy about today’s game, it was not without a healthy dose of drama. In the 4th, Felix caught a nasty comebacker from Eric Hosmer on his left wrist. Within minutes, he had returned to the mound for another 1.1 innings, and postgame x-rays were reported as negative.

In the 8th, backed by a comfortable 3-run lead, Brandon League brushed off a flurry of trade rumors by allowing 3 hits, a stolen base, a run, and a mess for Oliver Perez to clean up.

You know the end of this story. The Mariners fished out a 2-run rally. They sent Kansas City home with a 1-7 record. More important than a handful of wins, however, is the inkling that the Mariners of July – October will be a different bunch than the ones we saw from April – June.

Perhaps it’s the way they score early and often, rather than loading and leaving the bases in the 9th. Perhaps it’s the home runs that have sneaked past the Safeco Field fences. Perhaps, though I feel guilty saying this, it’s the absence of Ichiro and the presence of Casper Wells and Carlos Peguero in right field.

Perhaps, against many odds, the Mariners will break .500 by October 3. Then again, that may only happen if the Royals can be persuaded to play their remaining 48 games in Seattle.

Next game: vs. Blue Jays | July 30 | 7:10pm