The Mariners’ 2013 25-man roster is far from finalized, but the media is already starting to buzz with possible starters for the season. Here’s the latest:

• Yesterday, Larry Stone revealed the 16 players he believes are locked into starting positions come April. Those who fall into the “probable, but not guaranteed” category are denoted with asterisks.

Catchers: Jesus Montero, Kelly Shoppach*

First basemen: Justin Smoak, Kendrys Morales

Second baseman: Dustin Ackley

Shortstop: Brendan Ryan

Third baseman: Kyle Seager

Utility infielder: Robert Andino

Outfielders: Michael Morse, Michael Saunders, Franklin Gutierrez, Raul Ibanez

Starting rotation: Felix Hernandez, Hisashi Iwakuma, Joe Saunders

Bullpen: Tom Wilhelmsen, Charlie Furbush, Oliver Perez*, Josh Kinney*

• As for the Big Four, they are still four question marks in the rotation. Stone thinks that Taijuan Walker is the furthest from claiming a spot, while Danny Hultzen has shown the most promise so far. Currently, Hultzen is sidelined with a minor hip strain, but is expected to bounce back within the week.
• Shannon Drayer reports that Michael Morse may see more time in right field than originally expected: “Despite saying that Morse would play mostly left this winter Wedge has had him in mostly right. He has been about what I think most of us expected out there.”
• Wedge has also been tinkering with the leadoff spot, slotting Franklin Gutierrez at the top of the lineup three times this week. “We have been messing around with him up top a bit and we will see how it plays out,” Wedge told Drayer on Saturday.

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.

Join the conversation: tweet #EdgarHOF and tell us why you think Edgar Martínez deserves a spot in Cooperstown.

With just 11 days until Christmas, Jack Zduriencik is back in the hunt for a pretty free agent signing to give Mariners fans this year. Here’s the latest from the hot stove circuit:

• Yesterday, the Angels swooped into the Hamilton-fest and signed the coveted, controversial outfielder to a 5-year, $125M contract. According to Greg Johns, the Mariners had aggressively, though unsuccessfully, pursued Hamilton:

“Though Jack Zduriencik suggested last month that Seattle wouldn’t likely be in position to pursue Hamilton at his original seven-year, $175 million target, the Mariners indeed were willing to go after him full bore on a shorter deal.

[...] it is interesting that they were in the hunt to the end, which was not the case last year with Prince Fielder when the Tigers went with more years and dollars than anybody else was willing to stomach.”

• Several less-shiny outfielders remain on the table, including Brennan Boesch, who talked with the Mariners on Wednesday. In 2012, Boesch hit .240/.286/.372 over 132 games with the Tigers. Jon Morosi suggests Charlie Furbush, Oliver Perez, and Lucas Luetge as potential trade chips, as Detroit is thought to have interest in left-handed relievers.
• In their second social media sweepstakes of the holiday season, the Mariners are encouraging fans to use Pinterest to win free team gear. To enter, follow the team’s official account on Pinterest, re-pin four of the given images, and fill out this form to get your name in the running.
• Franklin Gutierrez, Erasmo Ramirez, Oliver Perez, and Carlos Peguero are a few Mariners currently performing in MLB’s various offseason leagues. You can find a complete list of players and their respective statistics here.

With the biggest piece of the team still waiting on an extension, the Mariners have begun to form their 2013 squad, starting with the remaining members of their pitching staff.

• As detailed by Greg Johns, Hisashi Iwakuma reached an agreement with the Mariners prior to the Saturday deadline, signing a two-year extension for $13M. Additionally, he has a $7M option for 2015.
• Following news of Iwakuma’s extension, the Mariners re-signed southpaw Oliver Perez to a one-year, $1.5M contract. According to Jon Heyman, Perez is sitting on a potential $600,000 in performance bonuses.
• In the AFL Rising Stars game this Saturday, the Mariners participants went 1-for-5 in a 9-4 loss by the AFL West Division. Mike Zunino subbed for Tampa Bay shortstop Hak-Ju Lee and stranded two baserunners. Nick Franklin started at second base and picked up one base hit. James Paxton followed Minnesota starter Kyle Gibson, logging two hits, a walk, and two strikeouts in an inning of relief.
• This weekend, Edgar Martinez’s wife Holli re-routed her plan to run the NYC marathon, which was cancelled by Hurricane Sandy. In its place, she and Edgar are hosting a marathon of their own on Sunday and donating all the proceeds to the relief efforts of New York Cares.

With a hearty congratulations to the 2012 World Series champion San Francisco Giants, the offseason is now officially underway.

• After taking home a 2012 Fielding Bible Award for best defensive shortstop, Brendan Ryan was snubbed a Gold Glove award by Baltimore’s J.J. Hardy. Dustin Ackley, who was nominated at second base, was beat out by Robinson Cano.
• As reported by MLB Trade Rumors, Brandon League has signed a $22.5M extension with the Dodgers through 2015, effectively preventing any chance of a return to the Pacific Northwest.
• Submissions are now being accepted for the 2013 MLB Fan Cave. If you love (Mariners) baseball, are 21 or older, and want to spend an entire MLB season watching every game, interviewing players, and hosting celebrities in NYC’s elaborate baseball-themed haven, fill out an application here.
• According to the Mariners’ official Twitter account, the free agent pool now includes Kevin Millwood, Oliver Perez, and George Sherrill.

Final score: Orioles 9, Mariners 2

I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but the latest trend in Major League Baseball is transforming harmless teams like the Athletics and Orioles into actual playoff contenders. No, really. It’s a thing. And the Mariners are the latest team to buy into it.

Tonight, Baltimore polished off the series with a 9-2 win on the back of Steve Johnson’s 9-strikeout performance. The Mariners did their best to play along, going 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position, and waiting until the 6th inning to put up their only two runs of the night on a Kyle Seager home run.

Kevin Millwood completed his worst outing in recent memory, serving up 8 hits, 7 runs, a walk, and 3 strikeouts in 4 IP. Barring injury, it is his briefest start since a 5-inning, 7-run meltdown against the Royals this June.

The bullpen was of little help, but since I’ve highlighted enough of the Mariners’ failures tonight, let’s focus on the positives. Carter Capps made his second major league appearance for Seattle, with 2 hits and 2 strikeouts in 2 IP. Oliver Perez and Tom Wilhelmsen effectively took care of the 9th, striking out one of six Orioles.

Tomorrow, the Mariners take a much-needed break to regroup before facing the Angels and Albert Pujols for a weekend series. After the week they’ve had, I hope the only thing they take away from Baltimore is a little of that postseason luck.

Next game: @ Angels | August 10 | 7:05pm

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

Final score: Diamondbacks 14, Mariners 10

I’ll admit it: I spaced out during this game. On my commute home this afternoon, I turned on the radio to hear the Diamondbacks scoot around the bases for runs 11, 12, 13, and 14 on Miguel Montero’s RBI single and Ryan Roberts’ inside-the-park homer. At which point, I turned on KISS FM and started belting some Adele.

Here are the bullet points of today’s game. Although a 14-10 loss is never welcome, there were some standout moments from the Mariners that deserve a bit of attention before we shelve this series.

• Jason Vargas surrendered five home runs in 4.1 innings, with a side of 9 hits, 10 earned runs, and 2 walks. Although he struck out two batters, the Ks came after wearying 7-pitch at-bats.
• His shaky start notwithstanding, Vargas became the first Mariners pitcher this season to record a hit. He went 1-for-2 at the plate with a single off opposing starter Trevor Cahill, coming around to score Seattle’s first run on a John Jaso double.
• The Mariners fought back, albeit not quite as hard, with two home runs from Kyle Seager and Franklin Gutierrez. Kyle’s homer, his tenth of the season, was the icing on a 5-run 3rd inning. Guti, on the other hand, served up a 3-RBI jack in the 8th to bring the M’s within four runs of tying the game.
• Brendan Ryan stretched his hitting streak to 5 games, going 2-for-4 today with a base hit and a double. Both times, Munenori Kawasaki followed with non-productive outs.
• The ‘pen collapsed in the 4.2 innings following Vargas’s departure, giving up 7 hits, 4 runs, and the 6th long ball of the day. Oliver Perez was the handpicked closer of the afternoon, and maintained his scoreless streak with a 10-pitch, 2-strikeout inning.
• RISP: 4-for-8. Progress!

After an off day tomorrow, the Mariners will reunite with the Padres at Petco Park on Friday for a much-needed rematch.

Next game: @ Padres | June 22 | 7:05pm