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Free agency? Think Richie Sexson in the final two years of his contract. Or Jack Cust. Or Casey Kotchman. Or Pete O’Brien. Or Carlos Silva. Or Scott Spiezio.
The Mariners have misfired throughout their history with free agency.
Trades have served them better, with notable exceptions – like every one general manager Bill Bavasi made.
GM Jack Zduriencik? He engineered the 12-player deal that traded J.J. Putz, Jeremy Reed and Sean Green for – among others – Franklin Gutierrez, Jason Vargas, Mike Carp and Endy Chavez.
He also sent Mike Morse to Washington for Ryan Langerhans.
Which route will the Seattle Mariners be taking between now and the 2012 season-opening game in Tokyo?
“The job is to improve the team, and we’ll pursue every avenue to do that,” Zduriencik said. “We’ll begin talking to agents as soon as we can, and we’ll target certain needs through trade. I’ll listen to anyone who calls.”
That, of course, could be a verbatim quote from any GM for any team in any year over the past, say, two decades. The fact that it’s true makes it no more revealing.
The Mariners will hunt for offensive help.
The free agent market will include some big bats; Prince Fielder and Albert Pujols offer stunning potential to impact a franchise.
It is also filled with marginal talent, players on the downside of their careers and a few dozen former Mariners.
Want to build a team with ex-Mariners now free agents? Here’s a start.
Starting pitchers: Freddy Garcia, Joel Piñeiro, Ryan Franklin, Miguel Batista and Silva.
Relievers: Arthur Rhodes, George Sherrill, Rafael Soriano – although he has to opt out of a lucrative Yankees contract to be eligible.
Catcher: Jason Varitek.
First base: Russell Branyan.
Second base: Jose Lopez.
Shortstop: Yuniesky Betancourt.
Third base: Greg Dobbs.
Outfield: Mike Cameron, Raul Ibañez, Willie Bloomquist.
DH: Carlos Guillen.
A GM would have to be heavily drugged to pursue that team.
Reality, however, isn’t all that much more promising. When the Mariners start their review of free agents, improving their team isn’t going to be easy.
Both of the best bats available – Fielder and Pujols – play first base, where the Mariners may be deepest.
Far worse, each man wants a 10-year deal worth at least $200 million. In the history of the game, you won’t find many 10-year contracts that worked out well for a team.
Agents for both players will likely use teams such as Seattle to get the bidding up from teams willing and able to take on staggering contracts. Think Boston Red Sox.
As has often been the case, bringing free agent hitters to Seattle will mean overpaying. What the Mariners offer is a losing team and a tough ballpark for right-handed hitters.
That’s why they have had to overpay.
Beyond those two top-level free agents, there are intriguing hitters. Carlos Beltran, Magglio Ordoñez, Aramis Ramirez – coming off a .306-26-93 season – Grady Sizemore, Nick Swisher.
None carries the weight of Pujols or Fielder, but each could fill a hole and add power and production to the Seattle lineup.
With a virtual shopping cart full of young, talented players, the Mariners won’t have to call too many teams this winter – they’ll be fielding calls.
Michael Pineda, Dustin Ackley and Mike Carp will be coveted for their abilities and their minimal salaries.
Beyond that, the Mariners can package talent and potential in players including Gutierrez, Brandon League, Kyle Seager, Tom Wilhelmsen, Dan Cortes, Trayvon Robinson, Carlos Peguero, Greg Halman and Michael Saunders.
Would any combination bring back a true middle-of-the-order, proven producer?
Probably not.
“The hardest thing to find in baseball is that power-hitting cleanup guy,” Zduriencik said. “Teams that have them don’t move them.”
Over the past few years, staff aces including Roy Halladay, CC Sabathia, Zack Grienke, Jake Peavy and Cliff Lee have been traded.
Hitters such as Josh Hamilton, Joey Votto, Ryan Howard, Miguel Cabrera, Jose Bautista and Mark Teixeira are traded far less frequently.
So Zduriencik’s task is intimidating. Find a batter who plays a position – including DH – that improves the lineup, isn’t in the final year of his contract and doesn’t cost, say, Pineda and Ackley.
The Mariners took a small step forward in wins and losses this season and made a monumental commitment to their own farm system. Precisely what they have in, say, Casper Wells, Taijuan Walker, James Paxton, Danny Hultzen, Wilhelmsen, Alex Liddi, Steve Delabar and Chance Ruffin remains to be seen.
What the Mariners need is obvious to everyone: offense.
There are two ways to find it outside the organization, each fraught with danger. Zduriencik, his scouts and advisers have already been scanning rosters and free agent lists.
What happens next will likely define the franchise in 2012.
larry.larue@thenewstribune.com blog.thenewstribune.com/mariners
