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The Seattle Mariners, a team with plenty of room for improvement after 67-95 campaign, may kick the tires on Pujols and might have a favorable connection with Fielder, who signed with Milwaukee while Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik worked for the Brewers.
Just as likely, the top-tier free agents, including Fielder and Pujols, could use teams such as Seattle to produce a bidding war and increase their eventual signing price with other teams.
A team such as Seattle isn’t likely to put all its available resources into one player, especially when the Mariners are more than one player away from contention.
First, they’ve already considered their own free agents.
Utility infielder Luis Rodriguez was outrighted Wednesday and become one of five Seattle free agents, joining infielder Adam Kennedy, first baseman Wily Mo Peña, catcher Josh Bard and reliever Jamey Wright.
Of those, Wright is the likeliest to interest the Mariners because of his veteran presence in the bullpen and his ability to pitch in any role.
Still, bringing back Wright won’t improve the Seattle roster.
With more than 165 players on the market, Seattle will look at hitters and pitchers, though the number of viable candidates isn’t deep.
One online site named the 50 best free agents earlier this week – and speculated where they’d land.
MLBtraderumors.com had the Mariners landing Fielder and pitchers Chris Capuano, a left-handed starter, and reliever Frank Francisco.
It’s hard to gauge Seattle’s interest – Zduriencik didn’t return several telephone calls seeking comment Wednesday.
With Rodriguez and Kennedy gone, the Mariners may be signaling that rookie Kyle Seager and veteran Chone Figgins could serve as utilitymen next year, opening third base to a deal that would produce more power.
Aramis Ramirez is available – he batted .306 with 26 home runs and 93 RBI with the Cubs last season. The best option at his position on the market, the 33-year-old is said to be looking for a three-year deal. He walked away from a $16 million option with the Cubs for 2012.
Hard to see the Mariners dropping that kind of cash on Ramirez, especially if it sees Alex Liddi as a possible answer in mid-2012.
There are other, higher-risk options such as injury prone outfielders Gray Sizemore and Carlos Beltran, and manager Eric Wedge was the manager in Cleveland when Sizemore broke into the big leagues.
If healthy, either man improves Seattle’s offense. If injuries follow them, however, the Mariners might get little for their money.
Then there’s the likely over-the-hill gang of free agents, such as:
Vladimir Guerrero, Lyle Overbay, Jim Thome, Magglio Ordoñez, Russell Branyan, Eric Chavez, Hideki Matsui, Raul Ibañez, Rick Ankiel, Ivan Rodriguez, Dontrelle Willis, Mark Buerhle and Tim Wakefield,
Every year one team or another takes a chance on such a player and it pays off. And other teams, taking similar chances – on players such as Jack Cust, Jack Wilson and Peña – are disappointed.
If Seattle wanted to, it could build a roster out of the former Mariners on the market – especially infielders.
Omar Vizquel, David Ortiz – formerly a Mariners prospect – Willie Bloomquist, Wilson, Carlos Guillen, Ramon Santiago, Jose Lopez, Greg Dobbs, Branyan, Yuniesky Betancourt, Ronny Cedeño and Casey Kotchman are all available.
So are pitchers Erik Bedard, George Sherrill, Joel Piñeiro, Horacio Ramirez, Miguel Batista, Freddy Garcia and Arthur Rhodes, along with catcher Jason Varitek and outfielders Ibañez, Endy Chavez and Corey Patterson.
Neither the Mariners nor Bedard burned bridges when the left-hander was traded to Boston last summer, and a reunion is hardly out of the realm of possibility.
Still, Zduriencik will talk to the representatives of players in the next few days and weeks, getting a feel for who wants what and who might fit in his plans. He’s just as likely to try to improve the team through trades.
A year ago, the Mariners dipped into the free-agent market for a designated hitter in Cust and a catcher in Miguel Olivo, and signed Kennedy, Jody Gerut, Nate Robertson, Chris Ray, Wright, Gabe Gross and Manny Delcarmen to minor league free agent deals.
In 2010, Zduriencik’s free agent pickups included Figgins, outfielder Ryan Garko, designated hitter Mike Sweeney and Bedard.
larry.larue@thenewstribune.com blog.thenewstribune.com/mariners
