I would first like to thank fellow members and Mariner Community Leaders, Casey Michael and Aaron Meyer for participating in the first Mariners' round table.
Well, the revolution has begun in Seattle, or so we hope. Jack Zduriencik has been hired as the new General Manager replacing an inadequate and ill-informed Bill Bavasi. This past month, Don Wakamatsu, the former Oakland A's bench coach was chosen by the Zudriencik to become the Mariners' new manager. Talk about change.
Wakamatsu and Zduriencik have some questions to answer this offseason. As self-proclaimed experts, we have taken the liberty of posing the tough questions and answering them ourselves.
Please feel free to leave comments concerning our answers or your own opinions, here we go.
Are there any free agents in the current offseason who could potentially come to Seattle, and what impact, if any, will they have?
Kevin Cacabelos: Believe it or not, Griffey just might be the perfect fit for the Mariners. I'm not living in the past or anything, but Griffey could actually be a valuable addition to this Mariners' lineup.
Assuming Ibanez does not return next season, there will be a hole to fill in the outfield, and there is already a hole at the 1B/DH position. Griffey could fill in at either of these positions.
On a whole other note, I would feel much more compelled and excited to go to Mariner Games with my childhood hero playing everyday in a Mariners' uniform.
Casey Michel: The M's won't be looking to pick up the piece to put them over the top, mainly because the top is an Everest-height away and those players typically come with a steep price.
As the charter member of the 100-loss/$100 million payroll club, the M's will be looking to slash payroll, cutting burdensome contracts and avoiding any more Carlos Silva behemoths (not Silva's gut, but his contract).
That being said, there's nothing wrong with picking up a few cheap pieces along the way. Raul Ibanez, a Seattle staple, could take a pay cut to return as DH, and if Willie Bloomquist doesn't demand the moon, there's nothing wrong with bringing back our super-utility man.
Cheap arms are a dime a dozen, and while the M's may be in the bidding for Japan's Junichi Tazawa, there may be better options among the scrap heap: Greg Maddux could thrive, Jason Jennings could rebuild (cheaply!), and is Mark Prior so damaged that he wouldn't take a league minimum?
A first baseman could come in Sean Casey—hello, clubhouse leadership—or maybe Erik Hinske. But on the whole, the 2008-09 off season will not see many FA's roosting in Seattle.
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