Seattle Mariners News: Strategy for 2014 Is Hard to Follow
By Todd Pheifer
Credit: Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports
Well, I will say this about the Seattle Mariners. The offseason has not been dull.
Granted, interesting does not necessarily mean successful. Despite the recent moves and the rumors that persist, there are still plenty of fans that wonder what this team will look like when spring training begins in April.
Robinson Cano is in. Corey Hart is in the house, and Logan Morrison has also joined the party. Carter Capps is gone, as is Franklin Gutierrez. Granted, Guti could come back. Justin Smoak and Jesus Montero could be on their way out. Taijuan Walker could still be swapped for David Price. Matt Kemp might arrive from the Los Angeles Dodgers. The addition of Shin-Soo Choo is not out of the question. Nick Franklin, Dustin Ackley and Mike Zunino might also be traded before the 2014 season.
Is everyone keeping up?
Are the Mariners going young? Old? Short-term contracts to guys with bad knees? Long-term deals to players that can’t possibly be worth the money being spent?
Yes…to all of that.
What is the plan here? Is this a “win now” strategy? If so, the Mariners may have a short window to chase a World Series before Cano starts to age and Felix Hernandez begins to decline.
Could it be that Jack Zduriencik is trying to hang onto his job for a few more years, and is loading up with veteran free agents in order to make an attempt at short-term competitiveness? If only we could hear the plan being discussed behind the scenes.
Perhaps this is the end of the deals. Maybe the Mariners will keep many of the youngsters. Then again, this could get weirder before the dust starts to settle.
Do we dare put together a projected lineup for this team in 2014? Not yet. The master plan is still being implemented, and it is subject to change without notice.
Hang on tight, fans. We aren’t even to January.