One week ago today, Seattle Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik stood in the dugout at Safeco Field and did what Jack Zduriencik does best when reporters asked:
A, Will he or won’t he trade Jarrod Washburn?
B, Is the AL West title a lost hope that would render the Mariners “sellers” vs. “buyers?”
C, Will he go out and get another hitter for this puny offense? (No, Lou Piniella didn’t sneak in and ask that one.)
In answering those questions, Zduriencik talked a lot.
He revealed a little.
Zduriencik wouldn’t say if he would or wouldn’t trade Washburn; only that it’s his responsibility to listen to inquiries from other teams. He wasn’t conceding anything in the AL West but acknowledged that the goal in any trade is to make the club better now and for the future. And to get another hitter, it takes two teams to tango.
About 20 minutes later, as Zdureincik stood on the top step of the dugout watching batting practice, I approached him to clarify something he’d said and, hopefully, get a better sense of what his trade agenda might be.
Again, he spoke without revealing his hand, but it seemed clear that neither the Mariners’ first-half success nor their recent tailspin would alter Zduriencik from his original plan to restock the organization with talent at all levels.
Then I asked a final question, again hoping to zero in a little more on what the Mariners may be seeking in trades.
“I realize you’re lacking offense at the big-league level, but isn’t the greatest need organization-wide still your starting pitching?”
Zduriencik didn’t say anything. But he nodded and cracked a smile as if to say, “Bingo!” It was that, or maybe he was just happy to see Ronny Cedeno have a good batting practice session.
Either way, the Mariners’ trade direction seemed a little clearer. Young starting pitching would be important, especially at the higher levels.
When the trade deadline passed Friday afternoon, the Mariners had, indeed, made a healthy haul in young pitching that will help in both the major and minor leagues.
They got the golden right arm (along with some well-publicized mental issues) of Ian Snell from the Pirates, and he’ll start today’s game against the Rangers. Behind him is shortstop Jack Wilson, also acquired in that deal for shortstop Ronny Cedeno, prospect Jeff Clement and three Class A pitchers.
They got right-handed reliever Robert Manuel from the Reds in exchange for outfielder Wladimir Balentien. Manuel was assigned to Class AAA Tacoma, although it’s safe to guess he’ll be in Seattle by September if not sooner.
They got 23-year-old left-handed starter Luke French from the Tigers in the Washburn trade. French probably will start Wednesday at Kansas City.
And they got 20-year-old lefty starter Mauricio Robles in the Washburn trade. Some analysts have called Robles the real prize in that deal.
Why ship off Washburn, and why not acquire much-needed offense to make it seem the Mariners are serious about winning the rest of this season?
Realistically, that window of hope is all but closed. Going into Saturday, when the Mariners were nine games behind the first-place Angels, one statistical service rated their chances of winning the AL West at 0.7 percent.
So no, the Mariners really didn’t give up on the season with these trades any more than the season had gotten away from them in the first place. More important, Zduriencik and his staff have remained true to their original plan.
Besides winning, of course, this season has always been about learning which players fit and don’t fit into the longterm plan.
The Mariners found a center fielder in Franklin Gutierrez and a nice seventh-eighth-ninth inning group of relievers in Sean White, Shawn Kelley, Mark Lowe and closer David Aardsma. Rob Johnson has become a catcher who the pitching staff trusts, and his offensive numbers improved in July.
Perhaps even more valuable, the Mariners learned who didn’t fit their future.
They traded Mike Morse to the Nationals for Ryan Langerhans, who has become a nice fourth outfielder.
Shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt exhausted the Mariners’ patience with his impatience at the plate and lazy work habits, and they traded him to the Royals for two minor league pitchers. One of them, right-handed starter Danny Cortes, pitched well in his last start at Class AA West Tennessee and may finish this season at Class AAA Tacoma.
Clement, the Mariners’ first-round draft pick four years ago, never showed the ability behind the plate that the defense-first Mariners wanted. Even though he has a powerful left-handed bat, Clement became expendable because there are others in their system with DH and first-base ability. So they traded him Wednesday, along with Cedeno and three A-ball pitchers, to the Pirates for Wilson and Snell.
The Mariners had given Balentien plenty of opportunities to show his ability with the bat. When he didn’t, they gave up on him, and Wednesday they traded him to the Reds for another pitcher, Manuel.
Where does that leave the Mariners these final two months?
The AL West has gotten away from them, but the future hasn’t.
Like we said at the beginning of this season when Zduriencik overhauled nearly half of last year’s roster, these new guys will be fun to watch.
Read Kirby Arnold’s blog on the Mariners at www.heraldnet.com\marinersblog
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