First Of A Series I Have Stolen From MLBTR: Offseason Preview Vol. 1: Seattle Mariners

Today I start my offseason previews, because I love making over other teams rosters, video game style.

I'm going to be starting with the worst team in the Majors as of now, the Seattle Mariners.

Payroll For 2009:

RF/CF Ichiro - $17M (2012)

OF Jeremy Reed - $600,000 (Possible 1st Yr Arb Guess)

OF Michael Saunders, Wladimir Belentien - $400,000 (x2 Pre-Arb Guesses)

SS Yuniesky Betencourt - $2M (2011+option)

3B Adrian Beltre - $12M (2009)

2B Jose Lopez - $1.6M (2010+option)

IF Brian LaHair, Matt Tuiasosopo, Tug Hullet, Michael Morse, Oswaldo Navarro, Yung Chi Chen, Luis Valbuena - $400,000 (x7 - All Pre-Arb Guesses)

C Kenji Johjima - $8M (2011)

C Jamie Burke - $650,000 (1st Yr Arb Guess)

C Jeff Clement, Rob Johnson - $400,000 (x2 - Pre-Arb Guesses)

SP Carlos Silva - $11M (2011+option)

SP Jarrod Washburn - $10.35M (2009)

SP Miguel Batista - $9M (2009)

SP Eric Bedard - $9M (Arb Guess-Last Arb Yr)

SP Felix Hernandez - $2M (1st Yr Arb Guess)

RP J.J. Putz - $5M (2009+option)

P R.A. Dickey - $800,000 (1st Yr Arb Guess)

P Sean Green - $500,000 (Pre-Arb Guess)

P's Eric O'Flaherty, Ryan Rowland-Smith, Roy Corcoran, Ryan Feierabend, Anderson Garcia, Jon Huber, Cesar Jimenez, Mark Lowe, Randy Messenger, Brandon Morrow, Luis Munoz, Justin Thomas, Tracey Thorpe, Jared Wells, Sean White, Jake Woods - $400,000 (x16 - All Pre-Arb Guesses)

Free Agents:

LF/DH Raul Ibanez - $5.5M

IF/OF Willie Bloomqvist - $0.95M

IF Miguel Cairo - $0.85M

C is locked with Johjima. If he falters, Clement will be the C instead of DH/1B

2B/SS are locked in for years with Lopez & Betencourt.

3B could be open if Beltre is traded.

Ichiro is the only 100% lock in the OF, with Belentien & Reed having a shot at starting. Canadian Michael Saunders could crack the roster if the M's think '09 is not in reach.

1B is wide open. I see Clement as a possibility if he can learn it. Either way, a 1B/DH type will be needed. I can see them in on cheaper options like Kevin Millar, Wes Helms, Hank Blalock (if available), Cliff Floyd, maybe Ken Griffey. I would bring in Millar if your looking for a rebuilding year. A great clubhouse guy could be usefull in that case.

An outfielder will most likely be needed as well, even just a 4th outfielder/fringe starter type. Mark Kotsay would look fine if Ichiro is in RF. Juan Rivera if Ichiro is in CF.

Their pitching staff is pretty much set, which is pretty sad. Bedard could be non-tendered if they think he won't be healthy and a new GM is fucking ruthless.

They allreay have allmost $100M commited to 2009, which leaves little room for major improvement if they are around $120M.

Changes

If I am running the team, I blow it up. C is set with either Johjima or Clement, so trading either would be fine. Clement would fetch much more, maybe in a Hamilton-Volquez minor swap, you could pry Buchholz for Clement with Boston's need for a catcher. Buchholz allows you to non-tender Bedard.

I trade Beltre, trying to find a 1B/3B type. The Dodgers will be looking for a 3B, but I don't see what would come back in that variety, except Blake DeWitt. Actually, that wouldn't be bad. A package of DeWitt, Delwyn Young, and James MacDonald/Scott Elbert would be acceptable.

I would think that Batista or Washburn would have to be dealt. The Yankees were interested at the deadline in Washburn and they should've given him away then. Anything you get in return would be fine.

Line-Up

The end result would look something like this:

C - Johjima

1B - Millar

2B - Lopez

3B - DeWitt

SS - Betencourt

LF - Saunders

CF - Reed

RF - Ichiro

DH - Rivera

A bench of Curke, LaHair, Belentien, Navarro/Morse, Tuiasosopo/Hulett would be fine, with LaHair playing a solid amount at 1B.

Pitching

A starting 5 of Hernandez, Morrow, Buchholz, Silva, Batista/Washburn would be acceptable during a rebuilding year.

The bullpen would be anchored by Putz, unless traded (I wouldn't trade him). Josh Fields, 2008 1st rounder, has yet to sign, but could crack the bullpen out of spring. Some solid arms would fill out the pen with Rowland-Smith, Jimenez, Wells, Huber, Green, Lowe, Corcoran.

Conclusion

This team is fucked. Like, totally fucked. As in, getting pig-roasted by Peter North & Julian. It should be blown up, and a couple Baltimore Orioles like trades from last off-season could turn it around quickly. Ichiro could get a larger package than Tejada got and Putz & Beltre could get realy substantial packages as well.

2009 should be a wash for the M's and be all about finding out what some of their players can actually do.

Tomorrow night, the Padres or Nationals will be done.

Gotta slave away for Ted Rogers tonight, so I can't enjoy the Jays game tonight, but Go Jays Go regardless.

Word.