Grey Area: Mariners are relevant and equipped for a run

Robinson Cano was the Mariners’ big offseason acquistion, but a big midseason trade may be brewing. (AP)

The Mariners went into the All-Star Break with their best start in over 10 years, notching 51 wins and finishing seven games over .500. The M’s then represented with four All-Stars, including two starters, the best closer in the A.L. and a third baseman who is likely to enjoy future ASG appearances in the years to come.

More importantly, the Mariners entered the All-Star Break and will begin the second half of the season wearing a label almost no one thought they would when the season began – relevant.

The All-Star Game took on the feel of a coming-out party as talking heads from across the country suddenly found themselves explaining that the Mariners would make the postseason “if the season ended today.” There was the realization that Felix Hernandez, long regarded with the game’s elite hurlers, may be in the throes of his best season as a big leaguer. The Mariners now have a face that all baseball fans recognize and respect in the ever-smiling Robinson Cano. All this, plus the invisible arrows of Fernando Rodney and the try-hard, throwback cache of Kyle Seager worked to drive home the message that the Mariners were not to be ignored – not thus far, not this year.

Now what? What do the Mariners need to do in order to continue on the path they’ve blazed through the break?

First and foremost, they should ignore everything I’ve just written. The notion of “arriving” should be shouted down from every corner of the clubhouse. Any idea celebrating what they’ve “accomplished” through the first 3 1/2 months of 2014 should be set ablaze. Winning creates it’s own unique challenges and maintaining performance while living with expectation is chief among them.

The good news? This incarnation of the Mariners is equipped with the experience that it needs to deal with the good fortune to this point in the year and keep working toward the ultimate goal. Lloyd McClendon has been on teams that went all the way to the World Series – recently – and learned what it takes to maintain a clubhouse from one of the masters in Jim Leyland. Robinson Cano is a player that is a rare mix of superstar talent and leadership who knows what it takes to play post season baseball.

The best news of all? It’s very likely that the Mariners aren’t done. General manager Jack Zduriencik has said repeatedly that he expects to have an opportunity to make this team better with moves at the trade deadline. All the leadership in the world won’t help a team that doesn’t have enough talent to get the job done, so the incentive and freedom to make a move (or moves) is important.

It’s no secret that the remaining 67 games will be daunting, with 12 series vs. teams that are currently first or second in their division and 16 games vs the Angels and A’s. Maintaining focus, letting your superstars be superstars and muscling up a roster that has overachieved to this point just might put an end to the all-too-long postseason drought here in Seattle.