Mariners notebook: Not a fire sale, but Seattle trades experience for youth

MINNEAPOLIS – Jack Zduriencik was busy at the trade deadline, the Mariners general manager dealing two established pitchers Friday in Mark Lowe and J.A. Happ for four pitching prospects with years of club control remaining.

Gone is a starter and one of the best right-handed relievers in the game, and on their way to meet the team in Minnesota are Rob Rasmussen, part of the Lowe deal, and Jose Ramirez, one of the players acquired Thursday for Dustin Ackley. They will join Jesus Montero and Ketel Marte, who were recalled from Triple-A Tacoma and are in the lineup at Target Field.

“Obviously we have gotten a lot younger,” manager Lloyd McClendon said. “This gives us a chance to look at some of our young talent and see what happens. My hope is they energize us a little bit and we continue to move forward and continue to try to win ballgames.”

The Mariners were indeed sellers at the deadline, but Zduriencik told a small group of the media in a conference call that the moves did not indicate a full-scale turn to the future for the Mariners.

“I don’t think I view it that way,” he said. “Mark Lowe was a really, really nice piece for us. It was very difficult for us to give him up. Had the situation been a little different, we probably would have viewed that differently as well,” he said, noting that the return of three young arms was the equalizer. “But in terms of the Ackley deal, in Dustin’s case we were happy to get back what we thought was somewhat of a comparable player in Ramon Flores and a bullpen arm. Given Dustin’s role with us we viewed that as something that would help us immediately but also in the future. With today’s move we felt that we could bring up a pitcher that could fill the role of Happ. Again, I think it’s more about, yeah, the future, but also about the kind of production you are getting from players at the big league level and if you can replace that and stay competitive and still add talent in your organization. I think we have done that.”

It wasn’t a fire sale, but Zduriencik did what general managers have to do when their teams fall out of contention. Whether or not anyone admits it, they know where they are at and Friday’s moves indicate that. Sure, Lowe was the only immediately irreplaceable move that was made, but the fact that these moves were made at all tells you everything you need to know.

With an enormous number of marquee players switching teams in the past two days, the Mariners remained in a spot they had hoped not to be this year, on the sideline. It no doubt is a painful position to be in, especially with the excitement there was about this team at the beginning of the year. Life and baseball have to go on, however. There are still games to be played and work to be done.

“You go out and you still compete,” said McClendon when asked how his job changes with the roster changes. “You try to win games. My attitude in that respect does not change. Every time I put on this uniform I am going out to win a game in the process we will evaluate but you can bet your (expletive) I want to win games.”

He will try to do so with a younger, less-experienced roster now. While he no doubt would prefer to be leading a team on a playoff charge, dealing with young players and teaching at the Major League level is nothing new to him. Despite the disappointment of the season, McClendon still embraces the opportunity to work with young players. In fact he said he was excited, in a sense, to get to do so.

“We’ve got some young talent,” he said. “They’re good. They’re good, and I’m anxious to see what they can do.”

Lowe may not be done in Seattle

I wouldn’t be surprised in the least to see Mark Lowe back with this organization. He is a free agent at the end of the year, lives in Vancouver in the offseason and was happy in his return to the team. He certainly would be welcomed back.

“(The Blue Jays) are getting a guy who is at the top of his game,” said Zduriencik. “He’s probably throwing as good as he has ever thrown. For a club that is trying to make a big splash and trying to get into really good position for postseason play, I think Mark Lowe is a really good acquisition for Toronto and I congratulate them.”

“Obviously, losing Mark was tough,” said McClendon. “He’s one of the top right-handed relievers in baseball. He did a tremendous job for us. He was everything that was right about the Seattle Mariners. He represented this organization in the highest fashion. He’s a quality individual, quality in the clubhouse. It was tough to lose him.”

Lineup!

Ketel Marte, 2B
Kyle Seager, 3B
Nelson Cruz, DH
Franklin Gutierrez, LF
Mark Trumbo, RF
Austin Jackson, CF
Jesus Montero, 1B
Brad Miller, SS
Mike Zunino, C

Taijuan Walker, RHP

Notes

• Marte and Montero were added to the 25-man roster Friday and were at Target Field in time for early work both with the bat and in the field.

“My hope is to play him as much as possible,” McClendon said of Montero. “We need to find out about him and see what he’s got.”

• Robinson Cano is missing another day with a strained abdominal muscle. The hope is he will be able to take batting practice Saturday. Logan Morrison is still dealing with a bruised thumb but could be available at first base in an emergency situation.

• With Rasmussen and Ramirez up there will be eight in the bullpen for the next few days. A starter, most likely Roenis Elias, will need to be called up to take Happ’s spot Aug. 4.

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