Mariners swap Saunders for Happ, and they might not be done

By all appearances, the Mariners are going to be very busy at the winter meetings next week.

Comments by both general manager Jack Zduriencik and skipper Lloyd McClendon on Wednesday indicated that their offseason moves will not end with Kyle Seager’s extension and the still-to-be-announced signing of Nelson Cruz.

Heck, reporters didn’t make it out of the room before a move was made. Shortly after Seager’s press conference ended, Zduriencik returned to announce that the team had traded outfielder Michael Saunders to Toronto for starting pitcher J.A. Happ.

Saunders being traded was not a surprise. It was well known that the team was shopping him.

“I just think we were in a position where we needed to add a starting pitcher,” Zduriencik said when asked if the relationship with Saunders had come to a tipping point after feathers were ruffled at the end of the season.

Adding at least one pitcher has been an offseason goal for Zduriencik all along. With the number of injuries last year, and specifically with the innings that Taijuan Walker and James Paxton did not get under their belts because of those injuries, it was unreasonable to believe they could get through a full season without help.

While there were a number of free agents available, Zduriencik said that what he was looking for – not a top-tier pitcher, not a bottom-tier pitcher – was not available. Happ, who will be a free agent after the 2015 season, fits the bill of what Seattle was looking for.

“He is very athletic. In the second half of the season he pitched very well,” Zdurinecik said. “Our scouts were on him. They were all impressed. He has a swing-and-miss fastball and he established his breaking ball later.”

Zduriencik also was intrigued by the fact that Happ had pitched in very hitter-friendly parks in Toronto and Philadelphia. Zduriencik believes Happ has a chance to improve his numbers in Seattle.

As for Saunders, he goes to a city where he is very popular and should get the starting job that he was unable to win in Seattle this year.

“We view him as an everyday player in left,” Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos told the media in Toronto.

As I mentioned above, all indications are this is not the last major move the Mariners hope to make this winter. Zdruiencik said he is still looking to add an outfielder and that he has had numerous discussions with other teams. There has been speculation that the Mariners are willing to move a starter in the right deal, and Zduriencik seemed to confirm that when asked about the depth in Seattle’s rotation.

“If something presented itself that made a lot of sense, we would still try to shore up our pitching,” he said. “If I would happen to move one of our existing pitchers … Where that ends up … right now this is where we are and we are going to try to add.”

While the Mariners’ preference would be to not trade a starting pitcher, that may not be a conversation-ender. And if the Mariners are willing to trade one of their starters, then there will be another impact bat in their lineup next season.

Already stretched with Cruz, Seattle’s lineup could become very dangerous with an another addition. Add another hitter and you can look at batting Seager ahead of Robinson Cano rather than behind him.

The team is known to have interest in the Dodgers’ Matt Kemp. There have also been talks with the Braves about Justin Upton, who is looking more and more likely to be moved with Atlanta acquiring Nick Markakis earlier Wednesday. Yoenis Cespedes is still available and Colorado is said to be shopping outfielders.

There are many possibilities if the Mariners are willing to put a starter on the table, and it appears that is not out of the question.

Related

Seahawks QB Sam Darnold makes big climb in NFL Top 1003 reasons why Brock likes Seahawks’ Terrion Arnold signingWyman & Bob react to Seahawks’ Terrion Arnold signingWhy Brock says UW Huskies will be ‘very relevant’ in CFP conversationMariners Injury Updates: Vargas’ rehab, notes on J.P. and moreReport: CB Terrion Arnold, who is facing 8 felony charges, plans to join Seahawks