With Melky Cabrera gone, what’s next for the Mariners?

Melky Cabrera will not be playing right field for the Mariners. News broke late Saturday night that he was signing with the White Sox, reportedly for three years at $42 million.

Could the Mariners have matched that? It appears they would have had to do better, perhaps much better as ESPN’s Enrique Rojas Tweeted Sunday morning that no team offered four years and that Cabrera chose the offer from the team that was “less remote” and closer to the East Coast, which he had stated his preference for in his early days of free agency.

So the Mariners will move on. I doubt this was much of a surprise for them as some of general manager Jack Zduriencik’s comments on the “Hot Stove League” show on 710 ESPN Seattle Friday night seemed to indicate that he perhaps knew the chances of landing Cabrera were not good. Zduriencik said that they might get creative in filling the need in the outfield and that there were ongoing dialogues on both the trade and free-agent front.

“I feel confident we will get something done. I think we will do more than one thing,” Zduriencik said.

Available free agents include Alex Rios – who most likely now goes to the top of the list for the Mariners – as well as Nori Aoki, Jonny Gomes, Colby Rasmus, Chris Denorfia, Ichiro and Endy Chavez. Trade possibilities exist as well, though Zduriencik would prefer not to trade Taijuan Walker or Brad Miller. Still, the Mariners have pieces that should be of interest to other clubs.

Zduriencik pointed out on the “Hot Stove League” show that they have addressed two of their biggest needs this offseason, acquiring a designated hitter and a starting pitcher. The job of finding a right fielder just got tougher but the season does not begin tomorrow. There are still moves to be made.

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