Since coming over from Detroit in 2011, Wells has provided a mixed bag of results at the plate. Late in 2011, he hit home runs in four consecutive games. In his quest for a fifth game, former Mariner SP Brandon Morrow drilled him in the head, and Wells struggled with an equilibrium problem for the remainder of that season.

In 93 games with the Mariners in 2012, he hit .228 with 10 home runs and 36 RBI. He couldn’t command consistent playing time, even against the likes of Eric Thames, who was demoted to Triple-A last week.

Still, many feel Wells deserves a better chance to prove himself in 2013. Zdurencik and Mariners’ manager Eric Wedge do not seem to agree with those people. And unfortunately for Wells, the two bosses have the Spring Training numbers to back up their perceived viewpoint.

Undeniably, Bay has outplayed Wells in Spring Training. In their first 15 games, Bay posted a .319 batting average, while Wells only hit .196. Bay’s on base percentage falls just short of .400, while Wells’ barely eclipses .250.

While they both have two home runs and Wells actually has eight more RBI, neither Wells nor Bay projects for the heart of the Mariners’ lineup. In the 1-2 and 7-9 spots, the Mariners need hitters who can get on base and make things happen, and Bay has proved more effective in that regard by a wide margin.

Still, Wells has youth on his side. At just 28, his best still may be yet to come. The same cannot be said for Bay, who’s batting average decreased during each of the last four seasons. Bay hasn’t been a solid major league contributor since 2010, when he hit 36 homers and drove in 119 runs for Boston. So picking Bay over Wells means the Mariners are banking on a career CPR act from Bay. Picking Wells would only require the “Upstate Baller” to take the step forward the organization thought he would take when they traded for him.

Yesterday, Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times projected Bay would make the roster over Wells. That feeling is slowly becoming the conventional wisdom regarding the situation. An outfield of Franklin Gutierrez, Michael Saunders, Michael Morse and Raul Ibanez leaves little opportunity for Wells to get the extended reps he needs to improve. And with all of his minor league options exhausted, Tacoma is not a possibility.

The Mariners must decide to ditch Bay or Wells and do it soon. As of now, all signs are pointing to Bay making the team, and Wells being designated for assignment.

Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Blake Beavan. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports

The Seattle Mariners are going up against the Milwaukee Brewers. So far, the Seattle team has only lost one game during spring training. Sure, these games are mostly for bragging rights, but it’s definitely interesting and exciting to see how these games shape up. Having a 10-game winning streak and a 10-1 record is pretty awesome – spring training games or not. Currently it’s a league record (the previous record was 8 games in 1993)

Today’s starting lineup is:

Brewers

1. Aoki, RF (.200)
2. Segura, SS (.438)
3. Weeks, 2B (.200)
4. Davis, DH (.235)
5. Schafer, CF (.316)
6. Crosby 3B (.000)
7. Gindl, LF (.500)
8. Morris, 1B (.125)
9. Diaz, R, C (.200)

The team’s starting pitcher is Mike Fiers.

Mariners

1. Gutierrez, CF (.308)
2. Ackley, 2B (.400)
3. Morse, RF (.308)
4. Morales, K. 1B (.357)
5. Bay, LF (.500)
6. Ibanez, DH (.538)
7. Montero, C (.500)
8. Catricala, 3B (.333)
9. Ryan, SS (.500)

Blake Beavan will be starting for the Mariners.

The lineup looks strong for today, and I’m rooting for win number 11 today. The Brewers are up to bat first.

February 22, 2013; Peoria, AZ, USA; Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Hector Noesi (45) warms up before the first inning against the San Diego Padres at Peoria Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Let’s face it, it wasn’t any fun to listen to Hector Noesi give up SIX runs in the first inning of the Seattle Mariners vs. San Diego Padres spring training opening game. Maybe he was taking the idea of “charity” seriously, and thought that the charity game meant “let the other team win.” I’m more convinced it’s because he isn’t as strong of a pitcher as he should be for the big leagues. I mean, look at his ERA – 14.73 for this year’s spring training.

Noesi’s MLB career average ERA is 5.36, and his minor league career total is 3.54. Sure, the minor league ERA may look good – but it seems that he just doesn’t have what it takes, historically, to make it in the Major Leagues. If I were making decisions about what the regular season’s team will look like, I would be inclined to replace Noesi with someone else, and send him back to the minor leagues.

While some argue that he may be better than we are giving him credit for, I’m with the camp who is looking at his place at the 40-man roster who didn’t think he’d be back in the rotation this year. I’m a bit confused, frankly. Noesi will need to make sure the ball is good – and that it’s fast enough to avoid contact with the opposing team’s bat – if he has any shot at staying on the roster. Most likely, Blake Beavan will take his space and Noesi will be heading to the bullpen, or back down to the Triple-A club.