Mariners: Fire sale looming?

The Seattle Mariners are bad. That’s about all that can be said about the team right now.

Things looked good for the Mariners preseason. The rotation looked good. The bullpen looked shored up. The order looked like they could slay giants. What went wrong? Where did the team that everyone said could hang with the AL heavyweights go?

Well, Smyly’s arm got soggy and Miranda and Gallardo aren’t really in a rhythm; Scribner, Altavilla, Fien, and Vincent pulled the wool over the team’s eyes, and left half of the bullpen in decay. The offense has started to find its stride, but then goes and has nights where they barely get the ball out of the infield.

With Felix and Haniger out until at least June, the Mariners could be looking down the barrel of a trade gun held by the wheeling, dealing Jerry Dipoto.

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If the Mariners can’t pull out of, this could be the beginning of the end for the Mariners as we know them. Dipoto is not a sane man sometimes. He has already shown in his time as the Mariners’ GM that no one’s contract is safe.

What could be next?

Well, as much as it pains me to say it, maybe by August we’re looking at a Mariners team without Felix, Cano, or Cruz. Maybe we’ll even see a team that has none of them. I know, the concept of cutting ties with The King and the heart of the order is really painful. I hate the possibility of a total overhaul, but I hate missing the playoffs year after year even more.

If things continue to spiral downhill like they are currently, it wouldn’t surprise me if we see the big names on the move from the PNW. Dipoto may pawn our bats and arms off in exchange for prospects. If in August we see Dyson, Segura, Motter, Haniger, Seager, Vogelbach, Zunino, and Heredia with O’Neill DHing; don’t freak out. This is Dipoto’s team, and frankly, I trust him. He went and took Segura and Haniger from the Diamondback. I honestly kind of look forward to seeing a team that is majority Dipoto-crafted.

Where does this put Seattle in a couple of years?

If, and this is a big if, Dipoto does go the fire sale route and rid Seattle of some big names, he effectively acknowledges that they give up on the Felix-Cano-Cruz window and put the focus on the future.

This will be a hard pill to swallow for Mariners fans, all the potential for the various teams thrown out. The problem is, at some point the white flag needs to be waved, and we need to recognize as fans that this team hasn’t made the playoffs since 2001.

Next: Mariners sitting in hot water after tough April

Dipoto has had his head on straight right so far, and I for one am not too concerned putting my faith in him. If the worst-case scenario plays out and we have to say goodbye to more fan favorites, I trust the storm that is Dipoto and am willing to see where he takes the team.