3 storylines to watch over the last month of the season

#3: Will they swallow their pride to push for the playoffs

Here is the question that surrounds the Mariners and always seems to linger. Are they going to swallow their pride and sit some of those higher paid players in order to take a risk and put in someone else with a higher ceiling?

I brought it up earlier with Garver, but the only time that he should see the remainder of the season really should be as the backup catcher to Raleigh. Other than that, he shouldn't be in a game. The same goes for Haniger. He shouldn't step foot into the outfield again this year, and should be limited to the DH spots.

You've got Julio, Raley, Randy, and Robles. That's your outfield. Dylan Moore should be the late-game replacement if need be out there, whether as a runner or for his defensive value. I think this is also where having Dan Wilson as your manager plays a big part. It's always tough to take a dawg out of the game when they know that they have 7 innings in them. Fortunately for Wilson, he dealt with someone scarier than any team in baseball has anymore, working with Randy Johnson back in the day.

No one on the mound is going to be able to fool Wilson, and I think that will be a big factor in making sure that the pitchers are able to swallow their pride and come out of the game when they need to, not when they want to. If the Mariners can take some of their big salaries out of play and get the right guys in the game, then they have a chance to fight back in the AL West. Let's hope that it happens this September.