Seattle Mariners Hot Stove: Who's At First?

The Winter Meetings have come and gone and the Seattle Mariners still have plenty of work to do. Not the least of which is filling a grand-canyon sized void at first base. This time last off-season, GM Jack Zduriencik addressed the very same hole by signing Russell Branyan to a one-year deal. And boy did that pay dividends, as Branyan was arguably the Mariners’ team MVP in 2009, blasting 31 homers en route to a career season. But with Branyan opting to test free agency, instead of re-upping for another year, the Mariners find themselves right back where they started—without a first baseman. Sure, Mike Carp and Jack Hannahan can play first in a pinch, but it’s fair to say that finding a more proven option is high on Jack Zduriencik’s list. Will the Moose return? Who else might the M’s be targeting? Or, does the second-year GM have a blockbuster in the works? Let’s take a look at some of the options Jack Zduriencik might have up his sleeve:

This conversation really needs to start with this preface: Every move the Mariners make this off-season will take Dustin Ackley’s future into consideration. The Mariners will not invest multiple years and huge dollars into players that will potentially block their major-league bound prospect. While there’s much speculation about what position Ackley will ultimately play at the major league level, there seems to be little doubt that he’ll end up with the big club sooner rather than later. In fact, many suspect that the North Carolina product could get a September call-up in 2010 and make the team outright in 2011.Wishful thinking, maybe? But Ackley seems to be that kind of a prospect. That said, GM Jack Zduriencik should be okay investing, if the right situation arises, long-term at first base. Yes, Ackley played first during his final year at UNC, but that was to save his arm following shoulder surgery. When Ackley finally trots out of the SafeCo dugout he’ll be heading towards either left field or second base, not first.

Without having to worry about blocking Ackley, Zduriencik is free to do what he pleases at first base. The quick fix would be to try and reacquire Russell Branyan. The fact that the two sides have failed to reach a deal makes sense. Branyan is coming off a solid year and is one of only two players hitting free agency off a 30+ homerun season, the other being Jason Bay. For the first-time in his career Branyan has some leverage in free agency and is trying to find a team willing to make a multi-year commitment. The M’s on the other hand saw Branyan’s back break down in September and are weary of being duped into an injury-riddled partnership with the Moose.

But don’t expect Jack Z to wait around for Branyan. Earlier this off-season the M’s were rumored to be talking with the Toronto Blue Jays about their first baseman, Lyle Overbay. That deal never materialized, but could always be a phone call away. According to reports from the Winter Meetings, Overbay is being heavily shopped by the cash-strapped Jays and his $8 million dollar salary is there for the taking. This could be a Jack Z’s number-one fall back plan.

The bland name that seems to continually pop up is Nick Johnson. At 31 years old, Johnson would become part of a first-base-by-committee approach, sharing time with Carp and/or Branyan. He’s solid defensively and has shown moderate pop when healthy. But therein lies the problem, Nick Johnson is never healthy. And the last thing the M’s need is an average, injury prone veteran. But, worst case scenario, the M’s could take a flier on Johnson’s affordable asking price and hope that he’s this year’s version of last year’s Russell Branyan.

Now for the guys I love: Carlos Delgado and Hank Blalock. Here are two names that haven’t been linked to Seattle, but that doesn’t mean Jack Z hasn’t taken a look. Right hip surgery ended Delgado’s 2009 season after only 26 games. Prior to that, Delgado was simply one of the best power hitters in big league history. He hit 38 homeruns in 2008, showing that there is more than enough pop left in his bat. Plus, he’s a lefty! With a resume of 11 30+ homerun seasons, a Delgado-type bat is exactly what the power-challenged Mariners need most. In fact, if I was Jack Z, he would be my #1 target. Entering 2010 at 37 years old, off a season lost to injury, Delgado might be the biggest risk-reward free agent on the market. He’ll command decent money, but is also likely to sign a one-year deal. With Seattle already looking at two injury-prone guys in Branyan and Johnson, why not pull a power-move and roll the dice with this Puerto Rican homer machine?

As for Blalock, in my opinion he’s the most under-the-radar free agent currently available. Nobody seems to be talking about him. Here’s another lefty that has four 20+ homerun seasons to his credit before his 30th birthday. He’d require a long-term deal, but he’s a pure slugger that would look very, very good in the middle of the Mariner’s lineup. And just like with Chone Figgins, you’d be plucking him directly away from a division foe.

And finally, there’s the shoot-for-the-moon option: Adrian Gonzalez. With only two years remaining on his contract with the San Diego Padres, Gonzalez trade talk has increasingly started to build momentum dating back to last season’s trade deadline. And the Mariners and Red Sox as the two teams most often tied to the Mexican first basemen. The asking price would be steep, probably something along the lines of Mark Lowe, Brandon Morrow, Triunfel and two other minor leaguers. But the M’s would make a deal of this nature in a second. Gonzalez is the type of player that would become your franchise centerpiece for years to come, but with a brand new GM down in San Diego, which has club control over Gonzalez through to 2011 season, the Pads are in no rush to trade their only good player.

Is the possibility of adding Gonzalez at some point over the next two seasons worth waiting for? Is Jack Z leave the door open for A-Gone and go the route of a one-year, stop gap? It all remains to be seen, as for the second time in his two years on the job Jack Zduriencik’s off-season could be defined by how he answers the following question: Who’s at first?