For some of us, the off-season has been flying by and we anxiously wait for the Mariners front office to give us some kind of hope that this coming 162 game season will be much better than the past couple. Thus far, the Mariners have signed the struggling Jason Bay in hopes that he will rekindle a flame that he once had in Pittsburgh and Boston. Everybody that is involved in that deal is happy about it and hearing the interviews of what a great marriage it is to have Bay playing for his hometown team has us all sitting with pretty little smiles and full of contentment.
Not really!
The Mariners have a lot to do to help this team and so far, all fans hear about are the many upgrades that the team is making to Safeco Field. Of course, part of that is the moving in of the fences which will help the team a great deal, but there is also a new scoreboard going in (pictured above)and a new cafe called Edgar's going behind the wall in left field. I saw pictures of some really gaudy new carpet in the Mariners clubhouse and obviously they need to take down the giant picture of Chone Figgins on the outside of the stadium. Still, after all these great changes, we still wait to hear of a signing of some impact and that's what we are not hearing about.
It needs to be understood that the Mariners are not wasting money that they could be using to sign an impact bat. Jack Z isn't wasting his time running around looking at carpet remnants, nor is he putting up scaffolding to wire the new scoreboard. This is an entirely different aspect of the business that has nothing to do with baseball. So don't let that be your worry. Enjoy the changes, keep your ear to the rumor mill.
Josh Hamilton rumors were being murmured at the Winter Meeting and it was stated that the Mariners were the team that would be Hamilton's choice if he wasn't needed in Texas and that had us all excited. Jack Z and company must have been excited as well, as the Mariners were trying to will the Texas Rangers to sign Zack Greinke and Justin Upton so that they wouldn't need Hamilton. That fell through when the Dodgers signed Greinke and I assumed that the Hamilton signing would have happened soon after.
It's been a few days and the only rumors that we have heard is that Texas still has interest in landing Upton. We haven't heard of any talks between Hamilton and the Rangers and that leaves us all in a constant state of wonder.
Josh Hamilton is giving the Rangers a chance to match any deal that he may get from the Rangers, but is it really going to matter if the Rangers sign a new center fielder? Is Hamilton going to play left field? Does Texas have in mind to make Hamilton a DH now that Michael Young is gone? That's what it sounds like to me, and in my opinion, Hamilton will go the route of Michael Young and be another upset Texas superstar.
As we all still wait for news on Hamilton, we know that the Mariners are hard at work trying to fit some puzzle pieces together to better this team. Names keep dropping off the list as free agents are signing with other teams and trades are being made with players that were on the Mariners wish list, but the Hamilton deal has to be close. If the Rangers can get Upton, they will have a decision on Hamilton and after Hamilton signs, a host of others will follow. Really, all we can do is wait. Our hope is that the wait for a better season doesn't last until 2014.
SodoJoe
