The Seattle Mariners are currently having another losing season, but unlike past years, their young core that the franchise has been rebuilding over the past four years with is starting to flourish with names like Justin Smoak, Nick Franklin, Brad Miller and Kyle Seager performing on the major league level, the M's might be ready to go after a big free agent name like Jacoby Ellsbury this offseason.
Hearing a rumor like that a couple years ago might seem like a joke for Mariners fans, but the team has spent in the past -- not always well of course, with names like Richie Sexson, Adrian Beltre (right move, wrong home ballpark) and Chone Figgins coming to mind -- and with a young team that looks like it is on the cusp of being something special (okay, some wishful thinking), the team could go hard at a player like Ellsbury. According to Ken Rosenthal at Fox Sports, the Mariners are in the right position to spend with just under $35 million in committed contracts for 2014 as well as the fact that the team doesn't have a legit center fielder right now.
The Mariners had expectations of finishing the season near or at .500 and while that may not happen, the young players they have been growing are starting to develop and both Kyle Seager and Justin Smoak look like they are the real deals. Smoak has been performing up to par with some of the best players in the league over the past few months without factoring in his awful April and Seager has been very consistent. Ellsbury could be a very good option that has power, speed on the bases as well as a top notch glove and he wouldn't cost as much as a superstar like Robinson Cano or the like.
Many also don't realize that Ellsbury is from the Pacific Northwest and played his college ball at Oregon State, so a change of location to Washington would not be out of the realm of possibility. The Mariners have had outfield issues all season and have turned to moving former top pick Dustin Ackley to center and with Michael Saunders better suited in left or right and using a platoon of Michael Morse and Raul Ibanez at times, a center fielder is desperately needed. The Mariners have just $33 million committed according to Rosenthal. Ellsbury has some injury issues in the past after missing significant time over the past two years, but he is hitting over .300 and can steal 40 bases in a season. Would look nice in some Mariners gear.