The Seattle Mariners have been one of the worst offensive teams in baseball over the past decade and might be making a big move to rectify the situation.
According to Ken Rosenthal at Fox Sports, the team is discussing a deal with free agent slugger Josh Hamilton that could be worth up to $25 million per season. Rosenthal wrote on Twitter: "Sources: #Mariners have discussed three-year deals with Hamilton in range of $20M to $25M per season."
Seattle team president Chuck Armstrong said that the team was still interested in trying to get Hamilton, but that the discussions have not moved too far yet.
"We're still interested in him, yes," Armstrong said to the Seattle Times. "We haven't even exchanged numbers and figures yet."
On Thursday night, Geoff Baker at the Seattle Times wrote that the deal with Hamilton is hinging on what the Texas Rangers decide to do about free agent pitcher Zack Greinke. If the Rangers decide to sign the pitcher, it likely means that the team will not give Hamilton the type of deal he is looking for, which is for about six or seven years,
According to the article: "Yahoo! reported that Hamilton's agent, Michael Moye, met with Rangers GM Jon Daniels here at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel and told him he would have an opportunity to match any offer sent Hamilton's way. But if the Rangers decide to sign Greinke, they would not have enough left over to match any Hamilton offer as well."
Hamilton has been one of the best home run hitters in baseball over the past five years and he hit .285 last season with 43 home runs and 128 RBIs. He is an average center fielder and also has a problem with strikeouts after whiffing 162 times in 148 games in 2012.
In 2010, Hamilton won the MVP award after hitting .359 with 32 home runs and 100 RBIs, but has decreased in batting average over the past two seasons. In 2011, Hamilton dealt with a number of injuries,, playing in only 121 games and hitting .298 with 25 home runs and 94 RBIs.
It's not a lock that Hamilton will sign with the Mariners, but it proves they are serious about making moves to improve the offense for next season.
The team has compiled a huge roster of young talent under general manager Jack Zduriencik, but many of those players have yet to develop into solid professionals.
Justin Smoak, who was acquired in the Cliff Lee deal, looked lost at the plate while hitting .217 with 19 home runs last season, while Dustin Ackley has not lived up to his No. 2-overall pick potential.
"As much as I would love for Smoak to be (improved) - and I love what I saw out of him in September - there's still some proving he's got to do," Zduriencik said to the Seattle Times. "And the same thing with (Mike) Carp. I mean, Carp a year ago was pretty doggone good. And last year, he was disappointing because of a lot of factors, the injury being one of them. So, that's a bit of an unproven position."
Third baseman Kyle Seager has proven to be a solid player after hitting .259 and leading the team with 20 home runs and 86 RBIs, but it remains to be seen if he can consistently keep up those numbers.
For the Mariners to compete with the Rangers, Angels and Athletics in the American League West, they need more played that can create and drive in runs. Although Safeco Field is not known for its friendly home run dimensions, the team brought the walls in closer this offseason, making it slightly better offensively.
Hamilton would be a solid addition to the Mariners lineup and the team was also rumored to be interested in trading for Kansas City Royals first baseman Billy Butler. At the winter meetings the Mariners also showed interest in catcher Mike Napoli, but he signed a 3-year, $39 million contract with the Boston Red Sox earlier this week.
Seattle reportedly signed former New York Mets outfielder Jason Bay to a one-year contract, according to sources who spoke to the Associated Press.
Bay spent the past three seasons with the Mets, but struggled with injuries and hit only .165 with eight home runs and 20 RBIs last year.
"He's a guy that we've been talking to, but nothing's done yet," Seattle manager Eric Wedge said to the Associated Press. "It's an interesting story, it's an interesting situation. If you are able to make it happen, you've got to feel good about taking a chance on a guy that's been a great performer at times at the big league level. ... He's had a tough couple of years. I think that if it does come through for us, I think it's a great pickup."
Last season the Mariners finished last in the AL West with a 75-87 record and scored the third fewest runs in baseball. The team was in the bottom of nearly every offensive category and ranked 30th in batting average, on base percentage and slugging percentage.
The team has finished in fourth place in the AL West three years in a row and only won 61 games in 2010.
