Mariners try to be optimistic for 2008

Doesn’t the fact that the official Mariners website states “Mariners hope rotation stacks up in ‘08″ speak volumes about the lousy off-season the Mariners had?  By using the word “hope” the M’s drag their feet on their own official website, almost as if the M’s brain trust failed is admitted that it failed to address its pitching staff, the one area that could help propel the team to instant contender status.  Next year’s team may not be much different than last season’s 88-win club, but the fact that the M’s responded to the Angels’ signing of Torii Hunter by landing Carlos Silva- not to mention R.A. Dickey!- is testament that next summer will more than likely be another long summer of grousing by Mariner fans in the Pacific Northwest.  Seriously, the chances for the club to compete are virtually nil when such names as Horacio Ramirez and Dickey are bandied about for the back end of the rotation.

The club’s official site does acknowledge that “One more established starting pitcher probably is still needed if the Mariners are going to challenge the Angels in the AL West.”  Considering the off-season so far, the club might  as well go ahead and re-sign Jeff Weaver, who is still sitting on the free-agent market.  I mean, Jeff did lead the league in shut-outs last season after all.  (Don’t worry, my tongue is planted firmly in cheek.  I understand sarcasm fails to translate on the Internets all that well…)
Or perhaps next year’s version of Jeff Weaver might be Josh Towers who, despite a 45-55 career record, has very similar peripherals to Silva, as Jeff points out on Lookout Landing.  These numbers didn’t prevent Carlos from landing a $44 million contract, while Towers languishes without a job.  Towers needs to get himself a different agent. After all, he is just three years removed from a 13-win, 200-inning season in 2005.  That would be a valuable commodity for the M’s to take a $1 flier on…