Seattle Mariners Considering Signing All Pitchers

Practically from the very beginning of the offseason, we've heard that Jack Zduriencik and the Seattle Mariners wanted to add a veteran to the starting rotation. Thursday, the team signed Hisashi Iwakuma to a one-year contract. But presumably implicit in the word "veteran" is "Major League veteran", and Iwakuma's only ever pitched in Japan. So it stands to reason that the Mariners haven't shut the door on bringing in another arm. Ken Rosenthal:

Sources: #Cubs, #Orioles, #Mariners, #RedSox on Paul Maholm. #Pirates also in touch, but "highly unlikely" per @Dejan_Kovacevic.

#Mariners, even after signing Iwakuma, open to adding another veteran at right price.

Those things would look so much better without the Twitter formatting, but I'm leaving them as is so you can better appreciate what has become of us as a society. We should be ashamed of ourselves, but there's no one to hold us accountable. Lions could probably hold us accountable, if they were present in greater numbers. Judgmental lions.

So for those of you who have wondered whether Iwakuma means the M's are out on the Maholms and the Millwoods and the Francises of the world, the answer is no. Iwakuma reduces the odds of the M's signing a free agent starter, just because now there's less of a need, but those odds aren't 0%, or anywhere close. The team's fifth starter right now is Blake Beavan or Charlie Furbush. Beavan struck out 42 batters in 97 innings. Furbush allowed 12 homers in 12 starts. It wouldn't be the worst idea in the world to improve on them and give them more time in triple-A.

Plus, signing another free agent starter would give the M's more flexibility to trade Jason Vargas, were they so inclined, and were Vargas to have a market. I don't know if either is true.

It might seem weird for the Mariners to be looking at starters, since they have enough starters, and could really use a bat. But they might not sign another starter, and even if they do, someone could get hurt, or someone could get traded. No one will get blocked. If Danny Hultzen or James Paxton or Erasmo Ramirez or whoever looks ready, the Mariners will make room. That's not something to worry about.

So the Mariners finished with a horrible offense, a year after finishing with a horrible offense. They signed a starting pitcher. They're thinking about signing another starting pitcher. This should be received well by the general audience.