For Mariners, let the dealmaking begin

On the other hand, the Mariners can hold onto these players, playing for respectability this season, and take their chances on signing them next year or seeing them depart for points elsewhere. Branyan and Chavez would re-sign in a flash; but Branyan, at 33, and Chavez, at 31, are unlikely to play again as well as they have in 2009. The team will be pleased to dump an overpaid Batista. Bedard and Washburn would want big money beyond their value to re-sign here. Same for Beltre.

The smart move is to unload these players before the July 31 trading deadline for as much value as they can bring in young playing talent. Bedard and Washburn, because of their fragility, should be traded as soon as they appear to be back in decent health.

Shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt and second baseman Jose Lopez have talent — Lopez, in particular, as a hitter — but often lack focus and are prone to errors of commission and omission in the field. Replacements need to be found, with Lopez, perhaps, moving to designated hitter, first base, or left field. Either of them should be traded if and when another team is prepared to come up with a decent offer. There is some talent in the Mariners minor-league system but only one or two players likely make the major-league roster next year. Such talent needs to be acquired from other teams — thus the need to trade aggressively now to get that talent.

An evening or weekend afternoon at Safeco remains an enjoyable experience. Zduriencik and Wakamatsu are thorough professionals who have brought stability and common sense to a franchise that badly needed them. But the present team cannot hit well enough to get past .500 and has obvious holes in its lineup. Let dealmaking begin which will give Zduriencik/Wakamatsu the tools to win in the future. Fans would gladly trade a few losses this year for a pennant in 2010 or 2011.