With a record of 22-41, the Mariners season appears to be over.  The '95 M's couldn't even dig themselves out of this hole.  The season held so much promise with the upgrade of the starting rotation (Bedard, Silva) that no seem to realize how little the offense had improved, which given the loss of Jose Guillen to free agency, it didn't.  The goal was the playoffs.  Then it became trying to have a winning record.  Then playing .500 ball.  Then cutting some players (Norton, Wilkerson), and trying to integrate some younger ones (Clement, Balentien) by calling them up from AAA.  Then the manager goes on a verbal tirade, after another heartbreaking loss, in a close and winnable ball game.  It seems like collective failure, from top to bottom, management and players both.  Since the season is lost and morale continues to lessen, as the defeats continue pile up.  Decisions about the '09 season, and future seasons need to be made.  Here's a few of my ideas. 

First:  Waive players like Jose Vidro and Jaime Burke.  Burke is a good backstop, but is another catcher blocking the path of Jeff Clement, besides Kenji Johjima.  The Vidro at DH experiment clearly hasn't panned out.  He's a solid hitter, but not an HR & RBI producer that the DH position is usually accustomed to having.  Maybe even waive Arthur Rhodes, but he's a decent late inning, lefty option, plus the guy is well liked for when he played for the winning Mariner clubs of the past.  You know what, throw Willie "Boom Boom" Bloomquist in the mix as well.  I hate that guy.  Not to mention Miquel Cairo.  Other than Burke and Rhodes, none of these other guys should have even made it past spring training, but we can thank our wonderful GM for that.

Second:  Trade some of the veteran players that can get you some potentially solid and youthful talent in return.  I don't think rebuilding is the answer, but re-tooling seems like a decent approach.  Try to get rid of some bad contracts in the process.  Some players might look attractive to competing ball clubs, like Raul Ibanez, Kenji Johjima, Jarrod Washburn, Miguel Batista.  I hate to say it, but let Richie Sexson play out the rest of the year. 

Third:  Give some young guys a shot.  Why not?  The season is totally ruined anyway.  Start playing Jeff Clement at catcher and DH.  Call up Bryan LaHair to split time at first with Richie Sexson.  Add Ryan Rowland-Smith and Brandon Morrow to the rotation, and see what they can do in that role.  I think both could be more productive then expected, especially Morrow.  Boston gave some young pitchers a shot, and they won a World Series by doing so.  That's the kind of ball club every team should model theirs after.  These youngsters are capable, but need the oppurtunity.  Might be an oppurtune time to fire manager John McClaren and GM Bill "I got Fleeced again" Bavasi, who tend to prefer playing veterans.

Fourth:  Start working on contract extensions with players that are detrimental to the the future success of the team.  Sign Felix, Bedard, Yuni, and Adrian Beltre to contract extensions.  Maybe try to deal for a superstar that can consistently drive in runs and put fear into opposing pitchers.  Perhaps, a guy like Matt Holliday, who isn't necessarily a lock to return to Colorado, or a guy like Travis Hafner, who is struggling, but still a solid player.  The M's need a power bat.  Clement could be that guy, but it would be nice to have more than one.  Try to reassure Ichiro that signing a long term contract was still the right thing to do.  Integrate the youngsters with good veterans.

Have your team look more like this:

SP:  1.  Hernandez  2.  Bedard  3.  Silva   4.  Rowland-Smith  5.  Morrow

RP:  JJ Putz  Sean Green  Eric O'Flaherty (only if he can throw strikes) Mark Lowe Roy Corcoran  Ryan Feierabend  R.A. Dickey

Lineup (in no particular order)

SS Yuniesky Betancourt

2B Jose Lopez

3B Adrian Beltre

1B  Bryan LaHair / Decent lefty or switch hitting player like Mark Teahen of the Royals

C Jeff Clement

DH Power bat like a Hafner 

LF All-Star player, could be anybody.

CF Ichiro

RF Wladimir Balentien / Jeremy Reed

UTIL Mike Morse

I seriously doubt the team will follow my lead, but I'd like it if they did something along these lines.  This is a capable team with the some decent role players in place, but they need to develop their youngsters and have some punch in the lineup.  If anything John McClaren should be axed since he can't win with the current talent and continuously makes bad decisions late in ball games.  Bill Bavasi should be let go, before he makes any more disastrous trades.  I read some where that reporter thought the M's should deal Erik Bedard, which would be a huge mistake and admitting failure.  The gave up enough to get him, they might as well try to get the best out of him.  Mac pulled him out at the bottom of the 6th, when he was absolutely dealing.  Fire Mac and Bavasi.  Re-tool the offense and rotation.

The 2008 Seattle Mariners.  A team in shambles.  2009 Seattle Mariners.  "At least it couldn't get any worse! "