Seattle Mariners general manager, Jack Zduriencik, signed some key players this past offseason and so far they are paying off. Granted it’s only April, but the Mariners are showing promise. 

The Mariners acquired outfielder Michael Morse this offseason.  After spending four seasons with the Washington Nationals, he’s returned to the place where his MLB career began; and he has been red hot thus far.  He hit four longballs during the opening series against the Oakland A’s, and now has six homeruns with nine RBI’s.  For a while, the Mariners didn't have a real threat at the plate, but the search seems to be over, as Morse is proving that he is the guy opposing pitchers should fear. 

Unfortunately, Morse recently suffered a fracture in his pinkie finger on his right hand.  This is really bad news for the Mariners as he is their best all-around player right now.  Fortunately, he's expected to miss only about a week, but the Mariners are definitely going to miss him in the lineup.

Seattle also acquired first baseman and designated hitter Kendrys Morales this offseason in a trade with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.  So far, Morales is off to a good start with one homerun and six RBI’s.  Morales had a lot of success in Anaheim before the unfortunate injury where he broke his leg after celebrating a walk-off homerun. 

Raul Ibanez is also a new addition to the Mariners, and despite his age, is always a threat at the plate.

An area of concern for the Mariners is the pitching staff.  They have improved their lineup, but aside from Felix Hernandez there isn't anyone who is overly dominating.  They also signed Joe Saunders who has been an effective pitcher in the past, but is getting up there in age. He’s not necessarily dominating, but he can pitch efficiently, and be a good asset to Seattle; as long as their offense is able to hit and give him some run support.  

The Mariners just acquired pitcher Aaron Harang from the Colorado Rockies via trade for pitcher Steven Hensley and cash considerations.  Harang will be a solid addition to the team.  The starting rotation before they acquired Harang was: Hisashi Iwakuma, Brandon Maurer, Blake Beavan, Hernandez, and Saunders.  Overall, the pitching staff as a whole, bullpen included, is better than it was.

Seattle placed outfielder Michael Saunders on the 15-day disabled list due to a sprained AC joint in his right shoulder.  Saunders is a great defensive outfielder and has had some clutch hits for the Mariners in the past.  They called up Endy Chavez to take his spot on the roster. They have enough defensive talent and good offensive hitters, so this injury won’t deflate them as a team.

The Mariners ended 2012 on a decent note and showed some promise for the future. Their front office went out and got some talented guys to add to the roster, who have the potential to significantly improve their team.  Their success in 2013 will have a lot to do with the performance of Morse as he is cruicial to their offense.  The AL West has become one of the best divisions in all of baseball, as they are a division full of talent.  2013 looks to be an exciting season, and the Mariners are a greatly improved team, when healthy, and have the talent to compete this year.