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    Home » Zduriencik sheds light at MLB winter meetings
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    Zduriencik sheds light at MLB winter meetings

    Adam LewisBy Adam LewisDecember 10, 2013Updated:December 17, 20135 Comments3 Mins Read
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    Seattle Mariners General Manager Jack Zduriencik is expected to make significant changes to the club’s roster. / Sportspress Northwest file

    So the Mariners front office is willing to spend recklessly. That was made clear last week when it negotiated a soon-to-be-finalized 10-year, $240 million deal that poached second baseman Robinson Cano from the Yankees.

    Rumors persist that Seattle GM Jack Zduriencik will make another high-profile move in Florida this week at the MLB winter meetings.

    It’s new territory for a front office that recently finished a decade of traction-less activity.

    According to a Tuesday report from Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, Mariners catcher Mike Zunino is possible bait in a trade for Tampa lefty David Price. Given that Zunino, 22, hit .214 in 193 plate appearances during his rookie season, Seattle would likely have to package more players to land the 28-year-old Rays ace.

    Meanwhile, Taijuan Walker, Seattle’s prized flame-throwing right-hander, is apparently off-limits to potential suitors.

    “He is very well thought of and we relish him,” Zduriencik said Tuesday on 710 ESPN radio’s Wyman, Mike and Moore show. “At the end of the day my thought is that Taijuan Walker is going to be a Seattle Mariner.”

    Nobody has ruled Seattle out of the Shin-Soo Choo sweepstakes (Say “Shin-Soo Choo” sweepstakes” five times fast). The former Mariner hit .285 with .423/.462/.885 splits for the Reds last year, including 20 stolen bases and 21 home runs. Zduriencik said he’s had conversations with Choo’s camp this week but sounded unsure whether Seattle possesses the payroll to sign him.

    “Someone is going to make a very, very nice offer to Shin-Soo Choo,” Zduriencik said. “Depending on where the dollars end up, there’s a breaking point for everybody. We made one huge sign. You’re not going to be able to go out and do two or three more. It just financially isn’t feasible for us. We’ll see what happens.”

    Zduriencik is aggressively pursuing other free agents, reportedly offering Texas right fielder Nelson Cruz a five-year, $75 million deal earlier this week. Tuesday Zduriencik called the story “inaccurate.” However, he didn’t deny interest in Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp, and reiterated his desire to land a pair of corner outfielders.

    Tuesday Heyman reported that Seattle is struggling to decide if Kemp is worth trading for because of his injury history.

    Zduriencik was also asked his reaction to Geoff Baker’s damning story depicting a dysfunctional Mariners front office in Sunday’s Seattle Times.

    “I took it with a grain of salt. I read it,” Zduriencik said. “It is what it is. I’ve said what I’ve said. I sent my release out yesterday, and I don’t really have any more comments regarding that . . . (the former employees)  did what they did and that’s their decision. My decision is take the high road as best I can.

    “We’ve done exactly what we said we were going to do. We came in here. We had to rid some contracts. We had to build this minor league system. We had to do what we could to get young players to the big leagues. We’ve done that. And we’ve done it exactly within the budget we were given.”

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    5 Comments

    1. giorgio547 on December 11, 2013 6:11 am

      So, can Jack be squeezed into saying how many wins he has targeted for any particular year in the future or does that depend on the proverbial “It all depends”. I suppose he might take the high road to Scotland on that one, too…

    2. Greg on December 11, 2013 8:48 am

      Jack’s High Road is one slippery word slope. Geoff’s article (thank you!) was not a revelation but a confirmation of what we knew and have born witness to this last decade, no amount of Jack Speak can change what is. If the Mariners put a winning team on the field (the true High Road) this rabid fan base will happily display an amazing short memory.

      • Jamo57 on December 11, 2013 9:04 am

        This particular fan will stay on the sidelines until an arena project breaks ground somewhere in the Seattle area.

    3. jafabian on December 11, 2013 11:12 am

      I want Choo over Kemp. His skills are better suited for the team and he’s played in the AL before. Wouldn’t surprise me if Kemp pulled a Kevin Mitchell and hated hitting in the AL.

    4. Trygvesture on December 11, 2013 1:13 pm

      Oops– missed it again Jack. MORE THAN TWO DOZEN Former and CURRENT employees. Read it again and see if your forked tongue can speak any truth at all…
      Liar, liar pants on fire…

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