Nonsense. There is no “must” about it. Some of these writers… I mean, jeez, REALLY?

I completely disagree. With the core of Ackley, Seager, Montero, Wells, Saunders, Smoak etc along with the 3 stud pitching prospects that could all be in the rotation in the next 2 years, this is a team that could be a contender as soon as next season.

Seattle has some of the best arms in their farms system right now. In addition, the team is very young and promising with a core group of potential studs in Ackley, Seger, Montero, Saunders, Wells, Smoak…this team is on the rise. This team will be a contender and it could be as soon as next season.

Armstrong and Lincoln’s biggest mistake was giving Bavasi as much lattitude as they gave Gillick.

Also, if you are not willing to throw Harper into that deal then it probably is not happening. Start your offer with Harper and Rendon. And probably a high upside AA pitcher.

Who do you really think we could get for him? Prospects won’t cut it. We would need to get established, producing, excellent major league players in return. What team do you think can even provide the value we would need to get in return? Can’t be done.

It’s not speculation to say he likes playing here once it has been said by the player. Yes, Prince Fielder liked playing in Milwaukee too. Well, Felix already has a contract that pays him like the Cy Young winning pitcher he is. With payroll coming off the books so from, let’s face it, bad contracts the M’s have the ability to extend him at the 20-25, maybe even 30 million per year for an additional 4-5 years and still compete.

There is a wealth of prospects in the Mariner system as well. From pitchers like Hultzen to catchers like Mizino (yes, I know it’s his first year – already at AA) and fielders like Franklin. The M’s are ready to compete.

Stop saying the Mariners should trade Felix unless you are ready to say the Yankees should trade Cano, or CC. Or that the Nat’s should trade Strasburg or Harper. That would be crazy though, right?

If they did the deal, I would imagine that something along the lines of Ross Detwlier, Alex Meyer Anthony Rendon and Steve Lombardozzi would be the offer. That’s potentially two-fifths of Seattle’s rotation (a hard throwing lefty with three years left of team control and a righty who can top 99 on the gun), the top college bat from last year’s draft and a good starting 2nd basemen who can lead off.

A liberal.

I follow most teams, honestly, and can give you a rundown as thorough as this one of nearly half the league. I am a fan of the game, not of any single team.

The reason I’d like to see the M’s run the right way is because seeing a well run team execute is the thing I enjoy the most about the sport. Fluke teams do not interest me. Teams that make tons of mistakes but can buy their way out of them do not interest me. But teams that do things right interest me, even if the end result is not the wins they should have for their efforts(luck can sabotage even the best built teams).

The Rays are probably the best run franchise in the game, in terms of executing from top to bottom organizationally. I also think the Brewers get a lot right. The A’s are another I admire, and I liked the Red Sox teams from 2004-2008 or so. The Yankees in the mid-90′s were great, at least for people who admire the aspects of the game that I do.

Conversely, the Giants are atrocious to follow. Dodgers, Marlins and the Yankees since 1999 or so. And easily the most horrible batch I’ve ever seen(perhaps because of my proximity), has to be the Bavasi years with the M’s. That said, I don’t live in Pittsburgh.

You say you’re not a Seattle fan, so I don’t understand why you would have a vested interest in seeing good M’s baseball. Your tax dollars or other contributions are likely supporting the team anyway. If you’re a fan of another team from your past, keep supporting that team if you want. This isn’t the old Soviet Union, we as fans have the freedom to remain loyal to any team from where we lived before. I’ve lived in places where I could care less about the local team, it meant absolutely nothing to me.