Larry Stone of the Seattle Times calls the Mariners a "decided longshot" in the Barry Zito sweepstakes, but also writes of rumblings in the baseball world that they could make him an offer. Given the likely price and commitment, I don’t think a Zito signing would redeem Bill Bavasi’s offseason.
The rotation as it stands today:
Felix Hernandez
Jarrod Washburn
Miguel Batista
Horacio Ramirez
Jake Woods
Basically, King Felix plus four guys who pitch to contact. The White Sox made it work in ’05 with great defense, durability, and a little luck. Will the 2007 Mariner staff have those qualities?