Seattle.Mariners.MLB.com

By Jim Street / MLB.com

Jolbert Cabrera played every position but pitcher and catcher this past season. (Elaine Thompson/AP)

Mariners fans from east to west, north to south and even overseas have questions about the team, and we're here to answer as many of them as we can. Please e-mail your questions, and include your name and the city in which you live.

Q: I was impressed with the play of Jolbert Cabrera this past season. He played fairly well in any of the positions that Bob Melvin penciled him in to. I have mixed feelings about a guy like Jolbert. You want him on your roster because of his versatility, but the Mariners seem to have been doing that over the last few seasons in lieu of acquiring more offensive-minded talent. We've got some guys that can play many positions, but none are really significant power threats. What can be done about that? -- John C., North Bend, WA

A: As you say, Jolbert Cabrera did a fine job playing practically every position on the field last season, and every team needs someone like that. Willie Bloomquist is another. Neither is a home run threat, but if they were, they would be playing every day in one position and not being moved around so much. The key to putting together a 25-man roster is having regular players with some power mixed with guys like Cabrera and Bloomquist who can fill in and contribute in other ways.

Q: Coming off a tough season as a Mariners fan, I was wondering what kind of changes you think the Mariners will make during the offseason. Also, who do you think the Mariners will get as their new manager? Thanks.

A: The game plan going into the offseason is to improve the middle of the lineup, and add at least one, perhaps two, player(s) with home run potential. Potential free agents Troy Glaus (Angels) and Carlos Delgado (Blue Jays) are expected to get considerable interest from the Mariners. As for the new manager, it's just a guess, but look for someone who has Major League managerial experience and has worked with general manager Bill Bavasi in the past.

Q: Do you think Justin Leone will come back to play in the 2005 season? -- Russell V.

A: Unless he's traded, Leone figures to be one of the third base candidates in Spring Training. He showed that he can hit the ball a long way, hitting several second-deck home runs at Safeco Field, but he struck out too many times. He will be spending several weeks in Lara, Venezuela this winter honing his hitting skills.

Q: I'm a little removed from the Seattle media so I'm not able to keep up with Mariners news quite as well as I'd like. Is there any talk of bringing in a legitimate No. 1 starter and a middle-of-the-order bat? Also, who are the frontrunners for the managerial job, and are they looking for somebody with a little more "fire" than BoMel? Thanks. -- Brad B., Anthem, AZ

A: There is some talk about bringing in a "legitimate" No. 1 starter, but the team must first address the fact it finished last in runs scored and RBIs this past season. You would be surprised how much better pitchers can be with some run support. Just ask Kenny Rogers of the Rangers. His ERA was about the same as Mariners right-hander Ryan Franklin (4.76 to 4.90), and Rogers had an 18-9 record compared to Franklin's 4-16 record. The scuttlebutt is that Bavasi is looking for an experienced manager with great communication skills with players and coaches.

Q: Do you think the size of Safeco Field has anything to do with top hitters not wanting to come to play in Seattle because their career numbers will suffer? Maybe we should think about moving the outfield walls in a little bit. Then we could attract some of the top hitters. Was this one of the reasons why Griffey and/or A-Rod left? -- Erik H., York, PA

A: The cool dampness in April, May, June and September has more to do with hitters shying away from Safeco Field than the dimensions. It can be downright cold early in the season, and the ball doesn't travel nearly as well as it does in the hotter months of July and August. Bringing in the fences would help a little, but that wouldn't make it a warmer place to play. And, yes, that is one reason Ken Griffey Jr. and Alex Rodriguez wanted to play elsewhere.

Q: What will happen to veterans like Jamie Moyer and Bret Boone, and what do you think of the young guns such as Jose Lopez, Jeremy Reed, Bucky Jacobsen, etc? What do you think they will plan to do this offseason for free agents? I have been waiting for a big trade or signing for a while now. -- Sean S., Conyers, GA

A: Moyer and Boone are signed through the 2005 season, so unless they are traded, they will return for at least one more year. Lopez, Reed and Jacobsen all figure in the roster plans for next season, but exactly how they fit in depends on whether Bavasi can land some productive hitters with run-producing capabilities. You have to wait a little longer for some action, as Major League Baseball has an embargo against making trades (or announcing them) during the playoffs. And players don't become free agents until after the World Series.

Q: Even though he is still just 18 years old, Felix Hernandez continues to dominate Class A and Double-A hitters as he establishes himself as the best pitching prospect in the game. Is there any chance that the Mariners will give Hernandez a call to the Majors before September, and whatever happened to Ryan Anderson? -- Stephen L, Anchorage, AK

A: The fact Hernandez is only 18 years old has a lot to do with how the Mariners are bringing him along in the minor leagues. If he stays healthy, Hernandez could be the next great pitcher in the American League, but his body is still maturing and the last thing management wants to do is rush him to the big leagues. There always is a chance of him being promoted in September, but that depends on how he does next summer. Anderson, by the way, is still recuperating in Arizona.

Q: My only complaint, other than lack of a winning season, is that we are unable to get all the Mariner games, as we do not get the Seattle station KSTW here in Ketchikan, Alaska. Why aren't all the games shown on FSN? -- Carolyn W.

A: FSN has a contract with KSTW that requires a certain number of games, so that people who do not have cable can see some Mariners games, as well. If the Mariners didn't have an over-the-air partner, FSN would not necesarilly carry more games; they would just televise fewer games.

Q: As a displaced Mariners fan, I don't get much of a chance to get to Safeco to watch the M's play ball. My biggest concern for next year is the replacement of Melvin. I was optimistic at first, but my optimism dwindled throughout the year. He did a great job his first season, but this last one was nothing to be particularly proud of. What is going on there? I would like to see the Mariners pick up next year and make the AL West the best division in baseball. -- Kevin T., Athens, GA

A: Bob Melvin did the same job last season as he did in 2003, but the players did not produce the same way, and therefore 2004 was a poor season. As you know, Melvin was dismissed and the search is on for his replacement.

Q: Now that the Mariners fired Bob Melvin (though difficult, it was the correct action to take), what type of manager do you think they will be looking at? The fact that the manager doesn't play doesn't mean that they can make this team win. It all depends on what it looks like in April. I hope they don't go for someone who has been recycled over and over again. They need a leader, one who thoroughly knows the game but also has the instincts and knows when to use them. Maybe Lou Piniella was a bit too fiery for this management group, but make no mistake, he had the qualities in what the Mariners need in a new manager. But that is only part of it, they first need to put a team together than can compete and win. The manger can push the buttons, but the players need to execute. -- Terry M.

A: The last part of your email hits the nail on the head. Unless a manager has good players, he won't win, and that is plain and simple. Joe Torre didn't have the talent to win until becoming the Yankees manager. Dick Williams once told me that the best manager in the game is only worth four to five wins a year.

Q: Why didn't the Mariners keep John Olerud? I don't understand why we get rid of the best first baseman. His bat will come around, like all hitters do. I think that was a bad thing to do to John, a former (Washington State) Cougar who wanted to come back to Seattle to stay. Thank you. -- Jerry G.

A: The same thing would have happened even if Olerud had been a former (University of Washington) Husky. He simply wasn't producing (22 RBIs in 166 at-bats), and the team was so far out of the pennant race that management had to find out if younger players in the system could fit into future plans. No one wanted to see John Olerud leave, but even he said he understood the decision.

Jim Street is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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