SEATTLE -- The top of the Mariners starting rotation already has one No. 1 pitcher in right-hander Felix Hernandez.

But a No. 1A sure would be nice.

That's the thinking of general manager Bill Bavasi, who has been trying for more than two months to acquire hard-throwing left-hander Erik Bedard from the Orioles. However, just three weeks from when pitchers and catchers report for Spring Training in Peoria, Ariz., the proposed trade remains on hold and no one seems to know when -- or if -- a deal will be finalized.

As of now, there will be 12 potential starting pitchers in camp vying for five spots.

"It is going to be an interesting Spring Training," said new pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre. "I don't know the guys real well, and they don't know me real well. But we will have six weeks together to get on the same page.

"I know Mac [manager John McLaren] wants to have a lot of one-on-one instruction and that's the sort of thing we're going to do. The theme of this camp for the starters will be: throw strikes, work ahead in the count, use both sides of the plate and mix your pitches. If you do all those things, you can be successful at the Major League level."

The Mariners' rotation last season was inconsistent, especially early in the season when early exits caused the bullpen to be overworked, contributing to a late-season collapse.

The starters were a combined 7-10 with a 5.71 ERA in April, averaging about five innings per start. They averaged 5.6 innings per start in May.

Seattle Mariners • Catchers: Johjima continues growth • Corner IF: Beltre, Sexson bring power • Middle IF: DP combo remains steady • Outfielders: Corner spots in flux • Starters: Mariners boast deep staff • Bullpen: Putz among game's best • DH/Bench: Mariners deep and versatile

"That worked against the bullpen," new bullpen coach Norm Charlton said. "The major reason the team had trouble in August is because in April and May the starters were reaching their pitch count limits in the fourth and fifth innings. You just cannot do that in April and May and expect [the relievers] to be strong in August and September."

That's where the "throw strikes and work ahead in the count" theory comes into play this season.

"We're going to address the use of pitches," Stottlemyre said. "Thinking back in years I pitched, I was guilty about it too. We need to be a little more prepared in the first couple of innings to keep our pitch-count down."

If the starters hear it once this spring they probably will hear it a hundred times: establish both sides of the plate.

"I am a big, big believer in pitching inside and I will tell you this, the Mariners will pitch inside this year," Stottlemyre said. "I am not afraid of going on record with that, because pitching inside is an absolute must. I think you have to pitch inside to be successful outside."

Stottlemyre presented a synopsis of the leading rotation candidates:

RHP Hernandez: "Felix is at the top of the rotation. He's a young pitcher that's shown a lot of progress and we're hoping he can step it up and go to the next level. He certainly is capable of it, stuff-wise. He has as good of stuff as anyone in the American League and his future has barely been tapped. He has a lot to give us and we look forward to getting as much out of him as we can."

LHP Jarrod Washburn: "He's a guy I am really looking forward to working with. In my mind, he has underachieved a little bit [in Seattle]. He has pitched his number of innings and that sort of thing, but I think he's capable of winning more ballgames than what he has done the past couple of years. He needs to be more consistent using both sides of the plate and mix his pitches better. I understand that Jarrod is a real hard worker and that fits right in with me. He'll attest to that."

RHP Carlos Silva: "Adding Carlos to the rotation [via free agency] is going to be a big plus for us. He's an innings-eater and has stayed healthy. As a sinkerball specialist, I believe he'll do much better pitching here than in that Metrodome. The surface there isn't as fast as it used to be, but with the grass infield at Safeco Field, a more spacious ballpark and the defense behind him, I think he will do great."

RHP Miguel Batista: "He had a terrific season last year for Seattle and brings a lot of experience. He kept his team in the majority of the games he pitched and we will rely on him doing the same thing next year."

RHP Brandon Morrow: "Barring a trade, Brandon has a little bit of an edge for the fifth spot. I saw him throw a couple of times in Arizona before he went to Venezuela and his stuff is just tremendous. The ball flies out of his hand. He also has a good slider and split-finger, so he has the pitches to become a starter. We'll see if he has the stamina. He's still a very young pitcher and hasn't been called upon to throw a lot of innings, so we'll have to be a little cautious with him."

Other candidates include left-handers Horacio Ramirez, Ryan Rowland-Smith and Ryan Feierabend, and right-handers Cha Seung Baek, R.A. Dickey and Sean White. White had a superb Winter League season for the Venezuela League Lara Cardenales, posting a 2.54 ERA in eight starts.

"I have noticed over the years in Spring Training that someone will see a door open and they will go in that door and shut it behind them," Stottlemyre said. "I'm really looking forward to somebody doing that this spring."

The game plan is to get as many of the starter candidates as possible built up to 100 pitches and 25 innings by the end of camp.

"We need to get all of them as shape-ready for the regular season as we can," Stottlemyre said.