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JOE SAUNDERS

In fairness, he'd thrown like 4 good games before getting destroyed by the Pirates on Tuesday.

In added fairness, his K/BB/HR is running at perfect RPM redline:

The 2011 Joe Saunders wouldn't have gone out and run a K/BB/HR as similar to 2011 as the 2013 Saunders has.  I dunno what I'm sayin'... he was what they thought he was.  He's the same; circumstances are not.

Okay.  Saunders was brought in on a one-year deal.  There were reasons for that.  Those reasons are now well-and-truly extinct.  Seriously.  List the reasons he was brought here, and now ask whether those reasons still exist.  Hint:  they do not.

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KENDRYS MORALES

Hitting .146/.205/.220 the last two weeks, as the Mariners attempt to rise from the ashes and fan the flames of their "attack" on being anywhere near .500.

Dr. D has imperiously ruled his 2009 a career spike, never to return.  That would be rather important as it applies to his bank account.  Two months ago, we were discussing his shot at a career year and a $75M deal; the "qualifying offer" for him, coming in to this year, was what, $13, 14M?  We have presumed that he'd cost way too much to stay in Seattle.  But as you point out, he'd be a cool DH, at the right price.

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BRENDAN RYAN

.118 AVG with a .147 SLG the last two weeks.   For a short time there, it looked like maybe he'd salvage a "nauseating" offensive season.  He has collapsed back in to "gasp-inducing."

In 2003, at age 30, Pokey Reese hit as bad as Ryan ... well, almost, not quite.  In 2004 the Red Sox brought him in to back up as a glove specialist.  At that time, the Founding Father told me acidly via e-mail, "Our field manager thought he was the best defensive player in baseball, which we conceded might be worth a #25 roster slot."  Pokey retired the next year.

It's a creative idea, using him as a defensive specialist, and Earl used to love highly-specialized bench players.  Not this one, I don't think.  He's obviously a strong personality in the clubhouse, and it's not clear to me that glove wizards make good backup infielders anyway.

That's my opinion I could be wrong.

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MICHAEL MORSE

He hit 6 home runs in the first 10 games, was thrilled to be here, and it wasn't his fault that he took a nasty fastball off the metacarpal.  That's not injury prone, getting hit on the finger like that.

Also, he's hitting .375 with a .563 SLG the last two weeks.  He's a big guy, takes a big rip at the bawl, and it takes him ten days to get his timing back after one of his many injuries.  His OPS+ is 115 and when he's right, he is a serviceable MLB(TM) Cleanup Hitter.

That said, Dr. D agrees with youse guys:  as he turns 31, he's a proven health question.  Only once has he played more than 102 games.

The UP scenario for him, as with Morales, is for him to take a Hisashi Iwakuma-type cut rate deal, and then to "surprise" with a career year in 2014 or 2015.  That's perfectly feasible.

Youse guys prefer Morales in that scenario.  I prefer Morse, would still be enthused to see him re-up, but it's kind of a matter of taste.  Part of it is Morse being able to play the field, and part is the fact that Morales is somewhat similar to what the U-26 crew brings to the table. 

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JASON BAY

Slugging .125 the last two weeks.  We didn't say, "batting" .125.  His health seems to be flagging already in June.  See the last Joe Saunders paragraph, please.

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ENDY CHAVEZ

OBP in the 2's and SLG in the 2's, lately.  See the last Jason Bay paragraph, please.  The young players are now doing well enough that the swap-out looms, and we haven't even gotten to Spec's topic of the pitching rotation.  

What kind of delta do you expect now, the rest of the season, between Endy Chavez, OF, and Dustin Ackley, OF?  Between Jason Bay and Justin Smoak?  Seems here that Rauuuul, Morales, and Morse are plenty 'nuff retreads from here on out.

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All things considered, I'd rather be in Philadelphia, sez the Mariners' pennant chances.  But we like the fact that the right players are the ones coming on.