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And here's why:
Great franchises during their lousy seasons, play a lineup that is competitive today AND looks to the future.  How does 40 more games of Kotchman do either?
Carp, Mangini, Smoak...all will be better produces than Kotchman.  All will actually be Mariners next year. Playing Kotchman simply gives AB's to a player womebody else will ahve next year.  IF Kotch could hit a lick you could argue that he is part of the most competitive team they can field this year....But it is a tough argument to make that he is clearly superior to Carp, or Smoak...or M. Wilson (playing Branyan at 1B).  Kotchman has been a disaster.  He's a fine citizen and by all accounts a hard worker...but a god-awful bat at 1B.  Many peoply think that jack Wilson, who may be one of the best SS gloves (a very important thing) in in league, is not valuable in the lineup becasue of his bat.  Well...if Wilson isn't than Kotchman isn't close.  If playing purely defensive 1B guys was a winning strategy then we would have been seeing it for the past 100 years. 
Developing a team means you have to look at your players agains the caliber of folks they will play against.  120 more AAA Ab's does nothing for Carp or Wilson or Smoak.  120 more kotchman AB's doesn nothing for the M's.
Seems simple.
 
moe