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Seemed to love Carl Everett, FWIW.  Bradley will probably be liked by them as well...  more important apparently that you say something dumb than say nothing at all.  : ) 
I think the best way to look at the deal is that the Mariners improved both their talent level and their flexibility significantly in the deal.  They replaced an asset with high cost and zero upside, with one with a slightly higher cost and a very high upside.  They replaced a highly immobile asset with one that is IMO more mobile if he's playing well.
It also gets you a solid crack at a Bay- type offensive performance while giving up nothing in terms of draft picks or minor league prospects.
Every move Z has made, they all have hedges to ensure success.  FA signings are either short term, low-cost adds, or in the case of Figgins have a low liklihood of completely imploding.  (Figgins' defensive & OBP skills are not likely to erode, and even if they do, he will be useful as a utility bench guy).  All of the trades had talent coming in that added depth or addressed positions of need; and traded away players that were addition by subtraction (Betancourt), redundant, and/or had reached a high point on their production (Putz, Wash).
Gone is the mindset of gambling on players.  Z makes moves that improve the club or the minors.  He signs players that are going to help one way or another, and he makes sure he has plan B & C in the minors or on the team in case something goes haywire.