Seattle Mariners: Projecting the 2013 Batting Order

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Justin Upton, gone. Josh Hamilton, gone. Mike Napoli, gone. Mark Reynolds, gone.

The Mariners have failed to land any of the top free-agent sluggers this offseason, but they signed veteran outfielder Jason Bay and acquired a quality hitter in first baseman Kendrys Morales via trade with the Angels on Wednesday (via ESPN). 

Morales is a proven hitter and Bay was once a highly feared offensive player who hopes to rejuvenate his career in the Pacific Northwest, where he attended college.

With these two offensive additions and more to come, here's how the M's batting order should look in 2013.

Bench:

1B Justin Smoak

INF Robert Andino

OF Casper Wells

OF Eric Thames

1B/OF Mike Carp

1. Dustin Ackley, 2B

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2012 stats: .226, 12 HR, 50 RBI, 84 runs.

What to expect in '13: Ackley suffered a setback after finishing sixth in Rookie of the Year voting following the 2011 campaign. A move back to the top of the lineup will help Ackley regain his stride and continue to score runs for the Mariners.

2. Michael Saunders, RF

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2012 stats: .247, 19 HR, 57 RBI, 21 stolen bases.

What to expect in '13: At this point, it's pretty clear Saunders will never hit for a high average. His career-high 19 home runs from a season ago are encouraging, and he showed off great speed on the base paths, successfully swiping 21 bags in 25 attempts. He also proved handy with the leather, totaling four outfield assists.

3. Kyle Seager, 3B

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2012 stats: .259, 20 HR, 86 RBI.

What to expect in '13: Seager led the Mariners in nearly every offensive category last season and at the age of 25 unquestionably has a bright future. His power numbers should only improve with the shrunken Safeco outfield.

4. Kendrys Morales, 1B

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2012 stats: .273, 22 HR, 73 RBI.

What to expect in '13: The addition of Morales is huge for the Mariners. The 29-year-old is a career .281 hitter and finished fifth in MVP voting in '09, then suffered a strange injury when he broke his leg while celebrating a walk-off grand slam. When Morales is fully healthy, he's a superb hitter.

5. Jesus Montero, DH

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2012 stats: .260, 15 HR, 62 RBI

What to expect in '13: Montero also suffered a bit of a second-year setback after a brief stint in the majors in 2011 led many to believe he would achieve immediate success. His numbers were very respectable for a 22-year-old in his first full season, and I expect Montero to improve upon his stats from last season.

6. Jason Bay, LF

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2012 stats: .165, 8 HR, 20 RBI.

What to expect in '13: The past three years in New York were rough for Jason Bay, to say the least. After being strongly considered for MVP honors in '09, Bay's past three seasons have yielded just 26 homers and 124 RBI. While this is a huge red flag, Seattle signed Bay for just one year and for pennies, so he's worth the risk. I don't expect Bay to have his fifth 30-plus home run season, but a change of scenery should help him turn things around.

7. John Jaso, C

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2012 stats: .276, 10 HR, 50 RBI, .394 OBP.

What to expect in '13: Jaso was probably the most underappreciated guy on the M's roster last season. He came through in the clutch countless times and was excellent defensively. Jaso walked more times than he struck out last season and has always had the ability to get on base. Look for him to move up the lineup and play a pivotal role again this season.

8. Brendan Ryan, SS

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2012 stats: .194, 3 HR, 31 RBI.

What to expect in '13: Ryan struggled mightily at the plate last season but excelled at shortstop, posting a DWAR of 3.6 and committing only nine errors in 601 total chances. Ryan's glove will always keep him on the field even if he continues to hit below the Mendoza line, but I think he'll get back on track this year. If anything, hitting eighth will allow him to bunt runners over.

9. Franklin Gutierrez, CF

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2012 stats: .260, 4 HR, 17 RBI (40 games).

What to expect in '13: Guti hasn't been able to stay healthy lately, playing in only 132 games over the past two seasons. When healthy, he's a solid hitter and a top-tier defensive center fielder. We're all waiting for him to bounce back and perform like he did in '09, but for now he makes a perfect second leadoff and has little pressure on him at the bottom of the order. He's versatile and can hit anywhere in the lineup, so watch for him to move around based on his health and performance.