Seattle Mariners: Playoffs, Trades, and My Math Teacher

(Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images)

It was a glorious day in June when I made a bet with my math teacher that the Mariners would return to the playoffs for the first time since their unforgettable yet increasingly distant season in 2001.

As a math teacher, he appropriately played the odds, knowing that the Mariners' playoff chances were at the time only 10 percent.

Fast forward about a month, and his side of the wager is still looking safe.

The All-Star break has arrived and the M's, although in prime position to pounce the Angels and take our rightfully deserved seat in 1st place, are still looking at under 20 percent odds.

But for me, it is not about the odds.

And the game of baseball is not about number crunching or endless formulas. It is about taking money away from the man that tortured me with hours of pointless algebra homework. I don't really care if the Mariners make the playoffs or not. I just want my five dollars.

Just kidding...but really,

Let me lay down a scenario for you. Let us say it was sometime in April, and you and I were eating ice cream cones at the local Creamery, when all of a sudden you have the audacity to tell me that come Trading Deadline, time the Mariners would be buyers.

Well, let me tell you that there would be so much Pralines 'n Cream on your face that you would no longer feel bad for forcing me to order Pralines 'n Cream in the first place.

But here we are in mid-July, and the Mariners have a legitimate shot at making the playoffs, standing only four games back from the LAA Angels. It has been a painful eight seasons since we last experienced the post-season.

So it would be foolish to throw in the towel, right?

There are some who justifiably say no, as many fans and writers have cautioned against the Mariners investing too much in the "now" and losing out in the future. Who can blame them? The last time the Mariners went in that direction, this happened.

And who says the Mariners cannot be both buyers and sellers? There are some players the Mariners can afford to go after who will still help this team. Zduriencik, who has already displayed this strategy, as seen in the Langerhans and Hannahan deals.

Not much was given up, and yet the roster was strengthened. There are plenty of opportunities for little doses of improvement within the team that will help sustain its performance for the second half.

There are also some clearly expendable Mariners *cough* Miguel Batista *cough*, that other teams would be willing to trade for. After the Betancourt trade, I am truly convinced that this front office could somehow get some value in return for any below average player in the organization.

(The exception may be Carlos Silva and his fat contract, but I have a feeling that he is being held onto for the much needed moral support.)

So what will it take to help the Mariners orchestrate a run at the AL West title? The most glaring vulnerability is the shortstop

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