With J.J. Putz Leaving for New York, Who'll Be the Mariners' Closer?

With J.J. Putz being traded to the New York Mets, who will close for the Mariners in 2009 and in the future? The Mariners got Aaron Heilman in the trade, but can he manage the job? Several candidates are up for consideration.

The first candidate is Heilman. He did close several games for the Mets when Billy Wagner was unavailable, but he tends to walk more batters, which is a huge problem for a closer.

The second candidate is Miguel Batista. He earned closer experience with the Toronto Blue Jays just several years ago. He struggled as a starter this season, but he pitched nicely as a reliever, so it might be a good fit for him to close. Still, he is getting old and his contract will expire after the 2009 season, so he is not a long-term answer.

The third option is to bring Brandon Morrow back to the bullpen. I know he wants to start, but he clearly pitches better as a reliever. When Putz was out with an injury this season, he pitched very well. His ERA was around 1.50. I think Morrow should close again, if the Mariners can't find a good fit.

The fourth candidate is this year's first-round selection, Josh Fields. The Mariners drafted him 20th overall in the draft but failed to sign him. His agent is Scott Boras and it appears that he rejected all offers from the Mariners, but Fields wants to pitch as a pro as soon as possible.

It might work out if the Mariners can sign him before the Spring Training starts and test him.

The fifth option will be risky, but the Mariners could try either Roy Corcoran or Mark Lowe.

Corcoran signed a minor league contract with the Mariners in 2008, was called up to the majors in April when Putz got hurt, and pitched fine for the banged up Mariners bullpen. He pitched fine all season long, so he could be a fit, but I do not believe that the skipper Don Wakamatsu would try him.

Lowe tried to close several games when Putz was gone but was too inconsistent. All he did was hide in the locker and pie J.J. (Check YouTube for the video. Type in J.J. Putz and it will be there.)

The Mariners will face closer problems again if they can't find a long-term answer here.