Moves to make the Mariners a playoff team

This year the Mariners finished five games behind Houston for the division title and two games out of the second wild-card spot. Since the Mariners did not pick up Kyle Seager’s option for next year, its 25-man payroll stands at around $65 million and is the fifth lowest in Major League Baseball. It is also well below the luxury tax threshold of $210 million. Seattle has a core of young players, and now is an excellent time to pick up some free agents to take this team to the next level.

The starting rotation needs to be addressed first. With all the injuries to the Mariners’ starting rotation...