33-year old switch hitting Jose Vidro is back as the DH this season for the Mariners. He played in 147 games last season for the Mariners and he was 172 for 548 (.314 avg, .775 OPS) with 78 runs scored, 6 homers and 59 RBIs. Look for Vidro’s power to improve in his second season in the American League.

23-year old righty swinging Wladimir Balentin might get a chance to get some at bats at DH at some point this season. He played in only 3 games for the Mariners last season and he was 2 for 3 with a double, homer, run scored and 4 RBIs. Balentin played in 124 games in AAA ball last season and he was 139 for 477 (.291 avg, .871 OPS) with 77 runs scored, 24 homers and 84 RBIs. He has a bright future with the Mariners and it could start sooner rather than later.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE 2008 SEASON: C+

29-year old righty swinging Adrian Beltre will be the starter again this season at 3B. He played in 149 games for the Mariners last season and he was 164 for 595 (.276 avg, .801 OPS) with 87 runs scored, 26 homers, 99 RBIs and 14 stolen bases. He played in 147 games at 3B last season and he made 24 errors but showed outstanding range. Look for Beltre to have another solid season for the Mariners in 2008.

Willie Bloomquist played 20 error-free games at 3B last season while showing outstanding range. Miguel Cairo played in 22 games at 3B last season and he made 2 errors while showing average range.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE 2008 SEASON: B

26-year old righty swinging Yuniesky Betancourt has been a solid starter the last couple of seasons for the Seattle Mariners. He played in 155 games last season for the Mariners and he was 155 for 536 (.289 avg, .726 OPS) with 72 runs scored, 9 homers, 67 RBIs and 5 stolen bases. Betancourt is likely capable of even more offense in 2008. He played in 152 games at SS last season for the Mariners and he made 23 errors while showing good range.

Miguel Cairo and Willie Bloomquist will backup Betancourt this season. Cairo played in 16 games at shortstop last season and he didn’t make any errors while showing outstanding range. Bloomquist played in 20 games at shortstop for the Mariners last season and he only made 1 error while showing below average range.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE 2008 SEASON: B-

24-year old righty swinging Jose Lopez will try to rebound from a tough season. He was playing with a heavy heart last season due to the death of his brother so he might have had some issues with concentration, but no one denies his talent. He played in 149 for the Mariners last season and he was 132 for 524 (.252 avg, .639 OPS) with 58 runs scored, 11 homers and 62 RBIs. Lopez also showed outstanding range in the field and he only made 8 errors in 146 games. Look for him to rebound with a fine 2008 season for the Mariners.

34-year old righty swinging Miguel Cairo was brought in to provide depth at 2B in case Lopez has another rough season. He played in 82 games for the Cardinals and Yankees last season and he was 44 for 174 (.253 avg, .631 OPS) with 20 runs scored, 15 RBIs and 10 stolen bases. Cairo is a solid defender as he didn’t make an error in 12 games at 2B last season while showing average range.

30-year old righty swinging Willie Bloomquist plays all over the field. He played in 91 games for the Mariners last season as he was 48 for 173 (.277 avg, .650 OPS) with 28 runs scored, 2 homers, 13 RBIs and 7 stolen bases. Bloomquist’s main assets are his versatility on defense and his speed. He played in 20 games at 2B for the Mariners in 2007 and he made 4 errors while showing poor range.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE 2008 SEASON: B-

The Mariners have released 28-year old lefty starter Horacio Ramirez. Ramirez was so awful last season that it doesn’t surprise me that the Mariners decided to cut him loose despite still being young. He pitched in 20 games (all starts) last season for the Mariners and he was 8-7 with a 7.16 ERA and a 1.47 WHIP. Some desperate team will give Ramirez another shot soon with starting pitching being so scarce.