AJ Centerfield

Ever since he got off the disabled list Austin Jackson has been one of the better players on the Mariners.

He is another line of really good centerfielders the Mariners have had. With the list of who’s who in the history of the Mariners we would say he is steady instead of outstanding like Junior, Mike Cameron, and Franklin Gutierrez. He will make the plays any centerfielder should make. He will seldom make a mistake. Like the other three guys listed he isn’t the hitter any of them were. I would say closer to Gutierrez though. He doesn’t have the arm of the three but is able to cover centerfield with ease.

Austin Jackson will show off some power occasionally like hitting a grand slam homer against his former team the Detroit Tigers tonight (July 7). He will steal some bases as well; however, he is not the lead-off hitter the Mariners hoped for when they traded for him about a year ago. I would say he would be better batting second which he has done more recently or down in sixth or seventh in the batting order. Right now he maybe the best choice in leading off though the Mariners had Logan Morrison doing so against right handed pitchers.

When the season ends AJ will become a free agent if he isn’t resigned by the Mariners before the season ends. We haven’t heard anything about him staying with the Mariners beyond this season. Depending on what the Mariners do for the rest of July could decide whether to trade AJ or not. With amount of depth the Mariners have in pitching they could get involved in a multi-player trade; however, I likely not see that coming. The more likely-hood would be a three team trade in the same manner they got AJ last season.

I was looking to see what may be out there for the Mariners to sign as a free agent centerfielder. I did not really see much the idea would be resign AJ, go via a trade for another centerfielder, or promote within. The only centerfielder in the organization would be James Jones, and I don’t see him as an everyday player. Signing AJ to another contract would depend how much he is asking for and what the market bares. I don’t think the Mariners would look at signing him for more than what he is paying now around $8 million, and I would only sign him for two years, and maybe an option for a third year.

The Mariners do have questions as well in other places in the order as well especially in left fielder. The Mariners need a full time left fielder or a good right handed bat to split time with Seth Smith. I will bring up that issue another time. We can only hope that AJ continues on the improvement he has done since coming off the disabled list. I could see the Mariners sticking with him for a couple more years.

The next addition will be the all-star break and what the Mariners may do the rest of the season going forward.