Big decisions await Jack Zduriencik as he heads for GM meetings

Jack Zduriencik had been on the job for barely two weeks last year when he left for the general managers meetings in California.

Fans hadn't even learned to pronounce the name of the mysterious new general manager from Milwaukee. Zduriencik himself had only peripheral knowledge of the players in the Seattle system — and he also had the small matter of a managerial opening to fill.

As Zduriencik begins this year's three-day GM meetings Monday in Chicago, much has changed.

Zduriencik's choice, Don Wakamatsu, is ensconced as Seattle's manager after a successful 85-77 season that followed Zduriencik's deft reshaping of the Mariners roster.

And Zduriencik — who will be accompanied in Chicago by his new assistant GM, Jeff Kingston, as well as director of pro scouting Carmen Fusco and minor-league director Pedro Grifol — now has intimate knowledge of Mariners personnel at all levels.

"Last year, I was going on other people's recommendations," Zduriencik said. "Now I'll still listen to recommendations, but I have firsthand knowledge. The biggest thing is just the fact we feel like a team right now."

Zduriencik's challenge now is to rework the Mariners in hopes of moving them from fringe contender to playoff team. The GM meetings are only the start of that process, which will heat up at the winter meetings Dec. 7-10 in Indianapolis.

The GM meetings traditionally have been used to lay the groundwork for future trades, but Zduriencik didn't rule out more immediate action.

"You go there [to the GM meetings] to maybe lay the groundwork, but maybe someone wants to move right away," he said. "You don't know. I have discussions all the time. I talked to several general managers this week. We'll keep having ongoing discussions until I see something that makes sense, and you just don't know when that will be."

The trade market has already been surprisingly brisk. In the past week, outfielder Jeremy Hermida was traded from Florida to Boston; shortstop J.J. Hardy from Milwaukee to Minnesota for outfielder Carlos Gomez; and outfielder/infielder Mark Teahen from Kansas City to the Chicago White Sox for infielders Chris Getz and Josh Fields.

Those moves could be related to a predicted trend this offseason. Many executives feel that the number of arbitration-eligible players that are "non-tendered" — not offered contracts, thus making them free agents — will be larger than normal. This is a way for teams to shield themselves from the huge raises players invariably get via the arbitration process.

Teams will no doubt try to trade such players before turning them loose. Many listed above, such as Hermida, Hardy and Teahen, were non-tender candidates. The cutoff date for tendering contracts to arbitration-eligible players is Dec. 12 — two days after the winter meetings end.

Zduriencik obviously is aware of the potential influx of non-tenders, adding a supplemental free-agent market to the 170 or so free agents that will file in the next two weeks.

"Everyone will react if that happens," he said. "Even if players are out there, there are still 29 other teams that want to talk to that player."

The Mariners, incidentally, don't have any significant non-tender candidates among their five arbitration-eligible players. One of those is Felix Hernandez, whose contract status as he inches toward free-agent eligibility after the 2011 season is one of Zduriencik's top priorities this offseason.

Hernandez, a Cy Young candidate whom the Mariners will try to lock up to a long-term contract, obviously won't be non-tendered. Nor will outfielder Franklin Gutierrez, who emerged as a star in his first full season as a starter, or closer David Aardsma, who saved 38 games.

Reliever Mark Lowe, a valuable setup man, is also unlikely to be cut loose, while the decision on their fifth arbitration-eligible player, Ryan Langerhans, will be a baseball, rather than a financial, decision.

Zduriencik describes the Mariners' options as "a jigsaw puzzle," and it's still not clear how the pieces will fit. With outfielders Ichiro and Gutierrez the only position players assured of a job — second baseman Jose Lopez is a possible trade chip — and the rotation in flux beyond Hernandez, there are numerous spots to fill.

The presence this week of all the GMs under one roof will give Zduriencik a chance to accelerate the process of exploring his options.

"My goal since I've been here has been to improve the organization, improve the big-league club," Zduriencik said, "You never lose the big picture, but there's always a sense of immediacy."

It appears that two key issues could come to a head in the coming week. One is the status of shortstop Jack Wilson, with whom the Mariners are talking to about a multiyear contract. The Mariners must decide by next Sunday whether to exercise Wilson's $8.4 million option for 2010, which is highly unlikely, or buy him out for $600,000. The two sides are seeking a middle ground with a deal that would pay Wilson less annually but likely be for two years.

The other matter that could be resolved this week is the status of Ken Griffey Jr., who appears increasingly likely to return for a second year in his second incarnation as a Mariner.

There's also a chance that Zduriencik could meet with representatives of Cuban free-agent pitcher Aroldis Chapman while in Chicago.

Larry Stone: 206-464-3146 or lstone@seattletimes.com