GM Jack Zduriencik’s ears must have been burning. That, or he is an avid follower of Mission Mariner.

Just hours after we questioned why the Mariners were waiting so long to acquire a desperately needed bat before the July 31^st non-waiver trade deadline, Zduriencik promptly went out and traded for former Mariner Kendrys Morales to take over the designated hitter duties.

Coincidence?

All kidding aside, the Mariners made a deft move by picking up the switch hitting Morales. Not only did they acquire a bona fide hitter that is proven at Safeco Field (.811 OPS at home for the Mariners last season) but Zduriencik only had to part with relief pitcher Stephen Pryor, who has been recovering from an arm injury all season. When healthy, Pryor is a solid bullpen arm, but his departure had no adverse effect on the Mariners relief corps.  And by not having to give up any of their top prospects, the Mariners retain the ability to pursue additional trades.

Morales will join the Mariners tonight for the second of four game series against the Baltimore Orioles. And none too soon. The Mariners offense has been struggling the past month, averaging a mere 2 runs per game.  They have lost 12 of their last 19, including last nights 4-0 loss to the Orioles.   The Mariners managed just 5 hits, and were shut out for the 12^th time this season, second most in the American League.  Worse, the loss dropped the Mariners out of sole possession of the second wild card – a spot they’ve held since June 24 – and now find themselves 0.5 games behind both the New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays.

Adding another hitter appears to be on the agenda for Zduriencik, as recent reports indicate the Mariners made a formal trade offer to Colorado for centerfielder Drew Stubbs. The former top prospect for the Cincinnati Reds has resurrected his career with the Rockies this season, slashing a .297/.335/.498. However, Colorado’s thin air is notorious for inflating offensive numbers, and that appears to be the case with Stubbs. At Coors Field this season, Stubbs is slashing a monstrous .351/.379/.619. But away from Coors, Stubbs is putting up a meager .229/.277/.343.   With those kinds of home/road splits, one would have to wonder why Zduriencik would be interested in acquiring Stubbs? Yes, Stubbs would provide manager Lloyd McClendon another right handed hitter who could provide above average defense in the outfield. But for a team needing offense, such drastic splits should be a gigantic red flag.

While other teams find themselves gaining momentum, the wind has left the Mariners sails. The Mariners finally added some offensive help, and Morales is a definite upgrade. But the addition of another hitter or two will be needed if the Mariners have any hope of keeping pace with their competition. With six days still to go before the deadline, there is time for the Mariners add more offensive pieces.

Let’s just hope it doesn’t take as long to do so as it did for Zduriencik to add Morales.