Injuries have quickly changed the complexion of the Mariners infield. Second baseman will mi s after suffering a tear in his left biceps and undergoing surgery. First baseman has shifted to the outfield in the wake of a fracture in shoulder, which will sideline him . is currently relegated to DH work and wont play the infield for another week or two, . He underwent knee surgery back in October and is dealing with some discomfort in his side as well. With those early changes to the infield composition, the Mariners are poking around the market for potential external additions, . A major trade this time of year is rare but not unheard of. The Brewers just picked up young right-hander in a trade with the Red Sox earlier this week, helping to shore up an injury-ravaged rotation in Milwaukee. Last years trade of from Miami to San Diego occurred in early May. Of course, the Mariners spent the bulk of the offseason pursuing trades to bolster their infield and ultimately wound up making a series of small free agent signings instead clearly not finding a match to their liking. Its unlikely that there are any teams that have strongly rethought their status as postseason hopefuls just a few weeks into the season. As such, its unlikely that there are any players available on the trade market at present whose teams Ilya Mikheyev Jersey werent willing to discu s them over the winter. If the Mariners couldnt find an offseason trade of note to bolster their infield, its hard to envision them suddenly doing so now. That said, Jude notes that Seattles front office is combing other rosters and looking at veteran players who are on minor league deals elsewhere. Many veterans will have opt-out dates and upward mobility clauses in April. Article XX(b) free agents (i.e. six-plus years of MLB service, finished the preceding season on a major league roster/injured list) who signed minor league contracts have a uniform opt-out opportunity on May 1. late in camp, though the majority this year happened to be pitchers. This type of acquisition wouldnt nece sarily be a sexy one, but the Mariners have gotten no production to date out of or , and theyre hitting .200/.303/.333 as a team as of this writing. The bar for improvement is fairly low. Tellez and Solano will surely get some runway to turn things around, but its sensible to looking at other, similar veteran options who could potentially be had on the cheap. Among the veteran infielders on minor league deals and hitting well in Triple-A with other clubs are (Phillies), (Angels), (Royals), (Royals) and (Giants). Help could always come from the farm system as well. Jude writes that the organization is prioritizing top prospect s development at the moment and doesnt want to rush him to the big leagues but could consider an accelerated path for third baseman . Young is hitting .178/.302/.267 in Triple-A at the moment anyhow, making it tough to consider him an upgrade. Williamson is a plus defender at third base whos gotten some reps in the middle infield, too. Hes light on power but has plus contact skills and is out to a .286/.314/.347 start in Tacoma. He batted .283/.375/.394 in 541 plate appearances between High-A and Double-A last year. First baseman didnt hit in his big league debut last year but is slashing .286/.359/.457 through his first nine games in Triple-A this season. If Seattles offensive doldrums continue much longer and theres no help to be found outside the organization, it stands to reason that Williamson and/or Locklear could get early looks to help right the ship. Dennis Hull Jersey