The Mariners are showing "continued interest" in free agent pitcher Ervin Santana, according to Jon Morosi of Fox Sports.
Seattle has been connected to a number of free agent pitchers already this offseason. They had interest in former Athletics pitcher Bartolo Colon before he signed with the Mets and they have been listed among the potential suitors for Japanese ace Masahiro Tanaka. With all signs pointing to Tanaka remaining in Japan for the 2014 season, the Mariners might be shifting their focus now and honing in on Santana.
Santana posted a career-best 3.24 ERA with the Royals last season, going 9-10 in 32 starts while pitching 211 innings for Kansas City. The 31-year-old has been erratic in his nine-year career, posting ERAs over 5.00 three times and ERAs over 4.00 three times. He has a career ERA 4.19, which works about to be exactly league-average when adjusted for environment. Home runs have been his Achilles's heel in his worst seasons. In 2012 he allowed two homers per nine innings on his way to a league leading 39 home runs allowed and a 5.16 ERA. He has allowed 1.2 HR/9 for his career.
The Mariners have been big players this offseason, adding top free agent Robinson Cano on a $240 million deal and bolstering their offense further with the signing of Corey Hart and a trade for Logan Morrison. Seattle has a strong duo at the top of their rotation in Felix Hernandez and Hisashi Iwakuma, as well as young pitching talent in Taijuan Walker and Blake Beavan, but they have been hoping to add a productive mid-rotation arm to that mix this winter.