# 2009 Seattle Mariners season

The 2009 Seattle Mariners season was the 33rd season in franchise history. They improved upon a disappointing 2008 season, where they finished last in the American League West with a 61–101 record. They finished 3rd in the AL West with an 85–77 record, a 24 win improvement. The 2009 Mariners became the 13th team in MLB history to have a winning record following a 100+ loss season. On September 13, 2009, Ichiro Suzuki got his 200th hit of the season. In the process, he set a new MLB record by getting at least 200 hits for nine consecutive seasons, passing the mark held by Wee Willie Keeler.

## Overview

Even before Opening Day, the season was marked with a flurry of change, most notably with the hiring of new general manager Jack Zduriencik, field manager Don Wakamatsu, and an entirely new major-league coaching staff. Unlike the previous season, which was approached with an expectation to contend for the AL West division title, the 2009 season has been approached with a rebuilding philosophy and a departure from the team-building strategies used in previous seasons. In January the Mariners unveiled their 2009 slogan, "A New Day, A New Way", to reflect their rebuilding philosophy.
In terms of players, this season was marked by the free agency departure of outfielder Raúl Ibáñez, who signed with the Philadelphia Phillies, and the trade of closer J. J. Putz to the New York Mets. However, the offseason has been most notable for the acquisition of longtime Mariners outfielder Ken Griffey Jr., nearly 10 years after trading him to the Cincinnati Reds. Other notable acquisitions have included outfielders Franklin Gutiérrez and Endy Chávez (both from the Putz trade), new closer David Aardsma (traded by Boston Red Sox) and long-time Kansas City Royals infielder Mike Sweeney (free agent).
This season also marks the 10th anniversary of Safeco Field, the Mariners' home stadium which opened its gates on July 15, 1999.

## Offseason
### Front office changes

   We believe Jack is the best person to provide a new approach and to lead our baseball operations. He has a proven track record of recognizing talent, both on the field and in the front office.
On June 16, 2008, then-general manager Bill Bavasi was dismissed after a disappointing 24–46 start, with vice president-assistant GM Lee Pelekoudas selected as his interim replacement. During the off-season, the Mariners began their search for a new general manager with several candidates to be interviewed including Pelekoudas himself.
After an extensive search, the Mariners selected Milwaukee Brewers executive Jack Zduriencik, who was most notable for his drafting skills and credited with turning the Brewers into a playoff team, as their new general manager on October 22, 2008. Pelekoudas was retained as assistant GM, but resigned on September 1, 2009.

### Coaching changes

In addition to relieving GM Bill Bavasi of his duties, the Mariners also fired manager John McLaren on June 19, 2008. Bench coach Jim Riggleman was selected as the interim manager for the rest of the 2008 season.
On November 19, 2008, the Mariners named Oakland Athletics bench coach Don Wakamatsu as their new manager. With the hiring, Wakamatsu becomes the first Asian-American manager in Major League Baseball. Wakamatsu then dismissed all of the coaching staff hired under the McLaren-Riggleman tenure, and hired Ty Van Burkleo as bench coach and Lee Tinsley as first base coach, while Rick Adair and John Wetteland were hired as the pitching and bullpen coaches respectively. Alan Cockrell was brought in as the new hitting coach.

### Roster changes
#### Key departures

Raúl Ibáñez, who led the team in RBIs in 2008, signed a 3-year, $31.5 million deal with the Philadelphia Phillies after a five-year tenure with the Mariners. Ibáñez, who was a Type A free agent, allowed the Mariners to receive the Phillies' first round pick in the 2009 MLB draft and also a compensatory pick as well.
On December 10, in a three-team trade, Zduriencik sent former All-Star closer J. J. Putz, outfielder Jeremy Reed and pitcher Sean Green to the New York Mets and prospect Luis Valbuena to the Cleveland Indians, in exchange for a combined seven players from both teams, most notably the Indians' Franklin Gutiérrez and the Mets' Endy Chávez.
On July 10, the Mariners sent shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt to the Kansas City Royals in exchange for two minor-league pitchers.

#### Key additions

The Mariners made numerous additions in free agency, adding over 17 players to the team. On December 3, the Mariners made their first move in the offseason by signing 1B Russell Branyan to a one-year deal. Branyan was one of the players that Zdurienck saw potential in during his time with the Brewers. Mike Sweeney, formerly a fan favorite and leader in the Royals organization, was signed as well to a minor-league deal.
Next, the Mariners received 7 players in the three team trade (see above) that netted them outfielders Endy Chávez and Franklin Gutierrez, pitcher Aaron Heilman, and four other minor leaguers including prospect Mike Carp and pitcher Jason Vargas. Heilman, however, would be traded to the Chicago Cubs almost a month later, in exchange for utility player Ronny Cedeño and pitcher Garrett Olson. Seattle also traded for pitcher David Aardsma from the Boston Red Sox in exchange for a minor leaguer.

##### Griffey's return

Perhaps the biggest move in the offseason, however, was the signing of former Mariner Ken Griffey Jr. to a 1-year deal. Griffey, who was known as the man who "saved baseball in Seattle", received a warm welcome and a fifteen-minute presentation that applauds his tenure as a Mariner when his former team, the Cincinnati Reds, visited Safeco Field in 2007. Surprised by the reaction, Griffey explored the possibility of a return in Seattle. The Mariners reportedly were trying to negotiate with Griffey until the Atlanta Braves also want to sign him as well. Griffey was inclined to sign with Atlanta due to the proximity from his home, but choose to instead return to Seattle. Most, if not all, Mariners fans were ecstatic about the news, and orders of Griffey jerseys were off the charts.

## Complete transactions
### 2008

* October 22 Hired general manager Jack Zduriencik.
* November 19 Hired field manager Don Wakamatsu.
* December 1 Hired Ty Van Burkleo and Lee Tinsley as bench and first base coaches, respectively.
* December 3 Signed free agent IF Russell Branyan; hired Rick Adair and John Wetteland as pitching and bullpen coaches, respectively.
* December 7 Hired hitting coach Alan Cockrell.
* December 10 Negotiated 3-way trade with New York Mets and Cleveland Indians:
** OF Jeremy Reed, RHP J. J. Putz, and RHP Sean Green to New York; IF Luis Valbuena to Cleveland
** Cleveland OF Franklin Gutiérrez to Seattle; New York OF Endy Chávez, RHP Aaron Heilman and four minor leaguers to Seattle.
* December 23 Signed free agent C Jamie Burke to a minor league contract, two weeks after non-tendering him.

### 2009

* January 6 Signed free agent RHP Tyler Walker.
* January 19 Agreed to contract terms with RHP Félix Hernández, LHP Érik Bédard, and RHP Aaron Heilman, thereby avoiding salary arbitration.
* January 20 Traded minor-league (Class A) LHP Fabian Williamson to Boston Red Sox for RHP David Aardsma.
* January 28 Traded RHP Aaron Heilman to Chicago Cubs for LHP Garrett Olson and INF Ronny Cedeño; released RHP Randy Messenger.
* January 29 Signed free agent 1B/DH Mike Sweeney to a minor league deal.
* January 30 Re-signed RHP Randy Messenger to a minor league deal.
* February 5 Signed free agent LHP Tyler Johnson to a minor league deal.
* February 15 Claimed minor-league RHP Luis Peña off waivers from Milwaukee Brewers; designated INF Tug Hulett for assignment.
* February 18 Signed free agent OF Ken Griffey Jr.
* February 23 Re-signed OF Mike Wilson to a minor league deal, two days after releasing him.
* March 13 Signed free agent RHP Chad Cordero to a minor league deal.
* March 15 Claimed RHP Jesús Delgado off waivers from Florida Marlins, signed to minor-league deal.
* March 29 Acquired utility player Chris Burke from San Diego Padres for cash considerations; released RHP Tyler Walker.
* April 3 Placed OF Ichiro Suzuki on 15-day disabled list retroactive to March 31 due to bleeding ulcer.
* April 15 Placed LHP Ryan Rowland-Smith on 15-day disabled list retroactive to April 10 due to triceps tendinitis.
* April 16 Placed C Kenji Johjima on 15-day disabled list due to strained right hamstring; added C Jamie Burke and RHP Sean White to 40-man roster and activated both to take Rowland-Smith's and Johjima's places on active roster.
* April 21 Traded utility player Chris Burke back to San Diego Padres for cash considerations.
* May 2 Placed RHP Brandon Morrow on 15-day disabled list retroactive to April 24 due to biceps tendinitis; added LHP Jason Vargas to 40-man roster.
* May 6 Placed RHP Shawn Kelley on 15-day disabled list due to strained oblique muscle; recalled LHP Garrett Olson.
* May 9 Placed RHP Carlos Silva on 15-day disabled list retroactive to May 7 due to right shoulder inflammation; activated RHP Brandon Morrow from disabled list.
* May 26 Placed C Kenji Johjima to 15-day disabled list due to broken left big toe; added C Guillermo Quiróz to 40-man roster; transferred LHP Cesar Jimenez from 15-day disabled list to 60-day disabled list.
* June 7 Designated RHP Denny Stark for assignment; recalled C Jamie Burke.
* June 17 Placed LHP Érik Bédard to 15-day disabled list, retroactive June 8; recalled 1B Mike Carp to 40-man roster.
* June 20 Placed OF Endy Chávez to 60-day disabled list due to torn ligaments and cartilage in right knee; added SS Josh Wilson to 25-man roster.
* June 28 Acquired OF Ryan Langerhans from the Washington Nationals in exchange for utility player Mike Morse.
* June 30 Placed 3B Adrián Beltré to 15-day disabled list due to left shoulder surgery retroactive June 29; added OF Ryan Langerhans to 25-man roster; outrighted C Jamie Burke to Triple-A Tacoma.
* July 7 Places 1B Mike Sweeney on 15-day disabled list retroactive to July 6; activated LHP Érik Bédard from disabled list.
* July 10 Traded SS Yuniesky Betancourt to Kansas City Royals for minor-league RHP Danny Cortes and LHP Derrick Saito
* July 11 Acquired 3B Jack Hannahan from the Oakland Athletics in exchange for minor league RHP Justin Souza.
* July 11 Optioned RHP Brandon Morrow to AAA Tacoma.
* July 21 Designated IF Josh Wilson for assignment; activated 1B Mike Sweeney from the 15-day disabled list.
* July 24 Designated RHP Roy Corcoran for assignment; recalled RHP Ryan Rowland-Smith from Triple-A Tacoma.
* July 24 Outrighted IF Josh Wilson to Triple-A Tacoma.
* July 26 Designated OF Wladimir Balentien for assignment; purchased the contract of OF Michael Saunders from Triple-A Tacoma.
* July 27 Placed LHP Érik Bédard on the 15-day disabled list; recalled pitcher Jason Vargas from Triple-A Tacoma.
* July 29 Acquired SS Jack Wilson and RHP Ian Snell from the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for SS Ronny Cedeño, C/1B Jeff Clement, and RHP pitching prospects Aaron Pribanic, Brett Lorin and Nathan Adcock.
* July 29 Acquired RHP Robert Manuel from the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for OF Wladimir Balentien.
* July 31 Acquired LHP Lucas French and Mauricio Robles from the Detroit Tigers in exchange for LHP Jarrod Washburn.
* July 31 Recalled RHP Ian Snell from Triple-A Tacoma.
* August 1 Designated 1B Chris Shelton for assignment.
* August 4 Activated 3B Adrián Beltré from the 15-day disabled list; designated IF Chris Woodward for assignment.
* August 5 Outrighted 1B Chris Shelton to Triple-A Tacoma.
* August 7 Optioned LHP Jason Vargas to Triple-A Tacoma.
* August 7 Called up RHP Doug Fister Triple-A Tacoma.

## Regular season
### Season standings
#### Division standings

vteAL West :
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
| Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim | 97 | 65 | .599 | — | 49‍–‍32 | 48‍–‍33 |
| Texas Rangers | 87 | 75 | .537 | 10 | 48‍–‍33 | 39‍–‍42 |
| Seattle Mariners | 85 | 77 | .525 | 12 | 48‍–‍33 | 37‍–‍44 |
| Oakland Athletics | 75 | 87 | .463 | 22 | 40‍–‍41 | 35‍–‍46 |

### Record vs. opponents

| Team | BAL | BOS | CWS | CLE | DET | KC | LAA | MIN | NYY | OAK | SEA | TB | TEX | TOR | NL |
| Baltimore | – | 2–16 | 5–4 | 2–5 | 3–5 | 4–4 | 2–8 | 3–2 | 5–13 | 1–5 | 4–5 | 8–10 | 5–5 | 9–9 | 11–7 |
| Boston | 16–2 | – | 4–4 | 7–2 | 6–1 | 5–3 | 4–5 | 4–2 | 9–9 | 5–5 | 2–4 | 9–9 | 2–7 | 11–7 | 11–7 |
| Chicago | 4–5 | 4−4 | – | 10–8 | 9–9 | 9–9 | 5–4 | 6−12 | 3–4 | 4–5 | 4–5 | 6–2 | 2–4 | 1–6 | 12–6 |
| Cleveland | 5–2 | 2–7 | 8–10 | – | 4–14 | 10–8 | 2–4 | 8–10 | 3–5 | 2–5 | 6–4 | 5–3 | 1–8 | 4–4 | 5–13 |
| Detroit | 5–3 | 1–6 | 9–9 | 14–4 | – | 9–9 | 5–4 | 7–12 | 1–5 | 5–4 | 5–4 | 5–2 | 7–2 | 3–5 | 10–8 |
| Kansas City | 4–4 | 3–5 | 9–9 | 8–10 | 9–9 | – | 1–9 | 6–12 | 2–4 | 2–6 | 5–4 | 1–9 | 3–3 | 4–3 | 8–10 |
| Los Angeles | 8–2 | 5–4 | 4–5 | 4–2 | 4–5 | 9–1 | – | 6–4 | 5–5 | 12–7 | 10–9 | 4–2 | 8–11 | 4–4 | 14–4 |
| Minnesota | 2–3 | 2–4 | 12–6 | 10–8 | 12–7 | 12–6 | 4–6 | – | 0–7 | 4–6 | 5–5 | 3–3 | 6–4 | 3–5 | 12–6 |
| New York | 13–5 | 9–9 | 4–3 | 5–3 | 5–1 | 4–2 | 5–5 | 7–0 | – | 7–2 | 6–4 | 11–7 | 5–4 | 12–6 | 10–8 |
| Oakland | 5–1 | 5–5 | 5–4 | 5–2 | 4–5 | 6–2 | 7–12 | 6–4 | 2–7 | – | 5–14 | 6–4 | 11–8 | 3–6 | 5–13 |
| Seattle | 5–4 | 4–2 | 5–4 | 4–6 | 4–5 | 4–5 | 9–10 | 5–5 | 4–6 | 14–5 | – | 5–3 | 8–11 | 3–4 | 11–7 |
| Tampa Bay | 10–8 | 9–9 | 2–6 | 3–5 | 2–5 | 9–1 | 2–4 | 3–3 | 7–11 | 4–6 | 3–5 | – | 3–6 | 14–4 | 13–5 |
| Texas | 5–5 | 7–2 | 4–2 | 8–1 | 2–7 | 3–3 | 11–8 | 4–6 | 4–5 | 8–11 | 11–8 | 6–3 | – | 5–5 | 9–9 |
| Toronto | 9–9 | 7–11 | 6–1 | 4–4 | 5–3 | 3–4 | 4–4 | 5–3 | 6–12 | 6–3 | 4–3 | 4–14 | 5–5 | – | 7–11 |
* view
* talk
* Source: MLB Standings Grid – 2009

### Game log

2009 Game Log (85-77) :
April (13–9)
#DateOpponentScoreWinLossSaveAttendanceRecord
1April 6@ Twins6–1Hernández (1–0)Liriano (0–1)48,5141–0
2April 7@ Twins6–5Ayala (1–0)Morrow (0–1)23,7551–1
3April 8@ Twins6–5Slowey (1–0)Silva (0–1)Nathan (1)22,2701–2
4April 9@ Twins2–0Washburn (1–0)Perkins (0–1)Morrow (1)20,1052–2
5April 10@ Athletics5–4Jakubauskas (1–0)Anderson (0–1)Aardsma (1)36,0673–2
6April 11@ Athletics8–5Batista (1–0)Casilla (0–1)Morrow (2)19,5604–2
7April 12@ Athletics1–0Bédard (1–0)Cahill (0–1)Aardsma (2)12,1275–2
8April 14Angels3–2 (10)Corcoran (1–0)Shields (0–1)45,9586–2
9April 15Angels11–3Washburn (2–0)Weaver (1–1)18,5167–2
10April 16Angels5–1Saunders (2–1)Jakubauskas (1–1)18,5287–3
11April 17Tigers6–3Hernández (2–0)Verlander (0–2)Morrow (3)35,8248–3
12April 18Tigers2–0Jackson (1–0)Bédard (1–1)Rodney (3)31,9668–4
13April 19Tigers8–2Porcello (1–1)Silva (0–2)30,4508–5
14April 21Rays4–2Washburn (3–0)Sonnanstine (0–2)Morrow (4)19,5829–5
15April 22Rays9–3Niemann (1–2)Jakubauskas (1–2)16,4769–6
16April 23Rays1–0Hernández (3–0)Shields (2–2)Morrow (5)17,63910–6
17April 24@ Angels8–3Bédard (2–1)Loux (0–2)43,08311–6
18April 25@ Angels9–8Silva (1–2)Ortega (0–1)Aardsma (3)43,54212–6
19April 26@ Angels8–0Weaver (2–1)Washburn (3–1)43,05712–7
April 27@ White SoxPostponed
20April 28@ White Sox2–1Colón (2–1)Jakubauskas (1–3)Jenks (4)12–8
21April 28@ White Sox9–1Hernández (4–0)Danks (2–1)25,04213–8
22April 29@ White Sox6–3Thornton (1–1)Kelley (0–1)Jenks (5)18,02313–9 :
May (11–18)
#DateOpponentScoreWinLossSaveAttendanceRecord
23May 1Athletics8–7Kelley (1–1)Springer (0–1)25,76014–9
24May 2Athletics3–2Bailey (3–0)Aardsma (0–1)Wuertz (2)29,48414–10
25May 3Athletics8–7 (15)Vargas (1–0)Eveland (1–2)29,96315–10
26May 4Rangers6–5Millwood (3–2)Hernández (4–1)Francisco (8)16,42115–11
27May 5Rangers7–2 (10)O'Day (1–0)Stark (0–1)19,81015–12
28May 6@ Royals9–1Ponson (1–4)Silva (1–3)15,32415–13
29May 7@ Royals3–1Bannister (3–0)Washburn (3–2)Soria (7)32,71415–14
30May 8@ Twins11–0Baker (1–4)Jakubauskas (1–4)29,71415–15
31May 9@ Twins9–6Liriano (2–4)Hernández (4–2)Nathan (5)29,55215–16
32May 10@ Twins5–3Batista (2–0)Crain (1–1)Morrow (6)25,55516–16
33May 12@ Rangers7–1Holland (1–1)Lowe (0–1)16,56416–17
34May 13@ Rangers6–5 (11)Wilson (2–2)Morrow (0–2)25,86516–18
35May 14@ Rangers3–2Harrison (4–2)Morrow (0–3)21,00216–19
36May 15Red Sox5–4Jakubauskas (2–4)Lester (2–4)Aardsma (4)34,95217–19
37May 16Red Sox5–3Beckett (4–2)Olson (0–1)Papelbon (10)42,58917–20
38May 17Red Sox3–2Aardsma (1–1)Ramírez (4–1)40,83318–20
39May 18Angels10–6Lackey (1–0)Washburn (3–3)17,34018–21
40May 19Angels6–5Palmer (5–0)Hernández (4–3)Fuentes (10)16,00218–22
41May 20Angels1–0Jakubauskas (3–4)Santana (0–1)Aardsma (5)18,58019–22
42May 21Angels3–0Saunders (6–2)Bédard (2–2)Fuentes (11)18,46819–23
43May 22Giants2–1 (12)White (1–0)Miller (1–1)38,52020–23
44May 23Giants5–1Cain (5–1)Lowe (0–2)33,34820–24
45May 24Giants5–4Hernández (5–3)Zito (1–5)Aardsma (6)36,61621–24
46May 25@ Athletics6–1Anderson (2–4)Jakubauskas (3–5)Cameron (1)15,28021–25
47May 26@ Athletics4–3Braden (4–5)Batista (2–1)Bailey (2)10,37121–26
48May 27@ Athletics6–1Bédard (3–2)Cahill (2–5)30,01222–26
49May 29@ Angels5–2Vargas (2–0)Lackey (1–1)Aardsma (7)38,49223–26
50May 30@ Angels4–3 (10)Batista (3–1)Arredondo (1–2)Aardsma (8)39,32924–26
51May 31@ Angels9–8Speier (1–1)Aardsma (1–2)38,63224–27 :
June (15–10)
#DateOpponentScoreWinLossSaveAttendanceRecord
52June 1Orioles1–0Hill (2–0)Washburn (3–4)Sherrill (11)16,97924–28
53June 2Orioles8–2Bédard (4–2)Hernández (1–1)17,97825–28
54June 3Orioles3–2Aardsma (2–2)Johnson (2–3)18,65026–28
55June 5Twins2–1 (10)Guerrier (2–0)Lowe (0–3)Nathan (11)35,80826–29
56June 6Twins2–1Jakubauskas (4–5)Henn (0–1)Aardsma (9)30,60027–29
57June 7Twins4–2Bédard (5–2)Slowey (8–2)White (1)37,71428–29
58June 9@ Orioles3–1Bergesen (3–2)Vargas (2–1)Sherrill (12)17,35828–30
59June 10@ Orioles4–1Hernández (6–3)Guthrie (4–6)Aardsma (10)12,77029–30
60June 11@ Orioles6–3Olson (1–1)Uehara (2–4)Aardsma (11)12,26030–30
61June 12@ Rockies6–4Jiménez (5–6)Washburn (3–5)30,36530–31
62June 13@ Rockies5–3Corpas (1–3)Lowe (0–4)Street (13)31,10130–32
63June 14@ Rockies7–1Hammel (4–3)Vargas (2–2)38,61430–33
64June 16@ Padres5–0Hernández (7–3)Correia (3–5)17,04031–33
65June 17@ Padres4–3Olson (2–1)Gaudin (2–6)Aardsma (12)20,22432–33
66June 18@ Padres4–3Bell (3–1)Batista (3–2)25,41632–34
67June 19Diamondbacks4–3Batista (4–2)Peña (5–3)Aardsma (13)27,31933–34
68June 20Diamondbacks7–3Vargas (3–2)Buckner (2–4)Aardsma (14)29,52534–34
69June 21Diamondbacks3–2Lowe (1–4)Zavada (1–1)37,25135–34
70June 23Padres7–9Gaudin (3–6)Olson (2–2)Bell (20)23,53735–35
71June 24Padres4–3White (2–0)Mujica (2–3)Aardsma (15)22,98836–35
72June 25Padres9–3Washburn (4–5)Leblanc (0–1)27,96837–35
73June 26@ Dodgers8–2Kershaw (5–5)Vargas (3–3)50,75237–36
74June 27@ Dodgers5–1Hernández (8–3)Milton (2–1)50,84738–36
75June 28@ Dodgers4–2Olson (3–2)Kuroda (2–4)Aardsma (16)49,35539–36
76June 30@ Yankees8–5Bruney (3–0)White (2–1)Rivera (19)46,18139–37 :
July (14–13)
#DateOpponentScoreWinLossSaveAttendanceRecord
77July 1@ Yankees4–2Pettitte (8–3)Washburn (4–6)Rivera (20)45,28539–38
78July 2@ Yankees8–4Batista (5–2)Sabathia (7–5)46,14240–38
79July 3@ Red Sox7–6 (11)Jakubauskas (5–5)Ramírez (5–3)Lowe (1)38,07841–38
80July 4@ Red Sox3–2Corcoran (2–0)Saito (2–2)Aardsma (17)37,65642–38
81July 5@ Red Sox8–4Masterson (3–2)Batista (5–3)37,69142–39
82July 6Orioles5–0Washburn (5–6)Bergesen (5–3)24,01843–39
83July 7Orioles12–4Hendrickson (4–4)Jakubauskas (5–6)19,34043–40
84July 8Orioles5–3Bass (5–2)Aardsma (2–3)Sherill (19)27,04043–41
85July 9Rangers3–1Hernández (9–3)Wilson (4–4)Aardsma (18)24,82344–41
86July 10Rangers6–4Feldman (8–2)Morrow (0–4)Francisco (15)34,87444–42
87July 11Rangers4–1Washburn (6–6)Millwood (8–7)Aardsma (19)30,69845–42
88July 12Rangers5–3Batista (6–3)O'day (2–1)Aardsma (20)33,22046–42
89July 16@ Indians4–1Lee (5–9)Olson (3–3)22,37146–43
90July 17@ Indians6–2Hernández (10–3)Huff (4–4)23,54547–43
91July 18@ Indians3–1Washburn (7–6)Ohka (0–4)Aardsma (21)24,89348–43
92July 19@ Indians5–3Kelly (2–1)Betancourt (1–2)Aardsma (22)20,90049–43
93July 21@ Tigers9–7Porcello (9–6)Olson (3–4)Rodney (20)32,90649–44
94July 22@ Tigers2–1Hernández (11–3)Seay (1–2)Aardsma (23)29,75850–44
95July 23@ Tigers2–1Washburn (8–6)French (1–1)Aardsma (24)32,17751–44
96July 24Indians9–0Laffey (4–2)Rowland-Smith (0–1)34,80251–45
97July 25Indians10–3Sowers (3–7)Bédard (5–3)29,21351–46
98July 26Indians12–3Lee (7–9)Vargas (3–4)30,22451–47
99July 27Blue Jays11–4Romero (9–4)Hernández (11–4)28,69651–48
100July 28Blue Jays4–3Aardsma (3–3)Downs (1–3)26,14852–48
101July 29Blue Jays3–2Rowland-Smith (1–1)Halladay (11–4)Aardsma (25)32,64953–48
102July 30@ Rangers7–1Holland (4–6)Olson (3–5)23,94953–49
103July 31@ Rangers5–4Padilla (8–5)Vargas (3–5)Wilson (12)36,90153–50 :
August (15–14)
#DateOpponentScoreWinLossSaveAttendanceRecord
104August 1@ Rangers7–2Hernández (12–4)Hunter (3–2)29,45854–50
105August 2@ Rangers4–2Feldman (10–4)White (2–2)Wilson (13)28,67054–51
106August 4@ Royals7–6Kelley (3–1)Wright (1–4)Aardsma (26)15,05755–51
107August 5@ Royals11–6French (2–2)Davies (3–8)27,80556–51
108August 6@ Royals8–2Chen (1–6)Vargas (3–6)15,10356–52
109August 7Rays7–6 (11)Kelley (4–1)Howell (6–3)44,37857–52
110August 8Rays10–4Shields (7–8)Jakubauskas (5–7)28,23957–53
111August 9Rays11–2Rowland-Smith (2–1)Kazmir (6–7)28,49058–53
112August 10White Sox6–4White (3–2)Floyd (9–7)Aardsma (27)21,04959–53
113August 11White Sox3–1Danks (10–8)Aardsma (3–4)Jenks (23)19,38559–54
114August 12White Sox1–0 (14)Jakubauskas (6–7)Peña (1–1)24,42760–54
115August 13Yankees11–1Sabathia (13–7)Snell (3–8)33,58560–55
116August 14Yankees4–2Hughes (5–3)Lowe (1–5)Rivera (34)36,76960–56
117August 15Yankees5–2Mitre (2–1)French (2–3)Rivera (35)44,27260–57
118August 16Yankees10–3Fister (1–0)Chamberlain (8–3)45,21061–57
119August 18@ Tigers5–3Seay (3–2)Lowe (1–6)Rodney (25)33,71061–58
120August 19@ Tigers3–1Snell (3–9)Verlander (13–7)Aardsma (28)33,19462–58
121August 20@ Tigers7–6Seay (4–2)Aardsma (3–5)31,16762–59
122August 21@ Indians9–4French (3–3)Huff (7–7)28,50363–59
123August 22@ Indians4–3Pérez (2–2)Messenger (0–1)28,94263–60
124August 23@ Indians6–1Carmona (3–7)Hernández (12–5)23,08663–61
125August 24Athletics3–1Snell (4–9)Mazzaro (4–9)Aardsma (29)21,05664–61
126August 25Athletics4–2Lowe (2–6)Breslow (5–7)17,66165–61
127August 26Athletics5–3French (4–3)G. Gonzalez (4–5)Aardsma (30)18,69566–61
128August 27Royals8–4Davies (5–9)Fister (1–1)19,34566–62
129August 28Royals6–3Hernández (13–5)Bannister (7–11)Aardsma (31)26,71467–62
130August 29Royals8–4Snell (5–9)Meche (6–10)26,45768–62
131August 30Royals3–0Greinke (13–8)Rowland-Smith (2–2)30,28668–63
132August 31Angels10–0Saunders (11–7)French (4–4)18,95968–64 :
September (14–12)
#DateOpponentScoreWinLossSaveAttendanceRecord
133September 1Angels2–1Fister (2–1)Oliver (4–1)Aardsma (31)18,54269–64
134September 2Angels3–0Hernández (14–5)Kazmir (8–8)Aardsma (32)22,13070–64
135September 3@ Athletics7–4Snell (6–9)Tomko (3–3)Aardsma (34)10,29771–64
136September 4@ Athletics6–3Rowland-Smith (3–2)Mortensen (0–2)Lowe (2)11,73872–64
137September 5@ Athletics9–5Anderson (8–10)French (4–5)Bailey (22)16,49572–65
138September 6@ Athletics5–2G. Gonzalez (5–5)Kelley (4–2)Bailey (23)16,18872–66
139September 8@ Angels3–2 (10)Palmer (10–1)Batista (6–4)37,72572–67
140September 9@ Angels6–3Weaver (15–5)Snell (6–10)Fuentes (40)36,34072–68
141September 10@ Angels3–0Lackey (10–7)Rowland-Smith (3–3)37,41272–69
September 11@ RangersPostponed (rain); rescheduled for September 13
142September 12@ Rangers8–3Morrow (1–4)Millwood (10–10)22,46873–69
143September 13@ Rangers7–2Hunter (8–3)Fister (2–2)73–70
144September 13@ Rangers5–0Hernández (15–5)Holland (7–11)18,52274–70
145September 15White Sox6–3García (2–2)Kelley (4–3)Jenks (29)17,15374–71
146September 16White Sox4–1Rowland-Smith (4–3)Floyd (11–11)Aardsma (35)16,59675–71
147September 17White Sox4–3 (14)Kelley (5–3)Linebrink (3–7)16,33676–71
148September 18Yankees3–2Hernández (16–5)Rivera (3–3)28,39577–71
149September 19Yankees10–1Sabathia (18–7)Fister (2–3)43,17377–72
150September 20Yankees7–1Snell (7–10)Chamberlain (8–6)35,88578–72
151September 22@ Rays4–3Batista (7–4)Wheeler (4–5)Lowe (3)12,51479–72
152September 23@ Rays5–4Springer (1–4)Lowe (2–7)Choate (5)13,00979–73
153September 24@ Blue Jays5–4Hernández (17–5)Carlson (1–6)Aardsma (36)15,30680–73
154September 25@ Blue Jays5–0Halladay (16–10)Fister (2–4)20,66880–74
155September 26@ Blue Jays5–4 (10)Frasor (7–3)Kelley (5–4)29,78380–75
156September 27@ Blue Jays5–4Wolfe (2–2)Rowland-Smith (4–4)Camp (1)39,05280–76
157September 29Athletics6–4Hernández (18–5)Cahill (10–13)18,16781–76
158September 30Athletics7–0Morrow (2–4)Mortensen (2–4)16,93082–76 :
October (3–1)
#DateOpponentScoreWinLossSaveAttendanceRecord
159October 1Athletics4–2Fister (3–4)Anderson (11–11)Aardsma (37)16,60783–76
160October 2Rangers7–4Wilson (5–6)Aardsma (3–6)Francisco (26)27,89983–77
161October 3Rangers2–1Rowland-Smith (5–4)Hunter (9–6)Batista (1)24,39184–77
162October 4Rangers4–3Hernández (19–5)Feldman (17–8)Aardsma (38)32,26085–77 :

### Roster
## Player stats
### Batting

Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; R = Runs scored; H = Hits; 2B = Doubles; 3B = Triples; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in; AVG = Batting average; SB = Stolen bases
Through October 4, 2009
| Player | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | AVG | SB |
| Wladimir Balentien | 56 | 155 | 18 | 33 | 10 | 0 | 4 | 13 | .213 | 1 |
| Adrián Beltré | 111 | 449 | 54 | 119 | 27 | 0 | 8 | 44 | .265 | 13 |
| Yuniesky Betancourt | 63 | 224 | 15 | 56 | 10 | 1 | 2 | 22 | .250 | 3 |
| Russell Branyan | 116 | 431 | 64 | 108 | 21 | 1 | 31 | 76 | .251 | 2 |
| Jamie Burke | 13 | 41 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .122 | 0 |
| Mike Carp | 21 | 54 | 7 | 17 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 5 | .315 | 0 |
| Ronny Cedeño | 59 | 186 | 15 | 31 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 17 | .167 | 3 |
| Endy Chávez | 54 | 161 | 17 | 44 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 13 | .273 | 9 |
| Ken Griffey Jr. | 117 | 387 | 44 | 83 | 19 | 0 | 19 | 57 | .214 | 0 |
| Franklin Gutiérrez | 153 | 565 | 85 | 160 | 24 | 1 | 18 | 70 | .283 | 16 |
| Bill Hall | 34 | 120 | 10 | 24 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 12 | .200 | 1 |
| Jack Hannahan | 51 | 148 | 15 | 34 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 11 | .230 | 1 |
| Kenji Johjima | 71 | 239 | 24 | 59 | 11 | 0 | 9 | 22 | .247 | 2 |
| Rob Johnson | 80 | 258 | 21 | 55 | 19 | 2 | 2 | 27 | .213 | 1 |
| Ryan Langerhans | 38 | 101 | 12 | 22 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 10 | .218 | 0 |
| José López | 153 | 613 | 69 | 167 | 42 | 0 | 25 | 96 | .272 | 3 |
| Adam Moore | 6 | 23 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | .217 | 1 |
| Guillermo Quiroz | 4 | 14 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .286 | 0 |
| Michael Saunders | 46 | 122 | 13 | 27 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4 | .221 | 4 |
| Chris Shelton | 9 | 26 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | .231 | 0 |
| Ichiro Suzuki | 146 | 639 | 88 | 225 | 31 | 4 | 11 | 46 | .352 | 26 |
| Mike Sweeney | 74 | 242 | 25 | 68 | 15 | 0 | 8 | 34 | .281 | 0 |
| Matt Tuiasosopo | 7 | 22 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | .227 | 0 |
| Jack Wilson | 31 | 107 | 11 | 24 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 8 | .224 | 1 |
| Josh Wilson | 45 | 128 | 16 | 32 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 10 | .250 | 1 |
| Chris Woodward | 20 | 67 | 7 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | .239 | 1 |
| Pitcher Totals | 162 | 21 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .048 | 0 |
| Team Totals | 162 | 5543 | 640 | 1430 | 280 | 19 | 160 | 613 | .258 | 89 |

### Pitching
#### Starting and other pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; GS = Games started (for pitchers who did not start every appearance); IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
Through October 4, 2009
| Player | G | IP | W | L | CG | ERA | SO |
| Érik Bédard | 15 | 83.0 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2.82 | 90 |
| Doug Fister | 11 (10 GS) | 61.0 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 4.13 | 36 |
| Luke French | 8 (7 GS) | 38.0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6.63 | 23 |
| Félix Hernández | 34 | 238.2 | 19 | 5 | 2 | 2.49 | 217 |
| Chris Jakubauskas | 35 (8 GS) | 93.0 | 6 | 7 | 1 | 5.32 | 47 |
| Garrett Olson | 31 (11 GS) | 80.1 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 5.60 | 47 |
| Ryan Rowland-Smith | 15 | 96.1 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 3.74 | 52 |
| Carlos Silva | 8 (6 GS) | 28.2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 8.60 | 10 |
| Ian Snell | 12 | 64.1 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 4.20 | 37 |
| Jason Vargas | 23 (14 GS) | 91.2 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 4.91 | 54 |
| Jarrod Washburn | 20 | 133.0 | 8 | 6 | 1 | 2.64 | 79 |

#### Relief pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; SVO = Save opportunities; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
Through October 4, 2009
| Player | G | IP | W | L | SV | SVO | ERA | SO |
| David Aardsma | 73 | 44.1 | 3 | 6 | 38 | 40 | 2.52 | 80 |
| Miguel Batista | 56 | 71.1 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 4.04 | 52 |
| Roy Corcoran | 16 | 19.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6.16 | 6 |
| Shawn Kelley | 41 | 46.0 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 4.50 | 41 |
| Mark Lowe | 75 | 80.0 | 2 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 3.26 | 69 |
| Randy Messenger | 12 | 10.1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4.35 | 5 |
| Brandon Morrow | 26 (10 GS) | 69.2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 4.39 | 63 |
| Denny Stark | 9 | 11.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6.55 | 7 |
| Sean White | 52 | 64.1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2.80 | 28 |

#### Team totals

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; SVO = Save opportunities; CG = Complete games; SHO = Shutouts; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
Through October 4, 2009
| G | IP | W | L | SV | SVO | CG | SHO | ERA | SO |
| 162 | 1452.2 | 85 | 77 | 49 | 77 | 4 | 2 | 3.87 | 1043 |

## Farm system

| Level | Team | League | Manager |
| AAA | Tacoma Rainiers | Pacific Coast League | Daren Brown |
| AA | West Tenn Diamond Jaxx | Southern League | Phil Plantier |
| A | High Desert Mavericks | California League | Jim Horner |
| A | Clinton LumberKings | Midwest League | Scott Steinmann |
| A-Short Season | Everett AquaSox | Northwest League | John Tamargo |
| Rookie | Pulaski Mariners | Appalachian League | José Moreno |
| Rookie | AZL Mariners | Arizona League | Andy Bottin |
LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: AZL Mariners

## Major League Baseball draft

Below is a complete list of the Seattle Mariners draft picks from the two 2009 Major League Baseball drafts.
The Seattle Mariners took part in both the Major League Baseball Rule 4 draft and the Rule 5 draft in 2009.
The 2009 Major League Baseball draft was held June 9 to June 11 at the MLB Network Studios in New York City. The Seattle Mariners went second in the draft order and had two supplemental first-round draft picks for the loss of free agent Raúl Ibáñez after the 2008 season. The Mariners selected a total of 52 players and signed 35 of those selected players.
The Mariners selected one player in the Major League Baseball phase of the 2009 Rule 5 draft. They also had one player selected (Marshall Hubbard) in the 2009 Triple-A phase of the Rule 5 draft. The Mariners also selected one player in the Triple-A phase of the draft as well.

### Key

| Round (Pick) | Indicates the round and pick the player was drafted |
| Position | Indicates the secondary/collegiate position at which the player was drafted, rather than the professional position the player may have gone on to play |
| Bold | Indicates the player signed with the Mariners before the deadline |
| Italics | Indicates the player did not sign with the Mariners before the deadline |

### Table

| Round (Pick) | Name | Position | School |
| 1 (2) | Dustin Ackley | Center fielder | University of North Carolina |
| 1 (27) | Nick Franklin | Shortstop | Lake Brantley High School |
| 1 (33) | Steven Baron | Catcher | John A. Ferguson High School |
| 2 (51) | Rich Poythress | First baseman | University of Georgia |
| 3 (82) | Kyle Seager | Second baseman | University of North Carolina |
| 4 (113) | James Jones | Left fielder | Long Island University |
| 5 (143) | Tyler Blandford | Right-handed pitcher | Oklahoma State University |
| 6 (173) | Shaver Hansen | Third baseman | Baylor University |
| 7 (203) | Brian Moran | Left-handed pitcher | University of North Carolina |
| 8 (233) | James Gillheeney | Left-handed pitcher | North Carolina State University |
| 9 (263) | Trevor Coleman | Catcher | University of Missouri |
| 10 (293) | Vincent Catricala | Third basemen | University of Hawaii |
| 11 (323) | Timothy Morris | First baseman | St. John's University |
| 12 (353) | Andrew Carraway | Right-handed pitcher | University of Virginia |
| 13 (383) | Matthew Cerione | Center fielder | University of Georgia |
| 14 (413) | Adam Nelubowich | Third baseman | Vauxhall High School |
| 15 (443) | Blake Keitzman | Left-handed pitcher | Western Oregon University |
| 16 (473) | Tillman Pugh | Center fielder | Gateway Community College |
| 17 (503) | Joseph Terry | Second baseman | Cerritos College |
| 18 (533) | Anthony Vasquez | Left-handed pitcher | University of Southern California |
| 19 (563) | Eric Thomas | Right-handed pitcher | Bethune-Cookman College |
| 20 (593) | John Hesketh | Left-handed pitcher | University of New Mexico |
| 21 (623) | Daniel Cooper | Right-handed pitcher | University of Southern California |
| 22 (653) | Andrew Hayes | Right-handed pitcher | Vanderbilt University |
| 23 (683) | David Rollins | Left-handed pitcher | San Jacinto Junior College |
| 24 (713) | Carlton Tanabe | Catcher | Pearl City High School |
| 25 (743) | Brandon Josselyn | Right-handed pitcher | Yale University |
| 26 (773) | Chris Sorce | Right-handed pitcher | Troy University |
| 27 (803) | Austin Hudson | Right-handed pitcher | University of Central Florida |
| 28 (833) | Regan Flaherty | First baseman | Deering High School |
| 29 (863) | Brandon Haveman | Center fielder | Purdue University |
| 30 (893) | Brandon Bantz | Catcher | Dallas Baptist University |
| 31 (923) | Clint Dempster | Left-handed pitcher | Mississippi Gulf Coast Junior College |
| 32 (953) | Bennett Whitmore | Left-handed pitcher | University of Oregon |
| 33 (983) | Hawkins Gebbers | Second baseman | Biola University |
| 34 (1013) | Scott Griggs | Right-handed pitcher | San Ramon Valley High School |
| 35 (1043) | Eric Valdez | Right-handed pitcher | Indiana State University |
| 36 (1073) | John Housey | Right-handed pitcher | University of Miami |
| 37 (1133) | Chris Kessinger | Right-handed pitcher | University of Nebraska, Omaha |
| 38 (1133) | Matthew Nohelty | Center fielder | University of Minnesota |
| 39 (1163) | Greg Waddell | Left fielder | Florida International University |
| 40 (1193) | Jorden Merry | Right-handed pitcher | University of Washington |
| 41 (1223) | Kyle Witten | Right-handed pitcher | California State University, Fullerton |
| 42 (1253) | Stephen Hagen | Third baseman | Eastern Oklahoma State Community College |
| 43 (1283) | Cameron Perkins | Left fielder | Southport High School |
| 44 (1313) | Mark Angelo | Left fielder | East Stroudsburg University |
| 45 (1343) | Kevin Mailloux | Second baseman | Canisius College |
| 46 (1373) | Clay Cederquist | First baseman | Fowler High School |
| 47 (1403) | David Holman | Right-handed pitcher | Hutchinson Community College |
| 48 (1433) | Sean Nolin | Left-handed pitcher | Hutchinson Community College |
| 49 (1463) | Dane Phillips | Catcher | Central Heights High School |
| 50 (1493) | Evan Sharpley | Third baseman | University of Notre Dame |

## Rule 5 draft
### Key

| Pick | Indicates the pick the player was drafted |
| Previous team | Indicates the previous organization, not Minor league team |

### Table

| Phase | Pick | Name | Position | Previous team | Notes | Ref |
| Major League | 14 | Kanekoa Texeira | Right-handed pitcher | New York Yankees | none | |
| Triple-A | 9 | Terrence Engles | Right-handed pitcher | Washington Nationals | none | |