M’s set up for challenge

Mark Lowe is injured, perhaps for most of 2007 if not beyond, casting a considerable pall over the Seattle Mariners’ best young relief pitching prospect.

Rafael Soriano is gone, having been traded to the Atlanta Braves as the Mariners used their best right-handed setup reliever to obtain starting pitcher Horatio Ramirez.

Pitching prospect Emiliano Fruto is on the way out, according to reports that have him going to the Washington Nationals along with outfielder Chris Snelling in a trade – expected to be finalized next week – for designated hitter Jose Vidro.

Amid the Mariners’ attempts this off-season to improve the starting pitching and offense, the bullpen has taken a big hit.

The question now isn’t whether the Mariners will land a big-time free-agent starter – that pursuit seems over – but how the Mariners will bridge the gap between the starting pitchers and closer J.J. Putz.

General manager Bill Bavasi said rounding out the bullpen, especially key setup roles, is the priority now.

The possibilities in late-inning relief include right-hander Julio Mateo and lefty George Sherrill, plus a group of relatively unproven pitchers such as right-handers Jon Huber and Sean Green, and lefties Ryan Feierabend and Eric O’Flaherty.

“If we opened today, we’d have to go with young guys, and we’re not afraid of that,” Bavasi said.

The Mariners did it last year when they traded away veteran Eddie Guardado and called up Lowe. Despite having started the season at the Class A level, Lowe did well in high-pressure, late-inning situations, with a 1.93 earned run average in 15 appearances. Then his elbow went out and he had surgery in September, leaving a best-case scenario of a return by the All-Star break. There’s also concern that the injury could jeopardize his career.

The Mariners will take a hard look at more young arms at spring training, especially Huber, Feierabend and O’Flaherty, who got their first taste of the major leagues last season.

“Those arms, you’re not going to know (what they can do) until they come to spring training,” Bavasi said.

“We have to look to the bullpen and shore that up.”

One method is to acquire another starting pitcher and move one of the candidates for the fifth starter’s job – Cha Seung Baek, Jake Woods or Rule 5 draft pick Sean White – to the bullpen.

It’s either that or Putz may need to pull off some three-inning saves next year. Putz was asked about that prospect – tongue in cheek – and he didn’t flinch.

“I’m fine with going two innings, as long as it’s once in a while,” he said.

Putz seems to be the least concerned with the bullpen situation.

“Huber has great stuff, we still have George, maybe Jake will be back in the bullpen and who knows what else they’ve got in the works,” Putz said.