Thursday morning, the Mariners added two more players to their 40-man roster, getting shortstop Reegie Corona from the Yankees with their pick in the Rule 5 draft, and then trading with Kansas City for left-handed pitcher Jose Lugo after the Royals drafted Lugo from the Minnesota Twins' roster in the Rule 5 draft.

Zduriencik flew back to Seattle at midday Thursday having seriously shaken up the roster. Even so, the Mariners are coming off a 101-loss season and there is a long way to go if the club is going to be competitive in 2009.

The offense not only isn't any better than it was in 2008, it is worse with left fielder Raul Ibanez likely leaving in free agency. The Mariners are going to miss his 100-plus RBIs.

Or are they?

Zduriencik reiterated Thursday after the Rule 5 draft that the Mariners aren't done making moves, though he said he wasn't sure what would come next.

It seems the Mariners must import more offense. They signed Russell Branyan before heading to Las Vegas; he will be a first baseman or DH. He has raw power, but also big strikeout totals, and is not by himself a cure for the Mariners' malaise.

Seattle added a starting center fielder with reasonable offensive credentials in Gutierrez, but the club desperately needs a left fielder. Endy Chavez, acquired from the Mets in the Putz deal, can play left field with grace and style, but he can't hit with power.

For the second day in a row, Zduriencik suggested the answer to replacing two-time team RBI leader Ibanez is to have him return to the Mariners.

When Ibanez turned down the Mariners' offer of binding salary arbitration over the weekend, Zduriencik said the club still wanted him, but the GM was not willing to commit to making an offer of more than one year.

By Thursday morning, that had changed.

"Ibanez is still a possibility," said Zduriencek, who spoke with Ibanez's agents Wednesday. "I'm not sure of his feelings, though."

Would the Mariners go for more than a one-year contract?

"We're prepared to discuss options," Zduriencik said.

Less than two months into the job, Zduriencik has added 10 players to the organization. Branyan was the first, and then seven came aboard Wednesday - Chavez, Gutierrez, right-hander Aaron Heilman, left-hander Jason Vargas, first baseman Mike Carp, outfielder Ezequiel Carrera and right-hander Maikel Cleto. The Rule 5 draft boosted the number of additions to double digits.

"What I've said from the beginning was that to get talent here, we were going to have to be creative," Zduriencik said. "We've accumulated some talent here, adding nine players in two days that we've brought into this organization."

After dealing with the offense and the need for a left fielder, Zduriencik must find a solution for the vacant closer's role. Brandon Morrow could do it, but he's been told he's a starter. Morrow has gone from reliever to starter to reliever to starter in the past 12 months. He's got a million-dollar arm, and the club is going to have to settle on a role for him. He would prefer to start.

Miguel Batista closed for the Blue Jays in 2005, converting 31 of 39 save opportunities, and might be the best short-term solution because Heilman, a short reliever with the Mets the past four seasons, also wants to get back to what he sees as his true calling as a starter.

"I'm not a big fan of bullpen-by-committee," Zduriencik said. "But it's tough to get high echelon guys. What you mostly do is see them emerge. Maybe we'll see that happen from within.

"For now, I think we've added three big-time contributors to the roster (Gutierrez, Chavez and Heilman) since we've been here. It's been a good experience. But there's more to do."

And, fortunately for the Mariners, there's plenty of time in which to do it.\