Seattle Mariners manager Scott Servais discussed the state of the franchise amid a flurry of trades in the past few days.

Scott Servais acknowledged the Mariners are not a playoff-caliber squad at the moment. The recent trades and the fact they're in the same division as the Texas Rangers and Houston Astros made that a harsh reality.

Nevertheless, Servais backed up Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto on Tuesday. Both men reiterated their commitment to making Seattle a competitive ball club, per Daniel Kramer of the Mariners' official website.

“I don't do the books. I coach the team. But that's my understanding, is that we will. We need to get better. Our lineup is not complete right now,” Scott Servais quipped.

The Mariners recently traded veteran third baseman Eugenio Suarez to the Arizona Diamondbacks. Servais envisioned Luis Urias taking over at third base next season. However, that plan isn't etched in stone yet. Servais could still tap Josh Rojas to man third base in case Urias doesn't pan out.

Scott Servais acknowledged Seattle must shore up its outfield following the departures of Jarred Kelenic and Teoscar Hernandez. Servais said losing those two great hitters presents a daunting challenge. The Atlanta Braves acquired Jarred Kelenic in a five-player swap on December 4.

One potential difference-maker for the Mariners is veteran outfielder Cody Bellinger. The 2019 NL MVP spent the 2023 MLB season with the Chicago Cubs. Let's wait and see if Bellinger will play for Scott Servais in 2024 and beyond.

There's no denying Julio Rodriguez is the main man in Seattle. With the Mariners narrowly missing out on a second straight postseason berth in 2023, fans' expectations are higher than ever.