Today Lloyd McClendon joined Jim Bowden on SiriusXM today to talk Mariners baseball and the hot stove and the Mariners’ future.

I didn’t get a chance to listen to the chat, but a tweet from Bowden got my mind rolling on something that should be assumed by most Seattle Mariners fans:

Expect the Mariners to be serious players on the services of Victor Martinez #Mariners#Tigers — Jim Bowden (@JimBowden_ESPN) October 7, 2014

Now this statement shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone. Victor Martinez finished 2nd in the American League in batting average behind Jose Altuve of the Houston Astros. He provided depth, pop, and consistency for the Detroit Tigers this season as they made it to the playoffs yet again.

Martinez went .335/.409/.565 in 151 games this season. He had 32 home runs and 103 RBI. But most impressive were his 70 walks to go with only 42 strikeouts. Those sort of numbers are rare in today’s flavor of baseball.

Expect more to come on Victor Martinez as a potential free agent target of the Seattle Mariners this offseason. Know that the Mariners have shown they have the core to win, and Martinez is familiar with Lloyd from his time in Detroit.

If the Mariners can pry him from the hands of Detroit, it could be a designated hitter match made in heaven.