5. Seattle Mariners
Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
As a member of the Mariners, Kershaw would have been teammates with Felix Hernandez. King Felix was signed as an amateur free agent in 2002. But in 2006, he wasn’t anything special yet, posting a 12-14 record with a 4.52 ERA in 31 starts. Worse yet, as a 20-year old player with Seattle, Hernandez was their best starter. No one who pitched in the M’s rotation logged more innings (191) had more wins, a lower WHIP (1.33) or a higher WAR (1.3) than he did.
There would have been no debate as to which team in baseball had the best rotation with those two pitching together. Like the Pirates who passed on Kershaw for Lincoln, the Mariners too selected a pitcher, Brandon Morrow, ahead of Kershaw.
Morrow reached the big leagues a year earlier than Kershaw did in 2007. Hidden is the fact Morrow debuted as a 22-year old who played NCAA baseball with the University of California in Berkeley before playing for the Mariners. He didn’t impress much, never being able to find a niche as a starter. From 2007-09 as a Mariner, Morrow appeared in 131 games (15 GS) while collecting 13 saves and a 3.96 ERA.
In the 2009 offseason, the Mariners traded Morrow to the Toronto Blue Jays. He was injured for much of his time there, but compiled his finest season as a pro when in 2012 he went 10-7 with a 2.96 ERA in 21 starts. He spent over 10 weeks that season on the 60-day DL with a strained left oblique muscle. In 2015, Morrow will suit up with the San Diego Padres.