The motto of the Seattle Mariners this offseason: from rags to riches.

The Mariners’ front office is scrounging up every last penny it has to sign superstars who will hopefully lead the team to a championship sometime in the near future. 

The team apparently hopes that second baseman Robinson Cano will lead the way to the World Series because anyone worth a 10-year, $240 million contract should do exactly that and more. 

However, buying the best players in the league has seldom worked even for the New York Yankees, who let Cano walk away this offseason. A quality mix of players who have chemistry is what leads to results. A large pile of money simply burns holes in pockets and causes teams to burst into flames. 

Cano is undeniably a statistical anomaly, leading all second basemen last year in home runs, RBIs, slugging percentage and OPS, according to mlb.com. However, even with those numbers, Cano will not solve all of the Mariners’ problems. 

The Mariners also have their ace pitcher Felix Hernandez locked up in a long-term contract worth $175 million over seven years. The team has invested too much money to keep these two players off the market. 

Rumors say the team wants to pursue other star players as well, such as pitcher David Price and Matt Kemp. If the team trades for even one these players, they will travel down the same road trekked by the Yankees in the past. Acquiring superstars means losing money and raiding the farm system that has coveted prospects who have not yet fully developed their talent. 

Sadly, the Mariners could be heading toward destruction, just like the Los Angeles Angels, Miami Marlins and Toronto Blue Jays when they acquired big-name players too quickly. 

The deal for Cano isn’t a short stint or a trial run. It is a full commitment that will keep Cano in Seattle until he is 41 years old. Most players’ abilities decline with age, with the rare exceptions of those who can have stellar seasons late in their careers. Cano could indeed be one of those exceptions with his athleticism, durability and past performance, but there is no guarantee that any of that will continue. 

Bodies get old and are more easily hurt. Injuries come unexpectedly. He could end up like Albert Pujols, who consistently started a large number of games before injuring his foot last season. His performance had been declining. 

As the years go by on Cano’s contract, he could become less valuable to the team, just as Alex Rodriguez did when he signed a big deal with the Yankees. 

Finally, even with solid performance from Cano, the Mariners are in trouble. Their lineup had a team batting average of .237 last season, according to mlb.com. If the team doesn’t resign Kendrys Morales or another big bat, opponents could easily pitch around Cano to cut down on his impact. Cano’s success in New York was partly due to having solid hitters around him. 

The team did finish second in the league in home runs, according to mlb.com. However, neither Morales nor Raul Ibanez are on the roster, and they were the two leaders on the team in homers, according to espn.com. 

The Mariners have dwelled at the bottom of the American League West division for too long, and now they are power-hungry. However, the signing of big names will not rid them of their woes. 

Stars of the league like Cano shine brightly and tempt those who don’t have them, but those stars shine for reasons other than their own well-known names. Rather, they shine because of what surrounds them, and Seattle simply does not have the pieces to maximize Cano’s full potential.