The Jerry Dipoto era has officially started in Seattle as the new Mariner’s general manager made his first big-move of the offseason.

Dipoto traded utilityman Brad Miller, first baseman Logan Morrison and right-handed reliever Danny Farquhar to the Tampa Bay Rays for right-handed starter Nathan Karns, left-handed reliever C.J. Riefenhauser and minor league outfielder Boog Powell.

At first, this trade seemed like an awful deal to me. The loss of Miller, a personal favorite of mine, stuck out like a sore thumb.

Miller could’ve be a glue-guy for next year’s squad. Think Mark Macklemore circa 2001. He has the ability to play every position on the field with at least serviceable defense, a good athlete and provides more pop at the plate than the average utilityman.

But then I thought about losing Morrison and Farquhar. This may be a good thing.

Both players showed the ability to look great in flashes, but whether it was due to injury or inconsistency, both players have gone through absolutely brutal stretches at the plate and on the mound.

Let’s face it, Morrison was never going to be the first baseman of the future, and Farquhar is very replaceable in the bullpen.

What the Mariners got in return could be the answer to the inconsistent pitching problems the team faced in its bullpen and rotation last year.

Karns has shown his ability to be a quality big-league pitcher last season and would slate in perfectly as the number four or five starter with Felix Hernandez, Taijuan Walker, James Paxton and free agent Hisashi Iwakuma.

Riefenhauser was roughed up a bit last year in his time in the majors, but should have better luck pitching in a ballpark that is tough on right-handed hitter. The Mariners have little left-handed talent in the bullpen behind Charlie Furbush and aging free agent Joe Biemel.

Powell is the question mark in this deal. He was suspended previously for a positive steroid test and still didn’t show much power in the minors. The hope is he can become a reliable on-base guy that can play solid enough defense to at least partially fill the black-hole that has been center field for the Mariners since Franklin Gutierrez’s breakout season in 2009.

The bottom line is that this is a win-win type of trade for both teams. Although Miller could’ve been a key piece for the Mariners in 2016, they needed to acquire pitching depth since Iwakuma, Walker and Paxton have all battled injuries the past couple seasons.

Now it’s up to Dipoto to find the answer at first base and the outfield for the Mariners this offseason. A task that has been proven to be easier said than done.