Has there ever been a GM looked upon more favorably by his constituents than Jack Zduriencik by Seattle Mariners faithful?

For someone who came to the team more than a year ago with little fanfare (only the most ardent of baseball nerds would have been familiar his resume), Zduriencik has become arguably the franchise’s biggest asset thanks to his bold moves and keen insights.

Last year, Jackie Z made under-the-radar moves (Russell Branyan, Endy Chavez, Franklin Gutierrez) that all worked. This offseason, in his pursuit to remake the M’s roster, he’s made splash and become a superstar in the process.

Stealing Chone Figgins away from the rival Angels was the first power move – a good signing given Adrian Beltre’s cost versus Figgins’ versatility, and the blow it dealt to Anaheim.

Then, getting Cliff Lee away from the Phillies for good, but not great, prospects was an even bigger masterstroke, giving Seattle a potent 1-2 punch at the top of its pitching rotation.

Jackie Z’s latest move – dealing Carlos Silva for Milton Bradley – may not seem like much, but it’s hard to turn chicken shit into chicken salad.

Silva was straight garbage during his tenure with the Mariners, and even though Bradley is a head case of the highest order, just getting a modicum of production from him will more than make up for the vast emptiness Silva brought to the table.

These are three huge moves that have catapulted the M’s from afterthought to everyone’s dark horse pick to win the AL West. But the great thing is, Jackie Z doesn’t seem to be finished.

The Mariners are one big bat away from not only contending for the division but also for the AL pennant, and Zduriencik has been linked to the best hitters available – Jason Bay and Adrian Gonzalez.

If somehow the Mariners could land one of those guys – at great financial cost for Bay or a stripping of the farm system for Gonzalez – then I actually think some Mariners fans would ejaculate on themselves.

I have never seen a GM be in the zone as much as Zduriencik currently is, and his moves have helped rescuse a jaded fanbase (of course it helps that the Seahawks now stink and, oh yeah, we have no NBA team) who had turned on the Mariners after years of ineptitude.

It’s been an amazing hot-stove league by Jackie Z and the M’s – one more big move and I’ll be ready to elect Jackie Z into the GM Hall of Fame.