The Mariners’ ability to stay above .500 and in the pennant race has been a wonderful surprise, and their series victory on the road over the MLB-best Dodgers this weekend was the cherry on top. But amidst that swell of warmth came some awful news: that Adrian Beltre will undergo shoulder surgery, thus keeping him out of the lineup until about Labor Day.While I’ll concede he’s a defensive wizard, I don’t think Beltre’s worth what the M’s are paying him. But without him, the M’s are double-fucked. The M’s have little to no margin for error in their anemic lineup, and inconsistent as he may be, Beltre was one of the more threatening hitters in said lineup. Factor in his defense, and the team loses one of its most valuable players, with no comparable replacement in sight. With the Angels rounding into their expected championship-contenting form, Beltre’s absence would lead one to believe that the M’s will fall out of postseason contention before the trade deadline.Which brings us to the “double-fucked” part of the equation.Beltre is a free agent after this season. While he’s sure to command an eight-figure salary from someone next year, that someone is unlikely to be the Mariners. Hence, trading him to a legitimate contender at some point this season seemed a very viable option. But now that Beltre’s out, they can neither fetch prospects for him nor reasonably expect to stay in contention. Like I said, double-fucked.