Zunino comes full circle and arrives in a better place

The standard for birthday celebrations in the Mariners’ clubhouse is suddenly sky high ever since Kyle Seager paid last week for a mariachi band to serenade Leonys Martin through the morning workout.

So what is catcher Mike Zunino expecting later this month when he turns 26?

"I don’t know," he said. "As long as Kyle pays for it, I’ll be happy."

Happier, maybe.

Zunino has long exhibited a sunny-side personality even in bad times — and these times are anything but. He is again firmly entrenched as the Mariners’ starting catcher and a cornerstone of their future after a roller-coaster 20 months.

"He’s a big part of our team going forward," manager Scott Servais said. "No doubt. Last year, we had a…