Further Examining the Frank Thomas Situation

by Scott Weber

Since the release of Frank Thomas, the league has been buzzing about where the aging future HOF’er will end up. Texas? Tampa Bay? Seattle? With Seattle once seen (still?) as the main suitor for Barry Bonds in the DH spot, Frank Thomas seems to be the next logical step. He’s been a solid character his entire career (minus a few front office scuffles), he is one of the few sluggers to make it out of the steroid era unscathed and un-accused, and now he’s available. Seems like a slam dunk, right? Wrong.

Thomas was an elite player. Now, he is a serviceable one, but no longer has the impact on a lineup he once had. Truly, he remains one of the most iconic baseball players in this era, but he comes with a large amount of question marks. His constant battles with the front office in Toronto are well-documented, eventually ending in his outright release instead of a demotion to the bench, or platoon. That has to be something Bavasi and Armstrong are wary of, despite his history. If they were aiming to avoid any media problems with Barry Bonds, Thomas’s abrupt exit must be a bit disconcerting to the front office. But all character issues aside, let’s take a look at the impact Frank Thomas would have on the 2008 Mariners.

Frank Thomas brings several assets to the Mariner lineup – mainly pure power, and patience. Thomas has a career OBP of .420, a whopping .118 higher than his career B.A. of .302. Even in recent healthy years with reduced skills, Thomas has managed to keep his OBP a full 100 points higher than his average. This year, despite slumping and only hitting .167 in 60 AB (settle down, sample size), he managed to smash 3 homers and keep his OBP a Jose Lopez-ish .306. Not good, not what you want from Thomas, but if that’s how often he’s getting on base even in a slump this bad – that’s acceptable.

Thomas is a clear upgrade over Jose Vidro. Vidro can’t field, neither can Thomas anymore. Vidro has no power, Thomas can still bash. Vidro has mediocre plate patience, Thomas’s is quite good. Vidro’s batting average will be higher, but at what cost? If Vidro reaches his plate appearances option, it’s bad news for the Mariners in 2009, who need to dump Vidro’s salary and roster spot. Yet another incentive to ink Thomas to a one year deal.

Signing Frank Thomas would be a low-risk, high-reward move. I’d be in favor of the Mariners signing Frank Thomas to a 1 year deal with an option for a 2nd year, leaving open the chance of him returning if he does live up to his 2006 Oakland form of .270/.381/39/114. Even if he reaches last year’s production, this lineup improves considerably with him over Vidro. Thomas brings excitement to the Mariners, a hall of famer with a huge intimidation factor to the lineup, something the team sorely needs. I don’t care how old you are, the name Frank Thomas still means something when you come to the plate, and having Thomas’s ability to get on base and bring people home means a hell of a lot more than Jose Vidro’s ability to slap singles up the middle and ground into fielder’s choices.

Bringing Thomas to Seattle would also allow the Mariners the luxury of keeping Jeff Clement in AAA, as Jon touched on in his initial post. The Mariners need Clement to develop into another power bat and reliable glove to play every day (and DH when he’s not, a la Joe Mauer) – and they need him at catcher (I want Johjima gone, another topic for another day). This clears first base/DH for Raul Ibanez, left field for whoever steps up *insert Al Martin joke here*, Wlad in right, and Ichiro in center in 2009. I don’t know about you, but I like our chances better in 2009 if Frank Thomas is a Mariner in 2008, regardless if he remains one in 2009 or not.

Big Hurt to Seattle?

As many of you already know, long time slugger Frank Thomas was cut by the Toronto Blue Jays yesterday. As you also know, Seattle could use a more productive DH that can effectively hit in the middle of the order.

We've already heard more than enough speculation about Barry Bonds possibly coming to Seattle, so the Big Hurt is going to stir up his fair share of debate around here. I am not opposed to such an acquisition, but I would like Jeff Clement to get a shot at it first, as you probably know. (It will be interesting to see how long Clement remains in AAA. The longer he stays down there, the likelihood of Seattle letting Kenji Johjima walk increases, in my opinion). M's GM Bill Bavasi said that he would talk to scouts that watched Thomas play during Spring Training, so he is a legitimate option.

Anyways, I'm not going too deep into this for now and will turn to discussion over to you. How would you like to see Frank Thomas as Seattle's DH?

I've Had a Revelation: Bring in Bonds

by Patrick

Ever since talk of Barry Bonds signing with another team started, I have been among the super-majority of M's fans flat-out rejecting the idea of Barry Bonds playing for the Mariners. I've always said that the Seattle skies are already too overcast to add another black cloud, but after reading this article by Jim Caple of ESPN, I'm sold on Bonds. Please read with an open mind because, if you do, you will probably realize just how well Barry Bonds fits into the DH role in Seattle.

Infield Singles: Bullpen, Sexson, Bench +

• The bullpen is still a bit of a mess. While all the same names are still being discussed-- J.J. Putz, Brandon Morrow, Sean Green, Mark Lowe, Eric O'Flaherty, Ryan Rowland-Smith, R.A. Dickey and, to a slightly lesser extent, Cha Seung Baek, Arthur Rhodes and Chris Reitsma-- health concerns keep manager John McLaren from putting a final bullpen together. Reitsma appears to be the farthest along health wise of the three "rehab pitchers," but hasn't been nearly as effective as Lowe or Rhodes. At least there are no serious injuries. Seattle may have to rough it for the first couple of weeks, but should have their best relievers available to them by mid-April.
• Richie Sexson's shoulder pain has been attributed to bursitis. The team is saying that Richie just slept on his should arm and that it's no big deal, but bursitis can easily turn into one of those nagging injuries that just won't go away. Sexson had the worst year of his career last season due to multiple nagging injuries, so it's very important for Sexson to get healthy and start 2008 off on the right foot. He is currently day to day but playing, though I wish he'd completely shut it down for a few days.
• More bad news out of Angels camp, setup man Scot Shields suffered a forearm strain and could miss the start of the season, along with fellow pitchers John Lackey, Kelvim Escobar and Chris Bootcheck. Shields says he'll be ready for the opener, but it's not looking up for him. His awful spring control may be a result of this injury. Whether he's pitching poorly or not pitching at all, it's good news for Seattle.
• The bench, like the bullpen, is no closer to being finalized as Opening Day approaches. It's becoming more apparent that none of the candidates really offer what Seattle needs. Greg Norton's bat is really heating up, but he is useless on the field, and the same can be said about Mike Morse. Charlton Jimerson would give the bench tremendous speed, but he still has a massive hole in his swing. Jeremy Reed offers decent defense and nothing else. It will be interesting to see how this shapes up.
• Speaking of the bench, Reed Johnson has just been released from the Toronto Blue Jays and is a much better all around fit for Seattle's bench than the current options. A Johnson acquisition has already been endorsed in several places around the Mariner blogosphere, and I gotta say that I wouldn't mind it either. The only bummer would be to see Morse and Jimerson walk. Neither have much of a future with the team but, as a fan, I really like watching both of them play. Bill Bavasi has a knack for bringing in last minute players, so this could be a realistic possibility.
• Almost forgot to post this, but John McLaren may have had a slip of the tongue the other day. "Unless there’s something going on with one of these guys - Dickey, the Rule 5 guy, if we’ve got a deal going for one of our guys who’s out of options. That may push us back, but I’d like to be set when we hit that plane. I don’t know that we can do that, but that would be my goal," he was quoted yesterday. It seems apparent that Seattle is trying to work a deal for either Cha Seung Baek, Mike Morse and/or Charlton Jimerson. We already mentioned the rumored Baek-for-Durham trade the other day. Mike Morse's strong spring may have upped his value as well, so he might bring something worthwhile in.

Sources: Stuff and Story, Bullpen picture still murky, Shields' arm now a concern for Angels, Shields out, Sexson has bursitis, Fourth Outfielder, Nothing's certain yet...... the morning update, March 22

McLaren's Numbers Game; Sidney Ponson

posted by Jon

Shannon Drayer and Jose Romero both reported today that Seattle manager John McLaren will be giving all the hitters handouts that include their batting averages in certain pitch counts. The idea is to encourage them to work the pitcher to a better count. The intentions are good, but I think there could be a negative effect as well.

Last season Kenji Johjima hit .214 when in a 1-2 count. The reason McLaren is handing out these splits is so that Johjima will realize that he hit .392 in 2-2 counts, so he should just try and stay alive until he can work the count back to even. Sounds good, but couldn't Johjima feasibly lose confidence in a 1-2 count now that he knows how historically awful he was in that situation, or maybe he'll become so concerned with just fighting off the pitch that he won't be putting good swings on the pitches? I know these guys are professionals and this will probably help them, but it's just a thought.


Yesterday I read a report from MLB.com's Matthew Leach about free agent Sidney Ponson's bullpen session, in which he mentioned that Seattle scouts were in attendance. I wasn't going to post anything about this, but since MLB Rumors is now saying that Seattle would be the best fit for Ponson, I feel that I should address it.

Seattle has no room for Ponson. They already have a rotation filled with guys that are much more reliable than him, even if he does revert back to his Baltimore days. The only possible reason I could see Seattle picking him up was if they were about to make a trade involving Jarrod Washburn or Miguel Batista, but even Brandon Morrow would be a better rotation option than Ponson. I can't imagine why Seattle would be scouting him, and I have a hard time envisioning a realistic scenario in which Ponson wears a Mariner uniform.

Wilkerson Official

Nothing too surprising here; I woke up from a quick nap to find Jim Street, Shannon Drayer, Ryan Divish, John Hickey, the AP and many others all reporting that Seattle officially inked outfielder/first baseman Brad Wilkerson to a one year deal.

Geoff Baker reported that Seattle had this deal in their "back pocket" back on Monday.

The AP noted that Wilkerson can play all three outfield positions, which was new to me. Maybe he's not as slow out there as some of us were thinking?

Geoff Baker and Ken Rosenthal are reporting that he was signed for a mere $3M, which is a steal for a starting outfielder, whether you're pro-Wilkerson or not. Looks like we inked him for backup money. Rotoworld adds that there is another $2M in incentives, though I haven't come across another report that says that.

Wilkerson will likely backup/platoon in right field, first base and DH. He brings some very nice pop, but can struggle with low averages and high strikeout rates.

What does this mean?

Bedard?

Pretty much.

Q&A with Shannon Drayer

KOMO's Shannon Drayer knows the current Seattle Mariners team as well as anyone, working in close capacity with the them all season long. She started covering Mariner baseball on a part-time basis back in 1998, moving to full-time during the 2003 season. You can check out her KOMO baseball blog here. Shannon was kind enough to take some time out of her busy schedule to answer some questions for us here at Bleeding Blue and Teal.

BBT: Seattle lost a lot of leadership in Jose Guillen. Who are the most vocal leaders on the current team?

Drayer: Guillen had a leadership style we haven't seen in the clubhouse in a long time. He was a butt kicker. I don't think there are any other butt kickers, but there are different leaders that are important in different ways. Without question, JJ has grown into a leader, and from what I understand, he can be rather vocal at times. Mostly with the bullpen, but he is also a good team guy. Carlos Silva insists that he is vocal. He told us to look for him to be very animated on the bench in games that he is not pitching in. Ichiro believe it or not, felt more comfortable speaking up last year. Raul is a quiet leader, but the first one most guys go to when they are struggling. Willie Bloomquist has been known to speak up and has also been very helpful with the younger players. Adam Jones credits him with showing him the ropes. Willie is also the union rep. I don't think leadership is a problem on this team.

BBT: Do you believe that manager John McLaren is on any type of hot seat in his first full year, or will he be given the complete season for better or worse?

Drayer: Unless something dramatic happens, really dramatic, McLaren has nothing to worry about. The organization gave him everything he wanted in a staff and that is a good indicator that they trust him and they are behind him. Mac has surrounded himself with a lot of experience and I think that was a smart move on his part.

BBT: The Mariners have a few players heading for free agency after the 2008 season, including Raul Ibanez, Kenji Johjima and Willie Bloomquist. There are many variables that could play into the team's decision, but which of these players, if any, do you see Seattle extending before they hit the open market and why?

Drayer: Good question. I don't think the organiztion feels a pressing need to extend any of these guys early. I think Raul and Willie could be end of the season (in the exclusive negotiating window) deals provided they have good years. Willie might want to test the open market, and the team will probably let him. Joh is an interesting case. I don't know if this will be an ownership decision or a management decision. Jeff Clement will be ready to go. Can you keep Joe while you move Jeff in? Ideally Jeff would be at first base resting his legs and swinging that bat every night. Problem is, from what I have heard, he has been resistant to this. He insists on catching which is a shame. Bill Hassleman on our post game show once said that he couldn't understand how anyone that talented with the bat would want to catch. He says the wear and tear of catching will affect his hitting. Joh is a very tough call.

One other thing to keep an eye on. Isn't it time they lock Felix up to a long term deal? That's one of my first questions when we get past this Bedard thing.

BBT: What type of roles do you think Brandon Morrow and Horacio Ramirez would assume should an Erik Bedard trade become official?

Drayer: Word is that Morrow will be in the pen as the right handed set up man. This could get interesting though if Mark Lowe comes back at full strenght. If Lowe is lights out, maybe, just maybe, the organization would send Morrow down to the minors to get ready to move into the starting rotation either next year, or at the deadline after a trade. Ramirez will be looking at the long relief role, Tacoma or possibly he could be let go at the end of spring training.

BBT: Can you confirm reports that Seattle has a deal in place with Brad Wilkerson, pending an Erik Bedard trade? Do you feel it is necessary for the Mariners to look outside of the organization, or are Jeremy Reed and Wlad Balentien viable options?

Drayer: I cannot confirm Wilkerson, but I expect to see him or perhaps Trot Nixon platooning in right with Wlad. Is it necessary to look outside the organization? I think so. If they get Bedard they have to go for it. They have to have something out there that is a known quantity. I like the idea of a platoon, break the young guy in easily. I would give Morse a long look in spring training as well. He can hit a single to right field all day long. That's nice, but not enough. I have talked to a lot of scouts who think he is going to hit for power some day. If he wants to do it in Seattle, he is going to have to do it this spring because he is out of options.

---

I want to thank Shannon again for helping us out here. Some great points to think about:

• Jeff Clement doesn't want to play first base.
• Seattle could be looking to lock up Felix Hernandez soon.
• Brandon Morrow could get the minor league time he needs if Mark Lowe is healthy.
• Trot Nixon? This has been the first connection between him and Seattle. Word is he's working on his first base defense.

Seattle to Sign Wilkerson

I was going to hold off on this, but it is rapidly making its way around the blogosphere so I decided it was best to get it out there.

It would appear that the Seattle Mariners are close, or have possibly already signed, free agent Brad Wilkerson. Geoff Baker said earlier on radio and confirmed on his blog that "the Mariners already have a one-year deal with free-agent Brad Wilkerson in their back pocket for the moment a Bedard trade is finalized." He went on to speculate that the deal could be worth as much as $8M.

Seattle P-I's John Hickey just posted a blog about the same thing, though it appeared to be based on other reports, not necessarily on his own inside information.

This also goes along with MLB Trade Rumor's post from Saturday that we passed along.

We already know, Seattle would have been better off re-signing Jose Guillen, so no need to remind everyone. Wilkerson won't be too bad, no matter what happens with Adam Jones. Low averages, high strikeout rates, but he will add some pop to the bottom half of the lineup and is defensively versatile, despite being average in the field at best. You can read why Patrick is against Wilkerson here.

Baker was not the first to talk of a Wilkerson/Wladimir Balentien platoon, an arrangement that would likely please many a Mariner fan.

How do you all feel about adding Wilkerson to the team?

The Answer Should Be Wlad, Not Wilkerson

posted by Patrick

As many of you know, in recent days the Mariners have been linked to free agent Brad Wilkerson (1B/OF) and, in fact, a deal with Wilkerson is thought to materialize very soon and probably will as soon as the deal for Bedard is consummated.

Brad Wilkerson
2005: 565 AB's, .248 AVG, 11 homeruns, K every 3.84 AB's
2006: 320 AB's, .222 AVG, 15 homeruns, K every 2.76 AB's
2007: 338 AB's, .234 AVG, 20 homeruns, K every 3.15 AB's

Career at SAFECO: 33 AB's, .182 AVG, .357 OBP

In 2007, Richie Sexson struckout once every 4.34 at bats; a better rate than Wilkerson's numbers from 05, 06, and 07.

So why in the world would we want to bring in another low average guy that strikes out even more than Richie Sexson? Sure, he has a little pop and can play the outfield as well as first base; but unless it's absolutely necessary to acquire another outfielder (meaning that Jones and Balentien are traded), I would not want to throw anywhere from 2 to 6 million dollars (per year) at him, especially if the deal is more than one year. His career average at SAFECO is abyssmal and I don't see him as a good fit here.

Note: When the Adam Jones to Baltimore deal is finished, I'd want to see Wlad in right field.

Clark Update 2; Silva Interview

According to MLB Rumors, Tony Clark could be nearing a deal with the San Francisco Giants.

Such a deal would be contradictory to recent Chris Haft speculation. Besides that, Giants GM Brian Sabean recently said, "I don't know that we could marginally improve ourselves with anybody out there," hinting that he was done with the free agent market.

The Giants don't seem to have much of a plan this offseason, so I suppose anything is possible.

The majority of Mariner fans seem to be against a Tony Clark signing, so this could only be good news.

Lately I have been thinking that Brad Wilkerson could be brought in as a backup, not necessarily as a starter, but that is all speculation. I also wonder if Seattle would go after Ryan Klesko. He would be a seemingly pointless addition, like Clark, but if Bill Bavasi is hellbent on adding first base depth from the left side he could look that direction.

Besides the latest rumblings on Tony Clark, MLB Rumors has also just released an interview with new Seattle Mariners pitcher Carlos Silva that may be worth your while.

Wilkerson Update

MLBTR:

Can't promise anything, but my source is saying Brad Wilkerson is likely to become a Mariner on a one-year deal. Put this in the unconfirmed category for now.

We all know how solid the information has been this offseason, but a Wilkerson deal wouldn't be surprising to me at this point.

My first reactions were that GM Bill Bavasi was referring to Wilkerson on Thursday when he said, "You might see some of those drop-dead dates where agents say, 'Well, I can't wait for you anymore. I know you have an everyday job for me if you make move-A, but you know what, this other team over here; they've got 250-300 at bats for my guy, I gotta go that way.' So you might see some of that."

We'll keep you updated.

Bedard Unhappy, Clark's Choices, Jason Bay?

Alright, a couple tid-bits to wrap up the work week.

Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun was able to talk to Erik Bedard on the phone today.

"If they don't want me, [a trade] is the best thing to do," Bedard told Jeff, among other things. Be sure to check out the article for all the quotes.

Bedard has voiced his displeasure with Baltimore before, but the timing of these comments can only help Seattle get a deal done, in my opinion.

Zrebiec goes on to agree with everyone that Chris Tillman would likely be involved alongside Adam Jones.

---

MLB.com's Chris Haft has this to say in his latest installment of Giants' Notes, "Numerous free-agent first basemen remain available -- Sean Casey, Mike Sweeney, Doug Mientkiewicz and Tony Clark, among others -- but none is likely to sign with the Giants as a complement to Dan Ortmeier."

Pair that with Buster Olney's report that Clark's choices were down to Seattle and San Francisco and it looks like our Mariners are going to end up with Clark, for better or worse.

---

There have been some mentions of new Jason Bay rumors in our comment sections. Anyone wanna help me out and elaborate a little bit here? URLs, quotes or whatever you have, because I'm not following where these are coming from.

Unless this the quote everyone is talking about:

Churchill: The latest I’m hearing is that the Pirates deal may only involve Bay, not Snell, and may only happen if the Mariners are sure they are going to trade Jones for Bedard.

Doesn't sound like much of a rumor.

Clark Update

A couple readers already mentioned this in the comments, but Buster Olney is reporting that Tony Clark is going to likely sign with either the Mariners or the San Francisco Giants.

Unfortunately you have to be a subscriber to read the whole piece, but other outlets such as Rotoworld are reporting what they read.

We'll keep you updated.

Bloomquist Could Be Back

posted by Jon

At some point last season I saw a television interview with Willie Bloomquist in which he expressed his unhappiness with his role, saying something along the lines that he would be searching for something better once his contract expired after the '08 season.

If I had been blogging at the time I would have documented it or at least gotten an exact quote, but either way I had developed my own belief that he would not be back. Because of this belief I have defended Mike Morse on several occasions, because I figured he was a decent option to help fill the void left by Bloomquist.

Bloomquist is still slightly down on his role, but it seems he has learned to accept it and may be more willing to sign an extension with Seattle, according to this Kitsap Sun article.

Willing, but only if they show him the money.

Willie's 2007 paycheck was just shy of a million bucks, but he could be looking to double his salary. In the article he compares himself to utility men Alex Cora and Alex Cintron.

"Those guys are making somewhere around $2 million a year or something like that. In the past they have been everyday guys, but the bottom line is they're paid as utility guys. With all due respect to them, they're good players and they play short and second and maybe a little bit of third. I can throw in center field, right field, first and left field as well," Bloomquist was quoted as saying.

There is no doubt that he is confident in his role, referring to himself as "one of the better guys in the league at it" and passing along the Mariners' belief that he is "one of the best, if not the best at being a utility guy."

Could Bloomquist really command $2M annually? It's hard to find players as defensively flexible as Willie, but here are a couple utility men and their salaries:

Seattle's newest utility man, Miguel Cairo, just signed for $850,000 this year, and has not made more than $1M in his career (2006). Cairo plays all four infield positions and can play some outfield.

Former Oakland and current Toronto utility man Marco Scutaro will make $1.55M next season. Scutaro routinely gets more at bats than Bloomquist, but like Cairo he does not bring speed to the table and only plays emergency outfield.

Alfredo Amezaga of the Florida Marlins is fairly comparable to Bloomquist. Plays everywhere, steals bases, but receives quite a few more at bats than Bloomquist (400 last season). Unfortunately Amezaga is still under team control so it's hard to tell how much he could make with arbitration out of the way. Like Bloomquist he made just under one million last season.

Former Mariner bust Scott Spiezio has done well for himself as the Cardinals' utility man. He's been a better hitter than Bloomquist, but lacks defensive ability at center field and shortstop. He is currently making over $2M annually.

I could go on listing other utility men, but obviously none of them quite compare to Willie. He's not a great hitter by any stretch, not even a good hitter, but he plays solid defense at seven positions and not many players in the Major Leagues can boast that.

Is $2M too much to give a guy who has yet to eclipse 251 at bats in a season? Sure it is, but he is valuable in his own right. If you based the salary strictly on offense and speed off the bench he shouldn't be making any more than $1-1.5M, but his versatility could indeed push him to the $1.75-2M range if that is what it takes to retain him. That may be too much, but I believe the Mariners would like to keep him and $2M is practically pocket change for a team whose payroll is over $105M.

I can see why Willie would be reluctant to pursue a job elsewhere at this point. He will have to fight twice as hard as anyone else for a starting job now that he has been pigeon-holed into the utility role, and his family is rooted in the Seattle area. Bloomquist has hinted in the article that he doesn't want to deal with this during the season, so we could see him extended before Spring Training closes. We'll keep you updated.

Question to the reader: How much is Bloomquist worth?

Seattle Interested in Tony Clark

posted by Jon

Ken Rosenthal is reporting that the Mariners are among three teams vying for free agent first baseman Tony Clark.

If signed, Clark would likely get at bats at first base and DH, as well as pinch hitting late.

New BBT addition Dustin Shires had Seattle going after Clark over a month ago at his old blog, Mariner Nation. Here is a paragraph from his post dated December 16:

Clark is an imposing figure, standing 6'7" and weighing in at 245 pounds. The guy is a switch-hitting power bat who has more power success from the left side of the plate. A pull, power hitter is what Seattle has always lacked in Safeco. The fact that he's a switch hitter makes him all the more appealing because once Sexson hits the wall, Clark can fill in full time, hitting against both lefties and righties. When given playing time, Clark has been a successful power bat. Every year that he's played more than 130 games, he's hit more than 30 home runs. I won't lie, the guy strikes out quite a bit, about 1/4 of the time, but not like we haven't seen that in Sexson. Honestly, he can't do worse than Sexson did last year.

I happen to strongly disagree here. First of all, Richie Sexson will bounce back next season. There is no way he will repeat his numbers from last year, or post a .245/.330/.460 vital line (AVG/OBP/SLG) as U.S.S. Mariner predicts. He has a career vital of .263/.345/.514 and has managed to post a .248/.338/.488 since joining the Mariners, despite the horrifying .205/.295/.399 he produced last year. I predict he will post something closer to his 2006 numbers than his 2007 nightmare.

Besides my belief that Sexson will bounce back, he actually hits righties just as well as Tony Clark, posting a .264 career average against them compared to Clark's .263 while hitting left-handed. Sure, Sexson has slipped to the .240s in recent years, but I don't believe the drop is significant enough to warrant a platoon situation (especially since Clark has hit .213 and .254 against right-handers the past two seasons).

I would hate to see Clark taking up a roster spot on the bench. He can only realistically play first base, and he would be hurting Mike Morse's future with Seattle. The only reason I would be alright with a Tony Clark acquisition is if the Mariners front office is still planning on trading Sexson. I don't see that happening at this point, and even then it would just be a salary dump move, because I doubt Clark would outdo Sexson next season.

Tony Clark would simply replace Ben Broussard, a player who was traded because there was no room for him. Yay or nay on a Clark signing?

Jeremy Affeldt, Brad Wilkerson

posted by Dustin

Jon previously blogged here that a move the Mariners could make if Sherrill is traded would be to sign Jeremy Affeldt, a Washington native. Well, that idea was nixed today when it was announced that Affeldt and the Reds have agreed on a 1 year, $3 million deal (with performance bonuses).

He may be used as a end of the rotation starter to begin the year, but if all else fails, he'll be moved to the bullpen where he was exclusively used last season, and successful as well.

---

Rumor has it that the Mariners are interested in Brad Wilkerson. The Red Sox had previously shown some interest, but the lofty demand of 3 years, $21 million should have them thinking otherwise.

Also connected to Wilkerson: Yankees and A's

Wilkerson is 30 years old and is a home hitter. If Jones is dealt, could Wilkerson by a viable option to fill right? Certainly, as long as Boras, Wilkerson's agent, drops the price.

---

Jon's two cents: It's not difficult to connect the dots on this one. I'm almost certain Affledt was holding out for the Mariners, the Bedard deal has supposedly fallen through, so he signed with Cinci.

As far as Wilkerson goes, I don't believe he would be a good option for Seattle, with or without Adam Jones. He's a high strikeout, low defense guy who only got it done in a hitter's haven of a home stadium last season. He's left handed, which is always a plus, but I don't think he'd be the best choice for Seattle, especially if Richie Sexson is in the same lineup.

Wilkerson's price will undoubtedly come down, though, as there has been a backlash against Scott Boras lately. His clients have not been getting the outlandish demands he has been asking for, and I think he may be toning it down a little bit.

Rhodes, Sherrill Agree to Terms

The Seattle Mariners agreed to terms on a minor league deal with lefty reliever Arthur Rhodes today. Rhodes missed all of last season, and may also miss the beginning of this coming year. This is another low risk signing and I see no problem with it.

The M's also avoided arbitration with George Sherrill, so he is now officially signed for next season.

It's easy enough to connect either of these moves to Bedard, but I wouldn't bother. I'll try to sum up today's rumors a little later on.

Poll Results: Gil Meche

Q: Now that a year has passed, do you think the Mariners should have paid Gil Meche $11M+ to stay in Seattle?

Yes - 18 (40%)
No - 27 (60%)
My vote: Yes

I am surprised by these results. The majority of voters are happy with the fact that we let Meche go and signed Carlos Silva to an even richer deal a year later?

Silva's 2007: 32 GS, 202 IP, 1.312 WHIP, 4.19 ERA, 103 ERA+, 3.97 K/9, .287 OBA
Meche's 2007: 34 GS, 216 IP, 1.296 WHIP, 3.67 ERA, 128 ERA+, 6.50 K/9, .263 OBA

Silva's Career (as a starter): 47 W, 45 L, 770.2 IP, 4.46 ERA, .304 OBA
Meche's Career (as a starter): 64 W, 57 L, 1026 IP, 4.43 ERA, .261 OBA

Yes, Meche had been susceptible to injuries in the past, but I thought 2006 was really a turning point for him. He has always had top of the rotation upside, and it looked like he was getting to the point where he was healthy enough to put it all together. I was on the "re-sign Meche at all costs" side of the debate last offseason, as the market was thin and we were striking out with our targets (Zito, Schmidt, Eaton- thankfully). We ended up with Horacio Ramirez and Jeff Weaver.

Meche showed that he can pitch at the top of the rotation last season, putting up good numbers with a horrible team. I don't see how anyone voted 'no', but what good is a poll if everyone agrees? [Ca-Sil]

Your thoughts? DEFEND YOUR VOTE!

Chris Reitsma Brought Back!

Chris Reitsma has re-signed with the Seattle Mariners. Don't panic, this isn't half as bad as it sounds.

In fact, this is probably a good move by the Mariners. While Reitsma made over $1.3M last season, he will make just a fraction of that in 2008.

This is a very low risk minor league signing. If finally healthy Reitsma could provide the veteran presence and stability the Mariners were looking for last season. If not, he sits in AAA as insurance or is released. Think of this like 2007's Arthur Rhodes signing. Didn't hurt us, did it? [Ch-Rei]

I have no problem if he makes the team, as long as he proves healthy and effective in Spring Training. The only fear I have is that he'll take a roster spot from a more deserving youngster, such as Kam Mickolio or Jon Huber. We'll see how it plays out in Spring Training.

If George Sherrill is Traded...

This goes along with the Caffeinated Confines post I did titled If Adam Jones is Traded, Who Replaces Him? Though Adam Jones figures to leave a bigger hole on the Seattle roster, the question is still valid; If George Sherrill is traded, who replaces him?

There is no straight up answer for this question, however, as Sherrill's 2008 Mariners role hasn't been determined. Personally, I would give him a full-time setup role at this point in his career, though I can imagine Bill Bavasi and John McLaren having an "if it ain't broke" approach and leaving him as the team's LOOGY.

If Sherrill was expected to be a full-time setup man it is possible to replace him internally. Having a righty/lefty tandem covering setup duties is a luxury, not a requirement, and Seattle can use their depth among right-handers to fill the void. Besides J.J. Putz, the Mariners will consider six other righties for non-long relief bullpen roles. These guys include Sean Green, Mark Lowe, Brandon Morrow, Kam Mickolio, Austin Bibens-Dirkx and Jon Huber. Bibens-Dirkx is the biggest longshot at this point, but will be given a long look in Spring Training along with Mickolio.

Bill Bavasi has already announced his intentions to make another bad decision, stating that Brandon Morrow will not be given the opportunity to develop as a starter in Tacoma, but will instead be a part of Seattle's bullpen next year if another starter is acquired. Making the best of a bad move, Morrow would benefit from the long relief role. The Mariners would get the most out of him in a late innings role, however, so it will be interesting to see how badly Bavasi and McLaren are willing to hinder Morrow's development as a starter in order to help the team.

My vote would be to give Morrow one of the setup roles, because I think his real future is in the late innings and not as a starter. I would like to see Mark Lowe as the other setup man, but only if he proves to be healthy and effective in Spring Training. If not, Sean Green would be my next choice, though I would be more comfortable using him as a middle reliever.

It may be slightly more difficult to replace Sherrill if Seattle was planning on making him their left-handed specialist again. Eric O'Flaherty would have likely nabbed the role if Sherrill was still there for insurance purposes. O'Flaherty may be capable, but I'd like him to have one more year of middle relief assignments before being forced to face hitters like David Ortiz or Travis Hafner with the game on the line. Ryan Rowland-Smith was actually much better against right-handers last year, so he will not be seriously considered in that role.

I believe that the Seattle Mariners would turn to free agent Jeremy Affeldt.

From a Seattle P-I article titled Mariners' needs simple: Pitching:

...Medical Lake native Jeremy Affeldt said Thursday his agent has talked to the Mariners and is scheduled to do so again in Nashville. Affeldt, 28, was the lefty setup man for Colorado last season -- a role the Mariners have well-covered with George Sherrill...

Here's what I had to say about Affedt a few days before the P-I article was published. The post, Free Agency: Veteran Relief, was a list of my top five veteran relievers the Mariners could bring in to fill the void left by the very ineffective Rick White, Chris Reitsma, John Parrish and others:

5.) Jeremy Affeldt - The only lefty of this list, Affeldt bounced around in different roles with the Kansas City Royals early in his career and didn't find too much success. This past season he landed with the Rockies and posted a career low 3.51 ERA, including a 1.74 ERA in the hitter friendly confines of Coors Field. He was a matchups guy, only logging 59 innings in 75 appearances, but could be on the verge of a breakout season in a bigger role. He's got age on his side (28) and showed that he can get it done against both sides of the plate (3.65 ERA vs. right, 3.27 vs. left) and in the playoffs (1.69 ERA during Colorado's playoff run, his only mistake a solo home run in the NLDS). Affeldt is the biggest gamble on this list, especially since he's only had success in the National League.

Affeldt hasn't pitched nearly as well as George Sherrill, but I think he is the Mariners' best option to fill the role occupied by Sherrill last season. It would also allow Eric O'Flaherty to continue developing away from the pressures of setup and specialist duty. Obviously Affeldt is interested in pitching for his hometown team, and I believe that he would be Seattle's first acquisition announced once George Sherrill is out of the picture.

The biggest obstacle in signing Affeldt would be the money. There have been rumors that he is seeking about $4M annually, an absurd amount of money for a reliever with his credentials. Sherrill will likely make less than a quarter of that salary, even if he takes his case to arbitration. I assume Affeldt's price will come down, as superior relievers such a LaTroy Hawkins ($3.75M) and Luis Vizcaino ($3.5M) have been signed for less this offseason. [Ge-She Je-Aff Br-Mor]

If George Sherrill is included in a trade for Erik Bedard, Jeremy Affeldt will become a Seattle Mariner. You heard it here first.

View other Bleeding Blue and Teal posts about George Sherrill