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.

McLaren to "Steal" Some Wins

I just finished up a post on MVN's Caffeinated Confines about manager John McLaren's intentions to steal more bases in 2008. Here's a snippet:

Back at the Winter Meetings McLaren was asked how many bases Ichiro could steal. “Let’s just say 80 to start with,” he responded. “Let’s go there.”

“I think Betancourt has got the capabilities of being a 20-plus stolen base guy,” McLaren was also quoted as saying in the same media session.

Thursday at the annual Spring Training luncheon hosted at Safeco Field, McLaren backed up his statements. “Ichiro can walk backwards and steal 40 bases, he’s on base more than anybody.”

The manager talked about being aggressive all game long, and having a “daredevil” or “riverboat gambler” attitude on the basepaths next season.

“I want Betancourt running more for sure,” he said, also mentioning Adam Jones and Jose Lopez. He continued a few minutes later, “I would like to see Betancourt stealing some bases– 20, 30, 40. I mean, he’s got that type of talent.”

For the complete post click the link: Seattle to be Aggressive on the Basepaths in '08.

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.

Putz to Win Rolaids Relief Award

posted by Jon

Everyone that sat through Seattle's two hour long address to the media, either in person or at their computers, were probably looking for the same things. Most of us were waiting for GM Bill Bavasi's Q&A session, over an hour into the conference, to try and find some quotes to stoke the hot stove.

There was a lot of other good info to come out of it from everyone that contributed. Surely there will be mentions of minor league news, injury updates, new team philosophies and other things at later dates on this blog as they pertain to the posts. There was one little tid-bit that is unimportant in the grand scope of things, but noteworthy nonetheless.

J.J. Putz will be announced as the American League Rolaids Relief Man Award winner on Sunday. This shouldn't be a shock, as this is one of the few awards in which the winner is determined by the stats, and not skewed by Red Sox Nation or lazy players.

Putz, the first Mariner to ever win the award, ran away with the title. The Angels' K-Rod finished in a distant second.

It's always nice to see our guys get recognized, and hopefully Putz will be right back on top of the American League next season.

Baker/Street Latest: Bavasi Confident

posted by Jon

Geoff Baker just posted on his blog, backing up the Shannon Drayer entry I mentioned yesterday. Baker adds some great quotes.

First, Bavasi still expects to get a deal done for a top-of-the-rotation starting pitcher. He never mentions names, but it's clear he was talking about Erik Bedard. It's also clear that Bavasi feels this team is ready to challenge for a playoff spot and is ready to give up Adam Jones and plenty of other names to get a deal done.

"We're in a position now where we have to do our best to make those moves for a top-of-the-rotation guy so we can slot the rest of the rotation where it should be,'' he said. "We feel we have to make a move -- one more move."

Bavasi says he's already put his best offer on the table and that it's now a waiting game. He says there's been a genuine reluctance by some clubs to part with young prospects, but "we're not one of those clubs. We're prepared to move...but there is a limit.''

What would that be?

"I don't think you can give a club its terms and its price,'' he said. "We can move a premier prospect and numbers (of players), but we're not going to move a number of premier prospects."

So, what's going to happen now?

"As I'm sitting here today, I think we will (get a deal done),'' he said. "I think there's a good chance of that."

Based on the above quotes I have trouble believing the rumors that Adam Jones was the dealbreaker a week ago. Sure, maybe Baltimore is asking too much, but Bavasi is willing to get this done.

MLB.com's Jim Street has just written about the same topic, adding some interesting quotes of his own.

"I might think we're going to make a move, so I'll go ahead and make other moves, assuming I will make that big deal," Street quotes Bavasi as saying. "But if I don't make that big deal, I'm in trouble."

What moves could these be? Acquiring another outfielder perhaps?

According to both Street and Baker, Bavasi is being realistic about his rotation, which is encouraging.

As quoted above, Baker has him saying, "We're in a position now where we have to do our best to make those moves for a top-of-the-rotation guy so we can slot the rest of the rotation where it should be.''

Street collected this quote from Bavasi, "For us, the most important thing is the top-of-the-rotation starting pitcher. Not a No. 2 or No. 3 or a No. 4. But there is a limit to what we will move."

Everyone knows we currently have a rotation that includes one ace-in-training and three back-end guys in Washburn, Silva and Batista, and it's nice to know Bavasi is on the same page.

There was rumors about a deadline at the end of this month, but Baltimore's Andy McPhail would just like things settled by the time pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training, just shy of three weeks from now.

It's very exciting to me to see these rumors spring back up, as anticipated, especially now that we know Bavasi will not be taken. I know many of you are attached to our prospects and are seemingly against the "win now" mentality, but it looks like Bill Bavasi will be able to keep some good, young talent in Seattle even with a Bedard trade.

Watch the complete press conference.

How does everyone feel about the latest happenings?

"Minor" Help, part 2

Back in early December I posted an ad on here for someone to write about the Seattle organization from rookie ball to AAA. Chris Meer answered the call, and made his debut on December 15th with a post about Robert Rohrbaugh.

I was pleased with the post, but I haven't heard from Chris since December 23rd. I've decided it is time to start looking around for someone else. (Chris, if you're out there, send me an email!)

If you are interested in contributing 1-2 posts per month profiling minor leaugers, writing about transactions, who's hot/who's not, and all things minor leagues please send me an email at bleedingblueandteal@gmail.com. After you contact me be prepared to get write a post, and if it is what we're looking for it will be posted on the site and you will be added as a contributor to BBT.

You could be granted more than 1-2 posts depending on your content. If you can post entries that include more than a quick Google search and a glance through Baseball-Reference you are obviously more valuable.

If you have any interest at all, even if you feel under-qualified, please send me an email and we'll talk about it. Look forward to hearing from you.

Bavasi Still Looking for an Ace

posted by Jon

It's been a slow day today, but I decided to poke around and see if I could find anything worth passing along.

KOMO's Shannon Drayer has posted today that Seattle GM Bill Bavasi is still trying to acquire an "elite starter" via trade. (Decent read, check it out)

Nothing too significant in the entry, but encouraging nonetheless. Many fans seem to assume that Bavasi has dropped out of the Bedard race after last week's events, but obviously the talks just stalled and it's back to the drawing board.

Drayer did mention that Cincinnati has seemingly pulled out of the Bedard race, which makes the New York Mets' interest in Johan Santana much more interesting.

Many sources have the Mets as the new favorite to come away with the two-time Cy Young award winner. If they can seal the deal and bring Santana to Shea Stadium then it would appear that Seattle has a better shot at Erik Bedard. The Mariners would be the lone team targeting Bedard at that point and the price could come down just enough to get a deal done. I would expect a final attempt by the Reds, but they have been much more stubborn than Seattle thus far.

The Mets impact is all speculation with a lot of variables, but it seems to add up. Thoughts?

UPDATE (7:02 AM - 1/24) - Prospect Insider's sidebar is saying that the two sides are in a staring contest, as each team is waiting for the other to blink. Churchill mentions than if it doesn't get done this weekend it won't get done at all, so hopefully we'll know once and for all within a week or so.

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?

Poll Results: Top Prospects

posted by Jon

Q: Who will have the best major league career?

Adam Jones - 70 - ~50%
Jeff Clement - 32 - ~23%
Brandon Morrow - 19 - ~13%
Wladimir Balentien - 17 - ~12%

Jon's vote: Jeff Clement
Dustin's vote: Jeff Clement
Patrick's vote: Wladimir Balentien

First of all I'd like to mention the great voter turnout. It obviously reflects on all the new readers we have gained recently, and I'd like to thank you all for contributing.

There wasn't a lot in the results that surprised me. Without thinking much about it I placed the players in order of how many votes I thought they would receive, and that's how it ended up. I did expect Morrow to grab a few more votes and I figured Wlad would finish in a distant last.

A few days after the launch of this poll I realized that there was a real problem with the question, especially since I wasn't sure who to pick. How can you rank the MLB careers of players that are slotted into completely different roles?

Maybe a more appropriate question to ask would be:

Who will have the biggest impact on the teams they play for over the course of their career?

Change any votes?

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.

Bedard to Seattle: Important Precedent

posted by Patrick

It's July 31st, 1989 and the Minnesota Twins are 51-53 after finishing 91-71 the year before, and are just two years removed from winning the World Series in '88. With a weak pitching staff that was in dire need of rebuilding, general manager Andy MacPhail traded away the Twins lone starting pitcher sensation; a 29-year old Cy Young Award winner by the name of Frank Viola. The trade involved sending Viola to the Mets for starting pitchers Rick Aguilera, David West, and Kevin Tapani as well as relief pitchers Jack Savage and Tim Drummond.

When asked about the trade, GM Andy MacPhail stated that "This is the kind of deal a general manager hates to make, you put your head out there because you know it's the right thing to do for the organization." Although the move didn't completely pan out for the Twins, MacPhail managed to keep his job for a couple more years despite lack of support for him among Twins fans.

If you've stuck with me so far, you have reached the paragraph where I make my point. Andy MacPhail is the Chief Operating Officer of the Baltimore Orioles but essentially serves as general manager (Mike Flanagan is officially the GM but MacPhail pulls the strings). So MacPhail is faced with the same type of situation that he was faced with in the summer of 1989. He's already demonstrated that he will trade a superstar pitcher to rebuild a franchise if it's in the best interest of the team, and I think the consensus is that trading Erik Bedard is the better choice for the Orioles in the long-term. By the way, remember when I said Viola was 29 when he was traded? Erik Bedard turns 29 in March...

More MacPhail Quotes about the Viola Trade:

"The reality is that baseball is cyclical. Sometimes you've got to play the cycle and turn in your chips for more chips."

"You knew at the time it was one of those trades that can be a career buster, when you get right down to it. It's one of those that you have to get right. But I had a lot of confidence in our evaluators, and I just knew in my heart and soul it was time."

Source: http://nc.startribune.com/twins/story/1584638.html

Jones is the Hangup?

posted by Jon

Prospect Insider has been single-handedly driving the Adam Jones rumor mill at times this offseason, and they have some new info on their sidebar today.

After exchanging emails with a person connected to the trade discussions between the Baltimore Orioles and the Seattle Mariners, I've learned that maybe the reason a deal has not been consummated is not what we've been led to believe up to this point.

Thus far it's appeared that the Orioles' demand for either Brandon Morrow, Carlos Triunfel or even Chris Tillman to be included may have held a deal up for the past few weeks. But perhaps that's not true, says the source.

"It's Adam Jones. I don't think they (Seattle) are sure about giving him up."

The two clubs are apparently keeping the lines of communication open, but no deal is imminent.

That is pretty surprising to me, but it makes the whole Winter league episode make a little more sense. That brings me to this little blurb by MLBTR:

Maybe the Mariners have been reading blogs again.

Honestly, that wouldn't surprise me one bit. There is not way you pull out of that trade unless you've been listening to biased, whiny fan bloggers crying about it. Bottom line is that Erik Bedard makes this team better than Adam Jones would in 2008 and 2009. You don't need to think beyond that, because we have plenty of youth waiting in the wings.

Everything looks at Jones' power numbers in AAA and thinks he is some sort of god. Anyone else realize that he could strike out 200 times if he doesn't have any lineup protection?

Horacio Ramirez Inks For 2008

It was announced today that the Mariners and Horacio Ramirez have agreed to a one year contract for 2008 worth $2.75 million with an opportunity for Ramirez to earn up to $300,000 more in bonuses. In doing so, the two parties avoid salary arbitration.

The base salary of $2.75 million is a $100k raise from last year. Yes, that's right; apparently you can get a pay raise for being the worst starting pitcher in baseball. Does this mean that Horacio is a lock for the rotation? Absolutely not. The Mariners did this so that they had an option to fall back on in the event that none of our young guns were capable to be in the rotation and we don't sign or trade for another starter.

Hopefully we'll be able to close the case on HoRam in the next couple of weeks by acquiring the ace that we've been looking for.

M's Issue Non-Roster Invites

The Seattle Mariners announced their first 18 Spring Training invites today.

Pitchers (11): Arthur Rhodes, Chris Reitsma, Chris Tillman, Kam Mickolio, Phillipe Aumont, Robert Rohrbaugh, Philip Barzilla, Jake Woods, Roy Corcoran, Brodie Downs, Stephen Kahn

Infielders (3): Matt Tuiasosopo, Mark Kiger, Tug Hulett

Outfielders (1): Bronson Sardinha

Catchers (3): Adam Moore, Jair Fernandez, Brant Ust

Pitchers: Chris Reitsma and Arthur Rhodes you know. They are both veterans of the game, both successful in the past, both made Seattle's Opening Day roster last season and both missed substantial time on the disabled list. The Mariner bullpen would receive a nice boost if either of these two can bounce back from their injuries and pitch like they did in the days of yesteryear. I think Reitsma has the best chance to bounce back. He should be fully recovered and still has some innings left in his arm, while Rhodes missed all of last season and may be running out of time. While he had a great year for Cleveland in 2005, Rhodes hasn't pitched successfully in back-to-back seasons since his last stint with Seattle.

Mariners fans will get their first look at first round pick Phillipe Aumont. He has yet to make his professional debut, however, and should be cut fairly early. Chris Tillman, as good as he could become, probably won't last long either in his first big league Spring Training.

Jake Woods is another familiar face, but I think he blew his chance at a regular role with this team and is now below several pitchers on the organizational depth chart. Don't expect much out of Stephen Kahn either. He has pitched well during his brief Mariner career, but he'll likely start the year back in AA. Brodie Downs hasn't taken the typical path to the majors. He was drafted out of Junior College at age 27 last year, and combined for a 2.49 ERA between rookie ball, AA and AAA in his first season. He could be an interesting story to follow.

The young pitchers with the best chance to crack this years Opening Day roster would have to be Kameron Mickolio and Robert Rohrbaugh. Mickolio was in the same draft as Brandon Morrow, and is a hulk of a man that delivers some serious heat. Rohrbaugh may be in the same boat as Jake Woods. He's a lefty starter type that will probably end up in AAA instead of in the bullpen or fifth spot, but he is just about major league ready. More on Rohrbaugh here. Philip Barzilla and Roy Corcoran could surprise some people as well. Barzilla has pitched fairly well over the last seven seasons in the Houston organization, but has only logged a third of a major league inning. Being left handed is an advantage, and he would definitely benefit from a George Sherrill departure, though there appear to be better pitchers in front of him. Corcoran, most recently of the Marlins organization, has also pitched in seven minor league seasons with a very nice 3.11 ERA and 9.39 K/9, but has been unable to put it together in his 16 appearances at the major league level.

I was rather surprised that neither Austin Bibens-Dirkx nor Doug Fister were able to get an invite. ABD also came out of the same draft class as Morrow and Mickolio, and might be more advanced at this point in his career had it not been for some injuries slowing him down. He should be up before season's end, though Fister might be another year or so away.

If I had to pick one non-roster pitcher to make the 25-man, besides Reitsma and Rhodes, I would have to pick Kam Mickolio. The guy has shot through the organization and finished 2007 with 10.5 K/9 in AAA.

I'll write at length about all the pitchers competing for jobs once Spring Training rolls around.

Infielders: Seattle's first pick of the 2004 draft (3rd round), Matt Tuiasosopo has been a bit of a disappointment so far. He has yet to develop the power most scouts thought he had, and will not be granted a 25-man roster spot anytime soon. Tug Hulett, who was acquired in the Ben Broussard trade, along with Mark Kiger give the Mariners even more depth among utility men. Neither of them are better options than Willie Bloomquist or the recently signed Miguel Cairo, so this is no more than a tryout for next year. Bloomquist and Cairo will both be free agents after this season, and the Mariners will have to find new utility guys for the bench.

Catchers: The Mariners are going to have a very nice group of catchers working with the pitchers this Spring Training. Kenji Johjima, Jaime Burke, Jeff Clement and Rob Johnson will be joined by up-and-comer Adam Moore this Spring. He is projecting to be a very solid major league catcher, a Michael Barrett type, and he is reportedly very good with the pitchers. I wrote much more about him here. Joining Moore will be Jair Fernandez and Brant Ust, and neither are much to write home about. Ust has been playing pro ball since 1999 but has yet to make his major league debut. Like Fernandez, he is weak with the stick but does have some value. Ust is a rare breed of utility players that can play catcher. Last season in AAA Tacoma he logged innings at catcher, first base, second base and third base.

Outfielder Bronson Sardinha is a former first round pick by the New York Yankees (2001). I doubt the 24 year old will compete with the likes of Jeremy Reed, Charlton Jimerson and others for the fourth outfielder spot, and he is probably just auditioning for another AAA job. If anything he can entertain us with his totally awesome middle name: Kiheimahanaomauiakeo. I wonder how long it took him to learn how to spell that.

This seems like a pretty good bunch of players. I don't see any of the position players making the team however. There should be a few more invites dished out in the coming weeks.

Roberts to Cubs; Seattle's Turn?

posted by Jon

There have been reports today that the Cubs are all set to acquire second baseman Brian Roberts from the Baltimore Orioles. I know we throw you off sometimes, but this is in fact a Mariners blog, and this trade could very well impact Seattle.

It has been my belief that the ongoing Baltimore/Chicago trade talks were hindering Seattle's ability to get a deal done with the Orioles. Baltimore obviously wants to move Roberts more, whether it has to do with the recent steroid allegations or anything else. They have already stated that they are in no rush to trade Erik Bedard, and they feel comfortable with him as their Opening Day starter.

With Roberts out of the way, Orioles GM Andy MacPhail can now turn all of his attention to moving his ace southpaw. Don't believe the rumors that the once "imminent" Seattle/Baltimore deal is dead. Obviously Baltimore needed to shift their focus as they were preparing to bring in a different boatload of prospects.

Yes, Adam Jones is back in Lara's lineup, but I think that is less of a factor than some think. A deal was close, so he was pulled out. The deal was put on the backburner, so he was put back in the lineup.

This Cubs/Orioles trade could also impact a potential Seattle deal, for better or worse, depending on what Baltimore gets in return for Roberts. Jon Lieber was signed by the Cubs just before this report came out, making some of Chicago's young starters available, namely Sean Marshall and Sean Gallagher. Could the inclusion of either or both of these pitchers extinguish Baltimore's interest in Brandon Morrow? While you can never have enough young pitching, it would certainly make it easier for them to drop him from the price tag. You could ask the same question regarding the possible (though unlikely) inclusion of stud center fielder Felix Pie, but I think Adam Jones would remain the centerpiece regardless as he is obviously capable of playing one of the corners.

I know many of us would rather send Baltimore Brandon Morrow over some other prospect, but Seattle GM Bill Bavasi may not feel the same. If Morrow is dropped from the deal something could get done sooner than later.

Just read this blurb from the bottom of the aforementioned report:

One baseball insider confirmed through email that the Cubs would like to make another move this off season before pitchers and catchers report. He went on to say that he has not heard anything about a deal being close, but said a deal is likely to go down before the end of the month.

This could obviously be referring to anything, but interesting nonetheless. I wouldn't be surprised in the least if talks were renewed within the next week or so.

Note: Take the Roberts-to-Cubs rumor with a grain of salt. Although this trade has been on the verge of happening for quite some time, there hasn't been a lot of confirming reports out there. We should know within the coming days.

Update (11:55 PM PST) - A new update on the previously linked MLB-Rumors entry seems to contradict the entire reasoning behind this post.

The Daily Herald believes the Orioles would prefer to trade Bedard before Roberts, so we will see what happens.

It's their speculation against mine, we'll see who wins out.

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.

Adam Jones to Return to Lara

posted by Jon

Alright, back to the Erik Bedard! Back to Adam Jones! Here are a couple of things I picked up last night:

Roch Kubatko is reporting that Adam Jones is set to resume play for the Cardinales de Lara of the Venezuela Winter league. He was pulled out over the weekend, spawning an overload of speculation as to the reason why. It still could have been the result of Seattle/Baltimore discussions heating up, and there could be numerous reasons why he's playing again. Maybe the trade negotiations have taken a step back, maybe Jones was begging to help Lara in their playoff run, maybe he is only available from the bench, maybe he hasn't actually been cleared and it was a false report. It wouldn't be the first time a report was wrong. Many sources had been reporting that Jones was on his way back to Seattle, likely to take a physical. Just don't write this trade off yet.

On a slightly more creative note, Baltimore appears interested in signing Octavio Dotel. Now, I am not totally familiar with the Orioles' plans or current bullpen situation, but would a Dotel acquisition alter Baltimore's pursuit of George Sherrill? Maybe some of you O's fans that have recently invaded can help us out on that one. I don't think it would, but it is a valid point to bring up.