Sunday Scraps: Crisp, Dickey, 1995 Mariners

Have a lot to get done today, so I'll just pass a few things along to get some discussion going.

• MLBTR contributor Matt Birt speculates that Seattle could take a look at Coco Crisp. Crisp wouldn't have been a horrible way to fill a starting vacancy, but he's looking to get out of Boston because he doesn't want to sit on the bench, ruling him out as a possible fourth outfielder. He would be interesting as a platoon option, giving us some speed and great outfield defense when he played. Crisp's inability to play right field and his salary would be major roadblocks, so I doubt Seattle will explore this possibility. Mike Morse should get the roster spot anyway, and would Crisp even want to come to Seattle after getting mowed down by the Mariner Moose? (ha!)
• Yesterday I wrote about the battle among long relievers, calling R.A. Dickey the favorite by a nose. USSM calls him a lock, but they've been drooling over the possibility of having a knuckleballer on the team since he was acquired.
• I received an email from 1995mariners.com. They're looking for stories regarding that magical season, so head over there and submit yours!

Tomorrow I'll have some items of substance for you, until then this will have to tide you over! Take care.

Poll Results: Bedard/Felix, Morrow/Aumont

posted by Jon

Poll question #1: Who will have more wins this season?

Erik Bedard - 66%
Felix Hernandez - 33%

This poll ran a while ago, but I'm just getting around to it. There is no right answer, as either guy could be a 20 game winner this year. Most projections I've seen have King Felix winning more, taking pitching matchups into consideration. I can't remember who I voted for, but I really hope the two can develop a friendly rivalry where they both push each other.


Poll question #2: Who is more likely to be in the Seattle Mariners starting rotation in 2010?

Brandon Morrow - 68%
Phillipe Aumont - 31%

If Brandon Morrow becomes Seattle's most reliable bullpen arm, will Seattle be able to convert him once a rotation spot opens up in 2010? I think Morrow has the best chance at being in the 2010 rotation if he sneaks his way in during the 2008 or 2009 seasons, either by trade or injury. It will also depend on who Seattle can develop or acquire between then and now.

Aumont will really have to impress to make it up by 2010. He's showed some great stuff during this Spring Training, but there are inconsistencies in his mechanics that some scouts think could take a while to stabilize. There are some other great pitchers in the minors, such as Juan Ramirez, that could allow Seattle to take their time with Aumont.

Minor News: Stark Comes Full Circle

posted by Jon

Seattle's latest minor league addition Denny Stark was a piece of one of the uglier trades in Seattle Mariners history when he was dealt alongside Brian Feuntes and Jose Paniagua to the Colorado Rockies for third baseman Jeff Cirillo in 2001. Cirillo, as we all know, was a complete bust.

Stark showed some promise in his first stint with the franchise. In 2001 he rattled off 14 wins and a 2.37 ERA in 24 starts with AAA Tacoma before being promoted to the big leagues. Stark had some success the following year pitching in the big leagues for Colorado, posting a 4.00 ERA over 128.1 innings.

Now 33, Stark is coming off of back-to-back Tommy John surgeries and trying to resurrect his career in the same place he began over a decade ago. Stockpiling cheap pitching is never a bad idea, and I hope Stark can find even more success this time around.

Ramirez vs. Dickey vs. Baek, Round 1

posted by Jon

The competition for the long reliever slot in the Seattle Mariners bullpen has drawn a lot of attention this spring, which is somewhat surprising considering it's a role that few pitchers wish to find themselves in.

The position will likely be granted to one of Horacio Ramirez, R.A. Dickey or Cha Seung Baek, though there are some other pitchers in camp that could easily handle the assignment. Early on I picked Baek to win the role, but it could really go any which way. Here is how these guys have faired so far:

Ramirez: 2 IP, 2 hits, 0 runs, 0 BB, 1 K, 0.00 ERA
Dickey: 5 IP, 3 hits, 1 run, 3 BB, 2 K, 1.80 ERA
Baek: 4 IP, 4 hits, 1 run, 0 BB, 1 K, 2.25 ERA

(These stats are not including any work in minor league games this spring.)

While none of these guys have lost the job yet, Dickey appears to be the frontrunner at this point. He certainly made a strong statement on Friday after throwing 3 scoreless innings in which he allowed just 1 hit, no walks and struck out 2 against the Cubs.

I have trouble endorsing a knuckleballer for a bullpen spot. It just doesn't seem like a great idea to have such a change of pace mid-game. In a game with a knuckleball starter, the catcher can get himself into the knuckleball mindset pregame, then go back to normal once the bullpen is called upon. If Dickey is our swingman this season the catchers will have to abandon normalcy and jump into the chaos and unpredictability of catching a knuckleball in the amount of time it takes to make a pitching change, rather than having the entire day and pregame to adjust. Maybe I am making this out to be a bigger problem than it is, but there is a reason Jason Varitek takes his days off when knuckleballer Tim Wakefield takes the mound for Boston. He doesn't want to throw himself off.

Dickey does offer something than neither Ramirez nor Baek can. Since throwing the knuckleball takes such little effort Dickey could likely pitch 3-4 innings on back-to-back days, something that would take a toll on a conventional pitcher.

Ramirez is scheduled to pitch tomorrow. We'll keep you updated on this and other key position battles throughout the spring.

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.

Thursday Notes: Bench, Baek, Beltre Hurt

On Monday I wrote about Seattle's bench competition, guessing that Mike Morse's strong play would land him a spot beside Willie Bloomquist, Jaime Burke and Miguel Cairo. Morse continues to play well, but he's not the only one impressing.

Morse went 1-for-4 with a double in today's game against Milwaukee. In his 6 games (15 at bats) he is hitting .533 with one home run, six RBI and a pair of doubles.

Veteran Greg Norton certainly helped his chances today, going 1-for-3 with a home run, sacrifice fly and four RBI. He's hitting just .250 and will have to continue to impress to get consideration.


John Hickey reported yesterday that Cha Seung Baek will not be pitching in Tacoma this season. If he doesn't make the team and slips through waivers he'll opt for free agency rather than reporting to AAA. "I don't know if they want me to stay or go," he said. "Maybe I will go to another team. There's no way I want to go back to Tacoma."

Baek is my pick to win the long relief job, and these comments just give him more leverage, in my opinion. Seattle has invested eight seasons in Baek, and would probably rather get some use out of him than watch him walk. So far this spring Baek has given up one run in four innings with no walks and one strikeout.


Today Hickey reported that Adrian Beltre further injured his already hurting thumb in today's ballgame. He will not play on Friday, and the team will take it day-to-day after that. Hopefully this won't be one of those nagging injuries, as Beltre is poised for a big year.

Reed on the Block?

Interesting bit from Shannon Drayer today:

Of note, Jeremy Reed went 3 for 3 with a home run. Jeremy having a nice spring so far. The situation for him with the Mariners does not appear to be good as the team would prefer to have another right handed bat on the bench. The news not all bad though as there are a ton of scouts at every game, the B game included. Maybe someone will need what Jeremy can bring to a team.

Shannon doesn't come right out and say that Jeremy Reed is on the trading block, but keep in mind that she is the absolute closest reporter to the team. It seems like a pretty random idea to throw around if there is nothing behind it.

Reed is not out of minor league options, so there is no urgency to trade him. That said, he doesn't have a future with the Mariners after he blew his shot at starting and other fourth outfielder candidates have better suited for the Seattle bench. Who might want Jeremy Reed? It would be tough to go through every team and determine who could use a plus defender with good speed who hits from the left side. Maybe some other site will pick up on this and do the dirty work for me.

Reed could be a solid fallback if rival Oakland fails to bring in a veteran center fielder such as Coco Crisp or Juan Pierre. He has a similar skill set to those two, minus some speed and experience, but costs millions less.

If Boston does deal Crisp to Oakland, could they be interested in Reed as a fourth outfielder? I know they were interested in him as a starter before the 2006 season.

LaHair on the Cusp

posted by Jon

Going into this season, the Seattle Mariners have several position players preparing to make the jump to the Major Leagues in the next couple of seasons. First baseman Bryan LaHair certainly falls into this category

Many Mariner fans have been calling for LaHair's promotion since he tore it up in his first taste of AAA play, smacking 10 homers to go along with his 44 RBIs and .327 batting average in the 202 at bats he got after his promotion from AA in 2006. These calls only increased when incumbent first baseman Richie Sexson put up career worsts while LaHair was busy putting together a respectable year, batting .275 with 12 home runs and 81 RBIs and reaping the benefits of hitting in the same lineup as studs Adam Jones, Wlad Balentien and Jeff Clement.

Like Sexson, LaHair is an imposing figure, standing at about 6'5" tall. Any player with that kind of size has the potential of putting up huge power numbers, but LaHair still has some work to do before his lefty swing will be taking advantage of Safeco Field's easily conquerable right field wall.

Watching LaHair play this Spring and in years past, I've noticed that his body isn't yet built like other power hitters. One thing he does have are these big powerful legs, which is a great start for any aspiring slugger. Alex Rodriguez and Albert Pujols are two guys that have found great success in powering their swings with ridiculously strong legs. The thing LaHair seemingly lacks compared to these two is the complimenting upper body strength. Obviously having strong arms, shoulders, chest and back will result in hitting the ball consistently harder and farther, but it also helps the hitter drive the pitch better when he is fooled and is unable to produce the power with his legs. I'm not saying he has a weak upper body by any stretch, and I'm not about to challenge the guy to an arm wresting match, but he has the type of body that he can add a lot more bulk (especially around his shoulders, in my opinion), and I'm sure he will as he ages. He's still just 25 years old. (photo credit: Paul Marsh)

Leaving the weight room and getting back to the field, LaHair needs to cut down on his strikeouts a little more. Obviously this isn't an unusual problem, as most prospects with any power potential struggle in this area. Strikeouts alone won't keep a player from the big leagues, as we know, but making better contact will expedite his ascent. While his strikeout rates increased fairly dramatically while climbing up the A-ball ladder, he has been taking strides to reverse the trend in the last couple of seasons. In 2005 he struck out once every 4.07 at bats while playing at Inland Empire (A+), a career worst. The next season he brought the number up to 4.16 splitting time between AA San Antonio and AAA Tacoma. In 2007 he played the entire season in AAA and post a mark of 4.38. Just as a comparison, Jose Vidro struck out once every 9.61 at bats last year, while Richie Sexson had a rate of 4.34. LaHair still has some improving to do, but he's heading in the right direction.

Walks are another stat that many prospects have trouble accruing. I'd love to see LaHair draw at least another 15-25 walks per year, but he is showing great improvement in this area. In his first pro season he walked once for every 19.27 plate appearances. That's about once every five games, if you're scoring at home. He has quickly improved his knowledge of the strikezone, bringing that number down to 10.26 in 2006 and 12.37 in 2007. Seattle's leader in walks drawn last year was, once again for comparison, Jose Vidro. He walked once per every 9.92 plate appearances, showing that LaHair is quickly learning that drawing a walk is the easiest way to get on base. If he can continue to improve in this area he will be a great asset for a franchise that typically struggles in this category.

LaHair could find himself as Seattle's starting first baseman next season, but has to have prove himself this season in AAA Tacoma. Otherwise, Seattle could be looking into bringing in someone else to play the position (a topic I'll spend some time on before the season starts). Should he spend the entire season in Tacoma again, I'd like to see him hit in the .275-.285 range with 15+ homers, 85+ RBI, 58+ walks and fewer than 125 strikeouts. It's time for him to make the final adjustments, as his prime years are fast approaching.

What do you all think of Bryan LaHair? A lot of fans seem very high on him, and I'm slowly coming around to that way of thinking.

Anonymous Commenters (2)

posted by Jon

I posted something similar to this a while ago, but it seems like a refresher is needed. Please feel free to enter in a name when you comment on the posts. That way we don't have 5 comments all from anonymous, and we can also start to establish a community of sorts. It's very easy, just type your name in the box, you can leave the URL blank if you wish. It's much appreciated, and thanks for reading!

Bench Battle

posted by Jon

The Seattle Mariners have a lot of players, young and old, competing for a precious few spots on the big league bench this spring. Willie Bloomquist, Seattle's baseball player version of the Swiss Army Knife, is a lock on this team after providing 5+ years of versatility and speed. He will be joined by catcher Jaime Burke, a veteran of the game who hit .301 and coaxed Seattle pitchers to lower ERAs last season.

The organization puzzled team followers by signing veteran utilityman Miguel Cairo to a guaranteed major league contract on January 8th. Cairo brings veteran leadership and the ability to play all four infield positions to the table, and not a lot else. He's a career .267 hitter with no power and no speed. Bringing him in on a minor league deal would have been fine, but no one has been able to make sense of the acquisition. Many fans have been saying that Cairo will be cut, but the bottom line is that he's on a guaranteed contract and he was brought on to fill a bench spot, not to compete. There is only one scenario that I can think of in which Cairo will be cut, and I'll touch on that in just a little bit.

With Bloomquist, Burke and Cairo on board, that leaves one spot left (assuming Seattle goes with a 7-man bullpen). Manager John McLaren has already said that the final spot will be taken by an outfielder, preferably of the right-handed variety. "We're looking for a right-handed hitting type that can complement Wilkerson in the outfield or to give one of the left-handed hitting outfielders a rest," McLaren said at the end of February, probably ruling out former starting centerfielder Jeremy Reed and non-roster invitee Bronson Sardinha.

That leaves Wladimir Balentien, Charlton Jimerson and Mike Morse as the most obvious choices. Earlier in Spring Training I thought that Balentien had a great chance at being Brad Wilkerson's platoon partner in right field, based on info we received in our Q&A with Shannon Drayer and some personal research. This scenario no longer seems destined to happen, as McLaren reportedly said in mid-February that he views Wilkerson as an everyday player. He acknowledged that it is still possibly, just unlikely. Balentien has been making his case this spring, hitting .500 with a double, 2 homers and 3 RBI in 6 at bats so far. Balentien will not make the team as a fourth outfielder, as he needs regular at bats at this point in his career. He will either platoon or start the year in AAA.

Charlton Jimerson has some great tools that would fit nicely on the Mariner bench. He can easily play all three outfield positions, has great speed and base stealing ability, and has some good pop in his bat as well. Jimerson's downside is his propensity to strikeout and inability to make contact, a problem that has kept him from becoming a big league star. He hasn't shown much improvement so far this spring, hitting .250 with 3 Ks in 8 at bats. In today's exhibition against the Cubs I watched him as he was at bat in the 9th with 1 out and the tying run on 3rd base. He fouled the first pitch back, swung right through a high-80s fastball down the middle, and struck out on a breaking ball two feet off the plate in the dirt; not gonna get it done. (Edit - 6:22 pm) Apparently Jimerson is out of options, so he could be lost to the waiver wire should he not crack the 25-man.

Mariner broadcaster Dave Simms called Mike Morse the favorite for the final bench spot in today's broadcast, and this certainly seems to be the case. Morse came into camp in great shape. He's noticeably bulkier, at least to me, and his offseason work with Raul Ibanez and other major leaguers seems to have paid off. Through Monday he is hitting a whopping .714 (5 for 7) with 5 RBIs. The power is still not showing, but word is that he's getting better at turning on the ball this spring. His one extra base hit so far, a double in today's ballgame, was a great example of that as he took it high off the left field fence. Unlike the other candidates, Morse is out of options and will have to clear waivers should he fail to make the team. The fear of losing him, his great performance thus far, along with his ability to play three infield and two outfield positions should make him Seattle's top choice to join Bloomquist, Burke and Cairo on the bench.

One wild card player for the remaining bench spot is veteran Greg Norton, who was signed to a minor league contract on February 13th. Norton can play first base and some outfield, but pinch hitting is his real forte. As I wrote earlier, this signing is similar to the acquisitions of Roberto Petagine and Dave Hansen in recent years. Unlike those two, I don't see Norton making the team over the young, athletic outfielders Seattle has to chose from. It's simply too crowded this year.

I listed Miguel Cairo as a lock on this bench, but I mentioned one scenario where he could be cut. In my opinion, the only way Cairo lands on the waiver wire or back in the free agent pool is if Jeff Clement wins the DH battle, pushing incumbent Jose Vidro to the bench. ''With his bat, he could DH,'' McLaren said, referring to Clement. ''We're very happy with Vidro as our DH and with Kenji as our catcher. But we like surprises, too.'' Surely Seattle doesn't want Vidro's option for 2009 to vest, so they should be open to benching Vidro if someone else can prove worthy of taking over. Clement will not be handed the job, however, and will have to impress in order to overcome a switch-hitter who posted a batting average of .314 last year. So far in six at bats he has two hits, a single and a double.

Should Vidro bump Cairo off the bench, Morse's infield versatility would certainly put him on the team.

If my observations and speculation prove correct, Seattle will have a bench consisting of Willie Bloomquist (INF/OF), Mike Morse (COF/CIF/SS), Jaime Burke (C), and either Miguel Cairo (INF/LF) or Jose Vidro (1B/2B). Thoughts?

King Felix Contract Negotiations

I wasn't going to even mention this until things got more serious, but I decided I might as well before anyone asks about it.

King Felix Hernandez is finally signed for the 2008 season, and there are several reports that long term extension talks could begin soon.

Will Polidor, one of Hernandez's agents, will be at Seattle's Spring Training facility this morning, presumably to start long term talks.

"[Seattle] said they want to talk about a long-term deal. We're willing to listen. Maybe something can be worked out," said Polidor. He went on to say that Seattle has brought up the extension, but has yet to make an offer.

The extension would likely cover all three of his remaining arbitration years, and could even go four years to secure him through his first year of free agency eligibility.

Surely there are several reasons why a team would want to lock up their players. I would think that one would be to avoid the arbitration process entirely to stay out of any disputes. We've already heard superstars Ryan Howard and Prince Fielder complaining about how their teams were handling the process. The "King" could be the best pitcher in baseball one day, no need to take any chances with him.

Sources: John Hickey, Jim Street

Games Start, Pitchers Heal, Other Notes

Happy Leap Day!

Spring Training games are in full swing, and it's nice to once again see some baseball highlights on ESPN. Seeing one of the game's greatest hitters from over a decade ago (Juan Gonzalez) taking the best pitcher in baseball (Johan Santana) deep has to be the most entertaining thing I've seen so far.

Our M's are playing pretty well so far, though I'm not going to get into too many game specifics just yet. Still a bit early to make any relevant observations at this point, in my opinion, though bench hopefuls Mike Morse, Charlton Jimerson and Jeremy Reed have been impressive.

Recovering pitchers Mark Lowe, Chris Reitsma and Arthur Rhodes have started throwing live batting practice, which is good to see. All three of these guys could be important parts of the bullpen this year. Anderson Garcia is also throwing again after taking some time off to recover from tendinitis. Phillipe Aumont is being held out of action with back and hip pain. More on how these guys figure into the bullpen picture here.

Shannon Drayer mentioned that Miguel Batista is working on adding a 12-6 curveball (or 12-5:30, as Batista calls it) to his arsenal. No word on whether or not he'll be unveiling it this year or if it's still a work in progress. He was throwing it his last Spring Training game with mixed results.

I'm getting the itch to do some digging and ink something slightly more original for all of you. Anything in particular you want to read about?

Clean Cut M's

posted by Jon

Sorry for the lack of updates lately, but I haven't really seen the point of relaying pointless anecdotes, charity game box scores or anything like that. If you are interested in that stuff I'm sure you've already looked up Geoff Baker, Shannon Drayer, Ryan Divish, Jim Street and others. This is a very slow time, but it should pick up in a little while. We'll start pumping out some pieces on players, position battles, and some projections will be coming in the following weeks.

One thing that did catch my eye is that manager John McLaren is going to have a set of appearance guidelines for the team. While they haven't all been determined, he mentioned that no full beards would be allowed, and no earrings either.

This is nothing unheard of. I'm sure all of you know that the Yankees have very strict guidelines when it comes to player appearance. The only player I can see having a major problem with this is Arthur Rhodes, who once was ejected at Safeco Field when asked by opposing hitter Omar Visquel to remove his diamond earrings because of the glare. The Mariner Moose may have a problem with being clean-shaven as well, but who knows?

I wonder if this will be the end of the crazy mid-losing-streak haircut days.

If there is anything else going on that you think we should dive into, feel free to comment on this post. I haven't been keeping up with the M's as diligently as usual, as other areas of my life have been screaming for attention lately.

Rotation Determined

posted by Patrick

The 2008 rotation is set as follows:

Erik Bedard (L)
Felix Hernandez (R)
Carlos Silva (R)
Jarrod Washburn (L)
Miguel Batista (R)

So we've got a 16-game winner from last year pitching in the fifth spot... cool!

There is no doubt that the lefty-righty dynamic played a factor here. John McLaren pointed out that back to back lefties did not work out last year.

2008 Bullpen Competition

posted by Jon

Last season, Seattle broke camp with a bullpen consisting of Julio Mateo, Brandon Morrow, J.J. Putz, Chris Reitsma, Arthur Rhodes, George Sherrill and Sean White.

2008 will see a much different bullpen coming out of Spring Training, with J.J. Putz being the only true lock. Putz used 2007 to solidify himself as one of the games best, converting his first 28 save opportunities on his way to becoming the second pitcher in franchise history to reach the 40 save plateau. He posted a career low 1.38 ERA and 0.70 WHIP, and would have added to his save total if it wasn’t for the Mariners’ 2-17 slide late in the year.

Seattle has five or six spots up for grabs, despite the trade that sent George Sherrill and Kam Mickolio to Baltimore. With almost enough relievers in camp to fill a 25-man roster from top to bottom, it's going to be a fierce competition. Here are the 2008 candidates as of February 20, 2008:

(Quick Termanology: LOOGY = left-handed specialist. For a good read on all the different bullpen roles, check out this post by Patrick on his old blog.)

Sean Green, RHP – A rough Spring Training landed Green in AAA Tacoma to start the 2007 season, but he still ended up making the third most big league appearances of the pitching staff. A very good sinkerball and unorthodox delivery had him cruising to a 2.44 ERA on August 3rd, but he struggled for the remainder of the season. You call it a tired arm, the result of Green’s first full major league season; Hargrove and McLaren’s mismanagement of the bullpen; or you could argue that the entire team was struggling down the stretch. I choose to blame management, but the bottom line is that Sean Green had a very nice year overall and you can expect him back next season. Some have speculated that Green could be moved into the setup role for 2008, but I would recommend a power arm in that slot. A pitcher that relies on groundballs and defense isn’t the type of guy you want with the game on the line. Give me someone that can strike someone out with the tying run on third base.

Eric O’Flaherty, LHP – Another guy that started the year in AAA, O’Flaherty showed he belonged in the big leagues last season by pitching 4.2 scoreless innings in relief against the New York Yankees on May 12th. O’Flaherty had an overall solid season in his first full year, posting a 4.47 ERA in 56 games. He’ll be competing for a role as a middle reliever or left-handed specialist this Spring, but appears to have the inside track as the team’s LOOGY. It would certainly benefit him, as his ERA against left-handers (1.38) was over six full points lower than against right-handers (7.52), not to mention lefties batted .183 off of him while right-handers hit .277.

Mark Lowe, RHP – We all remember Mark Lowe as the guy that made his major league debut on July 7, 2006, striking out the side on his way to a club record 17.2 consecutive scoreless innings to start a career. The streak was ended after he started having discomfort in his elbow, an injury that caused him to miss the tail end of August and all of September. Lowe continued to deal with injuries and pitched just 2.2 innings in the big leagues last season. When healthy he throws a high nineties fastball to go along with a nice slider and circle change. Lowe appears to be 100% healthy this Spring, and could find himself in a setup role should he rediscover his former dominance.

Brandon Morrow, RHP – No one expected Brandon Morrow to make any noise last Spring Training, but his pitching was so lights out that he forced Seattle management to make a tough decision. He made the team as a long-to-middle reliever and stayed with the big-club all season long, eventually pitching later in games. Many believe, myself included, that Brandon Morrow would be better served starting in AAA, rather than falling back into a bullpen mindset. That said, Morrow has the tools to become a dominate setup man this season, especially if his control problems are somewhat behind him (as his Winter League stats indicated). Manager John McLaren has already stated that Morrow will be pitching in the 7th and 8th innings. There has been some talk, however, that should the rest of the bullpen prove healthy and pitch effectively, Morrow could end up in AAA after all.

Chris Reitsma, RHP – After an awful season of pitching through injuries (career worst in several categories, including a 7.61 ERA and 1.94 WHIP), Chris Reitsma is completely healthy and determined to get back to his groundball inducing ways that made him a successful reliever between 2003-2005. Returning on a non-roster invitation, Reitsma will have to impress early and often to compete. The 30-year-old’s seven years of big league experience can only help him make the team, but I have trouble believing his experience alone could bump a more talented pitcher off the roster.

Arthur Rhodes, LHP – Swiftly approaching 40 and without back-to-back successful seasons since his last stint in Seattle, Arthur Rhodes is giving it one more shot after missing all of the 2007 season due to full-on Tommy John surgery. Should he be able to put some decent heat on his fastball and control his formerly wicked breaking pitches and changeup, Rhodes could land as the team’s left-handed specialist. Rhodes shouldn’t be ready for Opening Day, however, so his chances are contingent on other players’ inabilities or injury.

Ryan Rowland-Smith, LHP – The first ever MLB player with a hyphenated last name didn’t get much of a look in Spring Training last season, but a strong stint in AAA Tacoma had him up to Seattle for 26 games in 2007. Pitching in mid-to-long relief, RRS kept his ERA under four, showing off a very nice pickoff move and good control. He will likely be competing for a spot in middle relief. He will also get a long look as the team’s possibly LOOGY, but his splits over the last few years reveal that it may not be the role for him.

Cesar Jimenez, LHP – Last we saw of Cesar Jimenez, he was getting roughed up horribly in his final three appearances of his 2006 September callup. The 23-year-old southpaw throws a high-80s fastball to go along with a curveball and excellent changeup. He looked pretty good in 2007, posting a 3.51 ERA in 25.2 innings with AAA Tacoma, followed by stellar 0.77 ERA over 23.1 innings in the Venezuelan Winter League. I believe the main factors determining Jimenez’s fate with the major league club are the aforementioned Ryan Rowland-Smith and Eric O’Flaherty. Should they both make the Opening Day bullpen; I don’t Jimenez joining them.

Jon Huber, RHP – After impressing in his brief 2006 debut, Huber had a tough 2007. His atrocious Spring Training had him starting the year in AAA, where he posted a career worst 7.56 ERA. Huber was up and down a couple times with the big club, posting a 4.76 ERA over nine appearances. Huber isn’t a dominate pitcher, but gets grounders with a slider/curveball combination and can still squeeze out a few strikeouts. He could win a middle relief role with a solid Spring, though there appears to be better pitchers in front of him.

Anderson Garcia, RHP – There isn’t much to say about Garcia that I didn’t say upon his arrival. He’s got a great fastball that has already gotten rave reviews since he arrived at the Mariners’ camp, but his secondary pitches are still not major league ready. He will have to improve dramatically to make the team, though the fact that he’s on the 40-man roster helps him. He’ll also have to stay healthy, as he has been suffering from biceps tendonitis as of late.

Brodie Downs, RHP – Downs never pursued baseball after high school. Instead he went to work full time and occasionally played in local beer leagues, where he caught the eyes of scouts in Southern California. They urged him to quit his job and start playing at Modesto Junior College, which he did, and he was drafted by the Seattle Mariners 705th overall in last years draft. Now 28, Downs is attending his first big-league camp after pitching well in his first pro half-season in which he posted a 2.51 ERA in 25.1 innings between rookie ball, AA and AAA. He has two pitches deemed major league ready, including a “heavy” sinking fastball and slider. Pair that with the stellar work ethic he processes and you have all the makings of Seattle’s next great success story. The organization knows he is already in his prime years, so they will give him every opportunity to make the big club out of Spring Training.

Roy Corcoran (RHP), Philip Barzilla (LHP) – I haven’t been able to dig up too much on these two non-roster invitees. Both have had a fair amount of success during long minor league careers. I would assume that both players will be competing for middle relief roles, as Barzilla’s minor league splits do not indicate he’d be a good fit as the teams LOOGY. If I had to guess, I’d say Corcoran has a better shot at making the team.

Horacio Ramirez (LHP), R.A. Dickey (RHP), Cha Seung Baek (RHP) – These three, in my opinion, are the top three candidates for the long relief role. Could they be outdone this Spring? Of course, but I don’t believe their performances will determine their fate as much as some other players. Seattle has good reason to keep the entire trio on the 25-man roster, let alone just one of them. R.A. Dickey was a rule-5 draft choice this winter, so if he doesn’t make the cut he’ll be heading back to Minnesota along with some cash. Cha Seung Baek is out of minor league options, and will have to clear waivers should he fail to land a major league role. Horacio Ramirez will be making $2.75M this season, a steep salary to tuck away in the minor leagues.

That said, I believe Ramirez will be sent to AAA unless he proves to be head-and-shoulders above the rest of the long relief candidates. I also don’t see Dickey making the team as a reliever, as catcher Kenji Johjima has never seen a knuckleball until now and has issues blocking the plate anyway. It doesn’t seem practical to bring in backup catcher Jaime Burke every time Dickey is called upon mid-game. Baek seems like a good fit. He’s shown flashes of brilliance and is entering his ninth season with the Seattle Mariners organization. This could finally be the year he gets a regular role with the big-club.

While guys like Huber, Garcia, Downs, Corcoran and Barzilla appear to be longshots at best, there are other pitchers in camp whose chances seem even slimmer. Ryan Feierabend, Sean White, Robert Rohrbaugh and Jake Woods may be ready for consistent big league action, but the long relief role will likely be filled by one of the players listed above whose situation is a little more complicated. Joe Woerman and Stephen Kahn lack AAA experience, so in order to make the club they would have to outdo over a dozen pitchers this Spring. Phillipe Aumont will not be the next Brandon Morrow. Unlike Morrow, Aumont didn’t pitch in college, let alone high school. Did I miss anyone?

Last season Seattle broke camp with a seven-man bullpen, with the intentions of dropping one once the starters were ready to go deeper into ballgames. Last season we weren’t really sure what to expect out of Horacio Ramirez, Jeff Weaver, Miguel Batista or even Felix Hernandez; this year there are far fewer question marks. With the way the bench is shaping up, I wouldn’t expect Seattle to go with a seven-man bullpen. I posted my guess as to how the bullpen would shape up over at springtraining08.com:

Long Reliever: Cha Seung Baek
Runners Up: Horacio Ramirez, R.A. Dickey
Middle Relievers: Sean Green and Ryan Rowland-Smith
Runners Up: Chris Reitsma, Cesar Jimenez, Jon Huber
Left-handed Specialist: Eric O'Flaherty
Runners Up: Cesar Jimenez, Arthur Rhodes
Setup: Brandon Morrow and Mark Lowe
Runners Up: Chris Reitsma, Arthur Rhodes, Sean Green
Closer: J.J. Putz

The only thing I would change at this point would be put Arthur Rhodes ahead of Cesar Jimenez in the left-handed specialist competition.

Congrats on making through that. What would you like to see the bullpen shape up?

Niehaus Wins 08 Frick Award

posted by Patrick

Today, on his 73rd birthday, our very own Dave Niehaus has been selected as the 2008 Ford C. Frick Award winner for excellence in broadcasting. This prestigious award gives much deserved recognition to the great broadcasters in baseball history like Ernie Harwell, Vin Scully, Harry Caray, Bob Eucker and many more.

As many already know, Mr. Niehaus has been the voice of the Mariners since their inception in 1977. His voice has become familiar with M's fans both young and old and his sayings like "That ball wil fly away" and "My, oh my" have become part of Mariners history forever. Even through the many losing seasons early on, Niehaus has remained loyal to the orgination and to the fans and there is no one more deserving to see the Mariners succeed than Dave Niehaus.

This award is truly recognizing an amazing individual with great passion, dedication, enthusiasm and loyalty towards the game of baseball and the Seattle Mariners. He has already been eternalized in the Mariners Hall of Fame and now he will become a part of baseball lore as he is admitted into the broadcasters wing of the MLB Hall of Fame.

Note: As of the end of the 2007 season, Niehaus has called all but 82 of the teams 4,899 games

M's Sign Bubba Crosby; Lopez Stuck

The Seattle Mariners signed 31-year-old outfielder Bubba Crosby to a minor leaue contract today. He will not receive an invitation to Spring Training.

The Mariners will be left-handed hitting Bubba Crosby's fourth organization. He's been with the Dodgers for six years (12 MLB at bats), the Yankees for four (238 MLB at bats), and he spent 2007 in the Cincinatti Reds' organization in AAA. He has a career major league vital line of .216/.253/.300 and a minor league line of .277/.346/.417.

I can't imagine what the plan for Crosby is. He will not be given a chance to make the major league team, so I imagine he is just filling space.

In other news, Jose Lopez is stuck in Venezuela after failing to obtain a working visa on time. Is it just me, or has he had the same problem in past seasons?

M's Claim Anderson Garcia; Notes

Anderson Garcia, a right-handed reliever, was claimed off the waiver wire from the Philadelphia Phillies. He has been added to the 40-man roster.

Garcia has bounced around from organization to organization for the last seven seasons, but has made just one major league appearance. He has had some mixed numbers in the minors, but overall carries a career 3.93 ERA over 207 games (31 starts). The 26-year-old effectively throws a fastball in the mid-90s, but doesn't have the secondary pitches to be successful.

Garcia will be used to boost competition, but is a long-shot at best to make the ballclub. He will likely start the season in AAA.

In other news, former 2-time Mariner Bret Boone has come out of retirement to sign a minor league contract with the Washington Nationals. The 39-year-old will join his brother and father in the organization. Boone signed a minor league deal with the New York Mets for the 2006 season, but retired before the regular season started. I find it hard to see him starting anywhere at this point in his career, especially in Washington where they already have Ronnie Belliard and Felipe Lopez.

Not a lot going on besides that. Most of the position players are in camp a day early. Kenji Johjima can't do anything catch R.A. Dickey's knuckleball at this point. There is a theory that if Dickey makes the team Jaime Burke will catch him most of the time. This is a problem, however, since Dickey will be coming out of the bullpen. Either way, I don't see Dickey making the club. I would think that Horacio Ramirez and Cha Seung Baek will be given more of an opportunity. Only time will tell, and I promise that position battle will be covered in more detail at a later date.

Read and React: Who Would You Rather Have Long Term?

posted by: Dustin

So, since the Mariners' blogs around the internet have been rather boring since we landed Bedard, I figured I'd chip in a Read and React! Here goes...

Who would you rather have signed long term?
Felix Hernandez, or Erik Bedard?

Leave a comment telling BBT who you would rather see long term!

Please, do not say both. I know this would be ideal, but for sake of the blog post, please only pick one, if possible.

Hargrove: "I'd like to try it one more time"

posted by Patrick

As Spring Training is set to begin, Mike Hargrove will not be managing a big-league camp for only the second time in 17 years. The other day, Jim Moore of the Post Intelligencer decided to give Hargrove a call to see how he was spending his free time and how he felt about not being in camp.

After admitting that he is missing being away from the game, Hargrove went on to make an interesting but not so surprising statement; "I know that I don't want to run the risk of being bored. Once this year is over, I'm going to want to do something. I'd like to try it one more time...[The competition] is what I'm going to miss the most. You can play golf or cards, and that's competition, but it doesn't reach the level or intensity of competition at the major league level. I'm not sure I'm done with that yet."

If you'll remember back to the time right before the All Star Break when Hargrove left the Seattle Mariners, his motives for leaving so unexpectedly were under question. The reasons that Hargrove gave were that he lost his motivation to manage and that he wanted to spend more time with his family. So has he all of a sudden regained his passion for managing or has he just got sick of his family? Grover's a good guy, so I hardly doubt it's the latter.

What's interesting about this relates back to his resignation press conference on July 1st of last year when he said "Will I manage again? Probably not; but maybe. I've told you guys this too: you will find kids that learned 'never say never', but I can't imagine myself managing again, so this is probably my last job."

One thing that is certain is that he probably won't be getting a big league job anytime during this season as he has agreed to manage a summer-league team in Kansas. But as for 2009, PI's Jim Moore reports that Hargrove is hopeful that he will get a call to return to his familiar spot on the bench as a big league skipper.