"Ohhh We're Halfway There. Oh-Whoa Livin' On A Prayer!" A Mariners First Half Recap

The lazy days of summer are my my half-breed ass like bloggers on this whole Erin Andrews Fiasco. As such I haven't posted in a bit. Granted, not a whole lot significant has gone down since I last posted. Erik Bedard and Jarrod Washburn are still with the team. There is no shiny new shortstop on the team nor a load of prospects to scrutinize. I guess Yuni got traded for something more than a bag of horseballs. This along with the move of picking up Hanahan for a 3rd base stop gap upgrade and the Lnagerhans for Morse deal show Zduriencik's ability to incrementally add to the team for little expense now or in the future.

Upgrades used to feel like such a zero sum game. Need a 5th starter? Trade your best bullpen arm for Horacio Ramirez. Need a DH? Trade away an oft-injured but damn-useful-when healthy player for a washed up Jose Vidro. Close to contention? Trade the farm for a damn-good pitcher who even at his prime isn't worth what was given up. That the new front office recognizes that +.5 wins here, +.3 wins here and +.75 wins there add up to just the same as a +1.55 upgrade but for much cheaper, is fucking great. It's like the act of cleaning your bong, combined with a new bowl piece and building a make shift ice catch is a lot cheaper than purchasing a new bong altogether.

Anyway, now that we are a little over the halfway point of the season I figured it was a good time to look back on what has been and what might be. As opposed to recapping every player or unit as a whole I will give out awards that highlight various players or units. At 49-43 The M's have been alternatingly great and terrible. They started off the season that made me look prescient when I mentioned the possibility of play-offs before the season started. Then they had a terrible May that made me look like a fool for the exact same statements. But a quality June and July has brought this team back into contention. Now if those damn teams ahead of us would stop winning.

The Beer Goggles award-Jarrod Washburn: Yes this man pitched as one hitter his second to last start and yes he's been one of the more consitent pitchers we've had. Here's the thing, Jarrod Washburn isn't that good and he knows it(check out thought #3). He has benefited from great outfield defense and spacious Safeco Field. His peripheral stats are all in line with his career norms save for a low BABIP(batting average for balls in play) which may rise a bit as the season wears but not too much with this D. So he's pretty much the same pitcher as he's always been. Trade him no for fuck's sake!!

The Private Willian Hudson Award-King Felix: In stark contrast to Jarrod Washburn King Felix has made the leap from damn good when he's on pitcher to a true ace. Opponents cry "Game over, man! Game over" every 5 days. He has finally learned to mix his pitches better to keep hitters off balance and is unafraid to throw his breaking stuff for a strike in any count. If he keeps up this type of work throughout the season the M's might have a Cy Young winner in their midst.

The R. Lee Ermy Award-Rob Johnson and Ronny :(edeño: I was unaware that they stacked shit that high. This award is a tied because both have been attrocious with the bat so far this season. Dave at USSM thinks there is hope for RJ and others feel :(edeño is bound for a major uptick in production.

"That's right, Iccccemaan! I am dangerous!" Award-Franklin Guitierrez: Many saw him as a decent player thrown in the Putz deal. Your average all glove no (bat) love outfielder. After a slow start Frankling Guitirrez has gone on a power surge. With his new found power stroke Gutz has blossomed into a beauty like Allyssa Milano post "Who's the Boss?"

The Moonraker award: Another great pickup by Zduriencik, Russell Branyan has gone apeshit once given regular playing time. Currently he has one less dinger so far this season than his career high. WTF?! While he's been struggling a little as of late, smart minds point out he soon should be hitting balls closer to the moon than Apollo 11 ever did.

"Who are those guys?!"Award- Justin Vargas and Garret Olson: Two more players from the Putz deal. These two have come on like Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid in place of fallen starters Carlos Silva and Chris Jakabauskus. These two prove with moderate stuff and great defense much success can be had. The fact that these two have been decent at the end of the rotation makes me higher than Dennis Hopper in "Blue Velvet".

"I'm so gangsta prissy chicks don't wanna fuck with me!" Who else but Ichiro? I'm not sure Seattle fans know just what a special talent they have in Ichiro. Much like people didn't realize for a long time how damn good Jay-Z was. Jay then went on to go make the Kingdom Come album and people realized that the great HOVA was gone. Don't do the same with Ichiro Seattle.

I'm damn tired and my brain is bleeding from the after effects of a crazy weekend. I may add a second part to this post for some of the unmentioned other stars on this damn team. Until then, peace be upon you!!

Ichiro: Seattle's Newest Superheroin

So the bad news just keeps rolling in, first Clement to AAA and then Morrow to the pen now it seems Ichiro will now start off the season on the 15-day disabled list due to a bleeding ulcer. I'm not sure what I have done to upset the sports gods, but I will drink heavily in their honor in attempts to make it up.

Not only will Ichiro miss the opening road trip but he'll miss the home opener too. Despite his normally sluggish hitting in April the team could have used him healthy to try to build a lead over the injury ravaged Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim(dumbest team name ever? dumbest team name ever) to start the season. Now M's fans must watch the spectacle of a one legged man(Griffey) attempt to play the outfield. That thought is giving me an ulcer.

Fear not though sports fans. Modern medicine has advanced the treatment of the condition that ended the lives of luminaries like J.R.R Tolkien and James Joyce, to a minor inconvenience. With a little rest the treatment should take care of the ulcer in no time and The M's will have a healthy Ichiro for the rest of the season. The hard part will being convincing Ichiro he needs that rest.

Even if Ichiro decides to push it to come back early and the problem lingers he can always self-medicate. I know Seattle's smack reserves aren't what they once were but he should still manage to score some horse. If he does that Ichiro'll be able to manage the pain of a festering wound inside his stomach.

Hey, it worked for Kurt Cobain!

Ichiro and the Autobot Matrix of Leadership

Too often the American public and the sports media become infatuated with this romanticized ideal of leadership. They clamor for a gruff and weathered player to lead the way. They ache to portray a player as a gritty vet, a John Wayne type who will help the younger players through the trials of a rigorous 162 game season. They want a General Patton type of rousing and epic speech, words that'll get the troops ready to kill. The same type of speeches Ichiro satirizes in his yearly address to the AL All-Star team. There is an expectation on loquacious speeches and wild gesticulations that goes unmet and is unsettling to some.

Ichiro is quite the opposite of the gung-ho leader. He is stoic in his regimented dedication to baseball. There is a singular focus to Ichiro and that is to work to become the best player he can be. The need to to tell Yuniesky Betancourt to go easy on the ho-ho's is absurd to him. In his mind all should be as dedicated to bettering themselves as he is. After all they are all professionals being paid a shit ton of money to play a game. So if Carlos Silva feels like ingesting the entire lunch buffet, table and all, it is not Ichiro's job to tell make sure he gets in the proper cardio to burn of his snack.

When Ichiro seeks to lead by example through his hard work and dedication to his task it is puzzling to those looking for a "win one for the gipper!" speech. "Where is Ichiro's Autobot matrix of leadership", they ask. "And in our darkest hour of the 2008 season why did he not pull it from his chest and light the way to a division title?" They fail to realize, games are won on talent, not leadership.

The 2008 season of The Seattle Mariners was a 50 car pile up, a spectacle so gruesome that I could not tear my eyes away from it. Dreams of competing for the AL West were crushed under the foot of cold reality as The M's were 20 games out by the All-Star break. From the pile-up of the lost season one bloody and battered horse of a topic emerged from the carnage, staggered, collapsed and died in plain view. This was the horse of team chemistry. It was then jumped on and flogged until the end of the season.

As the season decayed in the summer heat, more and more complaints and shots were aimed at the teams best player, Ichiro. He was called a selfish primadonna who cared only about achieving his hallowed stats, team be damned. He was accused of not giving enough effort to win games, not diving for balls, not changing his approach at the plate in key situations to drive in runs and other such bullshit. Essentially he was being called a shitty leader for not somehow magically granting washed-up Richie Sexson access to the fountain of youth. He was chastised because he couldn't lessen the gravitational pull of team fat asses Carlos Silva and Yunieksy Betancourt.

So, imagine the shock when the Japanese team, ostensibly led by Ichiro, went on to win the WBC again. How could this selfish prick, who cared only for himself and was a terrible leader, will his team to victory on a world stage? This was one of the many questions asked to him by, enemy of the blog, Geoff Baker.

Baker was the reporter most responsible for beating the shit out of the dead of horse of team chemistry and stoking the anti-Ichiro fires. It was he who provided anonymous quotes at the end of last season divulging the news about certain players threatening physical harm to Ichiro. And he was the asshole who thought that he could pull that rotting and putrid dead horse and ride it for one last furlong and "allow Ichiro to respond to his detractors".

Ichiro was rather surprised about Bakers line of questioning but answered the queries anyway. Ichiro told Baker that a team leader is not important. Per the WBC team

"I did not think or feel that I wanted to be a leader for the Japan WBC team,'' he said. "And at the end, I was not a leader for the Japan WBC team. And something I'd felt, this thought of mine, became even stronger after playing with this Japanese WBC team, is that to have a leader -- who is a leader? -- that's not important.

"What is, is to try to group together a group of individuals who want to improve themselves for what they do. We're baseball players, so, who want to improve themselves as baseball players and also want to improve themselves as human beings. That's what's important. Although, trying to get a team together and pointing out a leader and saying 'Everybody follow this leader' sounds very easy and like a simple thing to do, if you go with this style, there are manholes.''

With the M's Ichiro told Baker:

"This is major league baseball,'' he said. "We're all professionals here. Is it really at a level where I have to explain to other people what the reasons are that I do some things? We're all professionals. It makes me feel like..that's like the level of a Mom telling a child 'This is why I do things."

These comments agree with my view that leadership in baseball is rather meaningless. A team leader yelling at his teammates to get them pumped up won't allow them to hit the ball any better, or if they do make contact not have it be caught. It won't somehow allow a pitcher to pitch better or really anything else necessary to to win the game. Leadership and chemistry are immaterial bullshit that beat writer feeds readers to justify and outcome e.g. "He showed his leadership by coming through with a clutch hit because he didn't want to let his team down." which sounds better than "His BABIP(batting average for balls in play" had been extremely low lately combined with his career success against lefties meant he was due to get a hit."

The reason the 2008 M's were so terrible was because they were a poorly constructed team without a lot of talent. A portion of the talent that team did possess got old quick and became useless.

The reason, I believe, the 2009 M's will win is because Jack Zduriencik has accrued a good amount of talent not because of intangibles like leadership and team chemistry.

Ichiro Destroys Korea

Ichiro, the new secretary of partying down

Watching Japan destroy Korea's hopes at world baseball dominance in the final round of the World baseball classic I realized something. Ichiro put the Japapnese team on his back and carried them to victory over their hated rivals, despite an less than stellar showing over the course of the WBC. In fact, on this night, Ichiro did more to sully the image of Korea more than Kim Jong Il and Chan-Wook Park's revenge epic, Oldboy, could ever hope to. That's right, Ichiro did more damage to Korea's image than either a megalomaniac dictator and a hyper-violent revenge flick that ended in ignorant incest.

In his final nine pitch at-bat I could see the determination in Ichiro's eyes. He was not about to let his team fuck away a 2 run lead in the determining game of the WBC. Pitch after pitch that the Koreans tried to feed him was in vain. Hoping Ichiro's agressive, swing-at-anything style would cause Ichiro to get himself self out, the Korean team attempted to serve him pitches all over the strike zone but to no avail. In the end, after many fouled pitches, Ichiro finally connected with a pitch he found suitable and drove it up the middle for the go-ahead runs.

Ichiro, being the selfish prick that he is, decided that a two run lead was not enough, he needed more adulation. Almost immediately after arriving at first Ichiro stole second with speed that'd leave Wally West flat-footed. This surely was done to pad his stats, not because he wanted another run as insurance. The stolen base was definitely was not a result of of Ichiro's desire to win. Ok, maybe it was after all.

I'm not a huge believer in "clutch" hits or other such nonsense, for the most part. But it was hard not to feel that Ichiro didn't focus his strength and determination through his bat, like Hal Jordan, to will his team to victory.

In a WBC where Ichiro's off-the-field antics have fueled more headlines than his on-field performance the stats would argue he was due. This isn't an untrue statement, though it feels like it is incomplete. Watching him chip away at the opponent's confidence with each fouled-off pitch, one could sense the grim determination focusing Ichiro's energy in his bat, wielding it without thought, like an extension of his being and know that determinism is real, you can't escape fate.

When Ichiro came through with that seemingly inevitable hit, Korea's fate was sealed. Again, their stellar baseball team would be second to Japan. Ichiro's single locked them into second place.

Enough is Enough and It's Time for a Change

Finally, a candidate who can be trusted

My fellow Ranier beer swigging Mariner fans, for too long have we dwelt in me mediocrity!

Too often have we felt the eerie numb silence that is a lost season!

If the history of this team has taught us anything, it is that it takes a miracle only to achieve a slight modicum of success.

And I for one can stand it no longer! I have straddled the line for a long while and I am dangerously close to cutting my northwest ties and devoting myself full time to the Red Sox nation. An act that makes me physically ill.

I propose to you, my fellow M-Heads, my actions if elected General Manager for the 2009 season. I know, I know, it will probably never happen. Just like a Black man being a viable candidate for the presidency of the nation only forty years after the civil rights movement...

Philosophy: Rebuilding

Anyone who has watched this season unfold thus far should note that rebuilding no longer means dwelling in the basement of the division. This is not basketball here, where players mope and grow indifferent with going through the long grind of a season. No, in the modern era, in which prospects are coveted more than anything, rebuilding is becoming quite the norm.

I propose that the Mariners do everything in our power to start the season with as many young players as possible on staff. While many will deem this foolish, given how weak the farm system compares to the rest of baseball, I am a firm believer that young players can flourish when given a chance to play without constantly fearing a demotion to the minors. A young team grows together and that is the clubhouse I want to foster. A place that sparks cohesion and leads to the unit playing out of their ability. Sound familiar? Its only the same principles that compelled a team of castoffs and unproven talent to win 116 games. Its the same principle that has made the Brewers, Rays, and Diamondbacks viable contenders for the playoffs this season.

Prediction: The Mariners will rebuild, but to a far less drastic degree. If the current team continues to adequate baseball, then look for a comparable roster to begin the season next year. The front office is playing tough at the moment, but we shall see if they are leading with thier head's or their heart's come the trade deadline.

Coach: Larry Bowa

While I want a young team, I want a grumpy old cuss as a coach. If anything, to only avert the impression that this is a soft team. While no one will ever truly recapture the essence of "Sweet" Lou Pinella, the M's certainly need someone with some fire in the belly. Especially after the three previous regimes.

Bowa is a wild man, who has calmed slightly since his time on Joe Torres' staffs. He brings passion to the park and will not accept any laze faire performances on the field. Furthermore, he is an old school hard nose type, who will bring a young team together if only to stay on his good side.

When I think back to spring training 2008, the most compelling storyline was that of the Tampa Bay Rays scuffling with the Yankees over a hard slide by Shelley Duncan. I view this moment as the turning point at which the Rays realized that they no longer had to bend over to what was perceived to be superior competition. Not only did they send a message to the Yankees that game, but they followed it up later in the year, with a scuffle with the Red Sox as well.

With Larry Bowa at the helm, I would be shocked not to see him leading the charge out of the dugout if said situation arose. This is not to say that I condone fighting on the field, so much as I feel that this is a way to gain synergy amongst members of a youthful squad. Bench clearing brawls allow players to realize that they have people backing them. When players back one each other all the time, then the unit has a higher chance of success. Provided that the players do not unite under their great hatred of Larry Bowa, then I see this working out favorably in changing the culture of the franchise.

It should also be noted that I would offer the position of bench coach back to John McLaren. He was the perfect foil to Pinnella and would work very well at mentoring the youngsters along. His abilities are comparable to that of Bob Melvin, who failed in Seattle, but has succeeded in an environment in which his calm demeanor is favorable.

It is my hope that in 2009, McLaren will be right there with a steaming cup of hot cocoa after a pitcher gets called into Bowa's office to be verbally lambasted. Kind of like the Oscar and Felix of the clubhouse.

Prediction: Jim Riggleman

Riggleman actually fits this mold as well, albeit in a more controlled manner. The M's will probably finish out the year playing like a .500 ball club and that will probably be enough to keep him on staff.

First Base: Kenji Johjima

First things first, we are designating Richie Sexson for assignment. Not only are we doing so in the middle of a home stand, but we are doing so immediately before he comes to the plate for his first at bat. Immediately following the announcement, Steam's 1969 "Kiss Him Goodbye (Na Na Na Na)" will be played for forty five minutes straight on a continuous loop. My only regret is that I have been brought in too late for this to occur on Richie Sexson bobblehead night.

In terms of the field, I want Kenji Johjima learning the position. I expect a steep learning curve, but I never agreed with the concept of him catching for my team full team. If I bring on a non-native speaking catcher, I am leaning towards those of Latin decent, due largely to the versatility of the language. Both Erik Beddard and Carlos Silva have openly complained about tossing to Johjima, which leads me to believe that their is no cohesion between pitchers and catchers. Jeff Clement is young enough to grow my future arms (Aumont, Morrow, Hernandez) and Johjima's contract is too large to deal him. Since his bat is not good enough to DH full time, the only way he makes this team is at first.

Designated Hitter: Bryan LaHair

Their is also a large part of me that wants to cut bait with Jose Vidro as well, but after much deliberation I feel it best to let him ride out the season on the the bench. Vidro reminds me a lot of Stan Javier, the perpetually underrated pinch hitter that was a major cog in the 2001 big blue machine. If he takes a pay cut on his vesting option, I would consider him for the bench. Otherwise he is most certainly finishing his career in 2009 as an unsigned free agent.

Sexson's roster spot will be given to Bryan LaHair, whom will start out as DH. From what I have been told, this kid flat out rakes. While I rarely believe what I read about Mariner prospects, I will take my chances over Mr. 220. I predict LaHair to be comparable to Casey Blake of the Cleveland Indians. Classic moneyball player.

Second Base: Yung Chi Chen

Jose Lopez must be dealt ASAP. His value is very high now, due to his incredible ability to produce brilliant half seasons. I know that the previous GM had envisioned Betancourt and Lopez growing up together as a double play tandem, but we have all seen where his logic got us. Meanwhile, I have watched enough professional wrestling to insist that sometimes the best tag teams are comprised of a rehash of an old idea with new pieces. DX version two perhaps? The one with X-Pac, Badass Billy Gunn, and The Road Dogg, over Sean Michaels, HHH, and Chyna? How about NWO Wolfpack versus NWO Black?

Case and point. Lopez can be dealt for prospects, preferably of the pitching variety, and Yung Chi Chen will be brought up from AAA. I heard that he was MLB ready at the beginning of the season and if anything he will only be a modest drop off talent wise.

This off season has a particularly bad free agent class, meaning that I have no intention throwing top value dollars at mid level players. This being said, we are selling where we are strong and filling in holes when we can.

Prediction: Lopez will maintain his numbers for the entire season, prompting the front office to keep him on staff. His contract will also factor into this decision, as he is signed through 2010 at a reasonable rate.

Shortstop: Yuniesky Betancourt

Shortstop is actually a position of strength in the farm system, given the ridiculous contracts Bill Bavasi handed out to several foreign born prospects. Still, these players are at least a couple of years away from truly showing their talents.

That being said, Betancourt is the man for now. Hopefully he continues to improve, as he is locked up until 2011. Ideally he will play out of his mind for a half season, like he did in 2007 and we can deal him to a competitor. If not, then his play is still consistent enough to warrant a starting position.

Prediction: Yuniesky Betancourt

Probably the biggest no brainer on the list. The chances of upgrading at this position are scarce and he is still young enough that he could develop into an All Star yet. The modern shortstop position is not nearly what it used to be in the late 90's.

Third Base: Adrian Beltre

This one goes against a lot of my theories, as Beltre may be one of the more trade able veterans on staff. Still, the farm system lacks any real possible breakthrough stars at third, barring the Tuiasosopo kid catching fire.

Beltre has played well enough to warrant his contract (which is actually quite reasonable by today's standards) and he would be a solid bastion for a youthful infield. I wish that he was a better leader of men, but this is to be expected from another Bavasi hiring.

Prediction: Adrian Beltre

Baseball pundits are calling for the M's to deal Beltre to kick start the rebuilding effort. While he has value on the market, he does have a limited no trade clause. Thank agent Scott Boras for that one.

Third base is the premiere position in baseball now, with many budding stars (Evan Longoria, Alex Gordon, Kevin Kouzmanoff) coming into their own. Since Beltre is on the books for 2009, it is highly unlikely that a team like the Dodgers will take him on at the sacrifice of developing their own corner stalwart.

Outfield: Ichiro, Jeremy Reed, Wladimir Balentin

Ichiro is a God in Seattle. I know that this sentiment has caused some derisive rumblings in the
clubhouse, but the city would never allow him to be dealt.

The knock on Ichiro as of late revolves around his ability to lead. Like Erik Bedard, he is a rather introverted individual, who prefers to lead through example. But, he does have the ability to cause a stir, if prompted to.

Take his performance in the World Baseball Classic. In that given situation he was surrounded by his fellow countrymen, who looked at him as a once in a lifetime athlete. Think Michael Jordan if he had joined the Wizards in his prime. Ichiro not only fired the team up through public comments regarding arch nemesis Korea, he single handedly forced the team to get better, by adding an element of grit to his game.

Not only did he play hard, but his cadence in the locker room was that of a man who would accept nothing less than perfection from his teammates. Truth be told, this was the only time that I have ever watched Ichiro's mannerisms and believed him to be a viable coach in the future.

Still, ideally the coach will handle the leadership role and Ichiro can be allowed to do his own thing. If 2001 proved anything, its that Ichiro can get along in the clubhouse if the team is winning. What people forget about that year, was that he was permanently affixed next to Lou Pinnella, whenever he was in the dugout. Having a manager that Ichiro respects is the key to channeling his abilities.

I will not be bringing back Raul Ibanez. I like him a lot. I always have. I still think he can play at a high level and in many ways would be great if moved back to first base.

However the Mariners have too long of a history of holding onto sentimental players for far too long. While it was fun watching Edgar Martinez and Dan Wilson rot in front of our eyes, I just can't continue the tradition. The synergy of the team has been week ever since his arrival, so he doesn't have the same club house clout. Raul, its been fun, but your spot in the outfield is better served going to a prospect or a low level free agent (Kevin Mench, Juan Rivera, or Willy Mo Pena perhaps).

The rest of the outfield is a wash. Willie Bloomquist will never be more than a poor man's Mark McLemore. Wladimir Balentin is probably a year or so away from showing his true talent. Mike Morse is an embarrassment to the organization and should have been dealt a when he had value.

The only real hope lies in Jeremy Reed. The same Jeremy Reed that was at the centerpiece of the Freddy Garcia trade. The same guy who could have landed the M's either Clay Bucholz or John Lester from the Red Sox two years ago.

While Reed has always underperformed, he still projects to be a Lenny Dykstra type outfielder, who would compliment Ichiro well at the top of the order. Let's allow him to enter the season as the starter in center, without anyone directly chasing him. This will be the best way to gauge how much he has matured in his two years since being demoted to the minors.

Prediction: Jeremy Reed, Ichiro, Mike Cameron

The Mariners have been notorious for treating their outfield like a turnstile. 2009 will not be any different. Reed will be given a short leash, probably getting most of his playing time in late innings as a defensive replacement. Balentin will start the season on the bench and lose out on valuable at bats. And of course, the front brass will sleep on any undervalued veterans and settle for a has been big bat.

Mike Cameron fits the mold the best, as he will command less money than some of the big names on the open market and Mariners faithful still have fond memories of his time roaming the field. He also became fast friends with Ichiro and will be a boon to his attitude entering a year with an unproven squad.

Starting Rotation: Felix Hernandez, Erik Bedard, Carlos Silva, Jarrod Washburn, Brandon Morrow

Closer: Phillip Aumont

Erik Bedard, if we are lucky, can be resigned. I honestly feel that the biggest mistake the Mariners made was by naming him the opening day starter. If anyone has read an interview about the guy, they should see that he is not a spotlight type of player. In Baltimore, he was an overachiever in a bad situation. After the trade he was suddenly viewed as Baseball Jesus in the northwest. After all, Seattle only gave up more for him than the Met's did for Johan Santana.

But I digress.

Felix is our Jordan figure and Bedard can be a Pippen, provided we get him in good with Clement.

With C.C. Sabathia recently shipped to Milwaukee and Rich Harden sent to Chicago, their is a chance that Bedard could fetch interest at the trade deadline. Nothing would disgust me more than taking five cents on the dollar for Bavasi's biggest acquisition. Unless a can't miss outfield prospect is offered, then the M's would be wise to avoid cutting bait early.

Morrow needs to be starting. No questions asked. I am going to be like Hank Steinbrenner on the Joba issue about this. I am sick of hearing the hype and seeing him pitching out of the bullpen.

Putz is coming back soon enough (hopefully successfully so we can trade him) and we have Josh Fields, who is very close to being big league ready. Closer is the most over rated position in baseball. So while other teams push K-Rod and Brian Fuentes into a new tax bracket, I am targeting middle relievers with my dollars. I want my budget in the $80 million range maximum, but I think that this is achievable through relying more on youth than veterans. Still, Dan Wheeler and Juan Rincon are much higher on my wish list than Trevor Hoffman or Jason Isringhausen. It is my intention to groom Aumont like Morrow this season and have him eventually move to starting next year when Fields is called up.

I am actually relatively content with the spot starters and long relief. When Washburn and Batista are off the books in 2010, I will be ecstatic.

It is really a shame that Silva is only an adequate pitcher, as his competitive fire is greatly appreciated. I hope that he can help in mentoring some of the staff.

Prediction: Felix Hernandez, Erik Bedard, Carlos Silva, Miguel Batista, Jarrod Washburn
Closer: J.J. Putz

The brass adores Putz and will not trade him. Morrow will start in the bullpen and be moved into the starting rotation finally when the imminent starter injury occurs sometime in June.

Bedard will be dangled at the trade deadline, but his lingering injuries will be enough to scare off any interested suitors.

Expect at least one more over priced arm added to the fold.

Free Agents: Dan Wheeler, Brendan Donnelly, Hideki Okajima, Juan Rincon, Juan Rivera, Bobby Abreu, Freddy Garcia

Wheeler's cost is going to be driven up if the Rays season continues at this pace. Donnelly on the other hand, is a retread, that if given an opportunity can still throw heat.

Rivera is in a similar position, as he has yet to recover from a broken leg suffered last year. He will be cheap and hungry to prove himself.

Abreu is my dream player for the outfield, as his presence would make this roster ideal for small ball. However it is almost assured that he will re up in New York. This is probably for the best, as his lack of leadership qualities are what single handedly contributed to him getting booed out of Philly.

Garcia may seem like a sacriligeous name on this list, but if he is not signed this season, he will be available for a minor league deal, (think Bartolo Colon in Boston). Garcia may be soft and not nearly as dominant as he once was, but hew thrives as a lower tiered starter. Anytime a team can add a former ERA champion for a minimal contract you make that move.

Prediction: Ben Sheets, Pat Burrell, Adam Dunn, Mike Cameron, Ken Griffey Jr.

If the Mariners look to address pitching through free agency, they will most certainly end up with an oft injured phenom. Thankfully, I am going to assume that they learned their lesson with Bedard.

What is all but guaranteed, is that the M's will sign on underachieving slugger to fill in the gaping void left by Sexson.

The next GM would be wise to jump all over Griffey if he is in fact available, as it will buy the franchise one year to develop before fan duress takes over. While I personally would rather see a young team gel together and prosper, I would welcome back "The Kid" for one last run.

So there you have it M's fans. Unlike the presidential candidates, I have actually laid out for you exactly what I intend to do if elected to general manager in 2009. And just like Ralph Nader, I will sit back and watch someone else screw everything up and use these failures as confirmation that I was right all along...