Opening Day Lineup

Ichiro Suzuki, CF
Jose Lopez, 2B
Raul Ibanez, LF
Richie Sexson, 1B
Adrian Beltre, 3B
Brad Wilkerson, RF
Jose Vidro, DH
Kenji Johjima, C
Yuni Betancourt, SS

Final Roster Set

Pitchers:
Cha-Seung Baek
Miguel Batista
Erik Bedard
Sean Green
Felix Hernandez
Mark Lowe
Eric O'Flaherty
J.J. Putz
Ryan Rowland-Smith
Carlos Silva
Jarrod Washburn

Catchers:
Jaime Burke
Kenji Johjima

Infielders:
Adrian Beltre
Yuni Betancourt
Willie Bloomquist
Miguel Cairo
Jose Lopez
Richie Sexson
Jose Vidro

Outfielders:
Raul Ibanez
Charlton Jimerson
Mike Morse
Ichiro Suzuki
Brad Wilkerson

Lackey Hurt

John Lackey is going to be out for the first month of the season with an arm injury. This is great news for the Mariners as now the Angels will be without their two best pitchers for at least a month. The Mariners need to capitilize on this by getting out to a comfortable lead by the time they return.

So far everything has fallen the Mariners way this year. Let's hope it stays that way.

Ramirez Released

According to Geoff Baker the Seattle Mariners have finally released Horatio Ramirez. By releasing him today they only have to pay a fraction of his salary.

Spring Training Tidbits

-Baek has stated that if he does not make the team out of spring raining he will refuse his right to go back to the minor leagues if he passes through waivers and sign with another team.

-Mike Morse has been making his case to make the final roster spot as the 4th outfielder. Morse has scorched the ball so far in the first few games and looks like the favorite to win the job.

-John Mclaren is putting an emphasis on being more aggressive on the base paths to try and get more players to go from first to third on base hits more often then last year.

-Mclaren has also stated that the 4th outfielder job will probably be a right handed hitter which would leave Jeremy Reed as the odd man out in the competition with Wlad, Morse and Jimerson as Reed is the only left handed hitter of the group even though he has hit the ball well so far this spring.

Dave Niehaus Gets Inducted Into Hall

Today Dave Niehaus won the Ford C. Frick Award and will be inducted in to the broadcasting section of the baseball hall of fame. Niehaus has been the voice of the Mariners since Day 1 back in 1977.

Congratulation Dave on an unbelievable career as you are one of the best broadcasters of all-time. This honor has been long overdue.

Spring Training Starts Today

Spring Training has finally arrived today. Pitchers and catchers officially report tomorrow although most players are already at camp.

Also John Mclaren has already named Erik Bedard the opening day starter today.

Bedard Deal Finally Official

Ken Rosenthal is reporting the deal is official and the Mariners have recieved Erik Bedard for Adam Jones, George Sherrill, Chris Tillman, Tony Butler and Kam Mickolio.

All I can say is it's about damn time its official.

Bedard Definitely In Seattle Today

According to the Seattle PI blog, Bedard got on a 7am flight from Ottawa and should have just arrived in Seattle.

Bedard Physical Today?

UPDATE: Orioles Hangout Insiders say Bedard is scheduled to take his physical tomorrow.

According to XM radio Bedard is going to be in seattle to take his physical today and the trade should be announced shortly after that.

Bedard a Mariner by Monday?

UPDATE: The Seattle PI is reporting that Jones is in Baltimore for a physical and a press conference and the deal is finally done.

The insiders over at Orioles Hangout are saying the deal will be announced by monday and Bedard is already in Seattle and Jones passed his physical.

Wilkerson Signs 1 Year Deal

Brad Wilkerson has signed with the Mariners which seems to indicate a prelude to a trade. The deal is for 3 million with the opportunity to earn 2 million more in incentives.

Erik Bedard is a Mariner

Update: Bedard isnt a Mariner yet but sources say he will be by the end of the week.

Geoff Baker is saying the deal is done and Jones is being sent to Baltimore for a physical. No word yet on the other players involved.

Bedard Update

Over at Geoff Baker's Blog there is an update on the Bedard trade talk. Baker said he talked to Bavasi an he said this:

"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."

So it now seems a deal is close and Bavasi has his best offer on the table including Adam Jones and a deal should be completed soon.

Tony Clark Possibility For M's

UPDATE: According to Buster Olney Tony Clark has narrowed his choices down to the Mariners and Giants.

Ken Rosenthal is saying the Mariners are one of 3 teams vying for Tony Clark's services, The other two teams are the Giants and Red Sox.

I think this would be a nice pickup for the M's as Clark has a lot of power and is a switch hitter. I think if they sign Clark he and Vidro will split time at DH and it will give Clement more time in the minors. Clark can also step in at 1B if Sexson struggles again.

M's don't want to include Jones

Jason Churchill and Keith Law are saying that the hold up in the trade is that the M's do not want to include Jones and are trying to find a way to do the trade without him in it.

Sherrill and Rhodes Sign

George Sherrill and the Mariners have avoided arbitration and signed a 1 year deal and this has nothing to do with whether he is traded or not.

Also Arthur Rhodes was brought back and signed a minor league deal. I dont think Rhodes has much of a chance of making the team but it is a low risk move.

Final Offer On Table?

UPDATE: From MLB.com
"Various reports continue to link Bedard with the Mariners as Spring Training approaches. A source told MLB.com on Sunday that the Orioles have given up trying to obtain reliever Brandon Morrow in the deal, and would instead accept Mariners Minor League Pitcher of the Year Chris Tillman. Baltimore also apparently wants left-handed reliever George Sherrill included in the deal"

Jason Churchill is saying the Mariners offered Jones/Clement/Sherrill for Bedard and the Orioles countered asking either Triunfel or Morrow be swapped with Clement or there would be no deal. A source of Churchill also mentioned that he thinks Bedard will be introduced to Seattle by Thursday and that the mariners would cave on the deal but would prefer to include Morrow over Triunfel if they had too.

In my opinion with the pressure Bavasi is under to save his job he will cave and pull the trigger on a Jones/Morrow/Sherrill for Bedard deal.

Jones Pulled from Winter Ball

Is this the sign that a trade is going to happen or do the mariners just want to rest Jones for the season, only time will tell. I do find it interesting that they would pull him during the playoffs of the winter league when there is only a week left in the season.

Cameron Signs With Brewers

Former Mariner favorite Mike Cameron has signed a 1 year deal with a club option for 2009 so even if we do trade Jones we won't be gettin Cameron. Terms of the deal have not been announced.