Lets start this with the premise that the Mariners will are done for this year. Also they will sign Bedard to an extension that at the end of the 2009 season, at the same time Arian Beltre's contrat is up and wont be resigned. Free agents Richey Sexson, Jose Vidro and Raul Ibanez are not going to be resigned after the 2008 season. We are also going to go with a $120 million buget for 2009. Ok lets get to the nuts and bolts.
Step 1. Send Bradon Morrow to the minors to get him ready to be a starting pitcher.
Step 2. Recall Jeff Clement and make him your primary catcher, lets see him the whole year and see what we got. In the mean time Kenji Johjima catches once a week only if when pitchers other than Bedard, Washburn or Felix is on the hill and the opposing pitcher is a left hander. Other wise he plays some first or dh.
Step 3. Bavasi spends the rest of the year trying to trade any or all of these guys: Washburn, Batista, Johjima, Sexson, Vidro, Ibanez. The free agents next year(sexson vidro ibanez) arent as much of a priority as the guys you owe money to next year(washburn, batista, and Johjima). Dont worry about getting to much back here, you would actually just flat give these guys away. Just call the Yankees or Mets.
Step 4. Assuming you could get step 3 done, at the beginning of the 2009 season you will be on the hook for roughly 60 million in player contracts, which leaves 60 million for free agent signings. We will be looking to add a power hitting 1b and dh. We will also be looking for another STUD pitcher.
Step5. Calling Mark Teixeira.........Calling Adam Dunn........Callling CC Sabitha. Now I know this sounds like extremely wishfull thinking, but it can be done by an aggrevise front office and the deep pockets that the Seattle Mariners have.
Step6. Find one more reliever to replace Morrow, that shouldnt really be a big problem.
These is the kind of thinking that will put the Mariners back on the map. Your lineup for 2009 would look like this.......Ichiro(cf) Beltre(3b) Clement(c) Teixeira(1b) Dunn(dh) Lopez(2b) Balatine(rf) Reed(lf) Betancourt(ss).......with what ever changes you want to make on your bench.
The rotation would go......Bedard, Sabathia, Felix, Silva, Morrow. With basiclly the same bullpen.
It works and you have the money to do it, so stop messing around......This organization needs to stop going half way, and just let it all out for once.
ty
