Transaction Update:

MLB.com is reporting that the Seattle Mariners have outrighted four players, OFs B.J. Garbe and Hiram Bocachica, RHP Jeff Heaverlo, and IF Mickey Lopez. Bocachica has elected free agency. This leaves the current 40-man roster at 36, not including guys on the 60-day DL. Including the 60-day DL, it's at 40, if you consider Edgar Martinez' spot to be open now. In addition, Baseball America notes that the Mariners have signed RHP Ira Brown as a minor league free agent and have signed 38th round draft pick LHP Harold Williams.

Garbe, 23, was a first round draft pick of the Twins in 1999 out of Moses Lake, Washington and was acquired in the trade for C Pat Borders. While he was a member of the All-State team and regarded as the top high school athlete in the state that year, he has yet to live up to expectations that he would become a power hitter. In six minor league seasons, he only has 25 home runs, and a career slugging percentage of .311 to go with the .231 career batting average.

Bocachica, 28, garnered enough attention in spring training and beyond to gain his own small fanclub and was perhaps the best defensive centerfielder the Mariners played this season. Despite this, the Mariners have a fairly comparable player, minus a little power and footspeed and plus a little batting average in Jolbert Cabrera, who is already under contract. There have been a few teams already in contact with him so far.

Heaverlo, 26, lost most of his season due to a series of odd injuries, includings one to the muscle in the interior of the armpit. At season's end, he was throwing without pain in Arizona, but did not get into a game just yet. The Mariners have been experimenting with him in a bullpen role this year, and he may continue to get a look in that position. To that I would comment that if the Mariners are interested in having a right-handed slider specialist as a setup man, they might go with Heaverlo over Nageotte, provided he's healthy. Those questions about his health make it unlikely that he will be selected in the offseason's rule V draft.

Lopez, 30, got his cup of coffee in the big leagues that he had been working nine years for. He also had his finest full-season as a pro in Tacoma this year. Good for him. But I still maintain that Zapp deserved the call more, and when we get to the Runs Created and SECA, that point will be further cemented. He has little to no long-term value to the big league team.

Brown, 22, was originally an 8th round pick by the Kansas City Royals in 2001. With a career ERA of 5.07, a K/BB of almost 1:1, and a WHIP of 1.71 for his career, Brown is organizational filler in the lower levels to ensure that no one will be rushed up prematurely. In 36 innings for independant Sherveport, he had a 4-1 record and a 2.00 ERA, not to mention much better peripherals, but this was a very small sample size and is not enough to indicate that he may have turned a corner.

Williams, 20, was previously selected by the Mariners in the 43rd round of the 2003 draft. This time he was drafted out of Mt. San Jacinto JC in California, and is not to be confused with Chase Williams, a RHP out of San Jacinto College in Texas (problems getting information over here). What little I've been able to find indicates that he appeared in 13 games this season, all relief, pitched 21 innings, only allowed 8 hits but 4.29 ERA due to 18 walks compared to 17 strikeouts. I have not yet been able to track down any information on his performance in the 2003 season. Your guess is as good as mine. |

posted by Jay Y. @ 8:34 PM

  As promised, my AFL Week 1 Review is now up at InsideThePark.com. Check in on how the M's prospects are doing there. |

posted by Jay Y. @ 2:45 PM