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My $0.02.
1) Erasmo needs to be in AAA pitching as a starter. It does not appear to me that Erasmo has the toolset to be a lockdown reliever. He looked much better in spring training as a starter and I fail to see how his relief outings here help develop his future in any meaningful way other than keeping his pitch counts down. This certainly isn't a 'soft' landing. Either swap him into the starting roll currently occupied by Millwood, or call up Kelley and place Erasmo in the Rainier's rotation.
2) Millwood's presence on this team, and his selection to the rotation over Iwakuma, continues to be the single most baffling roster move made by the Mariners. There is no upside to Kevin Millwood. He's not mentoring the future aces, as the future aces reside in Jackson. He's at best a stop-loss measure. And when you already have Iwakuma, Ramirez, and even Furbush as available starters with more upside than Millwood - I just don't get it.
3) Next roster move will be Saunders to AAA and Carp recalled from the DL. Saunders is so far removed from his spring training performance it's shocking. His inability to harness his obvious athletic gifts are saddening. Saunders got the pitches to hit in the 9th and he missed them. He had to score that run.
4) Did Wedge really pinch run Olivo? Seriously? Over Wells? smh.
5) Wedge has, for as long as he's been here, been preaching selective patience. Wait for your pitch, but when you get your pitch hit it hard. Jaso's 9th inning at-bat was this concept in motion. He got his pitch. He hit it hard. Just not hard enough.
6) So much for that Brendan Ryan "Accountability" Day. Free Kawasaki.
7) Olivo's batting .111/.135/.139. I didn't even know that was possible. Free Jaso.
8) Is it just me, or do Jack Zduriencik's free agent signings just plain suck. His talent evaluation on a major league level has me freaked out.
Seattle Mariners signed free agent LHP Hong-Chih Kuo.
Seattle Mariners signed free agent RHP Shawn Camp.
Seattle Mariners signed free agent 2B Carlos Guillen.
Seattle Mariners signed free agent RHP Brian Sweeney.
Seattle Mariners signed free agent RHP Kevin Millwood.
Seattle Mariners signed free agent LHP Oliver Perez.
Seattle Mariners signed free agent RHP Aaron Heilman.
Seattle Mariners signed free agent RHP Hisashi Iwakuma.
Seattle Mariners signed free agent LHP George Sherrill.
Seattle Mariners signed free agent SS Munenori Kawasaki.
Ugh. Double ugh.
9) My sincerest wish for this team would be to adopt Doc's roster strategy of Can You Win Your Next Pennant With This Player. Please make it so.
10) Stay at .500 for half a season then jettison the dead-weight and call up the Three Amigos and charge! I still believe.
- Ben.