******* sweet.   Although it's spring training, there's just a different feeling in the air when they actually start playin games.   March 3rd will be the first televised game on FSN for the M's, so mark that one on the calendars.   I love this time of year, because honestly, the couple of months after the super bowl are quite possibly the most boring time of the year for me seeing as how I hate any form of basketball and  noone even airs hockey games anymore.  Especially in Seattle.   Well I'll hope to keep much more active with my posting from here on out, so stay tuned!

  As we all know, spring training is approaching, and I just wanted to leave my two cents in relation to what I would personally do with this teams roster if I were the manager, and I know it may sound crazy to some of you, but I honestly think that fielding this roster everyday would give us the best possible chance at winning this year.   Balentien and Clement both have major league ready bats, and without them this lineup has a serious lack of power.   Vidro may blow, but he doesn't blow as bad as Lopez, and Vidro's bat makes up for his lack of defense at second, plus he's not as bad there as he was with the Nationals, because he had bad knees back then, and a full year of DHing has allowed for his knees to heal up.   So anyways, no matter how unrealistic this may sound due to the managements aversion to playing veterans, here goes......

1. Ichiro CF

2. Beltre 3B

3. Ibanez LF

4. Sexson 1B

5. Johjima C

6. Clement DH/C/1B

7. Balentien RF

8. Vidro 2B

9. Betancourt SS

   Honestly, top to bottom I think that's the best hitting talent this team can put together on a daily basis, and seeing how this teams biggest weakness is its offense, I think fielding these 9 batters will give us the best chance to win this year.   If anyone agrees or disagrees I'd like to hear it.   As for the bench, I see probably somethin like Bloomquist IF/OF, Jimerson PR/OF, Wilkerson 1B/OF and then one of Lopez, Burke or Morse.

   As for the rotation, I think everyone knows how that's gonna turn out but I'll post it anyways.

1. Bedard

2. Hernandez

3. Batista

4. Washburn

5. Silva

   Then comes the tough part, the bullpen.   I think it'll shake out like this.

Closer: JJ Putz

8th: Morrow, O'Flaherty

7th: Green, Rowland-Smith, Lowe

Longman: R.A. Dickey

And that should do it.   I know I'm not the manager of this team, and there's next to know chance in **** things will turn out this way, but that doesn't mean they shouldn't.   If the Mariners are really serious about winning this year, then I think that this team will give them the best chance at doing so.

Jesus Christ.   In quite possibly the most drawn out trade in the history of baseball, Erik Bedard is finally a Mariner.   I was refusing to post anything more on the subject until the deal was officially done, and at long last it is.    It's a big pickup for the M's, and gives them a good shot at winning this year, but we gave up a CRAPLOAD of talent for Bedard.   

   I've come to the conclusion that Bill Bavasi's skills of negotiation are pretty **** terrible.   I mean really, I realise that Bedard is an ace, and therefore you'll need to give up a decent package to get him, but come on!!   Our best hitting prospect (Jones), our best pitching prospect (Tillman), our best lefty reliever (Sherrill), a major league ready middle reliever in Mickolio and a big lefty starter with a lot of potential (Butler).    

   That's just way too much if you ask me.   I mean it looks like Bavasi just came out and said "I want Bedard, what do I have to do?"  and Macphail named his price, just blurting out a package he'd want in return, not really thinking Bavasi'd actually go through with it.   It's kinda like if you had a really sweet car that was really fast and was better than most cars out on the road, and someone says "How much do you want for that car?"  and you just blurt out "A million dollars!".   Well apparently Bill Bavasi would make that deal in a heartbeat.   No skills of negotiation.   

  This deal could've been made without atleast Sherrill, but Bavasi has no balls.    He just kinda painted himself in to a corner by letting everyone know that we were going after Bedard and we were gonna get him no matter what it took.   And he did, and it took A LOT.  That's what happens when you have a GM who's always afraid of losing his job and will do whatever it takes to make fans happy that the team is winning.  They say "Who cares?" to the future and only care about saving their own ***.

   I'm very happy we got Bedard, I don't wanna confuse anybody.   It's not every day your team acquires one of the best pitchers in the game, but 4 quality pitchers and a potential star outfielder for 1 Ace starter is a bit much.