As the final roster decisions of Camp 2010 are made, outfielder Corey Patterson took one out of the hands of the Seattle Mariners.

He opted out of his minor league contract and became a free agent.

Patterson wasn’t going to win a job, having hit .216 in 19 spring games. His departure, however, leaves the Mariners with two outfielders – Ryan Langerhans and Eric Byrnes – and one available spot on Seattle’s bench.

Figure Byrnes wins that job. Langerhans has been fighting a tender left elbow and hasn’t played in a game in a week.

Patterson’s departure leaves the team …

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Busy camp this morning, and after sending Luke French down early, the Mariners told reliever Chad Cordero he was headed to the minors just to get innings.

“They want me to work regularly, get innings and stay heallthy,” Cordero said. “I expected it. I’m fine with it. My arm feels great.”

Meanwhile, opening day starting pitcher Felix Hernandez faced a minor league lineup in a 9:45 a.m. game and gave up one run – a home run to the first batter he faced.

“I’ll have a little more adrenaline Monday,” he said. “I’m ready for the regular season. Spring is …

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It was one small step for man, one giant leap for Mariners-kind – Cliff Lee played catch today and felt no discomfort in his strained abdominal muscle.

“My arm feels good, my legs feel good and I want to let it go, but I’m afraid to,” Lee said. “I’ve got to  be smart. This is the third time I’ve had this injury. I’m not happy about being injured.

“This is my job and I want to do it. All I can control is today.”

Lee’s pain-free session likely frees the team to begin slowly working their No. 2 starter back …

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Manager Don Wakamatsu talked about ‘secret dynamics’ going on in camp, which might mean Jack Zduriencik is looking for a pitcher, but here’s your Seattle Mariners opening day starting rotation:

Felix Hernandez, Ian Snell, Ryan Rowland-Smith, Doug Fister and Jason Vargas.

Yes, in that order. Why that order? For one thing, the Mariners have figured several options for changing things up when Cliff Lee returns. How soon will that be? Lee is throwing today, and if he feels no ‘grab’ in his strained abdominal muscle, the team can move ahead with his rehabilitation.

If he does feel discomfort, the process …

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Yes, there’s a lineup posted already for today’s game against the Texas Rangers – and there’s even a Ryan Garko on the bench.

Right-hander David Pauley, sent to minor league camp last week, will start the game as Felix Hernandez pitches in the minors. Pauley pitched well enough to make this team in most springs, but probably not this one.

Here’s your lineup:

• Ichiro, RF
• Chone Figgins, 2B
• Casey Kotchman, 1B
• Milton Bradley, LF
• Mike Sweeney, DH
• Jose Lopez, 3B
• Franklin Gutierrez, CF
• Adam Moore, C
• Jack Wilson, SS
• Pauley, P

As you may have heard, the Mariners put Ryan Garko on waivers – along with a half dozen other players – and, his fall from grace was more a matter of what the team saw in others than what it didn’t see from him.

Garko, 29, was signed in February and was seen initially as a right-handed hitter who would polatoon at first base with lefty Casey Kotchman, and be a bat off the bench.

Seattle fell in love with what Kotchman could do defensively, and he’s no longer going to be platooned – on days he doesn’t drive in runs, he …

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Innings are getting scarce in the Cactus League games,what with starting pitchers going six and seven innings, to the Seattle Mariners are taking advantage of minor league games to see their pitching.

Doug Fister worked four innings, Shawn Kelley two and Chad Cordero one in an intrasquad game, and all three got their work in and felt fine.

For Fister, it was his first game action since being hit by a line drive on the right forearm about 10 days ago.

“It was a good building day,” he said. “I threw 65 pitches and didn’t feel a thing from the …

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Milton Bradly managed one team and wound up throwing first base. Chone Figgins managed the other team and engineered a late trade – catcher Adam Moore for 7-year-old Teven Griffey.

Ichiro Suzuki swung right-handed. Casey Kotchman played shortstop, Mike Sweeney left field and at one point Eric Byrnes stormed off the field calling the proceedings ‘a mockery of the game!’

Well, no kidding.

The Mariners staged an odd ragball game on the half field in Peoria, with rules that included running from home plate to third base—not first—after a hit, batting from the opposite side and bribing umpire Josh Bard.

That …

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