We hammered out the 11-man pitching staff and now, barring injury over the final four exhibition games, we’ve come up with the other 14 players who will be on the opening night roster.
Catchers: Rob Johnson, Adam Moore.
Infielders: Jack Wilson, Jose Lopez, Chone Figgins, Casey Kotchman, Matt Tuiasosopo.
Outfielders: Eric Byrnes, Ryan Langerhans, Milton Bradley, Franklin Gutierrez, Ichiro Suzuki.
DH: Ken Griffey Jr. and Mike Sweeney.
Langerhans makes the team in part because he’s out of options and the team likes his ability to play anywhere in the outfield and bat left-handed. This is the same Langerhans, remember, who hit a pair of walk-off home runs for Seattle last year.
The problem for manager Don Wakamatsu the first week of the season is the Mariners facing three left-handed starting pitchers, which means tryiing to get Bradley, Brynes and Sweeney at-bats in what amounts to two spots – left field and designated hitter.
One will have to sit each of those three games. But that’s why managers get gray.
Larry, does Saunders appear to still be in the M’s future plans?
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Moo – yes, but only if he has a strong minor league season at the plate.
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Keeping Sweeney means the M’s will be leaning on Langerhans and Tuiasosopo as pinch runners who can play the field later in games. I do hope they can step up. If theres a significant injury in the infield, the M’s may question the release of Garko to keep Sweeney. I’ve heard he has gloves, will he use them? It’s not that I don’t like Sweeney, but on a team that is already carrying a full time DH……. OK, I’ll wait and see too.
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