Byrnes Is Gone, More To Come

That was fast. I was hoping for some action tomorrow, but it happened tonight. Eric Byrnes has been released, and Matt Tuiasosopo sent down. Taking their places are Ryan Langerhans and Josh Wilson.

These are both good moves. I was a fan of bringing up Langerhans a couple hours ago, and I still am. Josh Wilson is a fine addition for now as well. He was hitting in Tacoma (though I doubt he can keep it up), and I like the message being sent that production matters. However, even when Wilson proves he can't hit all that much, his defense at shortstop allows the M's to pinch hit for Jack Wilson in crucial situations late in ballgames.

The only minor problem is that neither Langerhans nor Wilson are on the 40-man roster. One of them will take the spot cleared with Byrnes's release. The other we don't know about yet. Lookout Landing tweeted that Ricky Orta recently had Tommy John surgery, and transferring him to the 60-day DL would do the trick. I also think they could get away with transferring Erik Bedard to the 60-day DL if they wanted to, given that they are targeting a late May return for him as of now. However, Shannon Drayer is reporting that the move won't be transferring anyone to the 60-day DL.

Who knows. This is obviously unfolding as we all digest it. Personally, I think a DL move is likely. I could also see Jesus Colome getting DFA'd, which would require another player to get promoted. Heck, Mike Sweeney came up with a stiff back today, so maybe he lands on the DL.

Something else must happen, we know that for sure. The Mariners don't have anything internally that can change the whole complexion of the offense; but, the roster just got a little better, and the M's aren't done tinkering yet. Zduriencik also made little moves for Ryan Langerhans and Jack Hannahan last year, and for all we know he has another trick up his sleeve.

For now, this is certainly good news. Something had to be done, and the obvious move was made.

Byrnes Needs To Go

I don't even want to talk about the series the M's just completed with the Rangers. Any sort of competent offense at all, and Seattle gets two out of three. The extra inning games were baseball played at its most futile levels. I'm thankful for an off day to recover. This team really needs one to do some soul-searching.

It is also a perfect opportunity to ditch Eric Byrnes. It's time for him to leave. It isn't fair to pin the team's offensive woes on him, given the limited at-bats he has received, but he clearly is not an answer in any sort of capacity.

To start with, Byrnes is batting under .100, again, in limited opportunities. However, watching him, he is completely lost. The failed suicide squeeze is of course the crowned jewel of Eric's epic failures, but his approach at the plate in general is horrible. He routinely watches fastballs go down the middle, and opts to swing at garbage. Shockingly, his approach has yielded an unfathomable number of strikeouts and pop-ups.

Defensively, Byrnes isn't that bad. He looks somewhere between adventurous and awful, but it all adds up to something I would take out there. To his credit, he grades out well in his limited opportunities thus far.

However, that is not enough, especially with the way Byrnes has been flailing at the plate. The Mariners have Ryan Langerhans in AAA, who nobody doubts is the superior defender, and I have a strong belief that he can pull a bat back on a suicide squeeze every bit as well as Eric Byrnes too.

It's far from a secret that the M's offense must get better. Furthermore, I'm not certain that Eric Byrnes can be called the problem, or Ryan Langerhans the solution. However, sliding Milton Bradley into more of the regular DH role, and giving Langerhans a chance to play every day in left field makes sense right now. It would be a defensive upgrade, and Langerhans would essentially be taking Ken Griffey Jr.'s spot in the lineup. Griffey would become the primary pinch-hitter off the bench, and I think that's a role he could succeed in.

Langerhans at least marginally improves the offense (over what we have seen), and certainly improves the defense, so he makes the team better. I think the message sent would be important too. It's time to put up or shut up. The guys on the field are clearly trying, but this is the major leagues. Production is needed, and healthy competition is good. Guys that aren't pulling their weight need to see their playing time go away.

For me, the changes start with Eric Byrnes, and they start tomorrow.

Early Thoughts On Spring Training

It's about time I post something this month, but the problem is that there just isn't much to be said that isn't already being said by others. Spring training is fun, but it's hard to evaluate much of what going on when a) all you have are radio broadcasts b) players only get a few ABs, or 20-30 pitches, and c) in those few opportunities, many are trying to get rust off/work on something new.

So I don't write much about spring training, other than it's fun for what it is. Personally, I don't put too much stock in spring performances unless they are way too good or bad to ignore. So far, nobody has had time to be stellar, and only Garret Olson and Kenn Kasparek have had forgettable outings.

I've come up with a few thoughts to share though:

• I hope Chone Figgins stays at second, and Jose Lopez at third. Statistics and scouting both give good reasons to believe the move will work, and a few weeks into the experiment, both players seem to be acclimating fairly well.
• I wonder how long Dustin Ackley will stay in the major league camp. He is getting rave reviews much like Brandon Morrow did in his first spring training. That scares me a little, but there's absolutely no room for Ackley on the opening day roster. Personally, I would still send him down once minor league camp opens up. There are enough guys that need to get work in who figure to be a part of the 2010 Mariners, and Dustin will be best served getting a lion's share of time on the field, instead of a few innings here and there.
• Matt Tuiasosopo is off to a hot start, much like last spring training. Undoubtedly, that will increase interest in his chances to make the opening day roster. He projects as one of the final cuts anyway.
• Mike Sweeney is off to a hot start too. There is no spot for him on the roster, but if he continues to hit well, what do the Mariners do? The players are professionals, but Sweeney was such a big part of the team last year, and he has asserted himself in the clubhouse yet again. Add a strong spring, and his situation will be as delicate as an aging non-roster invitee's can be.
• I would like to see Ryan Garko get some time behind the plate. By all accounts, he only moved because Victor Martinez was ahead of him in the Indians organization. Garko becomes a much more valuable commodity if he can catch some.
• Respected M's reporter Shannon Drayer has said multiple times that Eric Byrnes "looks fast" out on the field. Coming off significant leg injuries, that is worth noting. I'm not convinced his legs caused all of his problems that past few seasons, but he at least has a chance to prove me wrong if his legs are indeed strong and healthy.

Those are some of my thoughts, in no particular order. I'm open to more, and may even post more of my own in the comments if something pops up. Most of all, it's nice to have some sort of baseball action to talk about again.

Eric Byrnes, The 2010 Mike Sweeney

The Mariners got that right-handed bat they've been searching for by signing OF Eric Byrnes to a one-year deal today. To make room on the roster, 1B Tommy Everidge was designated for assignment. As far as the nuts and bolts of the deal, Lookout Landing lays out nicely why it's a no-risk deal. I like Everidge a little more than them, but the key word is little. If you want a more in-depth look at Byrnes from a slightly different perspective, USS Mariner had you covered a week ago with this post. As for what Eric Byrnes thinks, Larry Stone has a nice synopsis with quotes.

I'm linking so much with this story because I don't think it would be all that helpful for me to re-hash anything those fine folks have already said. It's also Friday night, and I'm feeling lazy.

What I have to add is that I'm not very excited about the move. I think Eric Byrnes is done. Many have pointed to the injuries, and I agree he should rebound some if healthy. However, those injuries were bad, and he sustained them thanks in large part to his hair-on-fire approach to the game. His style has put his body through more stress than a run-of-the-mill 34-year-old ballplayer, and he will add to that significantly in 2010. I don't see Byrnes staying healthy, and I wonder what he has left anyway.

Then again, I had similar feelings about Mike Sweeney around this time last year. That turned out fine though.

Byrnes is saying all the right things, about how excited he is and how healthy he feels. That's wonderful, but I always take the types of comments Eric gave today with a grain of salt, coming from a professional athlete at least. To perform at such an elite level takes an air of confidence that breeds quotes like Eric's today, regardless of the condition they actually are in. I think the odds are that this is a no-risk, no-reward move.

Eric Byrnes is the 2010 version of Mike Sweeney, except with more upside. I guess that means I should be more excited about this move, especially with how Sweeney turned out. However, the M's are doing baseball's version of dumpster diving, trying to pick up that sofa that if you massage a little here and there, and put a blanket over, works pretty darn well. I don't know how realistic it is to think any team can pull that off successfully every time. If any front office can do it though, it's this one.