Final Seattle Opening Day story and Roster Moves

Seattle's Opening Day is today at 5:35pm CDT. Former Rattler Felix Hernandez (WI '03) will get the start for the M's and the Seattle Times website has the story.

Felix Hernandez, still six days shy of his 21st birthday, will stride to the mound at about 3:35 this afternoon to begin a season the Mariners hope will launch him to the baseball stratosphere.

No one has ever doubted the thunder that lies within his right arm. It is the maturity and focus Hernandez displayed in spring training that has the team quietly anticipating a breakout year.

If that happens, then the outlook for this most potentially volatile of Mariner seasons brightens considerably.

"If he can do what he's capable of, it's going to be huge for our team," said outfielder Raul Ibanez at Sunday's Safeco Field workout. "He can be one of those great pitchers where every time he takes the mound, he can stop the bleeding. He can be that guy. He can be a bona fide ace."

The Athletics are sending former Peoria Chief Dan Haren to the mound today at Safeco Field.

To get to their roster limit, Seattle made the following moves. Ex-Rattlers in bold:

Acquired OF Jason Ellison from San Francisco for LHP Travis Blackley; reassigned INF Rey Ordonez to Minor League camp; optioned OFs Mike Morse and Adam Jones and LHP Jake Woods to Triple-A Tacoma; selected the contracts of RHP Brandon Morrow, LHP Arthur Rhodes and catcher Jamie Burke from Tacoma; placed RHP Mark Lowe and LHP Cesar Jimenez on the 60-day disabled list; designated INF Michael Garciaparra for assignment.