Lunch with the Rattlers

Geoff Baker has a post about the Seattle Mariner Spring Training Luncheon at his blog. General Manager Bill Bavasi, Manager John McLaren, closer (and former Rattler) JJ Putz, and bullpen coach Norm Charlton were all there on Thursday and there is plenty of stuff to read. So just head over there.

But, from the Rattler perspective, here are two things to pull out of the article.

1.) The trade

Bavasi still expects to get a deal done for a top-of-the-rotation starting pitcher. He never mentions names, but it's clear he was talking about Erik Bedard. It's also clear that Bavasi feels this team is ready to challenge for a playoff spot and is ready to give up Adam Jones and plenty of other names to get a deal done.

"We're in a position now where we have to do our best to make those moves for a top-of-the-rotation guy so we can slot the rest of the rotation where it should be,'' he said. "We feel we have to make a move -- one more move."

Bavasi says he's already put his best offer on the table and that it's now a waiting game. He says there's been a genuine reluctance by some clubs to part with young prospects, but "we're not one of those clubs. We're prepared to move...but there is a limit.''

What would that be?

"I don't think you can give a club its terms and its price,'' he said. "We can move a premier prospect and numbers (of players), but we're not going to move a number of premier prospects."

So, what's going to happen now?

"As I'm sitting here today, I think we will (get a deal done),'' he said. "I think there's a good chance of that."

2.) The bullpen -- with a lot of ex-Rattlers

All of the people in attendance -- Charlton, McLaren, Putz -- seemed to agree that the lack of experience amongst most of the bullpen members finally caught up to them down the stretch. Charlton wouldn't flat-out suggest some of the younger relevers were nervous, though he did admit he was nervous at times as a young pitcher in similar circumstances.

Putz suggested some of his younger teammates may have learned the hard way that it's OK to take a day off late in the season.

"I think the only problem was that they were young and a lot of these guys, it was their first time pitching in September and they didn't realize what kind of a toll that takes on your body in the major leagues,'' Putz said.