A lot to take in

The Seattle Times has a lot of Mariner stuff in their preview today. I couldn't find a direct link to a page that just has the previews, so here is the link to their Mariner site. It should be good for the rest of Sunday.

However, here are the two main articles about Seattle in '08:

General election, 2008 season: Part 1

General election, 2008 season: Part 2
Here is Proposition No. 8 of the ten that are on the ballot.

Is the farm system stocked with players who can help this year and beyond?

Yes: [Jerry] Brewer, [Steve] Kelley, [Larry] Stone
No: [Geoff] Baker

The case for: Jeff Clement and Wladimir Balentien managed not to get traded and could be in the starting lineup by June. Carlos Triunfel looked like another A-Rod at age 17. Phillipe Aumont is already being mentioned in the same breath as Randy Johnson. Mark Lowe and John Huber could pitch in most major-league bullpens. Lefty starters Ryan Feierabend and Ryan Rowland-Smith could become rotation mainstays.

The case against: Dealing away Adam Jones will haunt the M's. Balentien is one-dimensional, has flaws is his power swing and there's little outfield depth beyond him. Mike Morse and Jeremy Reed are marginal big leaguers. Clement won't be catching in the majors, making him a wasted No. 1 pick. Aumont is years away. Judging Triunfel at his age is a joke. Feierabend and Rowland-Smith are fourth starters at best.

Also of note to Rattler fans from the preview:

Meet the Mariners -- Bullpen. Oddly, the link has the word rotation in it, Erik Bedard is at the top of the page along with Felix Hernandez ('03). Maybe this should have been Meet the Mariners -- Pitchers? But, that is just second-guessing from a third-rate blogger.

Anyway, scroll down for notes on ex-Rattlers Hernandez, JJ Putz ('00), Eric O'Flaherty ('04, '05), Mark Lowe ('05), and Ryan Rowland-Smith ('02, '03). Ignore the fact that Brandon Morrow and RA Dickey are in this preview, since this piece was almost definitely written before the final roster decisions were made yesterday.

Here is a brief capsule called Inside the Mariners farm system. It has team, level, manager, opening day, and player to watch. This is the Seattle Times Player to watch on the Timber Rattlers: Johnny DuRocher.

I'll cover this in a moment or two.