Trio sent to the Minors
The weekend got off to a rotten start for three Mariners this morning.
Right-handed pitcher Gaby Hernandez, along with first basemen Bryan LaHair and Mike Carp, were sent to the Minor Leagues.
“With Gaby, we are at the point where I think we have seen…I have talked about this several times…I think he has the ability to be a strong starter in the big leagues,” manager Don Wakamatsu said. “The rest is going to be up to him.”
That cut wasn’t a big surprise. But the departures of LaHair, especially, and Carp, registered high on the chopping block scale.
“I think, obviously, with the depth we have there at the major league level right now, at least the projected (depth) these are the guys that are unable to get the at-bats on a daily basis,” Wakamatsu said. “We have been trying all spring to be fair with thenm as far as playing them in left field so they could get at-bats.
“Our issues right now are trying to play Russell (Branyan) at first base as much as we can, getting him comfortabvle there. (Mike) Sweeney will be playing more over there, so we think it’s best to have those guys go down and continue their development.”
In other morning news:
* Right-hander Brandon Morrow threw a simulated game, which started at 11:30 a.m.
* Left-hander Tyler Johnson’s (shoulder tendinitis) was supposed to throw in the sim game, but was pushed back until Saturday.
* And right-handed reliever Roy Corcoran, sidelined with biceps tendinitis, will pitch in Saturday’s game against the Athletics.
— Jim Street
Street's Corner 
Jim: Not just in reference to this story, but to the whole picture this spring, there seems to be a lot more excitement in camp this year.
Maybe all the exciting new faces are what is causing guys like Yuni to start becoming more than just one-dimensional players. We have some guys waiting in the wings all of a sudden.
Competition is healthy, they say. Maybe so.
Jim,
Its getting down to the hard decisions or the Wak-outs/Wak-ins of who will make the ’09 team. I am pretty much inline with your projected team, but as much as I like Jeff Clement, Rob Johnson is having a much better spring training and is making an impressive arguement that he deserves a shot as the backup catcher. For that matter, keep them both and eject Kenji… oh yeah which team needs a $30-mil/32-year old backup catcher???
Who on the Mariners’ 40-man roster are out of options?
Who is going to be the M’s bullpen catcher?
Dave