First Week Observations.

Baltimore and Florida in first? Boston in last? The Detroit 0-6? You gotta love the first week of the baseball season.

The biggest suprise is the winless start for the Detroit Tigers. The pre-season world series favorite started the season by dropping 3 games apeice to the Royals and Whitesox. The offense has been dormant and pitching has been eratic. Brandon Inge leads the team in Home Runs and RBI's, while freshly signed Miguel Cabrera has knocked in exactly 1 run on a solo homer on opening day, and is hitting .111. On the pitching side the team ERA is well above 5 with the only starter under 5 being 43 year old Kenny Rogers. Justin Verlander has been hit hard giving up 8 runs in just over 11 innings.

On the other end of the spectrum there is the Baltimore Orioles. After losing their first game 6-2 against the Rays, they then preceded to win their next 5, includng a 4 game sweep of the Seattle Mariners. Brian Roberts(yup, still an Oriole) came out of the gate on fire batting .368 with 3 stolen bases and a 1.170 OPS. However he has been upstaged by Luke Scott. Aquired by Baltimore in the Miguel Tejada Deal, the outfielder is sporting a .500 average. Aubrey Huff hasn't been the hitter he once was in Tampa since being aquired, but has put up decent power numbers to start his 2008 campaign with 2 homers and 7 RBI's early on. Starting pitching hasn't been great, Steve Trachsel is the only starter with an ERA under 5 , but the bullpen has been fantastic. In just over 21 innings of work the orioles pen has given up just 2 earned runs.

Some other notable opening week observations:

Chien-Ming Wang is just fine. After his poor performance in the playoffs, he has pitched 2 supurb games to start the season and has looked dominat at times.

Milwaukee is for real. Braun and Fielder can rake, Sheets is fantastic, they may not win the division, but they will be in the hunt.

Hanley Ramirez is good. The rest of the team, especially the pitching, is awful, but that kid is special.

The Mets could be in trouble. With pedro Down again, the Mets better hope Maine and Perez are for real and Pelfrey and Hernandez can get the job done. Santana has been great, but a so-so offense and bullpen can only get them so far. They will also have to figure out how to beat Atlanta..


With one week doen, just another 26 to go.

Bedard trade nearing conclusion

ESPN.com is reporting Adam Jones, the 22 year old outfield prospect from Seattle is in Baltimore to take a physical.

Jones is the centerpeice of the Mariners offer to Baltimore for Erik Bedard. If he passes, it could bring an end to the soap-opera sorrounding the trade of the lefty ace to the Seattle Mariners for Jones, reliever George Sherrill and pitching prospects Chris Tillman, Tony Butler and Kam Mickolio.

If all goes well with the physical, a trade could be completed within the next 24 hours.

Wilkerson signs with Mariners

Jim Street of MLB.com reports, free agent Brad Wilkerson signed a 1-year $3M contract with the Seattle Mariners on Thursday.

That signing could mean that the trade between the Mariners and Orioles for left-hander Erik Bedard could be done in the next few days.

Sources: Bedard to Mariners deal close

According to sources, young Mariners' prospect Adam Jones has apparently flown to Baltimore to complete a physical, meaning a deal between the Mariners and Orioles for left-hander Erik Bedard is close to being done.

Neither team has made a statement confirming or denying it.

Mariners sign lefty Arthur Rhodes

According to CBS Sportsline, the Seattle Mariners have signed left-hander Arthur Rhodes to a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training.

Rhodes missed the entire 2007 season with an elbow injury and is coming off ligament replacement surgery last May.

O's, Mariners close to deal?

1.10.08 8:45am PST

Ken Rosenthal has an update. The Orioles and Mariners are apparently close a deal that would send left-hander Erik Bedard to Seattle.

Mariners' top prospect, Adam Jones, is the highlight of the package from Seattle. The other players being talked about are left-handed reliever George Sherrill and 17-year-old shortstop Carlos Triunfel.

1.8.08 11:03pm PST

According to Ken Rosenthal, the Mariners and Reds are making a push for Orioles' left-hander Erik Bedard.

The Mariners are willing to trade their top prospect, Adam Jones, while the Reds would rather not part with theirs, Jay Bruce.

Mariners, Reds making push for Bedard

According to Ken Rosenthal, the Mariners and Reds are making a push for Orioles' left-hander Erik Bedard.

The Mariners are willing to trade their top prospect, Adam Jones, while the Reds would rather not part with theirs, Jay Bruce.

Mariners need another starter

The Boston Globe has a tidbit on the Seattle Mariners, who could be in the market for another starting pitcher.

The Mariners could look to trade setup man Brandon Morrow or catching prospect Jeff Clement, who is blocked by starter Kenji Johjima and backup Jamie Burke, to get that done.

Rangers avoid arbitration with Broussard

Something I forgot to post yesterday, the Texas Rangers avoided arbitration with Ben Broussard by signing him to a 1-year $3.85M deal on Saturday according to T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com.

Broussard, expected to be the starting 1st baseman, was acquired by the Rangers from Seattle on December 12th.

Davis gets minor league deal with Rangers

According to T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com, the Texas Rangers have signed right-hander Jason Davis to a minor league deal with an invite to Spring Training.

Davis was 2-0 with a 5.84 ERA in 24 relief appearances with the Cleveland Indians and the Seattle Mariners in 2007 and 0-2 with a 7.11 ERA in five appearances in Triple-A.

Doesn't sound like the kind of pitcher that's going to do very well in one of the biggest hitter's parks in baseball.

Rangers close to deal with Guardado

T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com reports that the Texas Rangers are close to a deal with former Mariners and Reds closer Eddie Guardado.

Mariners finalize 4-year deal with Silva

12.20.07 7:55pm PST

The Seattle Mariners, according to an AP report on Thursday, finalized the 4-year $48M contract for free agent right-hander Carlos Silva.

12.19.07 8:24pm PST

According to Jim Street of MLB.com, the Mariners have signed Carlos Silva to a 4-year $44M deal pending the outcome of Silva's physical.

12.18.07 10:12pm PST

Tim Booth of Yahoo! Sports checks in, the Mariners are apparently closing in on a deal with Silva.

12.18.07 1:09pm PST

According to Ken Rosenthal, the Seattle Mariners are in "serious talks" with free agent Carlos Silva and have apparently offered a 4-year $44M deal.

Silva signs with Mariners

12.19.07 8:24pm PST

According to Jim Street of MLB.com, the Mariners have signed Carlos Silva to a 4-year $44M deal pending the outcome of Silva's physical.

12.18.07 10:12pm PST

Tim Booth of Yahoo! Sports checks in, the Mariners are apparently closing in on a deal with Silva.

12.18.07 1:09pm PST

According to Ken Rosenthal, the Seattle Mariners are in "serious talks" with free agent Carlos Silva and have apparently offered a 4-year $44M deal.

Mariners close to deal with Silva

12.18.07 10:12pm PST

Tim Booth of Yahoo! Sports checks in, the Mariners are apparently closing in on a deal with Silva.

12.18.07 1:09pm PST

According to Ken Rosenthal, the Seattle Mariners are in "serious talks" with free agent Carlos Silva and have apparently offered a 4-year $44M deal.

Mariners look elsewhere for pitching

After losing out to the Dodgers for Hiroki Kuroda, the Mariners could pursue a trade for Baltimores' Erik Bedard but could also look into free agents Kyle Lohse and Carlos Silva.

Mariners have Blanton on their radar

According to ESPN's Buster Olney, the Mariners could be interested in trading for A's right-hander Joe Blanton.

Olney says a package from Seattle would have to center around Adam Jones.

Mariners deal Broussard to Texas

Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times reports that the Mariners dealt Ben Broussard to the Texas Rangers for minor league 2nd baseman Tug Hulett.

The trade works out great for Broussard and his family since they live just 2 hours from the Rangers ballpark in Arlington.

"I'm just in a state of disbelief right now,'' Broussard said moments ago from his home in Texas, about two hours from where the Rangers play. "I get to play two hours from where my wife and kids live. This is a dream. It's like getting to play for the hometown team.''

Hiroki Kuroda Update

12.11.07 9:31pm PST

Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times confirms that Kuroda has not made a decision yet on what team he is going to sign with.

That decision could take several days.

12.11.07 7:31pm PST
There's talk out of Japan that Japanese pitcher Hiroki Kuroda has decided to sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers, choosing them over the Seattle Mariners even though the Mariners offered more money.

Contrary to those reports, LA Daily News baseball beat writer Tony Jackson says the rumors are untrue and that no decision has been made.

Reports: Dodgers sign Hiroki Kuroda

There's talk out of Japan that Japanese pitcher Hiroki Kuroda has decided to sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers, choosing them over the Seattle Mariners even though the Mariners offered more money.

Contrary to those reports, LA Daily News baseball beat writer Tony Jackson says the rumors are untrue and that no decision has been made.

Grievance filed on behalf of Jose Guillen

According to the AP, the Players Union has filed a grievance on behalf of Royals' outfielder Jose Guillen, who, along with Orioles' outfielder Jay Gibbons, was handed a 15-game suspension for violating baseballs' drug program.

The San Francisco Chronicle reported last month that Guillen bought nearly $20,000 worth of steroids and human growth hormone from 2003-05.