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Reed, Morrow are out; Morse to stay

Hello from Las Veg.. Sorry, still in Arizona absorbing the final minutes of an 80-degree evening before an early morning flight back home.

Word just came down from the Mariners that Brandon Morrow won't be with the club on opening day, and that we just might have seen the last of Jeremy Reed. Morrow was optioned to Class AA West Tennessee and Reed optioned to Class AAA Tacoma.

Morrow was sent down to work his way back from the stiff shoulder that cost him about two weeks of spring training. Morrow's velocity seemed to have returned, but he couldn't locate his fastball and he hadn't pitched back-to-back outings. While I'm sure it stings Morrow not to be on the club for the opener, it's best for everyone involved. Once that mid- to high-90 mph fastball is back, the Mariners will have an awesome back end of the bullpen with right-handers Morrow and Mark Lowe, left-hander Eric O'Flaherty and closer J.J. Putz.

Moving Reed may end a sad and, perhaps, unnecessary tumble in the hard-nosed outfielder's career with the Mariners. I can't imagine him spending another season at Class AAA Tacoma, where it wouldn't do either him or the club any good to have a brooding ballplayer stuck in the minors again. Look for the Mariners to trade him.

Too bad. Reed was the Mariners' opening-day center fielder two years ago and played as though there was no wall that could hurt him, no lunging/diving/tumbling catch he couldn't make. Reed never hit to everyone's satisfaction, but he played hard. The beginning of the end came two seasons ago when Reed broke his wrist while attempting -- what else -- a diving catch. The wrist was repaired, but Reed's career never did as a big leaguer, and now it seems best that he go somewhere else where he's a better fit.

While those shoes dropped officially, it looks like another has, too. KOMO radio reporter Shannon Drayer just wrote on her blog that M's general manager Bill Bavasi said during the broadcast of tonight's game that Mike Morse will be on the opening-day roster. You can read Shannon's report here: http://www.komoradio.com/marinersradio/shannon/17118421.html

So Morse, after the spring training of his life, really is a Mariner after a lot of speculation that he might be bypassed. Now we wait to see who else is on the team and who's off when the roster is finalized, which might not happen until Sunday.