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<< Previous   of   Next >>   ADVERTISEMENT     CONTACT THE HERALD Report scores and results to 425-339-3470 or 1-866-6-SCORES (Call after 4:30 p.m.) E-mail information including items for Tuesday's Communities Sports Roundup and Thursday's Outdoor Calendar, to sports@heraldnet.com Kevin Brown, Sports Editor kbrown@heraldnet.com   Published: Friday, June 20, 2008 Riggleman is the answer? What've you been smoking? By John Sleeper Herald Columnist SEATTLE -- So John McLaren is out and Jim Riggleman is in. Riggleman has more than 1,000 games of managerial experience in the bigs, which is more than 1,000 greater than McLaren had when he took over the Mariners last year when Mike Hargrove decided to bug out. But it doesn't matter. While interim general manager Lee Pelekoudas said the team owes it to itself and to its fans to do everything it can to win as many games as possible, M's management is looking to next season. And that renders Thursday's move largely cosmetic. Fans aren't fooled. They know it's all about next season. The chances of Riggleman managing the M's opening day in 2008 are slim indeed. Same with a great majority of the players, thank the Good Lord. And that makes something Pelekoudas said Thursday more than puzzling. Someone asked him whether he envisioned roster moves between now and the trading deadline, July 31, or whether he will use that time to assess the talent, such as it is, already on the team. Pelekoudas predicted further roster moves before the end of July. No shock there. Herald beat writer Kirby Arnold broke the story that underachieving first baseman Richie Sexson will be released within days. It is widely reported that Jose Vidro, hitting .219 with little power, has a similar fate. But Pelekoudas hinted that the weeks between now and the deadline might well be a tryout period for more than a few players on the roster. "I don't think we have a true assessment of what these players can really do at this point," he said. "I do think they have underperformed. I think trying to get a new voice in here will hopefully improve the performance of the players, individually and as a team, and we can get a better read on what exactly we have. But we don't want to make any drastic decisions based on our performance so far before we can see what they can do." What can Riggleman do with this bunch that McLaren hadn't already tried? What will we know in six weeks that we don't already know? Pelekoudas apparently has a grip on the idea that Riggleman can change bad habits overnight. That's what he says, anyway. Sounds like a pipe dream from here. More likely, Pelekoudas is buying time because the Mariners simply don't have an avalanche of players other teams want. They can't trade them, so they stick around. Might as well call it an audition. Who's going to say the obvious, that it's time to pull the plug on 2008, even though it's not even half over, and focus on 2009? With the exception of Raul Ibanez, whose bat and relatively modest $5.5 million 2008 salary might be attractive to contenders down the stretch, few M's will attract much interest from other teams. And although M's CEO Howard Lincoln said management will entertain deals for any and all on the roster, it is known that owner Hiroshi Yamauchi will let go of still-marketable Ichiro Suzuki when Guam freezes over. So who's left? Sexson. Forget it. See above. Adrian Beltre. A .236 hitter with just 30 RBI who makes $13.4 million this season? Ha! Besides, even Beltre's defense has fallen off in 2008. Erik Bedard. He has angered many by asking out of a pair of recent games as he reached the 100-pitch mark. The Mariners control his rights through next season, but look for the M's to step up efforts to unload him before the deadline. What pennant contender doesn't need starting pitching? Kenji Johjima. Nope. Even though top prospect Jeff Clement figures to do much of the catching the rest of the season, Johjima recently signed a three-year extension. He's here, even at 32 and with his production with the bat plummeting. Jarrod Washburn. Struggling at 2-7, he's nevertheless pitched decently in his past few outings. Again, starting pitchers have a leg up on position players. Washburn may merit at least passing interest. J.J. Putz. Forget it until he gets healthy. Brandon Morrow. As untouchable as it gets around here, along with Clement. Jose Lopez/Yuniesky Betancourt. They may be two that Pelekoudas legitimately designates as under audition. They're young, still developing and as such, possess a unique ability to turn a manager's hair gray. Riggleman can audition all he wants. Few M's players on the current roster will last until curtain call. Same with Riggleman. Nothing in his resume suggests he's a miracle worker. Sports columnist John Sleeper: sleeper@heraldnet.com. For Sleeper[`]s blog, "Dangling Participles," go to www.heraldnet.com/danglingparticiples. READER COMMENTS Be the first to comment. You must be a registered user and verify your e-mail address to post comments to blogs or articles on HeraldNet. To register, click here. To read other terms and conditions, click here. Log out

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