Do M’s have too many arms?

PEORIA, Ariz. – Pitching, the side of the Seattle Mariners that made people nervous going into spring training, is creating anxiety in another way.

The Mariners’ pitching has been so good lately that it’s not a question of who will make the staff on opening day, but rather who won’t?

Manager Mike Hargrove plans to carry 12 pitchers and, at this point in spring training, there are 16 pitching well enough to remain in contention for roster spots.

“What’s going to happen in the end is that we’re going to make some ridiculously tough decisions,” pitching coach Bryan Price said. “We’re going to hurt some feelings. It’s unavoidable.”

Every starter is pitching well enough to deserve a place in the five-man rotation. Jamie Moyer allowed one hit in his past five innings, Gil Meche has given up four hits in seven innings, Bobby Madritsch no hits in six innings, Ryan Franklin two hits in five innings and Aaron Sele three hits in nine straight scoreless innings.

Sele, trying to win a roster spot after signing a minor league contract in the offseason, is on the most impressive streak of the exhibition season. After pitching four scoreless innings early last week against the Royals, he held the Diamondbacks to one hit in five innings Saturday.

When Joel Pineiro returns from a sore shoulder – he is expected to pitch in games this week – the Mariners will have six starters for five spots.

The Mariners could move one of the starters to relief – Franklin’s name has been mentioned most often – that would only serve to displace an already over-crowded bullpen.

Jeff Nelson, another veteran trying to make the team after signing a minor league contract, has shown the arm strength and slider that made him one of the American League’s best right-handed setup relievers during his previous stint with the Mariners.

Shigetoshi Hasegawa, J.J. Putz, Scott Atchison, Julio Mateo, George Sherrill and Nathan Bland all are pitching well. Ron Villone has struggled, but he’s a veteran left-hander who the Mariners covet, and Matt Thornton is a rare power left-hander who the M’s believe will dominate left-handed hitters if he solves control issues.

Then there’s Eddie Guardado, the closer who hasn’t given his rehabbed left shoulder a true test because he has battled a hamstring pull. Guardado does, however, believe he will be ready for the season opener April 4.

With all those pitching possibilities and not enough places for them, Price knows what’s coming in two weeks when the Mariners set their roster.

“We just have too many guys we would like to see make this team,” he said. “We have more than 12 and we’re not going to be able to take more than 12. It’s a good dilemma, but there are people who are going to be disappointed and there are people who are going to be elated.”

Why is this happening now, especially after a 2004 season when the Mariners’ pitching created legitimate concern for 2005? Price credits the competition for jobs.

“Guys are so used to coming to spring training to get themselves into shape and don’t have as much intensity,” he said. “This spring, there’s a lot of urgency in the competition for jobs. I like the focus, I like the way they work between starts, I like everything about this spring training. This is what we should be doing all the time, really preparing to be excellent and not taking for granted that we’re just trying to get in shape.”

Sele and Nelson came into camp as the biggest X factors in how the pitching staff comes together and, despite their strong showing, they still are. Their contracts require the Mariners to decide by March 30 whether or not they will make the team. If either or both make the team, one or two others won’t.

“Nellie and Aaron both have track records of being winners,” Price said. “That to me carries a lot of weight. When push comes to shove and you need a big out or a big start, it’s nice to know you’ve got a guy there with some experience at doing that.”

Sele, who pitched for the M’s in 2000 and 2001, spent part of last year either injured or in the Angels’ bullpen. This year, he is healthy and effective, showing better location with his fastball than Price can ever remember.

Nelson, who pitched for the Mariners from 2001-2003, has an unimpressive 7.20 ERA but has allowed one run in his past three outings and has three strikeouts in his past two innings. The swings and misses tell Nelson that his best pitch, his slider, is working.

“If I wasn’t striking out guys, then I would wonder. I’m seeing how the hitters are reacting to my slider and I’ve had scouts tell me it looks like it was when I was here before,” said Nelson, who says he is fully recovered from knee and elbow surgery last season with the Texas Rangers. “I wanted to show them I was healthy and I’ve done that. I have no aches or pains of any kind. Everything is good.”