By Kirby Arnold
Herald Writer
SEATTLE – The remaining days of July could go a long way toward determining the Seattle Mariners’ fate come October.
Mariners general manager Pat Gillick said Sunday that he still hopes to add a front-line starting pitcher and a hitter with power to the lineup. That was the “wish list” Gillick talked about on June 8 when he outlined what the team needed in order to become a World Series contender.
He made it clear Sunday that the wish list hasn’t changed.
“No,” Gillick said. “But I think we’re more likely to get a hitter than a pitcher. At this point, pitching is the toughest to get.”
He has until 9 p.m. (Seattle time) July 31, the deadline for trading players without exposing them to waivers.
Gillick expects trade talks to heat up soon.
“Things usually happen after the All-Star break,” he said. “When clubs start getting in the mood to deal, they usually do it between the 10th and the 30th.”
The Mariners, an organization reputed to be deep with pitching, proved it in a big way in the past week.
Right-hander Brett Tomko, sent to Class AAA Tacoma in May, pitched a no-hitter for the Rainiers on Monday at Oklahoma City. Left-hander John Halama, demoted last month after several ineffective outings, pitched the first nine-inning perfect game in Pacific Coast League history on Saturday against Calgary.
Tomko has made it clear he wants to be traded if he’s not part of the Mariners’ starting rotation, but Gillick said when the pitcher was demoted that he needed to pitch well in Tacoma to improve his marketability.
“We’re happy with what John and Brett have done down there,” Gillick said. “They have really put their nose to the grindstone and they’ve had a very, very positive influence on the rest of the players.
“That’s what we’re looking for. It gives us a few more options than we had.”
In 22 days, we may learn.
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