Hargrove undecided about keeping Price as pitching coach

SEATTLE – Mike Hargrove’s first task as the Seattle Mariners’ new manager won’t be easy.

As he hires coaches, he must decide whether to bring back popular pitching coach Bryan Price.

Price, the Mariners’ pitching coach since the 2000 season, is under contract for 2005 but has no guarantee that Hargrove will put him on the staff.

Hargrove, while complimentary of Price’s work, was non-committal Wednesday.

“I have talked to a lot of people who like Bryan and they all had good things to say about him,” Hargrove said. “We’ll see where it goes.”

When the Mariners fired Bob Melvin early this month, they told all of Melvin’s coaches except Price that they were free to look for other jobs for 2005. Price is the only coach who had a two-year contract.

Mariners general manager Bill Bavasi has recommended that Hargrove keep Price, but he hasn’t made it mandatory.

“There are people Bill feels strongly about and there are people I feel strongly about,” Hargrove said. “We’re both pretty much on the same page in trying to build the right staff. I’m not so concerned about bringing in my people. We want to bring in the right people to do the right job.”

Mark Wiley was Hargrove’s pitching coach with the Indians and followed him to the Orioles. After Hargrove and his staff were fired after 2003, Wylie worked in the Indians’ organization this year.

“Mark is really good at what he does,” Hargrove said. “But Bryan Price is, too.”

Price, who hasn’t met Hargrove, is popular with the Mariners’ pitchers and would like to return to Seattle. Despite the security of another year on his contract, Price has said since the day Melvin was fired that he doesn’t want to be forced on the new manager.

“I’ve always enjoyed my time in Seattle. I think I’m a good fit there,” Price said. “I just want it to play out however it’s supposed to play out. I don’t want to have to argue for my job.

“He’s doing what he needs to do to put together his best staff. Either way is fine with me. I’m not sitting on my hands white-knuckling this. I’m going to land on my feet either way.”

Price, who completed his 15th season as a coach in the Mariners’ organization, had never met Melvin when he became the team’s manager two years ago, but the two became close friends in that time.

Melvin is the only person with previous managerial experience to interview for the vacant job with the Arizona Diamondbacks, where he was a coach before coming to the Mariners. There has been considerable speculation that he would make Price his pitching coach at his next managerial job.

The Omar question

With Mike Hargrove now in place with the Mariners, could a certain veteran shortstop be on his way back to Seattle?

Hargrove’s affection for Omar Vizquel seemed clear Wednesday.

“Would I like to have him? I don’t know of a manger in baseball who wouldn’t like to have Omar Vizquel,” Hargrove said.

Vizquel, who will be 38 next April, played five seasons with the Mariners before an 11-year run of success with the Indians. The Indians told him this month that they won’t re-sign him for 2005.

The intrigue doesn’t stop with the connection to Hargrove. The Mariners might have a need at shortstop if they don’t give the job to 20-year-old Jose Lopez, who played 57 games and batted just .232.

Lopez played several games in the minor leagues at second and third base as the Mariners looked at different ways to get him in the lineup. They believe his future could be at second base, although any decision to move him there next year would probably signal the trade of Bret Boone, who is due to make more than $9 million next year.

Lopez, like Vizquel, is a native of Venezuela and could benefit from the influence of such a veteran.

Vizquel, who lives in the Seattle area in the offseason, has said he would like to play for the Mariners again, although his agent said recently that the Mariners indicated they weren’t interested.

The Mariners were very interested last winter, when they appeared to have a trade worked out that would send Carlos Guillen to the Indians. The M’s called off the deal when Vizquel’s surgically repaired left knee failed their physical exam.

He showed little sign of the injury this year with the Indians, batting .291 with 19 stolen bases.

“Omar’s a winner,” Hargrove said. “He knows how to play. He knows how to make adjustments and he had a tremendous year, especially with all the uncertainty about the health of his knee. He proved that he was ready for it physically and mentally.”