The Mariners got together again for a post-All-Star break workout Thursday and the guys who weren’t there (Erik Bedard and Richie Sexson) drew just as much focus as the guy who was (Bryan LaHair).
Manager Jim Riggleman said Bedard’s flight from Toronto was delayed because of weather. Any chance he just couldn’ t go the distance? That’s a joke. Kind of.
We all know about Bedard’s endurance issues. Riggleman said again today that he believes Bedard has been hurting and kept his ailments to himself, that maybe Bedard has pitched deeper into games than he should have considering his condition. Uh, sure.
As for the chance that Bedard will wind up with the Phillies before the trade deadline, that pretty much disappeared Thursday when the Phils acquired Joe Blanton from the A’s. The Cardinals are looking for pitching, but Jarrod Washburn’s name has been connected with them more than Bedard’s. The key to any deal is the prospects the Mariners would get in return. They need hitters.
Sexson is on the verge of signing with the Yankees, and when asked how that will work out, Riggleman reacted with an almost believe-it-when-he-sees-it response. Riggleman wanted to use Sexson in a first-base platoon against left-handed pitching, and the big fella clearly wasn’t up for it.
“If Richie would have been happy playing against left-handers here, it could have helped our ballclub,” Riggleman said.
Riggleman says Sexson may accept a platoon role with the Yankees, but he cautioned that his satisfaction could be temporary.
“Eventually he’s gonig to feel like, ‘OK, I’m hitting these left-handers. I’ve got to get in there (full time). I’m not going to finish my career as a platoon player,’” Riggleman said, shedding some light on that negative “body language” that led the Mariners to release Sexson last week. “I think Richie is eventually going to play himself back into a full-time role or he’ll decide that platooning is not good enough for him.”
Sexson’s replacement at first base — at least against right-handed pitching — is LaHair, who will be called up from Class AAA Tacoma today. He was at Safeco Field working out with the Mariners on Thursday, calling it his dream come true. We’ll see if it’s still that way when he faces some major league breaking pitches.
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