Ex-Mariner cites “clubhouse culture” as introduction to steroid use

Uh-oh.

With his revelations to ESPN.com, former Mariner fringe minor leaguer Shane Monahan has perhaps began to pull back the shiny veneer from the great Mariner ballclubs of the late 1990s.   Monahan played just 78 clubs for the big club from 1998-99, but by voluntarily offering descriptions of goings-on in the M’s clubhouse from that era, it makes me wonder if the playoff match-ups between the Mariners and the obviously juiced Yankees teams weren’t nearly as mismatched.

Still, even Monahan’s personal story serves as a warning tale about how the potential promised by steroids rarely manifests, and how the term ’steroid enhancers’ may prove to be the ultimate misnomer.  From ESPN.com:

“I read up on it. I learned how to use it. I started lifting weights and I went from like 190 pounds to 215. I mean, muscles on my body where I didn’t know you had muscles. I already ran fast. I could hit. I had a good arm. But all of a sudden now, recovery time felt better. Everything was a lot better.”

Even so, the steroids didn’t take his baseball skills to superstar heights. Nor did they transform him into a consistent long-ball slugger. By the end of the 1999 campaign, Monahan says, he moved away from steroids; and he didn’t stay around the game long enough to experiment with human growth hormone, which gained popularity in clubhouses after baseball began testing for performance-enhancing drugs in 2003. HGH is undetectable in current urine testing procedures.

It would be easy to dismiss the actions taken by Monahan as decisions influenced by the corrupting influence of Ryan Franklin, David Segui, Glenallen Hill,  and Todd Williams, all players named in the Mitchell Report whose tenure with the M’s overlapped Monahan’s short stay with the club.  But when you consider Monahan’s statement that “almost everybody” in the Mariners clubhouse at the time was taking amphetamines- except for Dan Wilson who Monahan described as “a big Christian, big moral guy”- you have to wonder how many of our beloved M’s players from that era took the slippery slope to injecting performance enhancers into their rears.  Are we going to have to hold Ken Griffey Jr.’s 104 home runs and 280 RBIs under increased scrutiny?   Surely Papi’s .329 average over that period is safe, isn’t it?

And what about Alex Rodriguez, who shared a roster with Monahan both seasons, compiling 84 home runs and 235 RBIs while reaching 40-40 status in 1998?  Jose Canseco was surprised when A-Rod’s name wasn’t included in Mitchell’s report.  Will Canseco prove to be, indeed, vindicated when A-Rod is discussed in Jose’s new book Vindicated?

Seth Kolloen: “The M’s still Mediocre”

Over at the P.I., columnist Seth Kolloen points out the myriad ways that the Mariners are still mediocre, despite winning nearly 90 games last year.  The team’s pythagorean record- runs scored versus runs allowed- results in a sub-.500 team.  Bavasi interprets this imbalance of runs due to blow-outs at the hands of Horacio Ramirez and Jeff Weaver, justifying the signing of Carlos Silva for the back end of the M’s rotation.  Kolloen shows that Bavasi’s contentions are not true.

Oh, if only Silva can provide good defense in left field or was a slugging first baseman with 30-home run, .550-slugging percentage potential…

Prior signs with Padres

Sure, he’s an iffy signing, as Mark Prior hasn’t pitched in the major leagues since 2006- when he posted a 1-6 record and a 7.21 ERA- is coming off major right shoulder surgery and won’t be available to pitch for at least the first two months of the season.

But by signing a one-year contract with the San Diego Padres, with performance incentives that could boost the total to $5.5 million, the former 18-game winner is just one more pitcher that the Mariners won’t be getting….

2008 Team previews: Cleveland Indians

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the Cleveland Indians, my pick to be next year’s World Series champions.

‘What’s that?’ you say. ‘How are the Indians expected to contend for the championship next year? They just got to the LCS thanks to a swarm of bugs all over poor Joba Chamberlain. And every one knows that the Detroit Tigers are now the best team in the division, if not the league. Picking the Indians to win it all next year is simply silly.’

While I understand those points, I have counterpoints ready to make a case for the Indians. Perhaps the swarm of bugs may have been a lucky act of God which helped the Tribe make it through the first round of last season’s playoffs and past a Yankees’ adjective-defying offense. The fact remains that the Indians have a number of offensive weapons, able to beat their opponents in a number of different ways. Just ask the Boston Red Sox, who were taken to the edge of elimination, staring at a three-games-to-one deficit in the LCS, benefitting from two implosions by Cleveland ace and eventual Cy Young Award winner C.C. Sabathia to reach the World Series.

It was quite clear that Sabathia was uncomfortable pitching in his first October starts in six years and was unable to match the dominating performance provided by Josh Beckett, who- having won a World Series by shutting out the Yankees in the clinching game just four years prior- looks right at home in the high-pressure October setting. While it’s pretty easy to hang the goat horns on Sabathia for the Indians’ inability to reach the Fall Classic this past October, don’t expect a repeat performance from C.C. in next year’s postseason.

As for the Tigers- yes, they did have the right collection of prospects to mortgage their future and steal away Miguel Cabrera from under the nose of the Indians, who had expressed about Miguel’s availability during the general managers’ meeting right after the postseason. But one wonders how Dontrelle Willis, who had a 5.12 ERA in the more pitcher-friendly National League, will fare in the Junior Circuit. Indeed, besides Justin Verlander, questions are raised about nearly every member of the Tigers’ rotation.

When you put the two rotations next to each other, there simply is no comparison. Besides Willis, Jeremy Bonderman has been inconsistent, Kenny Rogers is getting old, and Nate Robertson strikes fear in exactly nobody. Meanwhile, the Indians’ staff is headed by two arms that finished first and fourth in the Cy Young voting, with Verlander picking up just one single vote. The Marlins-Tigers may have shifted the balance of power in the American League from the East to the Central, but the Indians’ edge in pitching results in an overall edge, as the Indians’ pitching will triumph over the Tigers’ loaded line-up.

The front office knows what kind of strong team they have on their hands, as it is currently constructed. This explains why the Indians have been relatively quiet during this off-season, with a deal for Colorado Rockies infielder Jamey Carroll for a player to be determined one of their few moves. Carroll will be in the mix, providing rest for starters Asdrubel Cabrera at second, Jhonny Peralta at short, and Casey Blake at third. The Indians’ also signed a Kobayashi during the off-season. No, not the hot-dog eating champ, but Masahide Kobayashi, an ace reliever from Japan who saved 227 games over the past eight seasons. Though he may step in for Joe Borowski, last season’s league leader in saves, if Borowski falters, more likely Kobayashi will share set-up duties with Tom Mastny throughout the season.

The most pressing issue for the Indians is the status of C.C. Sabathia, who stands to be a free agent after 2008. Despite being in a similar situation as the Twins’ Johann Santana and the Orioles’ Erik Bedard, the Indians know that their best chance of winning is with this club as currently constructed, and as such haven’t entertained any overtures of trade packages for C.C. Any trade offer for Sabathia would have to be overwhelming, and that would also be highly unlikely. The Indians’ brass are hoping that Sabathia will ignore the numbers that Santana eventually signs for- rumored to be in the $20 million per year range- and be persuaded from testing the free-agent waters by signing an extension at a ‘hometown discount’ similar to what Jake Peavy signed with the Padres, at $17 million per year. At any rate, if the front office is to make a serious effort at retaining Sabathia’s services, they should attempt to have things wrapped up before the season, as their is no reason why the 27-year old left-hander couldn’t surpass the numbers from his Cy Young season. As I’ve argued all ready on this blog, if Sabathia had received Josh Beckett’s run support, then C.C. would’ve won 20 games easily. There’s no reason Sabathia shouldn’t win 20 games and strike 200 batters in 2008- and if he’s not signed to a contract prior to the season it will lead to a hefty pay raise afterwards.

The rest of the rotation provides strength and consistency. A year after a disastrous 2006 in which he had a 1-10 record, prized pitching prospect Fausto Carmona was able to reverse his luck, piling up 19 wins last season. He may not reach that number again next season, but should at least win 15 games as he continues to anchor the rotation with his solid #2 presence. After signing a three-year $33 million extension at the beginning of the year, abdominal tightness limited right-hander Jake Westbrook to 25 starts in 2007, after averaging nearly 33 starts from 2004 to 2006. If Jake is able to reach 34 starts in 2008, Westbrook could set highs in wins and strikeouts. Paul Byrd may be distracted during much of the season, with reports coming out right before Game Seven of the LCS that he had purchased HGH in the past and his name appearing a number of times in George Mitchell’s report on performance-enhancing drugs, but the consistent 37-year old should top double figures in wins if he avoids any lengthy suspensions from MLB.

Despite this solid foursome, the Indians also have former 18-game winner Cliff Lee, who has been targeted by some teams as a fall-back option if Bedard and Santana prove to be too prohibitive, and 25-year old left Jeremy Sowers waiting in the wings to make a name for themselves in the Indians’ rotation. And although Borowski may turn out to be the best unintentional spokesperson for Rolaids, the bullpen will be much better in 2008, as young stalwarts Rafael Betancourt (1.47 ERA in 79 innings last year and the front office is considering offering a multi-year contract to ensure his services past Betancourt’s arbitration-eligible seasons), Rafael Perez (1.78 ERA in 61 innings), and Aaron Fultz (2.92 ERA in 37 innings) look to reprise their roles for the team.

The team’s pitching depths will lead them to a division title, stepping up for an offense that even with its varied weapons cannot compare to the Tigers’. Prior to the 2006, the Indians’ front office signed Peralta and center fielder Grady Sizemore to long-term contracts, ensuring the two will form the nucleus of the team’s offense for the immediate future. While Peralta responded wit ha poor 2006, he rebounded last season, raising his average 15 points and his slugging percentage up forty-five points. Peralta should continue improving his game and arrive at levels he reached in his .292-24-78 season in 2005, even becoming a better run-producer for the team. Sizemore should be able to reach his 162 game averages of .283-24-80 in his sleep. If either of these players struggle or are threatened with injuries, then the Indians’ chances for a division title and World Series crown are threatened, despite the performances from their pitching staff.

There are some questions that need to be addressed. Can Travis Hafner revert to his form that averaged 33 home runs and 111 RBIs from 2004 to 2006, before dropping off to 24 home runs and 100 RBIs last season, accompanied by a slugging percentage that tumbled nearly 200 points. Hafner will still be a top RBI man for the Indians, but his power may be negated as opposing pitchers walk him as they refuse to allow Pronk to beat them with the power he’s displayed in the past.

Victor Martinez has been remarkably consistent for the Indians, leading the team with 114 RBIs last season. But how long can Victor be able to stand the rigors of catching nearly every day and expect to match the .301-21-104 162-game average he’s put up over his career? The team has tried Martinez at first base 52 times over the past two years in attempt to weather the wear-and-tear that catching may have on his offensive numbers. This also explains why the Indians have resisted inquiries into the availability of back-up catcher Kelly Shoppach, who slugged .472 in 161 at-bats last year and could easily be the starting catcher on a number of rosters. Of course, if the Tribe attempts to make more at-bats available for Shoppach, it would come at the expense of Ryan Garko, who slugged .483 in his first full major-league season and should continue to supply extra-base hits as long he’s in the line-up.

Major questions are raised about the team’s corner outfielders. Jason Michaels is currently the starting leftfielder, but it’s pretty clear that Michaels is on the down-side of his career and is not much more than a #4 outfielder at this point. Ex-Mariner Shin-Soo Choo has been mentioned to eventually be the starter in left field, but Choo has been recovering from Tommy John reconstructive surgery for much of the past year. Still, the toolsy outfielder has shown that he could hit .300 and provide speed if given regular playing time. Trot Nixon’s free agency has opened the doors for Franklin Gutierrez, who has hit .284 in 582 Triple-A at-bats, with 59 extra-base hits for a .436 slugging percentage, and who also hit the epic three-run home-run off Jon Lester in the 11th inning of Game Two in the LCS to continue to keep the Indians’ hopes alive. The 25-year old may be a little told to be a “can’t miss” prospect, but he should have a seamless transition into the major leagues.

Former Mariner Asdrubel Cabrera, the sticking point in discussions with the Marlins for Miguel Cabrera, seems to have wrested the starting second base job from Josh Barfield. Cabrera should put similar numbers to the .280-.350-.420 line that he finished with last year. This will allow Josh Barfield to return to Triple A where, after a disastrous .240-.270-.320 season in 2007, he’ll have to re-learn the strike zone, despite hitting .310 with a .820 OPS just three years ago with Triple-A Portland. Indians fans must be wondering just what exactly they in the exchange for slugging third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff.

This will be an exciting summer for Indians fans, who may feel like they’ve been down this road before. But this team is much better than the sock-’em-into-submission teams that lackedconsistent starting pitching during the 1990s (plus Mike Hargrove and Jose Mesa are nowhere to be found). Yes, a lot of pressure comes down onto the arms of the starting rotation as well as the bats of Peralta and Sizemore and the holes in the outfield need to be addressed. But it is a rare occasion that teams are such expertly crafted as this Indian club is.

I have the Indians winning the division and playing the representative from the AL West, either the Angels or the (hopefully) upstart Mariners. Neither team will be able to best the Indians’ pitching staff, which sets up a LCS against the East winner or a dramatic showdown with the Tigers, my pick for the AL’s wild card. After winning the pennant, the Indians will go on to face the Cubs in the World Series, and despite not having won a World Series title since 1948, the Indians will have the good luck to draw an opponent with even worse October luck.

Which translates into a championship flag flying on the shores of Lake Erie for the first time in six decades.

Mariners add new minor league franchise

The Mariners have announced the addition of the Pulaski Mariners, a new minor league franchise in the Rookie Class Appalachian League. Formerly the home of the Toronto Blue Jays’ Appalachian League franchise, the tiny town in Virginia will now host the team’s latest minor league franchise. However, the new franchise also raises questions about whether the team has taken on too many states-side minor league operations to go along with their enterprises in South America, Asia, and Europe.

The M’s sign Carlos Silva

It’s a done deal.  And even worse than we originally heard.  About $4 million more worse.

Carlos Silva at $12 million per year?  We couldn’t get Hiroki  Kuroda for that deal?  Seriously?

Mariners close to deal with Carlos Silva

Great, just great.

I guess after the Kuroda signing with the Dodgers, talks between the Mariners’ front office and Carlos Silva have intensified. Silva will provide innings and limit runners on base, but he’s no Erik Bedard. Or Joe Blanton, for that matter.

On the bright side, a Silva signing would lessen the need to trade some of the M’s bumper crop of up-and-coming talent. It might also rule out the potential to compete in 2008 as well.

Geoff Baker on the Kuroda signing

Over on his Seattle Times blog, Geoff Baker agrees with me on the Kuroda signing.  Mostly.

The signing of Kuroda by the Dodgers is indeed a “big setback, just not catastrophic.”  By missing out on the best pitcher in a weak free agent class, Baker agrees that the Mariners need to focus like a laserbeam on Erik Bedard, if they’re to have “any hope of taking a step forward this season.”  Joe Blanton is next on Baker’s wish list after Bedard, but while Baker would send Adam Jones across the country to Baltimore for Bedard, he sides with the Mariners’ brain trust against trading Jones within the division.

Instead of mortgaging the future for Erik Bedard, perhaps attaining Blanton might be the most sensible option for a package of Brandon Morrow and Jeff Clement, thus retaining young Mr. Jones?

Mediocre pitcher now admitted wife-beater

Earlier today, Julio Mateo, former M’s reliever specializing in vulture wins by allowing opposing teams to score the tying runs in close games, pleaded guilty to beating his wife last season in a Manhattan hotel room.

Now out of baseball, here’s hoping that Mateo doesn’t return….

Dodgers sign Kuroda

By signing Japanese free-agent Hiroki Kuroda to a three-year $35.2 million contract the Los Angeles Dodgers have snatched up the one free agent arm that the Mariners have had their most extensive talks with this off-season. Kuroda may be nothing more than a marginally better than average arm, and if so then it’s great that the M’s front office never gave into Kuroda’s salary demands. Still, that’s one free agent arms the M’s won’t be getting.

If the Mariners are truly in the hunt for Erik Bedard from the Orioles, possibly for a Brandon Morrow-Jeff Clement package for the O’s left-hander, they better get on it. Otherwise, the pickings will grow slim for the M’s to address their most pressing need, starting pitching, and may end up with no other options than Kyle Lohse….