Hold the phone: The M’s sign Wilkerson to be their fourth outfielder/starting right fielder(?)

Just when it became pretty clear that their back-up options on the free-agent market for a starting right fielder in case the Adam Jones-Erik Bedard did, indeed, go down, the Mariners have announced they have signed former Texas Ranger outfielder/ big-time whiffer Brad Wilkerson to a one-year, $3 million contract.

Wilkerson’s contract also includes $2 million in performance bonuses depending on plate appearances, which raises the question as to whether the M’s are planning to use Wilkerson as a utility player/ fourth outfielder type player, or if they have signed him for the sole purpose of easing the impact wrought by dealing Jones. Regardless of how much playing time he receives, here’s hoping that Wilkerson’s 2008 season is reminiscent to Jose Guillen’s 2007 season. Minus any steroid connections, of course.

Marlins sign Luis Gonzalez as 4th outfielder, limiting Mariners’ choices

If Adam Jones is, indeed, traded to the Orioles for left-hander Erik Bedard, a huge gap will be opened up in the M’s right field, where Jones was slated to fill Jose Guillen’s spot.  One option could be to slide Ichiro back over to his native right field spot, with the M’s pinning their hopes on another go-around with Jeremy Reed in center, hoping that Reed finally, at the age of 27, delivers on the promise he exhibited as a younger player.  Reed showed some punch last year in Triple-A, compiling 55 extra-base hits in 135 games with Tacoma.  Besides Reed, other Mariners’ in-house options to fill the outfield vacancy if a Jones trade occurs would be Mike Morse, who has run out of options with the team and will be looking to hang onto a roster spot in spring training.  Yet another option could include moving Jeff Clement from behind the plate into the outfield, which would require a defensive sacrifice by Jeff trading his native position to an unfamiliar one for the sake of ensuring his hefty bat in the line-up.

If the Mariners explore the free-agent market for a possible starter to fill that right-field gap, they will find their options few and far between.  Olympia native Geoff Jenkins has signed with the Philadelphia Phillies.  The Marlins announced today that they have signed Luis Gonzalez to be their fourth outfielder.  Options remaining include Brad Wilkerson (who hasn’t reached a batting average of .250 in three years), Shawn Green, Reggie Sanders, and Kenny Lofton among others (and, no, I’m not considering Barry Bonds).  How about Lofton in a Mariners’ uniform, suiting up for his eleventh team?  Why not?

Compared to the alternatives, when it’s all done and said, perhaps the best option for the M’s in right field might just be Adam Jones.

Bedard-Jones deal: The calm before the storm?

According the Seattle Times, both sides involved in the possible Erik Bedard-Adam Jones & Co. deal are keeping mum to the press.  Is this the relative calm period before the ’storm’ of the eventual trade?  Baltimore Orioles owner Peter Angelos was described as ‘livid’ when reports were leaked that Jones was pulled from his Venezuela league playoff games last week.  As a result, Mariners officials are taking a silent stance regarding the possible deal, with General Manager Bill Bavsai avoiding a mention of the proposed deal in an email to the Seattle paper.

On an aside, the Seattle Times mentioned a report in the Baltimore Sun (no link provided), it appears that Bedard is sending his current employers mixed messages.  Supposedly his representation recommended that the O’s pursue a one-year deal, as Bedard is seeking to double in arbitration the $3.6 million that he earned last season, when a possible contention for the Cy Young award was derailed by an oblique arm injury.  However, in the same article Bedard expressed “disappointment” that the Orioles haven’t made an attempt towards signing him to a long-term contract.  Now the Orioles are making noises of offering their ace a seven-year $100 million contract, the same type of deals Angelos has avoided offering to players in the past.  (Though it wouldn’t be the first time Angelos has nixed pulling the trigger on deals ,though usually in the past it’s been due to health concerns.)  Still, Bedard says he wants “no part” in a rebuilding process in Baltimore, which it appears they are headed after dealing shortstop Miguel Tejada to the Astros for a handful of prospects.

In short, it doesn’t sound like Bedard knows what he wants.  Would the Canadian native even want to come out to the West Coast to play?  When would he figure that out?  Would he be bitter if his contract demands aren’t met, either by the Orioles or the Mariners?  Are the Mariners in a position to take such a gamble of having an irate, bitter ace having a negative influence on the bench?  It conjures up images of the debacle that was Randy Johnson’s last season in Mariners uniform back in 1999, when his sour-grapes attitude towards the M’s negatively impacted his usually dominating statistics before being dealt to the Astros.  Are the M’s willing to give up a handful of prospects that could have an immediate impact in exchange for such a headache?