Sunday Spin

Jeff Clement was given his ticket to Triple A Tacoma Sunday. Clement had been widely regarded as the Mariners next big stud, but has failed to produce in just about every sense of the word. I'm quite confident I could rip off second base with him behind the plate, and his offensive numbers continue to disappoint. For all the hype he's received, he just hasn't developed. With Adam Moore quickly rising through the ranks, it seems Clement may be left to ponder a position change, or serve as trade bait. The plus side is Clement's widely regarded potential makes him perfect for the latter.

The Mariners also announced that Brandon Morrow, who got off to a slow start this spring due to a forearm injury, would begin the season in the bullpen. This one's a double edged sword. The plus side is it gives the Mariners a solid option at closer. The minus is that putting Morrow back in the pen is going to make it that much more difficult for him to work his way into the starting rotation. Pitching one inning every other day doesn't really allow Morrow to stretch out his arm an build up the stamina required to be a starter.

This decision was made for a couple reasons. The gaggle of chumps currently messing around in the bullpen, are all seemingly involved in a fierce game of "not it" when it comes to the closer role. The latest candidate, David Aardsma, gave up 5 earned in 2/3 of an inning to the Kansas City Royals today, so he apparently wants nothing to do with it. Miguel Batista thinks the job should be his, but then somebody reminded him that he's Miguel Batista, and he stopped talking. Spring bright spot Shawn Kelly has continued to look good, but doesn't have the overpowering repertoire that Morrow possesses. When it's all said and done, moving Morrow to the pen is not a terrible move. It gives the M's a legitimate 9th inning presence, but for those of us who subscribe the the idea of Morrow becoming King Felix's running partner of the future, it's minor setback.

Personally, my favorite part of this move is that when Morrow trots to the mound for the ninth, he does so do the intensity of Rage Against the Machine, which is a considerable upgrade versus having to sit through AC/DC's squealing every time JJ entered the Safe.