Mariners deal 2; Tuesday could be interesting
Jul 31, 2012, 12:50 AM | Updated: 9:58 am
By Shannon Drayer
The Mariners came in low under the radar once again, making two deals before their 4-1 win over the Blue Jays had ended Monday night. When the team got to the clubhouse and began to celebrate the victory, Brandon League and Steve Delabar were pulled aside and told they had been traded.
League is headed to the Dodgers for a 23-year-old minor league reliever and a 22-year-old outfielder currently at High-A. Delabar was moved for Eric Thames, who was with the Blue Jays’ Triple-A Las Vegas affiliate. Thames will be coming to Seattle and I would expect to hear that Carlos Peguero has been sent down as he was seen packing his bags and shaking hands with teammates after the game.
The 40-man roster is at 39 and the 25-man roster at 23 for the time being. A couple of relievers will need to be called up and I would expect to see Stephen Pryor. The next move is not so clear. Carter Capps could be added to the 40-man roster and called up but the team has been short a long reliever so they could go in a different direction. There could also be more moves today before the 1 p.m. trade deadline.
In looking at Monday’s moves they are about as I would think they should be. The Mariners got some pieces. They got some outfield depth, which is a big, probably the biggest area of need right now in the organization. These aren’t huge prospects but Thames is worth a look and Landry at High-A is a wait-and-see. There was little question League was going to be dealt and while Delabar is a bit of a surprise, he came from an area of strength. So what next?
As I said Sunday, if Jason Vargas is moved then I would want to see the Mariners get something they have specifically targeted. If he is moved things could get interesting this afternoon as he is scheduled to start tonight. If not Vargas, then who? The Mariners certainly couldn’t go bullpen by committee. I haven’t seen any obvious moves at Triple-A or even Double-A to hold a pitcher back in case a starter was needed in Seattle. D.J. Mitchell, who came to the organization in the Ichiro trade, is scheduled to make the start for the Rainiers tomorrow in Tucson. Could they get him here in time? Could they move Blake Beavan up a day? I guess we will cross that bridge if we get to it.
