Last straw for the offense?

By Shannon Drayer

I think any doubts that there wouldn’t be significant moves made by the Mariners after the All Star break were erased tonight. Another one run game for the Mariners I think will prove to be the tipping point for Eric Wedge, who along with Jack Zduriencik, has long maintained his desire to have the young kids learn at the Major League level.

“It’s just been Groundhog Day too many times for me,” a disappointed Wedge said after the Mariners 4-1 loss in extra innings to the A’s. “We are in the process of evaluating everybody and everything. We are not going to keep watching them doing the same thing over and over again and live with it.”

“These guys have to do it. To a man they know what they need to do to be successful. I am tired of seeing the same thing night in and night out. It’s the big leagues. We can’t just keep going out there putting that kind of pressure on our ball club to be perfect because you are not scoring runs. We are not going to keep watching this over and over again. We have been patient, they have been addressed, we have come at this in different ways and different fashion but ultimately they are grown men out there.”

“Either they are going to get it done or they won’t be here.”

This is not easy for Wedge. He has fought all season to stick with the plan and give the young players every opportunity to learn at this level. Up until this week he did not want to even suggest that a guy or guys might have to be sent down. He has been beyond patient, in part because he believes that it is essential that his players learn to get through their struggles and make adjustments at this level, and that experience cannot be duplicated down below.

“I know where these guys are in their development,” he said, “but ultimately it is always about production up here. You have got to be patient with young players because it doesn’t happen right away but ultimately we need to make sure if certain guys aren’t getting it, then maybe we need to make changes. You like to see them get it done and make the adjustments up here because if you send them out and bring them back up they are still going to have to go through some things that they have to go through. But if they push our hand, it is what it is. That is where we are at right now.”

The biggest frustration for Wedge at this point is that he has seen this group succeed for a period of time (on the road of course) and he believes that success is something they should be able to find their way back to in large part because they have already experienced it. That clearly hasn’t happened. We will see what the next move is be it Saturday or after the break. There will be moves.

News and notes…

Eric Wedge wasted no time getting Carlos Peguero into the lineup. The question is, how long a look will he get? The Mariners will have to make a move after the break to get a starter up, more on that below, so someone will have to be sent down. There may or may not be plenty of candidates depending on whether or not they stick with the philosophy of having the young guys learn at this level. Wedge would not commit to significant playing time for Peguero past this week.

“I would like to take a good look at him if I can,” he said. “At some point we are going to have some numbers issues but right now we should have an opportunity to play him here for a few days.”

Another number issue will be when Franklin Gutierrez comes back although that will not be for some time. Wedge said today that Gutierrez is still suffering from dizziness and it would be a push to get him back at the end of his seven day concussion DL stint. He is very day to day right now.

Jesus Montero is faring better after suffering a mild concussion Wednesday. He is on the trip and watched but did not participate in batting practice today.

There was all sorts of early work today with early batting practice and a sim game thrown by Stephen Pryor. Miguel Olivo, Dustin Ackley and Brendan Ryan all stepped in against him with only Olivo taking swings. Pryor checked out of the session in good shape so he will be sent out on a rehab assignment that will begin at High Desert.

With Hector Noesi sent down I asked if that meant Hisashi Iwakuma would get his starts. Wedge said that Iwakuma would be in the pen through the Oakland series but would be a starter after the break. As I mentioned at the top of this post another starter will be needed after the break as Erasmo Ramirez is not expected to be ready to come off the dl. He is making good progress however and is ready to start throwing.