Bill Bavasi's exit is a relief for fans, team and especially Bavasi

In just under five dreadful years, Bill Bavasi managed to give $50 million to a first baseman who now flirts with the Mendoza Line and $64 million to a third baseman who merely provides a slick glove.

He traded for an aging second baseman and converted him into the least intimidating designated hitter in baseball.

He flushed a combined $109 million for three starting pitchers who throw batting practice every outing.

So the epitaph on Bavasi's terrible tenure requires only six words.

The Mariners canned him. At last.

Didn't it take forever? The feds captured Al Capone quicker than this. Bavasi has been on the franchise's hot seat for two years, on the fans' for four. Didn't someone smell him burning before now?

With his fourth last-place finish in five seasons all but assured, Bavasi exited his maligned reign as the Mariners' general manager without fuss or self-pity or even shock. He seemed relieved, and perhaps we would, too, if someone paid us to get as far away from our mistakes as possible.

All of Bavasi's miscues entrapped him this season. This blooper-reel team is a caricature of everything the man did wrong. Seldom does a team collapse this completely, with a roster full of failures. This isn't the worst-case scenario. This is the Titanic, the Hindenburg and the Great Fire of London occurring all at once.

Although this firing was the culmination of many follies, the last miscalculation will stand as the most memorable. Coming off a winning 2007 season, Bavasi thought the Mariners were ready to be special. He thought they were one dominant pitcher away from the playoffs. He thought they just needed Erik Bedard.

But it turns out the Mariners are still a dominant pitcher away — plus about three hitters, a leader, a dependable bullpen and an attitude adjustment. The big trade only created more problems for this team. Bedard hasn't been able to conceal any of the flaws.

The Bedard Bungle will go down as Bavasi's fatal error. He traded a golden package for a faux ace who can't even throw 100 pitches without quitting.

It's no coincidence that Bavasi was fired following a horrible weekend that Bedard could've helped prevent. But for the second straight start, Bedard left a game Saturday because of fatigue.

He only wants to throw 100 pitches, and then he feels his job is done, regardless of the score, regardless of the situation. He's a 9-to-5er. Don't you dare ask him to work overtime.

That kind of mentality overtook the Mariners during the Bavasi era. Now they look around the clubhouse, seeking toughness, seeking leadership, among a group of players ill-equipped to provide it.

Bavasi, who has been fighting to retain employment for two years, couldn't be allowed to fix this problem. His track record was too bad. His critics were too many. And he's too tied to his mistakes to untie them.

"You talk about the general manager being the architect," Mariners president Chuck Armstrong said. "It's hard to get the architect to go back and fix their own creation. They do have pride of authorship over the things they do."

Later, Bavasi confirmed Armstrong's thoughts. Bavasi was asked whether the Mariners need wholesale changes or whether they can be fixed with one or two good moves. Even though he referred to the Mariners as "dysfunctional" earlier in the interview, Bavasi said the team doesn't need to start over.

"One reason you make a change in GMs is, we're real stubborn," Bavasi admitted. "I would not turn this thing over."

The new GM will. Here's hoping he is a young hotshot, a cutting edge hire, a Theo Epstein type. The Mariners need to take a chance — a well-researched chance — to find a fresh and innovative voice. No retreads. No guy who has been fired before, like Bavasi was. Rebuild the right way.

And keep that ax handy because more moves must be made.

The most vexing, yet most significant, is to trade Bedard. Both Mariners CEO Howard Lincoln and Armstrong referred to no player being off-limits and hinted at heavy activity before the trade deadline next month.

By firing Bavasi, the Mariners have already admitted that the Bedard trade, only four months old, was a mammoth mistake. And the best way to erase it is to erase him, provided they get a couple of decent pieces in return. It will be impossible to get fair value and fully make amends for the foolish deal, but at least the Mariners would start eliminating that losing mentality.

I asked Bavasi on Monday about Bedard's pitch-count threshold. After bouncing between defending and explaining Bedard, the axed GM — clearly exasperated — said I needed to ask the pitcher.

"You gotta ask him," Bavasi said. "You gotta ask him. Good luck. And he's gonna have some stupid answer, some dumbass answer."

Bavasi went on to marvel over Bedard's talent, to soften the insult, but he made his point. His great acquisition had turned into a great headache.

At least Bedard is no longer his problem. Sometimes, there is an upside to getting fired.

Jerry Brewer: 206-464-2277 or jbrewer@seattletimes.com. For his Extra Points blog, visit seattletimes.com/sports