M's dump GM Bill Bavasi

Five seasons into a game plan gone up in smoke, the Mariners finally pulled the plug on general manager Bill Bavasi.

But the big question remaining after Bavasi's firing on Monday was exactly how much of his blueprint will remain intact going forward. The Mariners, with the worst record in baseball, will now determine whether they are still only a handful of players away from contending next season.

Or, just as likely, they might decide to blow the existing roster to bits and start all over again.

"I'm not going to pull your leg and sit up here and tell you that two or three guys are going to make a big change," Mariners chief executive officer Howard Lincoln said at a news conference Monday. "I don't know. What I'm saying to you is that we're going to make whatever changes are necessary to get this thing turned around as quickly as possible.

"And nothing's off the table."

That could involve several players being moved out of Seattle as the July 31 trade deadline approaches. The Mariners have named associate GM Lee Pelekoudas, a longtime front-office employee with the club, as Bavasi's interim replacement.

Mariners president Chuck Armstrong will oversee the search for a new GM, with Pelekoudas among the candidates. But Armstrong doubts a new GM will be named until after the season because some potential candidates have existing commitments to other clubs. For the time being, Armstrong said he'll be keeping a closer than usual watch over any player moves contemplated by Pelekoudas.

But this doesn't mean the Mariners will balk at making such moves.

"Not necessarily," Armstrong said. "But we might be active the other way. We may, instead of trying to acquire players, we may find some good fits [with other clubs] where we can help ourselves [by trading players]."

Among the first players to go could be first baseman Richie Sexson and designated hitter Jose Vidro, in the final years of their contracts. Both have underperformed this season and are more likely to be released than traded.

Trade candidates could include starting pitchers Erik Bedard, Jarrod Washburn and Miguel Batista, all under contract through the 2009 season. Arthur Rhodes could also generate interest, given that left-handed relievers are often at a premium come trade-deadline time.

"It's still early to say what direction we're going to go in," Pelekoudas said. "I'm here to look forward at this point in time. Trying to dissect what's wrong with this team performance-wise, or how it was put together, I'm not going to do that. We do have to figure out what's wrong in moving forward. In that regard, the first thing, in my estimation, is that the team has just flat-out underperformed. I think there's more talent on this club than it has shown on the field."

Pressure had been mounting for the team to make a move as the losses piled up. Last week, the Mariners fired hitting coach Jeff Pentland, but fans continued to blame the team's collapse on Bavasi, its architect.

Fans commenting Monday on seattletimes.com weighed in heavily in favor of the decision to fire Bavasi.

Bavasi had losing seasons in three of his first four campaigns after taking over as GM in 2004. But he'd increased the team's win total from 63 to 69 to 78 in those seasons. Then, after Lincoln announced that Bavasi would be on the "hot seat" last year, he earned another season when the Mariners unexpectedly won 88 games and finished second in the American League West.

Ownership committed $117 million to this year's payroll and signed off on a controversial Bavasi trade last February that sent outfielder Adam Jones, reliever George Sherrill and three minor-leaguers to the Baltimore Orioles for left-handed starting pitcher Bedard. But not even halfway through the season, the Mariners are 24-45 and on pace to become the first team in major-league history to lose more than 100 games with a payroll of more than $100 million.

"Clearly, the high expectations that we had for the team going into the season have fallen by the wayside," Lincoln said. "And it's clear that we need new leadership, a new direction and a fresh approach."

The Bedard deal might have ultimately sealed Bavasi's fate. Bedard was supposed to be a staff "ace" but is struggling to go six innings per outing and has a pretty ordinary 4-4 record and 4.14 earned-run average.

Bavasi spoke at length with reporters in his own news conference, also held at Safeco Field. He displayed some humor when asked if he'd do anything over differently.

"In retrospect, maybe I should have put a chain on the [clubhouse] door and torched it," he said with a smile.

Bavasi admitted to being beyond frustrated with the turn of events. He feels the club has the talent to do more.

"They've learned to become dysfunctional, though," he said. "And they have to unlearn that."

Lincoln wouldn't single out any player for blame. Nor would he give a vote of confidence to current manager John McLaren.

"Quite frankly, as I sit up here, I'm really not in the mood to sing the praises of anybody in our clubhouse," Lincoln said. "Whether it's the manager, the coaches or the players. It's a very fluid and difficult situation that we find ourselves in. But I expect John and his coaches and his players to get going and to do what is necessary to turn this thing around as quickly as possible.

"If that doesn't happen, we will make further changes."

Geoff Baker: 206-464-8286 or gbaker@seattletimes.com.

Read his daily blog at www.seattletimes.com/Mariners

"It's clear that we need new leadership."

Mariners CEO Howard Lincoln

"The front office finally gets something right!"

ricescracker, Bellevue, on Seattletimes.com