Mariners release Richie Sexson

OAKLAND, Calif. — A day of moping over playing time helped spark the end of Richie Sexson's career in Seattle.

The Mariners told Sexson late Wednesday night, at the team hotel in San Francisco that he would be released the following morning. It came after manager Jim Riggleman said he did not like the "body language" displayed by Sexson when he was not in the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Oakland Athletics.

Riggleman had made a choice to reduce Sexson's playing time and planned to start him primarily against left- handed pitchers.

The move was announced today by Lee Pelekoudas, the team's vice president and general manager. Pelekoudas said he had been thinking about the move for several days, and the fact that Sexson hit a three-run home run Monday and then followed up with a double on Tuesday did not affect the call one way or the other.

Riggleman said Sexson's body language he displayed Wednesday was what ultimately led him not to oppose the release.

"If I felt that he could handle the next couple of weeks with less playing time, I would not have agreed with the move," Riggleman said. "But [Wednesday], his body language was such that he looked like he wasn't going to handle it at all."

Riggleman did not want Sexson to become a focal point for disenchantment that would upset the delicate balance the club is trying to achieve. Sexson was a popular guy in the clubhouse, with teammates always around him.

"He needs to play, or go someplace else he can play," Riggleman said.

That wasn't going to be in Seattle. Riggleman had decided to start Sexson only against left-handers and then find ways to use him in limited roles versus right-handers.

"The manager's got to be able to make a lineup out without feeling somebody's going to be unhappy," Riggleman said. "If we sat Willie Bloomquist and he was unhappy, we could handle it. But if one of your big boys is down in the dumps, that can take others down."

Riggleman likened it to Frank Thomas being released by Toronto a while back. Once a big-time player becomes upset over playing time, Riggleman said, it's a potentially huge distraction.

"He's part of the identity of the team," he said. "And when the identity of the team is sitting down, everybody wonders what the heck is going on."

Riggleman added: "Look, I've been managing here for 19 days. I've sat him twice and seen the same reaction both times. It wasn't going to work."

Miguel Cairo started at first base today, against a left-handed starter for Oakland. Jose Vidro will play against right-handers for now. If there's a lefty matchup that historically favors Vidro, he'll be put in as well.

Sexson, 33, was hitting .218 with 11 home runs and 30 RBI in 74 games this season.

Sexson was in the final year of a four-year, $50-million deal that he signed before the 2005 season. In 3 ½ seasons with the Mariners, Sexson hit .244 with 105 home runs and 321 RBI.

The Mariners also placed left-hander Erik Bedard on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to July 5, with stiffness in his pitching shoulder. Bedard will be eligible to return on July 20.

Bedard, who has not pitched since going five innings on July 4, was not scheduled to pitch until after the All-Star Break.

"We felt placing Bedard on the disabled list gave us some extra flexibility over the next week," Pelekoudas said. "It doesn't change when he would next pitch, and it allows Jim [Riggleman] to have an extra arm in the bullpen."

Right-hander Jared Wells and infielder Tug Hulett were called up from Class AAA Tacoma.

Wells, 26, was acquired by Seattle from San Diego in exchange for right-hander Cha Seung Baek on May 21. Wells was 0-2, with a 4.41 earned-run average with six saves in 16 relief appearances with the Rainiers since joining the club.

Wells made his major-league debut earlier this season with the Padres.

Hulett, 25, was acquired by Seattle from Texas in exchange for first baseman Ben Broussard on Dec. 12. He has not appeared in a major-league game yet. He is the son of former major-league infielder Tim Hulett. In 71 games with AAA Tacoma he was hitting .302 with nine home runs and 32 RBI.