Originally published December 3, 2008 at 11:12 AM | Page modified December 3, 2008 at 2:24 PM

Mariners sign free agent Russell Branyan, hire Rick Adair, John Wetteland as coaches

The Mariners have signed free agent Russell Branyan and signed Rick Adair as pitching coach and John Wetteland as bullpen coach.

By Geoff Baker

Seattle Times staff reporter

The Mariners have signed free agent Russell Branyan, and added two coaches to their staff.

The Mariners hired Rick Adair as pitching coach and John Wetteland as bullpen coach.

Branyan, who will turn 33 this month, is a left-handed hitter who can play first base, third base and the outfield, or can fill the designated hitter spot.

Branyan played last season for the Milwaukee Brewers and missed the final month with an oblique strain and was left off Milwaukee's postseason roster. Branyan batted .250 with 12 home runs in 132 at-bats last season. He has a career .813 on-base plus slugging percentage in 11 seasons with eight teams (including Milwaukee twice).

Branyan's best seasons were 2001 (20 home runs with Cleveland) and 2002 (24 home runs splitting the season with Cleveland and Cincinnati).

Adair, 50, has been the minor-league pitching coordinator for the Texas Rangers the past four seasons. He has been a pitching coach for the Cleveland Indians (1992-93) and Detroit Tigers (1996-99).

Adair was drafted by the Mariners in the third round of the 1979 draft and played seven seasons in their minor-league system before arm injuries ended his career.

Wetteland, 42, is a former All-Star reliever. He was the Washington Nationals' bullpen coach in 2006 and was the Rangers' roving pitching coordinator from 2002-05.

Adair and Wetteland will join bench coach Ty Van Burkleo and first-base coach Lee Tinsley on manager Don Wakamatsu's staff. Still to be named are the third-base coach and hitting coach.

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