Mariners
Garcia key to M's roster remake

By Bob Finnigan
Seattle Times staff reporter

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As such, the Seattle club is in the midst of its annual offseason split-personality mode to uphold: a) its standard as a contender and b) its payroll budget.

This year, team officials have kept that figure private, but it is almost certain to be about $95 million. Team president Chuck Armstrong said it would be no less than the 2003 budget of $92 million, and CEO Howard Lincoln said it would be no less than the $95 million expenditure of 2003.

So, the Mariners probably have $92 million to spend on their 2004 Opening Day roster, with leeway later for midseason moves and a season-ending total of about $95 million. The cold reality of winter is that, as generous as that budget is, ranking in major-league baseball's top half-dozen teams, it isn't easy right now to fit A into B, and pitcher Freddy Garcia is the prime example.

Thus, with the deadline for offering salary arbitration to their own free agents at 9 p.m. today, the Mariners have carefully considered options such as Mike Cameron in center versus Randy Winn, and former Minnesota Twin Eddie Guardado, a free agent, in the bullpen versus Arthur Rhodes.

As part of the cost-consciousness, Seattle has been negotiating with several players under club control, such as pitchers Ryan Franklin, Joel Pineiro and Gil Meche, and could announce in the near future they have reached contract agreement with Franklin on a two-year deal expected to pay him about $3 million.

But close as they might be to a settlement with Franklin, they apparently are worlds away from resolving a new deal on right fielder Ichiro, as much as $5 million to $7 million a year apart, with talks amicable but mired.

Finances have to be at the forefront of every decision for the Mariners. Overshadowing all is the conundrum of whether to offer Garcia a contract by Dec. 20, the date contracts must be tendered to keep a player on the roster.

"That is one that could come back easily and bite you in the butt," one scout said of Garcia.

"There is little in-between, the top side is high, since he has definite No. 1 starter ability, but the downside is so low, $8 million or more for bottom-of-the-rotation performance."

In the meantime, there is the struggle to bring Shigetoshi Hasegawa, Guardado/Rhodes and even Cameron in at favorable figures.

It is a struggle, even at $95 million or more for a budget, because of two contracts in particular, reliever Kazu Sasaki at $8 million and third baseman Jeff Cirillo at $6.75 million.

While Sasaki, a year removed from elbow surgery, could be his old closer self, Cirillo will not be back and could somehow be traded in upcoming weeks — but only if Seattle suddenly gets willing to take another team's overpaid player in return.

Fans who saw Sasaki's 2003 season wasted by injury might may have been excited about reports from Japan last week that Yomiuri had interest in Sasaki to help its disaster-area bullpen, a rumor that has been extinguished.

"Kaz has a burning desire to see the Mariners in the playoffs next year, and he wants to be a big part of that," agent Tony Attanasio said in an e-mail. "There is zip to the rumors floating around."

Seattle has nine players already under contract for the season at about $50 million, including Cirillo, who will undoubtedly not be with the team, at $6.75 million; second baseman Bret Boone, $8.25 million; Sasaki, $8 million; first baseman John Olerud, $7.7 million; pitcher Jamie Moyer, $6.5 million; catcher Dan Wilson, $3.5 million; outfielder Raul Ibanez, $3.25 million; DH Edgar Martinez, $3 million (plus $4 million in incentives); first baseman Greg Colbrunn, $2.8 million.

From there, the club has to get creative, maybe to the point of gambling it can sign players cheaper after they or other teams make them non-tendered free agents on Dec. 20, which has become a key date on the baseball calendar.

As it stands now, Seattle has eight arbitration-eligible players: Garcia, Ichiro, Winn, infielder Carlos Guillen, Pineiro, Franklin, Meche and catcher Ben Davis.

If the Mariners tendered contracts to all of them, a guess is that it could cost between $33 million and $35 million to settle near the midpoint of possible arbitration filings, with more than half the total easily going to Garcia and Ichiro and another quarter or more of it to Winn and Guillen.

If one uses the low side of such guesswork, Seattle's payroll would be right about $83 million — with only 16 of 25 roster spots filled (remember, Cirillo will be paid, but not on the team).

Willie Bloomquist, Rafael Soriano and Julio Mateo, under club control, will bring the total to about $84 million for 19 players, leaving $8 million for six roster spots.

Hasegawa and a lead left-hander in the bullpen (possibly Twins free agent Guardado) could total $6 million, bringing the payroll to $90 million, and the Mariners still wouldn't have an everyday player at third, or a sixth reliever (think minor-leaguer here) or bench players for the outfield or infield.

With this in mind, the Mariners will look carefully over the non-tendered players on Dec. 20. If no name like Houston's Geoff Blum pops out at them there, the M's could see if kids Justin Leone and/or Greg Dobbs look ready in camp, which is not likely, although both are well-regarded.

How does the club talk seriously about trying to sign free-agent shortstop Miguel Tejada or others?

By robbing Freddy or his friends to pay Miguel, so to speak.

For every Tejada or anyone else that is added to the roster, possibly in a tough-to-trade market, a controlled player will be non-tendered to save the money. In Tejada's case, it might be Garcia or possibly Guillen and Winn, something that adds up to about $8 million.

Could they bring in Vladimir Guerrero?

Sure, but to fill that fairy tale, they'd have to non-tender a half-dozen guys, including most of the starting rotation.

Notes

• The Mariners are expected to offer salary arbitration to reliever Shigetoshi Hasegawa if weekend negotiations do not bring a contract.

Others who may be offered arbitration are lefty reliever Arthur Rhodes and outfielder Mike Cameron. If the club does not offer arbitration, today is the last day they can negotiate with those players until May 1.

• In addition to talks with Hasegawa's agent, which could be close to a settlement, Seattle officials were in discussions about lefty reliever Eddie Guardado.

Bob Finnigan: 206-464-8276 or bfinnigan@seattletimes.com

Copyright © 2003 The Seattle Times Company