No deals, but M's push on

DALLAS — The Mariners' contingent hustled out of the Wyndham Anatole hotel Thursday afternoon precisely as they came in five days earlier — cellphones to their ears, working on deals.

But in the interim, nothing has occurred to provide the dramatic upgrade they are desperately seeking — and desperately need — to the rotation and offense.

General manager Bill Bavasi is quick to note that the winter meetings are a convenient meeting ground but provide absolutely no meaningful deadline. He also noted that the Mariners left Dallas "with a lot of groundwork, and work" done on potential acquisitions, and that their efforts will not slow down back in Seattle.

But after having several potential trades blow up here, they also leave with just one new player in tow — 21-year-old reliever Marcos Carvajal, acquired from Colorado for backup catcher Yorvit Torrealba. They also re-signed 43-year-old pitcher Jamie Moyer, but have yet to add any new starters to the staff.

Bavasi on Thursday continued negotiations with the agent for Matt Morris, their top free-agent pitching target. He also met again with Larry Reynolds, who represents switch-hitter Carl Everett, with whom they hope to soon close a deal.

The Mariners, however, could still turn to free agents Jacque Jones or Jeromy Burnitz if the Everett negotiations fall apart. Everett, 34, who lives in Tampa, was said to be doing last-minute soul-searching about whether he wants to sign with a team so far from home, among other issues.

"This is not a done deal yet," said a source close to the negotiations. "There's more to this than meets the eye."

The Mariners will continue talking to Everett but will work parallel paths in their pursuit of a left-handed bat.

"We have not been a club, yet, to put a free agent on a clock," Bavasi said. "But what we'll probably do now is do our best to get multiple and sincere offers out there."

Everett, of course, comes with a history of controversy, including charges in 1997 that he and his wife, Linda, abused Carl's 6-year-old daughter, Shawna, and their 5-year-old son, Carl IV. According to Sports Illustrated, the charges were dropped, but a New York Family Court judge ruled that "excessive corporal punishment" was inflicted on the children by Linda, the girl's stepmother, and that Carl did little to stop her. They retained custody of Carl IV but Shawna was placed in the care of her maternal grandmother.

Everett has also expressed the belief that dinosaurs didn't exist, leading him to be nicknamed "Jurassic Carl" in Boston. With the Red Sox in 2001, he had a celebrated incident involving Moyer, earning a fine for spitting and grabbing his crotch after hitting a home run off the lefty, who had hit him with a pitch earlier in the game.

Everett, however, on Thursday got a strong character reference from White Sox general manager Ken Williams, who has traded for him twice and watched him play a significant role in Chicago's World Series championship.

"There should be no issues that scare off any teams," said Williams. "He's great in the clubhouse, and a great gamer. He wants to win. If anyone during the grind of the season has concentration lapses or lack of hustle, you have a guy in the dugout that will speak up."

A member of the M's organization said the club believes Everett is reformed, and that he would add needed fire and competitiveness to the team.

Morris' agent, Barry Axelrod, indicated his client's decision could be coming by this weekend, with his former team, the Cardinals, holding the key.

"We're trying to move things along," Axelrod said. "We're trying to get St. Louis to just say where they stand. I've always felt when a guy spends his whole career in a place, they get extra consideration — but not much extra consideration.

"St. Louis is very methodical. We're not going to hang up Seattle and two or three other clubs waiting for them."

There was talk Friday that both the Cardinals and Texas Rangers are prepared to offer Morris a contract in the range of three years and $25 million.

Axelrod said the Mariners made "a very competitive offer" for Morris. The Giants are believed to have offered more than $8 million for two years, and on Friday made a new proposal.

If Morris falls through, the Mariners would probably turn to Scott Boras, who represents the top three pitchers, besides Morris, still on the market — Kevin Millwood, Jarrod Washburn and Jeff Weaver.

Before leaving Dallas on Thursday, Bavasi had his third meeting with Boras here. The agent said the Mariners are talking to him about all three of his clients and termed their interest as "serious." However, Boras is seeking five-year deals for all three, which the M's are highly unlikely to offer.

The Mariners, meanwhile, believe they have added a quality arm to the organization in Carvajal, a 21-year-old right-hander.

The Mariners are expected to receive a second pitcher from the Rockies as well — left-handed pitcher Luis Gonzalez, the second overall pick in Friday's Rule 5 draft of players not protected on teams' 40-man rosters.

Gonzalez, 22, split last season between Class AA Jacksonville and Class AAA Las Vegas in the Dodgers' organization, combining to go 7-3 with a 3.18 earned-run-average and seven saves in 51 relief appearances. He would have to spend the entire season on Seattle's major-league roster or be offered back to Colorado for half of the $50,000 draft price.

Carvajal spent all of last season in the Rockies' bullpen after they acquired him in a trade with the Milwaukee Brewers, who had plucked him out of the Dodgers' organization in the 2004 Rule 5 draft. He was 0-2 with a 5.09 earned-run-average in 39 games for Colorado, all in relief, and struck out 47 in 53 innings.

"He's definitely a prospect, but not a finished product," Bavasi said.

He was projected by the Rockies to pitch at Class AA in 2006, and though Bavasi didn't rule out that Carvajal could make Seattle's major-league roster, that seems a logical starting point for the Mariners as well.

Larry Stone: 206-464-3146 or lstone@seattletimes.com