Pineiro released by Mariners

It wasn't until early Tuesday evening that the backyard barbecue attended by Joel Pineiro officially became an ex-Mariners bash.

That's when Pineiro, who was visiting the Puerto Rican home of former Mariners infielder Eduardo Perez, got a telephone call informing him the only club he's ever played for would not be tendering him a contract. The pitcher put down the receiver and told Perez the news as they went about their business of flipping burgers and sipping beer.

"He just laughed and told me, 'Welcome to my world!' " Pineiro said of fellow free-agent Perez.

There had been speculation Seattle might hold on to Pineiro, who has been with the Mariners since 2000 and was their longest continuous-serving member. But not even the rapidly escalating salaries of free-agent arms and the somewhat shaky status of Seattle's rotation could persuade the team to keep the 28-year-old for insurance.

"I thought I had a chance to come back because they were looking at [Jason] Schmidt and big-time pitchers and they couldn't land them," said Pineiro, who earned $6.8 million last season. "But things happen for a reason I guess. Maybe this is an indication that it really is time to move on and get a new start."

The Mariners are scrambling to cobble together a starting rotation after being spurned by free-agents Schmidt, Ted Lilly, Gil Meche and Adam Eaton, and outbid for Japanese hurler Kei Igawa. They are to finalize a three-year pact with Miguel Batista, reported to be worth between $24 million to $27 million, by Thursday and also acquired starter Horacio Ramirez last week in a trade with Atlanta for relief pitcher Rafael Soriano.

But that hasn't placated an increasingly edgy, critical, and at times hostile fan base that had expected the Mariners to do more to bring in some front-end arms. The team has yet to say whether the addition of Batista will effectively take it out of any serious contention — assuming it ever was serious — for free-agent left-hander Barry Zito.

Mariners CEO Howard Lincoln on Tuesday declined — through a team official — to be interviewed about his opinions on the team's offseason.

Pineiro was the only member of the team not tendered a contract. The Mariners, as expected, opted to stick with designated hitter Ben Broussard, who could serve as a possible trade chip before the winter ends.

The fact Pineiro was allowed to walk, despite the uncertain state of Seattle's pitching, was a clear indication of how far his stock had fallen. He was the last remaining Mariner out of a slew of young arms, including Meche, Freddy Garcia, Clint Nageotte and Ryan Franklin, that began the decade touted as key components of the team's future.

Things started off well for Pineiro, who went 14-7 with a 3.24 earned-run average in 2002 and then 16-11 with a 3.78 ERA in 2003. But he won just 13 games in his next two seasons combined.

"It was tough after the injury in 2004," said Pineiro, who tore an elbow ligament in the second half of that season. "Things started going downhill for me after that."

Pineiro went 7-12 with a 6.62 ERA in 25 starts last season and was bumped from the starting rotation by mid-August.

Pineiro is expected to draw interest from a number of teams, including the Royals and Red Sox. He says he'll miss the Mariners and the city and carry memories of the team's 116-victory season in 2001 as his fondest.

But he nixed the idea of the Mariners trying to sign him back at a lower price.

"Even if they left that door open, I think I'd have to close it," he said. "And I don't mean that in a disrespectful way at all. I love the city of Seattle. I love the fans and the people there. I have a house there. It's still home to me. I just think that when a team shows that it doesn't want you anymore, it's time to move on."

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