June 2007 - Seattle Mariners Wiretap

Some current and former members of the Mariners are disputing the claim of former Seattle outfielder Shane Monahan that the clubhouse culture led him to use steroids and amphetamines with the hopes of lengthening his major league career. Monahan openly admitted to ESPN.com that he used performance-enhancing drugs. His claims didn't sit well with current Mariner Raul Ibanez and longtime Seattle pitcher Jamie Moyer, who played for the Philadelphia Phillies in 2007. "It's amazing to me that a guy like Shane -- a guy who was up and down at best and had a very limited cup of coffee with us -- would be able to know what was going on," Ibanez told The Seattle Times. "I was up and down like he was. I was in that same boat that he was in, and everyone makes their choice." Ibanez told the paper that his workout regimen, not steroids, have helped him remain a major league player. "In 10 years, I've never seen a person take a steroid," Ibanez told the Seattle Times. "I've never had anyone come to me in a major-league clubhouse and offer me any." Moyer echoed Ibanez's statements. "I choose not to get involved with all of that stuff," Moyer told the paper. "We're all grown men of many different ages. If he's throwing people under the bus, that's his choice, but it disappoints me."

Sources inside the Mariners' organization still indicate they're alive on Johan Santana and Baltimore's Erik Bedard. There's a lot of disappointment in Seattle over losing the Hiroki Kuroda bidding with the Dodgers. He was clearly the best of the available free agent pitchers which forced the Mariners to sign former Twin Carlos Silva to a four-year, $48 million deal that is hard to figure.

Pitcher Carlos Silva and the Seattle Mariners finalized a $48 million, four-year contract Thursday. The 28-year-old right-hander was 13-14 last season for the Minnesota Twins with a 4.19 ERA -- better than every Mariners' starter other than hard-throwing Felix Hernandez. Seattle likes that Silva pitched deep into games, generally stayed low in the strike zone with a sharp sinker and walked just 36 batters in 202 innings last season.

Free-agent pitcher Carlos Silva and the Mariners are close to completing a four-year contract, a move that would add depth to the Mariners' rotation. A person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press on Wednesday night that the parameters of the deal were in place, and a formal announcement was expected Thursday afternoon. The person requested anonymity because the announcement had not yet been made.

Desperate to bolster their rotation, the Mariners are closing in on a deal with pitcher Carlos Silva, one of the top arms in a weak free-agent market. Talks between the sides have intensified, a person familiar with the negotiations said Tuesday, speaking on condition of anonymity because the Mariners are not discussing the talks publicly. The 28-year-old right-hander was 13-14 last season with a 4.19 ERA -- better than every Mariners' starter other than hard-throwing Felix Hernandez.

The Seattle Mariners, Cincinnati Reds and Los Angeles Dodgers are among the teams seeking Erik Bedard. As of last night, two team sources said no deals were imminent, but the five-player return for Tejada and the fact that the Astros are assuming the $26 million (over two years) on his contract puts the Orioles in good position. "There are some other things that we'd still like to do," Andy MacPhail said. "But I think you have to evaluate things on a case-by-case basis and see if it sets up to the standard over whether you are better off after you do [the trade] than before. We think we are better off after [today's deal] than we were before."

The Rangers filled one of their primary offseason needs Wednesday night when they acquired first baseman Ben Broussard from the Mariners for minor league infielder Tug Hulett. Also Wednesday, the Rangers declined to offer a 2008 contract to Akinori Otsuka, making the reliever a free agent.

The Mariners have dropped out of the Johan Santana sweepstakes. A high-ranking American League official confirmed Monday afternoon that the Mariners were no longer discussing a deal for the two-time AL Cy Young Award winner who becomes eligible for free agency at the end of the 2008 season. Mariners' GM Bill Bavasi, who heads a Seattle contingent at the annual Winter Meetings, could not immediately be reached for comment. Seattle, which is trying to bolster its starting rotation, had visions of putting the 29-year-old Santana in the same rotation as 21-year-old Felix Hernandez, giving the Mariners a terrific one-two punch.