Sweeney to DL, Pauley up from AAA

[TellItToTheDA]

http://blog.seattlepi.com/baseball/archives/212684.asp


Mike Sweeney goes on DL to make room for reliever

Veteran designated hitter Mike Sweeney was placed on the 15-day disabled list by the Mariners on Sunday with back spasms, making room on the roster for right-handed reliever David Pauley.

The Mariners will need to make another move when they activate Russell Branyan, who was obtained by trade Saturday night and is expected to join the team shortly and take over the starting first-base duties.

Pauley's promotion from Triple-A Tacoma was necessary because of the short-handed situation in the bullpen with David Aardsma missing at least one more game while his wife gives birth and Shawn Kelley on the disabled list.

Pauley is with the team and available for today's 11:10 a.m. game in Milwaukee.

Pauley, 27, was 1-6 with a 3.68 earned run average in 15 games, including 14 starts, with the Rainiers. He allowed 82 hits in 85 2/3 innings pitched and had better than a 2-to-1 strikeouts to walk ratio (56-26).

I guess playing Sweeney at first on Friday wasn't the best decision. As for bringing up Pauley, I understand the need for bullpen depth with Aardsma in Seattle with his wife, and Shawn Kelley hurt. What concerns me is that he's probably the best option we have in Tacoma. That roster is nothing short of a reliever graveyard (Scott Patterson, Levale Speigner, Yusmeiro Petit, Steven Shell, Joe Nelson, etc)

[Igoe4Mariners]

Well Sweeney's back sure lasted a long time...this guy seriously needs to retire.

[JosephC]

Also just read Mike Carp to AAA for Branyan. I guess I called this one right. I didn't think they'd give Kotchman the kick.

[TellItToTheDA]

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/marinersblog/2012221419_russell_branyan_to_arrive_just.html


Russell Branyan to arrive just after 10 a.m. Pacific time; Mike Carp to go down once he's activated

Posted by Geoff Baker

The Mariners have yet to officially activate Russell Branyan, since his plane isn't scheduled to touch down here in Milwaukee until about 10 a.m. Pacific time. After that, he'll try to make it to the ballpark, which is a good 15 minutes away, before lineup cards are exchanged. If he can do that, then Mike Carp will be optioned to Class AAA.

If not, Carp gets one more game with the club. Branyan won't be in the starting lineup if he makes it on time, but would be available to pinch-hit.

David Pauley was called up from Class AAA and will be the long man in the bullpen if needed today. To clear a roster spot, Mike Sweeney was placed on the 15-day DL with back spasms. Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu told us that the injury is not as serious as Sweeney's prior back woes and that he won't need to see a specialist again.

The team just needed the roster room.

Once Sweeney is ready to come back, he likely won't have to play the field ever again. That's because Branyan is now the everyday first baseman.

We spoke to Jack Zduriencik again this morning. You saw our interview with him in last night's blog. Today, he clarified some of what's been out there in the blogosphere regarding who picks up what salary-wise.

The team is on-the-hook for the pro-rated portion of Branyan's remaining salary for this year, which is just over $1 million. As for his $1 million in bonuses and incentives, the Indians will pick up part of that, but Zduriencik would not get into specifics as to how that will be worked out.

What is clear, from talking to various Mariners officials, is that a big part of making this trade was seeing how the lineup responds as they move forward. With so many bats struggling below their career norms, Zduriencik and Wakamatsu seem to have arrived at the conclusion that a power bat (or two, or three) is the key missing ingredient that has made this offense so poor.

[TellItToTheDA]

So, Pauley looked good today, 2 scoreless innings, gave up just 2 hits, no walks.

[georgmi]

I guess playing Sweeney at first on Friday wasn't the best decision.

In the NL, if you want a bat in the lineup, you've got to put the body on the field.

I think it's interesting that putting Sweeney back on the DL was announced at the same time as the trade for Branyan. Got to think the conversation in the M's front office on Saturday when it became clear Sweeney couldn't go out there again went something like, "OK, we have a problem. Tuesday, we put Bradley back at DH against the Yankees; who the hell do we put at first? Our choices are a good-fielding 1B who doesn't look like he's ever going to get a hit again, a marginal-hitting 1B/DH who can't play the field without breaking, and Mike Carp, who so far has done neither of those things well." Eventually, the word "Muscle" drifted across the conversation, and a phone call was made.

The real interesting question now is, whither Casey Kotchman? Late-inning defensive replacement after Russell launches another one into the stratosphere?

[JosephC]

I am guessing that Kotchman will be the replacement for when/if the Muscle's back gives out again like it did several times last year. Other than that, I would never stick Kotchman in again. His season should be over.

[georgmi]

I'd kind of like to see Kotchman in AAA, and have them try and figure out what the heck happened to his swing (and ideally, fix it). No way that happens with the big club, though.