Mariners playing better?

The draft is rightfully going to get all the attention for the next 48 hours, but the M's have at least been playing watchable baseball again. The question is whether the team is actually playing better, or simply beating up on bad teams.

We do know the Devil Rays have one of the worst bullpens in all of baseball, which the M's took full advantage. We also know the team went through a brutal stretch of playing playoff-caliber team after another and finally get to pad the stats- eg. See Yankees.

The most promising part though is simply seeing a few players actually playing well. Ibanez has been on a tear, and Winn is playing well too. Earlier we saw an entire team playing below its capabilities, but with Ibanez, Winn and Sexson we actually see a pulse on offense.

I also have to throw a bone to Every-Day Eddie. Before the season I saw him as a huge question mark. He seems to have recovered nicely and is actually doing his job (gasp!) far better than I imagined. Some of his ealier starts were causing mild cardiac arrest, but lately he seems to have found a rhythm and is really anchoring our bullpen.

I still say trade him though! With Soriano coming back and Putz a short-term replacement, assuming he stays healthy he'll have real trade value this summer.

So anyway, as a team the M's are playing better but have some tough games coming up. If they continue to play well and actually get to .500 I'll be shocked, but at least the games are watchable again.

And the draft? Everything depends on KC. Arizona can't pass up Upton, so we have to hope KC goes cheap. We'll know soon enough.