Hargrove is paying attention

Well, sometimes at least. I have not been buying into the whole "Weaver just got unlucky" story that was circulating earlier in the season. I saw a pitcher who was serving meatballs for dinner and was carrying an ERA over ten because of it. Yesterday saw Hargrove pull Weaver after three innings, confirming he was seeing the same thing.

It couldn't have been easy for Hargrove. Weaver has three starts to his Seattle career, is playing in front of his brother, family, etc... the Angel angle. Plus we know Hargrove loves veterans.

Yet he pulled him nonetheless. It is clear baring a miracle Weaver is now in Hargrove's doghouse. It is going to take a very unlikely string of good innings to get back in the skippers good graces.

So what will the Mariners do with him? It seems extremely unlikely they will cut an $8 mil pitcher this early in the season, and Weaver has zero trade value. The logical move is Weaver goes to the bullpen, where he rebuilds his confidence and Bavasi ships him to the NL at the trade deadline.

The M's will eat his salary, minus the pro-rated minimum, just as the Angels did last year.

Bavasi gambled on Weaver, and lost.