--Alan Cockrell, who spent the past two seasons as the Rockies' hitting coach, was hired to do the same job with the Mariners. The hiring of Cockrell, a former quarterback at the University of Tennessee before opting for baseball, completes the coaching staff for new manager Don Wakamatsu.
--LHP Erik Bedard flew to Las Vegas to meet with Dr. Lewis Yocum, the shoulder specialist who repaired Bedard's left shoulder on Sept. 26. Bedard got a clean bill of health, said "I feel great," then flew out of Vegas the day the winter meetings began. Before leaving, he had a chance to have dinner with new manager Don Wakamatsu. GM Jack Zduriencik said Bedard would be in the Seattle rotation in April, scuttling any thought that the team might trade or non-tender him. --RHP J.J. Putz wasn't overly surprised to be traded to the New York Mets at the winter meetings. "I had heard rumblings about being traded," he said from his home in Arizona, "but there were so many rumblings the last couple of days, and nothing had happened, so I didn't think anything was going to happen. I wasn't surprised that it was to the Mets, because my agent had called and told me he had heard about them wanting me." Backing up Francisco Rodriguez is Putz's new job, and while he said "it's not the ideal situation," he will cope.
--RHP Brandon Morrow was supposed to come to camp as a starting pitcher after having made the conversion from short relief late in the 2008 season. But with RHP J.J. Putz having been traded, Morrow could wind up as the closer. He had 10 saves and a 1.47 ERA in relief last year. "I did like the closer job, but it would be tough to go back and forth and back and forth," Morrow said. "I want to keep starting."
GM Jack Zduriencik said for now Morrow remains a starter.
--1B Chris Shelton, LHP Chris Seddon and C Luis Oliveros all signed minor league free agent contracts with the Mariners. Of the three, Shelton has the best chance to make the club as a non-roster player. He had 34 homers in 2005-06 for the Tigers, but spent 2007 in the minor leagues and had just two homers for the Rangers in limited duty this year.
--OF Ken Griffey Jr.'s agent, Brian Goldberg, has talked several times with the Mariners about the possibility of having the 39-year-old come back to Seattle in 2009 with the idea that he'd finish his career where he started. "I won't deny Kenny has some interest in going back there," Goldberg said. "We've had a couple of conversations, and it's still in the preliminary stages."
--RHP R.A. Dickey, who spent most of the season in the big leagues, filed for free agency Dec. 9 and had an offer from another, unspecified, team that night. Dickey is waiting for the Mariners to make him an offer, because all things being equal, he'd like to pitch in the majors with Seattle in 2009.
--RHP Sean White, who never pitched in the majors this year, was outrighted to the minors. He went 6-11 with a 5.47 ERA for Class AAA Tacoma in 22 starts.
--1B Kevin Millar has some interest in the Mariners, although he doesn't know what level of interest is reciprocated.
--SS Reegie Corona was selected from the Yankees in the Rule 5 draft. Corona, 22, hit .274 with three homers and 27 doubles and 24 stolen bases for Class AA Trenton this season. He is a career .264 hitter in the minor leagues.
--LHP Jose Lugo, chosen by Kansas City from Minnesota in the Rule 5 draft, was dealt to the Mariners for what was termed "cash considerations." Lugo, 24, went 2-6 with a 4.04 ERA in 51 games for high Class A Ft. Myers this year.
BY THE NUMBERS: 10 -- New players brought into the organization by new general manager Jack Zduriencik in the last two weeks.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "Right now, because of the stretching, I have more range of motion in my (left) shoulder than I had last year." -- LHP Erik Bedard, coming off arthroscopic shoulder surgery and expecting to be ready to go come spring training.
