Seattle targets Angels’ LHP Washburn
The Seattle Mariners say they are pursuing pitching on several fronts, but they have zeroed in on one free agent in particular.
The Mariners have made their greatest push for Jarrod Washburn, a 31-year-old left-hander who has pitched for the Los Angeles Angels his entire eight-year major league career.
Assistant general manager Lee Pelekoudas would not say that the Mariners are close to signing Washburn, although others with the organization say he is the pitcher the club is most aggressively pursuing.
“I hesitate to characterize where we are, other than we are having ongoing discussions on several fronts,” Pelekoudas said. “We’re on a steady course and there’s nothing earth-shattering at this point. We have irons in the fire.”
The Tacoma News Tribune, citing unnamed sources, said the Mariners are close to signing Washburn to a four-year contract worth $36 to $38 million.
Pelekoudas wouldn’t say what kind of offers the Mariners have made, but indicated that the club may abandon its reluctance to offer nothing more than three years to a quality starter.
“It gives you pause, certainly,” Pelekoudas said. “You’ve got to treat it on a case-by-case basis. You have to look at each guy and weigh the plusses and minuses.”
The Mariners’ approach, and the market, changed when A.J. Burnett signed a five-year, $55 million contract with the Toronto Blue Jays early this month.
Kevin Millwood is the top free-agent pitcher who remains available, but agent Scott Boras said at the winter meetings this month that it would take a five-year deal to sign him. Washburn, who broke in with the Angels when Mariners general manager Bill Bavasi was the GM at Anaheim, also is a Boras client.
Washburn is 75-57 with a 3.93 earned run average in his career. He went 8-8, 3.20 in 29 starts last season, including a 1-1 record and 2.73 ERA in four starts against the Mariners.
His best year was 2002, when he went 18-6, 3.15 and pitched 206 innings. He pitched 207 1/3 innings the following season, but only 177 1/3 last season when he missed two starts in September because of tendinitis in his left forearm.
Washburn didn’t pitch in the Angels’ division series victory over the Yankees, but he started Game 2 of the A.L. Championship Series against the White Sox, allowing four hits and no earned runs in 4 2/3 innings.
Washburn would slide into a Mariners starting rotation that includes left-hander Jamie Moyer and right-handers Felix Hernandez and Joel Pineiro. The Mariners must decide by Tuesday if they will offer contracts to two others who were in their rotation this year, right-handers Gil Meche and Ryan Franklin.