In a move that would have seemed unthinkable a few weeks ago, the Mariners waived first baseman Ryan Garko and added designated hitter extraordinaire Mike Sweeney to the 40-man roster on Tuesday afternoon.
Sweeney is expected to break camp on the team’s 25-man Opening Day roster and, for the second consecutive year, will fill a role for the major league club. In addition to a decent 2009 season (.289 AVG/8 HR/34 RBI), a proven track record (he’s a five time all-star), and the intangibles of a clubhouse leader, Sweeney has had a remarkable spring for a player who was signed as a favor just days before Spring Training began.
To put his spring into perspective, Sweeney leads the ballclub in five major offensive categories: batting average (.517), on-base percentage (.533), slugging percentage (.931), on-base plus slugging percentage (1.464), and total bases (27). He is among the top three hitters in four other categories: doubles (4), triples (1), home runs (2), and RBI (7).
Continue reading All The Right Moves: M’s Waive Garko, Add Sweeney
