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Posts Tagged ‘should’

We’ve got Smoak and Carp over there at first, but I think if we can get a shot at the big guy, we should. Fielder would cost us about five million more than we already pay Ichiro, so if we get rid of Ichiro it won’t be that big of a hit to our payroll.

We’re coming up on nearly a month since Justin Smoak felt his hamstring tighten during a home game against Oakland. The other day, when Smoak notched one of his rare hits against the Minnesota Twins, he looked disinterested leaving the batter’s box.

I mean, to say he stumbled out of there and lumbered to first base would be charitable. He looked like he actually thought about waving to the dugout and having somebody else run to first for him instead.

And I’m not a trained scout. If I notice these little things in a game — with my amateur eye — then it’s a problem.

Somebody else mentioned to me last night — I did not see the game, but followed it via computer — that Smoak seemed to be lumbering up the line.

I don’t think Smoak is a guy who dogs it out of laziness and if indeed that’s what is happening, somebody has to sit him down for a chat right now. But I highly doubt that’s why he’s jogging out there. It looks to me like Smoak’s hamstring is still an issue — maybe a bigger issue than the team is making it out to be.

And if that’s the case, it’s time to stop all the funny business. It’s time to sit Smoak down and let him get right because playing him every day does not appear to be doing him, the team, nor an increasingly impatient fan base any favors when it comes to the third-year first baseman.

Normally, I would wait until I am in the clubhouse again before writing a piece like this, just so I could ask Smoak and manager Eric Wedge about it flat-out. But I’ll see them both again on Friday in New York and then for a good deal of time every day after that, so I don’t think I’m pulling a hit-and-run here.

Besides, asking the questions face-to-face about Smoak’s health hasn’t gotten us anywhere before.

You’ll remember last year, when Smoak had a bit of a thumb issue. He downplayed it and said it was nothing and Wedge said it was a minor deal that Smoak would have to learn to play through as a big leaguer.

Photo Credit: AP

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Edgar misses Hall, but Blyleven should give him hope
Former Mariners designated hitter Edgar Martinez was named on 32.9 percent of Hall of Fame ballots submitted by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, leaving him well short of the 75 percent needed for induction in Cooperstown.

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