Brandon Morrow, drafted in the first round in 2006 ahead of Joba Chamberlain, is now trying to follow in Joba's footsteps, so to speak. Morrow pitched out of the bullpen the last two season, including a very successful stint as a closer earlier this year before being sent down the minors to stretch out as a starter. Unlike the Yankees approach, Morrow was sent down so he wasn't rushed and so they were certain he'd be stretched properly.
If things go as planned, Morrow would take the bump in the majors for the first time as a starter against those Yankees on September 5. Not everyone agrees with the move, apparently:
''He's a great late-inning reliever,'' one AL scout said this week. ''Why would you risk that to make him a starter? I don't see it.''With all the problems the Mariners have in nearly every aspect of the team, it's hard for me to justify keeping that kind of a talent in a setup role. In 40 appearances this year he compiled a 1.47 ERA with 47 strikeouts. He earned ten saves, but that was when JJ Putz was the shelf.
Far be it for me to question a scout, but I believe this move is a no-brainer.

Seeing as how the Mariners really suck this season, I've kind of stopped paying attention to them. Of course, because of that, I forgot just how bad the team really is. Thankfully the three games I just saw them play against the White Sox in Chicago this week reaffirmed everything I previously knew.
The Seattle Mariners lost to the Tampa Bay Rays last night, which is something they're quite good at this season. I mean, they do it with a precision that nobody else in baseball has been able to match in 2008, and call me crazy, but I think they ought to be commended for that. So congratulations, Mariners. You guys are better at losing than anybody else, and you should be proud.
One would think that a recently fired baseball executive credited with helming what is generally established to be one of the worst run operations in baseball would be unemployed for a while after getting the ax from said operation. Unfortunately if you're a Reds fan, you would be wrong about that. Less than two months after getting the ax from the Mariners, a franchise he destroyed on almost a comical level, 

My colleague 
