Unfinished business: Despite deals for Ramirez and White, the Mariners might not be done looking for starting pitching. Bavasi wants to add another starting pitcher and another bat as a complement to lefty Ben Broussard as a designated hitter platoon.

GM’s bottom line: “It’s one of the more miserable Winter Meetings I’ve ever been to. I think it’s the lack of activity and the volcanic market.” — Bavasi.

Well, that’s great! The Mariners are still interested in starting pitching. I’d hate to see them tread out there on opening day with Felix, Washburn, Ramirez and White in the rotation.

I don’t believe Bavasi is the worst GM in baseball, but he does have a major flaw in talent/value evaluation. Saying he should never, ever make another trade is a bit extreme, but his inaction would likely benefit the Mariners in the long run.

I fear that some are blasting Bavasi for trading Soriano, the player we wish he was, instead of the player he actually is. We’re blaming Bavasi for not getting the value for the player that Soriano once looked that he could become, as if other teams would pay us for that player.

Soriano is a very talented, very fragile reliever who’s good for an inning or two per game for some portion of the season. Further, it seems pretty likely that there’s already an operating room picked out for him. He’s not a starter and I don’t think it’s realistic to ever think he’s going to become one.

If the shoe were on the other foot, what would you give up to acquire him? I would venture that if Bavasi had paid a significant price to obtain a player like Soriano, the site would have been filled with comments bemoaning the fact GMs will never understand that relievers are replaceable commodities, closers are overpaid, and teams should never pay high prices for a bullpen. People would have tripped over themselves to look up the number of games he’s missed. Then, the comment would likely end with a throw-away like “what can you expect from the dumbest team/GM in baseball?”

Should we have gotten more for Soriano? I don’t know. But these ideas that he was on the verge of being a starter or even high-valued trading chip are probably not right. Several years ago, when he was all potential the story might have been different. He’s not that player any more.

Its unfortunate that Bavasi just can’t seem to find value in the trade market, because it appears he’s (his team) done a decent job drafting the last couple of seasons and its helped put some valuable arms in the lower level of the system.

As it looks now, I have little faith in Bavasi making another solid move for a starting pitcher this winter. I can’t believe he’s not beating down the Cubs door trying to trade Reed to them for one of the extra young starting pitchers they have stockpiled.

Anyways, the way it looks now, we will probably see Hargrove and Bavasi fired around mid-season. Hopefully they’ll be able to hire a capable GM before the trading deadline, who might be able to make some solid moves for the 2008 season.

This trade just puts a horribly sour taste in my mouth. How is it that everyone in the world can see what a horrible trade this is, except for the M’s front office? Just pathetic. Can’t wait to hear the “spin” on this one from the press conference.

which is the favorite choice of the radioheads– I just don’t understand why anyone thinks that Zito would come here.

I choose to look at this the way Churchill would. This isn’t the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.

At least we now know that next year will suck, and we can prepare ourselves for it. Let’s suffer through next year and all of the pain it will bring, get some new management, and start again.

169: Same sentiment on this coast…