Silva reportedly mulling Mariners offer

[Outdoors Junkie]

12/18/2007 6:08 PM ET

Deal could land free agent righty in Seattle for four years
By Jim Street / MLB.com 

The Mariners are on the verge of adding a starting pitcher without having to subtract one of their top prospects.
Free agent right-hander Carlos Silva is contemplating a four-year, $44 million offer, which was first reported by Foxsports.com late Tuesday morning.

Mariners officials would not comment on the report, but signing Silva would boost Seattle's rotation and allow the club to keep -- for the time being -- right fielder Adam Jones, a former first-round Draft choice and potential star.

Silva, 28, would move into a rotation that includes right-handers Felix Hernandez and Miguel Batista, and left-hander Jarrod Washburn.

The former Twins pitcher became the Mariners primary target on Sunday after Japanese right-hander Hiroki Kuroda signed with the Dodgers -- for about $3 million less than Seattle offered.

Silva spent the past four seasons with the Twins, posting a 47-45 record. He was 13-14 with a 4.19 ERA in 2007. He has a 2-1 record and 3.98 ERA in three starts at Safeco Field in the past three seasons and has won three of his four career decisions against the Angels.

He also is an innings-eater, tossing 203, 188, 180 and 202 innings the past four seasons.

The signing could be finalized and announced by the end of this week.


Meanwhile, the Mariners have been trying to upgrade their starting rotation and have been linked to trade talks with the Orioles for left-hander Erik Bedard. But Jones, 22, who hit 25 home runs at Triple-A Tacoma last season and could be a fixture in the Seattle lineup for years to come, would be included in the trade for Bedard, a price many believe is too high.

[Outdoors Junkie]

12/19/2007 7:40 PM ET
Source: Silva, Mariners agree to deal
By Jim Street / MLB.com 

Carlos Silva is 3-1 with a 3.18 ERA in four career starts at Safeco Field. (Duane Burleson/AP)
The Mariners and free agent right-hander Carlos Silva have reached agreement on a multiyear contract, according to an American League source, and the deal could be finalized as early as Thursday, pending the outcome of a physical.
Club officials contacted late Wednesday afternoon would not confirm the signing, however.

It is believed that the 28-year-old Silva will receive a four-year, $44 million pact to help improve a starting rotation that lacked starters that pitched deep into games last season.

Silva falls into the innings-eater category, averaging more than 190 innings during the past four seasons with the Twins. He made 33 starts in 2007 and pitched at least six innings in 24 of them, including a pair of complete games. Seattle had just six complete games as a staff last season, half of them by departed right-hander Jeff Weaver.

Silva has a 55-46 record in six MLB seasons and is 47-45 with a 4.46 ERA in 125 big-league starts. He has been successful against AL West teams, posting an overall 16-8 record with a 3.48 ERA. He is 5-1 against the Angels, 3-2 against the Athletics and 3-4 against the Rangers.

He also is 3-1 with a 3.18 ERA in four career starts at Safeco Field.

Exactly where the Mariners go from here remains questionable. General manager Bill Bavasi's goal going into the offseason was to add to two starting pitchers. Adding Silva to the mix would accomplish that mission as Seattle selected knuckleball specialist R.A. Dickey in the Rule 5 Draft during the Winter Meetings.

Dickey was selected as the Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Year after compiling a 10-2 record from June 1 through the end of the season for the Triple-A Nashville Sounds.

With Silva aboard, it might enable the Mariners to back off on their efforts to acquire left-hander Erik Bedard from the Orioles and thereby allow Seattle to keep right fielder Adam Jones, among others, which is what it would take to acquire the hard-throwing lefty.

[tattguy12]

HE SIGNED WITH SEATLE

[Ryan]

4 yrs and 44 million for Silva?  Baseball is out of control.  I have no problem with the Twins not paying that much to keep him.

[Spinach]

4 yrs and 44 million for Silva?  Baseball is out of control.  I have no problem with the Twins not paying that much to keep him.

I agree, although he is an inning eater, I am nervous every time he is on the mound. I'm taking this as a sign that Santana is dealt in the next couple of days and we bring in 3 young arms.