PEORIA, Ariz. (AP) -Left-hander Erik Bedard, obtained last week by Seattle, will start on opening day.
Bedard was expected to compete with Felix Hernandez for the top spot in Seattle’s rotation, but Mariners manager John McLaren said he informed Bedard of his decision on Wednesday.
“I just think he’s got more experience,” McLaren said. “Basically that’s the main reason why.”
Hernandez got the news on Tuesday, and the 21-year-old was great about it, McLaren said.
Bedard was acquired from Baltimore for outfielder Adam Jones, left-handed reliever George Sherrill and three minor league prospects.
Bedard went 13-5 with a 3.16 ERA last year and was third in the American League in strikeouts (221) while allowing a league-low 6.97 hits per nine innings.
“It was never really a goal for me,” Bedard said of his opening-day start March 31 against Texas. “As long as I can pitch, it’s fine.”
eattle bullpen. Morrow went 3-4 with a 4.12 ERA in 60 games for Seattle last season, striking out 66 in 63 1-3 innings.
Morrow pitched in Venezuela this past winter with the hope of landing a starting spot but Seattle signed Carlos Silva in December then acquired Bedard. The Mariners also have Hernandez, Jarrod Washburn and Miguel Batista in the rotation.
“(We sent him) to Venezuela with the thoughts of him being a candidate for the starting rotation,” McLaren said. “We had to build his arm strength up, we had to build his pitch count up. With that said, we made a couple moves in the offseason and the way Brandon throws the ball, he’s a big part of our staff.”
The Mariners also signed switch-hitting first baseman Greg Norton to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training.
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