Seattle Mariners stay idle through trade deadline

True to their last-place form, the Mariners staggered past the trade deadline Thursday. They couldn't even swap their rocks for dirt. You know times are rough when a team can't satisfy its desire to make a bad deal.

The Mariners had looked toward this deadline for months and hinted they would be active. So many players were rumored — Raul Ibanez, Jarrod Washburn, Adrian Beltre, Erik Bedard, even J.J. Putz (illogical) and Ichiro (ludicrous) — and the thought was that the Mariners should erase their mistakes now and collect young prospects to rebuild.

It felt like the Mariners were prepared to make multiple moves, if not hold a sale to rival Nordstrom. Instead, they managed only to trade Arthur Rhodes to Florida for a kid named Gaby Hernandez. Since Gaby is not Felix's brother, we will evacuate further analysis.

If nothing else, Seattle's inactivity matches its woeful play. Once again, the Mariners have failed to meet expectations.

It's sobering proof that this rebuilding project will be long and arduous. There's no creative way around the truth: The Mariners are a bad team with undesirable players. In past trade and free-agent markets, fired general manager Bill Bavasi directed this roster into oblivion. No ideal route back exists.

Over the past few weeks, the Mariners gained more clarity on their dilemma. They wanted to get rid of players. They were willing to make deals that might look silly now for the hope of a better future. They just didn't want to be ridiculously silly, to start offering up lefties for candy, but they discovered other teams valued their players only at bargain prices. Actually, potential trade partners only valued the Mariners' assets at "The store's closing forever in five minutes" prices.

Interim general manager Lee Pelekoudas and the other survivors in the Mariners' front office thought more highly of their players. Or at least they hoped desperate playoff contenders would ignore some warts. It didn't happen. So the home team accomplished close to nothing when all onlookers expected more.

It's not all bad. I left the Obliterate The Whole Thing train long ago. I'd rather see the permanent general manager, whenever he's hired, make the most significant fixes. Still, I figured quiet would be a little louder than this.

Most bizarre is that the Mariners were so adamant about getting a good deal for Washburn. They can still trade him, but now he must first pass through waivers. Unloading him to the New York Yankees would've been much easier. The Yankees figured taking all of Washburn's remaining salary (his contract runs through 2009) would make the deal happen. Seattle demanded more. Then grown-ups started acting all childish, and so Washburn remains here, a player who needs to move on pitching for a team that needs to move on.

While it was entertaining to watch Pelekoudas stare down the Yankees, it wasn't worth it. The Mariners would've been foolish to toss away Bedard or even Ibanez or Beltre, two others prominently featured in trade scenarios. Washburn? Just let go. The greatest reason for trading him was the opportunity to try something different.

Despite all the embarrassment this season, it seems the Mariners haven't fully come to terms with how miserable they are. Some of them understand, but too many others still believe this team is closer to decency than the record indicates.

Um, wrong.

There are no magic field-managing tactics that can save this team. Interim manager Jim Riggleman has done an admirable job, but even his leadership is starting to lose its impact.

There are no savvy roster moves that can stabilize this team for the remainder of the season. Pelekoudas has learned that much. You can't blame him for the disaster he inherited, but he should've thrown out some of the trash as he waded through the wreckage.

There is no quick path through this misery. The Mariners would be wise to focus solely on the big picture from now on, because this season will continue to drag toward a lackluster end.

In early May, when we thought the Mariners were simply going through a hitting slump, the cries for Ken Griffey Jr. to return grew louder. It seemed so likely.

Unfortunately, the Mariners continued to dive, and now Junior is with the Chicago White Sox. This pitiful season has not only robbed fans of meaningful baseball, it cost them a dream reunion with Griffey.

It's the kind of year that you should want to erase as quickly as possible. Which is why the Mariners' trade-deadline slumber is so mystifying.

The intrigue of this season is over. It's on to the manager and GM searches. It's on to the race for the No. 1 pick in the 2009 draft.

You should search for whatever takes your mind off the present. Right now, the Mariners are an idling franchise.

Jerry Brewer: 206-464-2277 or jbrewer@seattletimes.com