Don't be surprised if the Seattle Mariners' quest to obtain offensive help before today's 1 p.m. trade deadline yields nothing. That's the message both general manager Pat Gillick and manager Lou Piniella delivered Sunday. Gillick said he had spoken with four National League teams and one from the American League but had no sense that a deal was close. Nothing has happened.
Somebody makes a move and then the offer changes.
Yeah, there's a possibility. The Mariners raised a few eyebrows when highly-regarded pitcher Joel Pineiro, frequently mentioned as trade bait, was scratched from his scheduled start Sunday for the Tacoma Rainiers. Gillick, trying to bring in an RBI producer who can bolster an offense that has struggled much of the season, thought he had one deal put together over the weekend. Newsday reported that a sticking point in an M's-Gonzalex trade involved infielder Carlos Guillen. Detroit wanted him and Brett Tomko, while Seattle wanted to part with Tomko, David Bell and a minor leaguer.