Bye, Kotchman

The hits just keep coming. As of a few minutes ago, Larry Stone is reporting that Casey Kotchman, our '10 opening day first baseman, has been outrighted to Tacoma by the team and has subsequently chosen free agency. Casey was traded to the M's by the Red Sox last winter in exchange for Bill Hall. At the time, I was thrilled, harkening back to days when Casey would routinely cause headaches for my team as a member of the Angels. Sadly, his time in Seattle did not go so well. His breathtaking defense kept him in the lineup, but the man just couldn't hit. His .217 average and 9 home runs are pretty depressing for someone who was supposed to be a major league starting first baseman. Casey was the hero on the very first day of the season, knocking in the winning runs in the ninth against Oakland, but it was all downhill from there.

Someone will want Kotchman. He's in that no-man's-land between being a mediocre regular player and an above average bench guy. Perhaps a move to the National League, where he can be a useful lefty pinch-hitter and defensive replacement, will be a good move for all involved.

Finally, this clears up the first base log jam the M's were sorting through. The job most definitely belongs to Justin Smoak next year, with Mike Carp lurking in the background should things go impossibly wrong.