As I’m sure most of you know by now, but struggling first baseman Richie Sexson was released by the Mariners today. Jim Riggleman stated that since Sexson wasn’t playing regularly that his body language was starting to be too negative and that the team didn’t need that type of negativity on the club.

Larry LaRue of the Tacoma News Tribune reports that the Angels (how great would that be?!?!) and the Dodgers have shown some interest in Sexson. It also sounds like Jose Vidro will play first against RHP.

Also today the M’s but Erik Bedard on the DL and called up Jared Wells and Tug Hulett. Hulett has been swinging a pretty hot bat lately for Tacoma, with his numbers through 71 games being a .302 batting average to go with 17 doubles, nine home runs and 32 runs batted in.

Wells’ stay probably won’t be long as he’ll most likely get sent down once Felix Hernandez comes off of disabled list. The Hulett move surprises me, as I’m not sure what exactly the M’s plan to do with him. Maybe they give him some time at first, but with being a left handed hitter one would think that since it appears Vidro will play in that situation there won’t be much time for Hulett.

Do you wish the M’s would’ve called up someone else? Are you worried at all about giving Vidro more at bats? When will he get released? What should the M’s do with their situation at first base the rest of this year and then next year?

Edit for Addition (Churchill): The Mariners traded a player to be named later to Pittsburgh for the almost-as-worthless-as-Sexson Craig Wilson, a first baseman slash outfielder that used to be a solid bat.

But their best long-term option is an hour north in Everett. (pictured above)

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In this week’s Farm Report, I finally got the chance to ask some scouts about Carlos Triunfel, the 18-year-old, 2008 version.

After getting rave reviews for his natural talents last season, many have been disappointed in the production Triunfel has put forth this season.

But one opposing manager and every scout I was able to reach to ask about the Dominican native continued to speak glowingly of the abilities of the Mariners top prospect.

And yes,  he is still the No. 1 prospect in the organization. He’s got the biggest upside - above-average tools across the board to go with above-average power, speed and the physical skills to man a defensive position in the middle of the field.

I was expecting a lot of concern to come out of the discussions, however, but got very little except for some mentions of his off field issues that brought comparisons to New York Yankees outfield prospect Jose Tabata.

[Tabata, too, has displayed some immaturity along the way but has unlimited raw tools, as does Triunfel.]

What I did hear a lot of, though, was this:

He’s still the youngest everyday player in Advanced A and he has certainly improved. Only you can’t see it in the numbers.

And…

He’s raw, he’s 18 years old and he’s facing pitchers three and four years older. He has really quick hands and is still learning how to throw them through the strike zone while getting some loft on his line drives. I see he’s drawing walks at a much-improved pace and he’s still making an awful lot of contact.

Triunfel hit his second home run of the season Tuesday night and has followed up a futile June (.154/.214/.246) with a strong first eight games in July in which he’s hitting .313/.389/.406.

His overall statistics do not look good - .245/.302/.324, but I recommend paying close attention to his second half split, rather than his overall numbers.

Photo of Carlos Triunfel by Mike Andruski

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While I don’t really like doing pieces like this - mostly because it’s information I really can’t get with a simple phone call or a fresh set of outgoing e-mails - it seems that trades are all everyone is wondering about these days.

It’s July 6 and even fans of other teams are asking if I have anything that concerns their team.

So, what the heck.

There will be M’s rumors in here, too, mostly those I have already touched on, I think, but this covers just about everything I have heard in the past three or four days.

The Chicago Cubs want a starting pitcher, and preferably one that’s better than every other starting pitcher they have, including Carlos Zambrano. On their wish list are C.C. Sabathia, Erik Bedard, Rich Harden and A.J. Burnett, but probably don’t have the pieces to land any of them.

The St. Louis Cardinals have the early inside track on Harden and are able to offer up Colby Rasmus as the headliner in a deal for the right-hander. The Cubs may be better off making offers for Joe Blanton, Tim Hudson and Aaron Harang.

The New York Yankees are also interested in all of the above, and they, too, may come up short in available young talent, at least for Sabathia, Harden and Bedard. One scout, citing how heavily the Yankees were scouting other specific clubs, said he expected either Bedard or Blanton to land in the Big Apple.

The rumors surrounding Sabathia and the Brewers sound awfully weak, since Milwaukee is not currently willing to send two of their top six prospects to Cleveland for a rental player they would have no chance in re-signing.

Based on what I have been told about the current market assessment, I would bet heavily on the Indians keeping Sabathia and taking the two draft picks, or finding a way to rob the Yankees of two of their top three prospects in center fielder Austin Jackson, now-catcher-soon-to-be-first-baseman Jesus Montero and right-hander Zach McAllister, or something like that.

Otherwise, the Yankees aren’t likely to get Sabathia, either.

The 2009 draft looks to be excellent and two extra picks are probably worth more than Matt LaPorta and two “B” prospects from the Brewers, and it’s certainly worth more than the same from the Yankees. And you can bet the farm that Tribe GM Mark Shapiro is going to use that as a bargaining chip.

The rumors of Tampa Bay and the Dodgers getting involved are quite ridiculous, and most likely only those two clubs are being leaked to drive up the price. It’s no coincidence that both have deep farm systems.

One thing is for sure: The club that gets Sabathia is going to pay a pretty hefty price, even if it’s just for two months and, hopefully, October.

C.C. Sabathia Prediction: - Unless the Brewers change their stance, Sabathia will land in the Bronx or stay with Cleveland.

If Milwaukee caves, at least somewhat, Cleveland would probably much prefer to send him to the National League, regardless of the fact that there is a good chance he signs with AL club in 2009, as long as the return is somewhat equal.

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Harden’s market is a little bit different, for several reasons. One, the Oakland Athletics seek a different kind of player. Not a talent type that all clubs have to send back. Two, the right-hander has a history of shoulder problems which makes it difficult for teams to pour out their farm system to the A’s to land him.The advantage, however, is that Harden is not schedule to be eligible for free agency until after the 2009 season. Harden, when healthy, is one of the top few starting pitchers in the game, but comes with the short and long-term health risk.

The Cardinals, Cubs, Phillies, Padres and Yankees all have apparent interest, and there’s really not much of a chance that Billy Beane passes up the chance to get some good value for Harden while he’s healthy.Don’t be surprised if Harden is the first to be traded.

Rich Harden Prediction: New York Yankees

If the Yankees choose to bleed their system for a pitcher not named Sabathia, Harden and Bedard are the top two candidates. Oakland would probably insist that Jackson be involved, and may prefer Montero to McAllister.

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It looks like the Toronto Blue Jays are more interested in fighting for 2008, to save J.P. Riccardi’s job and allowing right-hander A.J. Burnett to opt out of his contract rather than trading the 31-year-old.But the Seattle Mariners are certainly willing to trade left-hander Erik Bedard, and have not backed off their efforts to focus on trading other parts of the 25-man roster, as has been erroneously reported.

Bedard’s potential health risk and durability concerns will, however, probably push any trade until much closer to the deadline in order to give him time to put some of those concerns behind him.

The Phillies have been the hottest rumor, but the Yankees, Cubs and Cardinals have also shown enough interest to send scouts to see Bedard in Seattle and San Diego.

The Yankees and Cardinals each have center fielders they could deal in Colby Rasmus and Austin Jackson, which would be ideal if the M’s are going to be naive enough to leave Ichiro in right, and have other pieces that should satisfy the M’s requirements.

Erik Bedard Prediction: Philadelphia or New York Yankees

The Yankees would prefer Sabathia, but might prefer Bedard to Harden due to handedness. If the Yankees whiff on Sabathia, Bedard probably lands in New York for a package starting with Jackson and McAllister, who would immediately become the M’s second-best pitching prospect.

A Phillies trade would probably have to include both a healthy Carlos Carrasco and either shortstop Jason Donald, who profiles better defensively at second base, or natural second baseman Adrian Cardenas, a left-handed hitter with average to above average power, or maybe both.

It’s difficult to imagine a scenario where Milwaukee gets involved in the Bedard sweepstakes, and the two clubs may not be a match since Alcides Escobar and Mat Gamel are apparently off the table, and LaPorta and Angel Salome aren’t likely to interest the Mariners as much.

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The Cubs may be on the outside looking in, which is where right-hander Joe Blanton, Tim Hudson and Aaron Harang come into play.Blanton is probably staying put, but only because Beane isn’t too keen on selling low.Hudson, as well as first baseman Mark Teixeira, should become very available as the Braves look to revamp for next season.

Hudson is guaranteed $13 million in 2009 and has a $12 million mutual option for 2010 that holds a $1 million buyout, but 2/25 is cheap considering the market for pitching these days. Plus, Hudson is durable if nothing else, and has been very solid since changing the grip on his two-seam fastball last May, adding sink which improved the consistency in his ground ball rates.

He’ll need it if he lands in Wrigley Field.

Chicago Cubs Prediction: In-house - I don’t see a deal that makes a ton of sense for the Cubs right now. If Burnett is shopped, he’d become the leading candidate to land on the North Side.

Or if GM Jim Hendry can convince Walt Jocketty to deal within the division, Harang is a good fit, too, and Lou Pineilla’s kind of player.

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Others -Vicente Padilla - This is the kind of bargain shopping the Detroit Tigers, San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers may be into this summer. Detroit needs bullpen help - *cough* George Sherrill *cough* - and the Padres and Dodgers are in dire need of more offense and would be wise to spend their trade bait on those needs.

One Dodgers scout did say this last week when asked about their trade deadline intentions: “We do have Chad (Billingsley), Clay (Kershaw) and (Hiroki) Kuroda locked up for the next four years, giving us three really solid guys to build on after this season. Derek (Lowe) and (Brad) Penny may be gone (LAD holds an option on Penny) but I think that gives us the flexibility to use some of our minor league arms to get some offense.

“The division is there for us. I don’t know what they (the front office) have in mind specifically, but I’ve been sent to see every single bat that may or may not become available, which is why I am here in Seattle watching (Alex) Rios and Adrian Beltre. Last week I was sent to see Milton Bradley in Texas and I’m off to see Garret Atkins and Cristian Guzman - and at some point I’ll take a look at Casey Blake and Jhonny Peralta of Cleveland when they come out on a trip west this month.

“Sure, that could all be for no reason, but it usually means something.”

Jarrod Washburn - Los Angeles Dodgers

Livan Hernandez - Detroit Tigers

Gil Meche - Stays in KC until winter or next summer

Kevin Millwood - Stays in Texas

Tim Redding - St. Louis Cardinals

Randy Wolf - Milwaukee Brewers

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I have received several e-mails over the past day or so asking numerous questions about the M’s farm system, its status, certain players, etc.

I thought I’d toss the answers into one post.

Q: Where does the Mariners system rank versus the rest of the league?

A: Because Jeff Clement and Wladimir Balentien will certainly no longer count - though technically neither player has surpassed the at-bat threshold - I would say somewhere in the 16-20 range.

Seattle is not without as much talent as those in the 10-15 range, but most of it is down in A ball, and since most of that is pitching, the inherent risks that comes with such young arms renders the system thin in probability.

If Clement and Balentien were included, I think I’d slide the M’s into the 11-13 range.

Q: I was surprised that Michael Pineda wasn’t in your mid-season Top 10. Where would you rank him?

A: If I went beyond No. 10, I think Pineda would appear pretty early, perhaps in the first few. I can’t see any way he’d rank any lower than 12 or 13. He got strong consideration for the Top 10, and you can argue that he belongs there.

Q: What other teams have as much or more young pitching in the lower minors as the Mariners do?

A:  Unfortunately, Oakland does, and it certainly exceeds, at least right now, what the Mariners are bringing to the table. With Trevor Cahill, Fausto de los Santos, Henry Rodriguez and now Michael Inoa, the A’s are stacked.  Scary stacked.

The good news is, they don’t have much offense brewing and they don’t spend money on their 25-man roster.

Q: If you were ranking the top five farm systems in baseball, how would that turn out?

A: I’d start with Texas and Tampa Bay, and that’s not going out on a limb. Both clubs are stacked with impact players, Tampa with tons of pitching, Texas with tons of bats.

Q: Do you know who the top 10 prospects in baseball are right now, according to most?

A: I don’tknow about “most” but I’d put Baltimore catcher Matt Weiters at No. 1, with Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen and Milwaukee Brewers shortstop Alcides Escobar (pictured above, right) rounding out my top three.

After that, in no particular order, I’d go with Texas’ newly called up first baseman Chris Davis, Milwaukee first baseman/outfielder Matt LaPorta, Boston first baseman Lars Anderson and Tampa left-hander David Price.

Former Mariners right-hander Chris Tillman would definitely rank in my top 10 pitching prospects, along with Boston right-hander Michael Bowden and San Francisco Giants right-hander Tim Alderson.

Q: Would the Mariners make a prospect-for-prospect trade if it got them a left-handed power-hitting first baseman or upgrades in left field or at second base?

A: I think they would, but it would have to be a no-brainer. I don’t see the club trading Jeff Clement in such a trade, however. I could see Balentien being dangled, but trades involving prospects onlycoming in and going out are very rare.

Q: Have you heard any trade rumors involving the Mariners? What’s the scoop?

A: This is what I have heard, and some of this is fresh.

Atlanta has shown interest in Raul Ibanez, but I have not heard if either team has made an offer. I would guess it’s too early for that.

Jarrod Washburn is pitching his way out of town. Yay. The Phillies, Astros, Diamondbacks and Cardinals have shown interest. The return is going to be uninspiring, but that’s to be expected.

One scout from one of the team interested in Washburn says that money is going to dictate where and if the left-hander is traded this summer.

Miguel Batista is not going to be traded, at least not in July.

The Mariners aren’t excited about the prospects of trading Adrian Beltre, both because they want to keep him beyond 2009 and because they believe they would be selling low on a player they can win with next year.

The Dodgers and Brewers, among others, have inquired, and the Phillies and Giants should do so if they haven’t already.

One scout’s opinion on Erik Bedard versus San Diego Sunday: “I thought he looked very good. That wasn’t an ace out there, but that pitcher puts six teams in the NL over the top.”

The Mariners are probably going to do whatever it takes to create a bidding war for Bedard, which is the right thing to do.

An assistant GM suspected that the Mariners could still probably get 75 cents on the dollar for Bedard, using what Seattle sent to Baltimore as a price guide.

Milwaukee is not interested, neither is San Francisco, contrary to what was reported over the weekend. The Giants scouts are out looking for offense and have no desire to waste their trade pieces on pitching.

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