Hasegawa, Reese are set free

11/01/2005
The Mariners have declined contract options on veteran right-handed reliever Shigetoshi Hasegawa and infielder Pokey Reese, the team announced on Tuesday.
The 37-year-old Hasegawa spent the past four seasons with the Mariners, earning an All-Star invitation in 2003 when he compiled a 1.48 ERA and a career-best 16 saves while filling in for the injured Kazahiro Sasaki.
Hasegawa was 1-3 with a 4.19 ERA in 46 games with the Mariners this past season. He needed to appear in 58 games, or finish 45 games, for his 2006 option year (for $3.1 million) to kick in. The Mariners opted for a $330,000 buyout.
His overall record with Seattle was 15-16 and 17 saves, appearing in 230 games and posting an overall 3.46 ERA.
Reese, signed as a free agent last January, missed the entire season with right shoulder injuries.
The Mariners currently are negotiating a new deal with left-handed starter Jamie Moyer and have until Wednesday night to pick up the option year on closer Eddie Guardado's contract for $6.25 million. If they don't pick it up, Guardado has seven days to decide whether to exercise his own option for $4.25 million.
Meanwhile, Guardado's agent, Kevin Kohler, has made a two-year offer that is being considered.
Besides severing ties with two of its players, the Mariners on Tuesday promoted Lee Pelekoudas to associate general manager and Jim Na to director, baseball administration, a position Pelekoudas had held since September 1997.
Pelekoudas is in his 27th year with the Mariners, starting out as the traveling secretary in 1979.
"Lee's promotion is really just the overdue recognition of the job he was already doing," general manager Bill Bavasi said in a written statement. "He has done an outstanding job of player contract negotiation, overseeing Major League player movement and helping to shape the big league club."
Na joined the Mariners baseball operations department in May 2001 and was promoted to baseball operations assistant/systems coordinator on Dec. 5, 2003.
"Jim has taken on increasing responsibility over the past two seasons and done a terrific job," Bavasi said in the statement. "This promotion better reflects the work he does for us each day."
Former Mariners GM Pat Gillick, a special consultant to Bavasi the past two seasons, reportedly has accepted the GM job with the Phillies. A formal announcement was expected Wednesday in Philadelphia.

Source: http://seattle.mariners.mlb.com/