FanHouse

While Monday was already a great day of change in Seattle with the deserved firing of general manager Bill Bavasi, it wasn't the only thing that changed with the Mariners yesterday. For the first time since August 19th, 2006, Ichiro Suzuki started a game in right field.

Right field was where Ichiro spent his first five years in Seattle, and after the team sent Wladimir Balentien back down to Tacoma in favor of Jeff Clement, there was an opening in right and John McLaren says he'd been thinking about making the move for a month or so. Still, this may not be the last move that Ichiro makes this season, as McLaren also said he's toying with the idea of dropping him out of the lead-off spot in the Mariners lineup.

McLaren said he's also spoken to Ichiro about a move out of the leadoff spot in hopes of jump-starting an offense that ranks last in the American League in runs scored and second-to-last in team batting average.

Such a move does not appear imminent, however, because McLaren said there is currently no other obvious candidate to hit leadoff.

"Ichiro is on board with anything we want to do to help the club, and I think most of these guys are from the same school in that clubhouse," McLaren said.

While Ichiro's line of .293/.355/.383 so far this season is one that some players would kill for (including about 95% of the Mariners roster), it's well below his career marks of .321/.393/.400. With the Mariners offense being dead last in the AL in runs scored and OBP, and next to last in hits, and team batting average, it's apparent that the team needs to make some changes to it's lineup.

I'm not sure moving Ichiro out of the lead-off spot is the right move to make, though. His average and OBP may be down this season, but he still leads Seattle regulars in both categories and leads the team in stolen bases with 30 as well. Exactly whom McLaren would replace him with at the top of the lineup, I'm not sure. Willie Bloomquist and Jeremy Reed will probably be platooning in center now that Suzuki is back in right, but neither of them are better options than Ichiro.

I can understand that McLaren is feeling pressure now that Bavasi has been fired, and feels he has to do something to shake the team up, but I don't see how moving Ichiro down in the lineup will do anything but make matters worse.