Two pitchers = minus 63 pounds

Carlos Silva reports to camp 30 lbs. lighter | Seattle Times

The four-year, $48 million deal given Silva about 14 months ago remains one of the most criticized of any move by the previous regime of general manager Bill Bavasi. Silva jumped out to a quick start, going 3-0 with a 2.79 ERA in April, then managed a lone victory the rest of the way.

Though some of Silva's misfortune was due to poor fielding behind him, his weight came under increased scrutiny as the season wore on. By the time it was done, Silva, often the target of fan scorn, was ready to try anything.

"I knew as soon as they signed me here that they had very big expectations," said Silva, who arrived with the rest of the team's pitchers and catchers at the Peoria Sports Complex on Friday to take a physical ahead of today's scheduled on-field workout. "I didn't cover those expectations at all. But as soon as the season ended, I went back home and the only thing I had on my mind is what I've got to do."

What the Mariners made him do was stop eating so much and get himself into the yoga class. They wanted to see more flexibility and core strength out of a pitcher whose back could barely make it through last season's second half.

"I feel great," Silva said of his increased strength and flexibility. "It's easier to work out because I'm not as heavy as before."

And now, the team hopes Silva is poised for a rebound on the mound.

"He looks like somebody cut him in half," Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu exclaimed. "He's in good shape. He looks great."

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More advanced pitching metrics seem to suggest that his fielders were largely to blame for his bloated ERA in 2008.

The Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP) stat showed him at 4.63 compared to the 6.46 ERA. While an ERA of 4.63 is still not what the Mariners wanted for $12 million per season, it would have been far preferable to the Jeff Weaver-like number Silva finished with.

Silva also stranded fewer runners last year than he had in previous seasons with better defenders behind him.

That seems to suggest that with better defense — something Wakamatsu and new general manager Jack Zduriencik have made paramount to their overall strategy — Silva's numbers are poised for a rebound even if he stays the same. But Silva feels he has to make big mound improvements, something that, if successful, could cut him slack with a skeptical fan base.

Messenger sharpens focus | Seattle PI

Randy Messenger only looks like a new man. Absent 35 pounds and the facial hair he sported when he pitched for the Mariners late last season, the right-hander feels like one, too.

"It feels better just waking up in the morning," he said. "I used to hit the snooze five or six times, and now I'm just hitting it once just to get my marbles working.

"At the end of the season, they wanted me to come in at a certain weight. I just took it a lot further."

Although the current coaching staff didn't know the 6-foot-8 Messenger last season, when he weighed a robust 284 pounds, tales of his dedication, and his performance thus far in camp, have their attention.

"Him coming in in great shape and the sacrifice he made over the winter brings into our discussions how motivated he is to make this club," manager Don Wakamatsu said. "That's the kind of stuff we're looking for."

Messenger, 27, who spent his early career in the Florida Marlins organization, was signed by the Mariners in July after his release by San Francisco's Triple-A affiliate. On Aug. 25 he was called up to Seattle, where he held opponents scoreless in 10 of 13 relief appearances.

The Mariners released him in January, making room on the 40-man roster after the trade with the Cubs that brought in Garrett Olson and Ronny Cedeno. Two days later, the Mariners re-signed Messenger to a minor league deal.

Shortly before his call-up last fall, Messenger's wife, Vanessa, gave birth to the couple's first child, daughter Francesa. He said fatherhood was a major factor in his offseason turnaround.

"It's a health thing," he said. "I want to make sure I'm around a long time for my daughter. I just realized I wanted to get my butt in shape.

"The only thing that was hard was that first month, trying to eat right. Once I got that down, it became natural. I didn't have any cravings anymore."