Yo! (Yo) Brandon...

So, the saga of Brandon continues....

• First - injury in Spring Training prevents him from getting his innings in (he logs all of 5 in ST)
• Then he proclaims, due to various reasons, the bullpen is the place for him
• He starts the season on a shaky note (likely due to still being in ST mode) settles in a bit but is eventually placed on the DL
• He comes back too soon, without rehab in the minors, and promptly implodes (blowing back-to-back saves in Texas)
• The closer role is revoked and he begins working on things here and there on the rare occasions there is somewhat of a mop-up role
• And now that the M's have found their closer (Ardsma) and other bullpen roles have been assigned, accepted and acheived, Geoff Baker reports ...

Mariners pitcher Brandon Morrow: "I think I can be a good starter."

Just got done talking with Brandon Morrow, who confirmed what's been known internally within the team for some time. He's off to Class AAA Tacoma to work on becoming a starting pitcher again as soon as the Mariners can call up pitcher Roy Corcoran from his injury rehab assignment. Might happen this week.
"It's going to be the long road this time,'' he said. "Last year, it was the month in AAA and everybody knew I was coming back.''
Not this time. This time, there is no timetable. Morrow wants it that way. Wants to work on the mechanical changes he's already sought to improve up here. He feels he's been selling himself short. I asked him that very question, whether he felt he was cheating himself out of becoming the best he can be.
"Yeah, definitely, that was another thing,'' he said. "I think it limits me in the bullpen and I definitely had the wrong mindset, I guess, when I was going out there early in the year. I wasn't fully ready, I guess. Yeah, selling myself short. I think I can be a good starter. I think I have the pitches for it. I think I can mix my pitches well. I've been working on my location with all of them. I know I have the stamina to do it. I've always been able to keep my velocity and stuff late in the game, even when I didn't havce great control. I mean, that's always been my biggest problem.''
In the same clip, Morrow adds that his concerns about his diabetes were just something he used as an excuse to convince himself he was doing the right thing. He says now that he was never really certain.
"It was a hasty decision to go to the bullpen,'' he said. "The short forearm tightness injury (in spring training). that kind of started the doubts in my mind.''
And when that happened, he reverted to the one thing he knew and felt comfortable doing -- the bullpen. It was only later on, when he began struggling there, too, that he realized he may have made a mistake.
Now, he's about to find out whether that's the case. And whether starting is what he's truly meant to do.

And a "tweet" from Shannon Drayer (M's beat reporter) earlier today...

Talked to Morrow. He's a starter. However long he needs in the minors, he is ready for it and wants to do it right.

Stay tuned as we follow Brandon in T-Town....