Mike Sweeney to Pinch Hit for Mariners in 2010?
Mike Sweeney just signed a minor league contract with the Mariners for the 2010 season. With the depth of the current team, it seems unlikely Sweeney will platoon with Ken Griffey, Jr. in the DH role in 2010. He might make the team as a pinch hit specialist. Sweeney went 5 for 11 as a pinch hitter, tieing for the highest batting average among 2009 pinch hitters. From a pure numbers standpoint, Sweeney actually makes more sense than putting Junior back in the lineup, as his 2009 .777 onbase plus slugging is 42 points higher than Junior and .281 batting average is 62 points higher. Sweeney ended 2009 with a strong showing over his last 25 games (.381BA (32x84) with 11 runs, 6 doubles, 4 home runs and 15 RBI). Considering Sweeney started 2009 with a minor league contract that resulted in 266 plate appearances, I won't be surprised if he's part of the team that heads north after spring training breaks camp.
Possibly more relevant to the case for bringing Sweeney back would be his bat vs. Ryan Langerhans. Assuming Milton Bradley can play some left field on days when Eric Byrnes isn't out there, Sweeney makes a better backup bat for the lineup than Langerhans. Sweeney batted 63 points higher than Langerhans in 2009, with an extra 80 points on Langerhans OPS. That puts the outfield short a player in the event of an injury, but Michael Saunders is only a shuttle bus away if needed. Sweeney is absolutely a better choice off the bench in late innings. If there M's are holding strong in the AL West, Sweeney is also going to provide needed leadership down the stretch.
