OF Michael Saunders was sent to minor league camp today, as were right-handed relievers  Mike Koplove and Levale Speigner.  Saunders to Tacoma, minor-league assignments for Koplove and Speigner have not yet been announced.

No real surprises here.  Saunders didn’t really have a shot of making the roster with the additions of Milton Bradley and Eric Byrnes.  He’ll be sent back down to Tacoma to keep getting every day work, and will probably be the first man called up if/when an outfielder goes on the DL (i.e. the next time Eric Byrnes does a face plant).  While we haven’t had much chance to see his new and improved swing, what reports we’ve gotten from spring training seem mostly positive.

Koplove didn’t have a place with Sean White looking healthy and Kanekoa Texeira proving to be effective.  He did, however, leave an impression this spring, and it wouldn’t shock me in the slightest to see him back up in the bullpen later this year.  As for Speigner… I tend to agree with Jeff at Lookout Landing on him.  He was still here, so good for him!  He’s not a bad arm to have stashed in reserve, though.  At a bare minimum, he should have value for whichever minor league club he winds up with, probably Tacoma.

In other news, the Mariners completed the Casey Kotchman-Bill Hall trade by sending 20-year old right-hander Miguel Celestino to the Red Sox.  No major news, really.  Celestino is a big, somewhat projectable right-hander, but wasn’t someone who was all that exciting when he was signed.

Forty-one players left.  Sixteen more cuts to go.  Just a couple more weeks till Opening Day.

Note: Yusmeiro Petit was also released the other day, in case you missed it.