As you surely know by now I haven’t been keeping up with the Mariners lately.  I’m not watching ballgames from start to finish, but every time I do manage to catch a couple of innings it seems like Yuniesky Betancourt is making some kind of miscue in the field.

Here’s what we know:  One, Yuni’s range and overall defensive skills used to be a really good and are now really bad.  Two, his offense has stayed about the same despite the coaching staff’s well documented efforts to change his philosophy at the plate.  Three, Ronny Cedeno was brought in to camp specifically to challenge the players entrenched at shortstop and second base.  He wasn’t brought in as a strict utility guy, because there were several other options including Reegie Corona, Chris Woodward, Callix Crabbe etc.

So why is Betancourt still starting?

I hope the answer is that Cedeno has a minor hamstring issue, which is why Jaime Burke got the nod at first base today, but that shouldn’t last long.  When he’s healthy I want to see Yuni on the bench.

Now, this isn’t about getting a better player in the lineup.  I think Cedeno has a slight edge over YuBet, but it’s more about forcing a strong message through Yuni’s thick skull than improving that spot in the lineup.  He’s got the reputation as a lazy player and has gotten way way WAY too comfortable with his starting gig.  It’s time for manager Don Wakamatsu to sit Yuni down and tell him that he has to start working out at a few other positions because he’s the new utility man off the bench.