What took so long?

So Bavasi gets the ax to the surprise of ... absolutely no one. By any measure, the Bavasi era was a failure. In five years, there was 1 winning season and zero playoff appearances. The farm system is middle of the road and the team is filled with aging veterans with overpriced contracts.

So here at Seattle's Got Balls, we bid adieu to Bavasi with a list of his three worst moves. This list could have easily been a top-10 (Wilkerson signing, trading for Horacio Ramirez), but I got work to do. (The Bedard trade and Silva signing are too early to judge.)

3) Trading Carlos Guillen: This one will be short. Guillen's batting average in five seasons with Detroit: .318, .320, .320, .296 and .304.

Seattle gets Ramon Santiago (released by Seattle in 2005, one year after the trade) and Juan Gonzalez (not Juan Gone and not in baseball, as far as I can tell.)

2) Signing Richie Sexson: Bavasi signed the Big Sexy to a back-ended, 4-year, $50 million contact in 2004. Sexson made $15.5 million last season and this season, a staggering sum for a man who strikes out 1 in every 4 at bats and has been hit .200 over the last two years.

Why not the worst? Sexson played fairly well the first two years of his contract. The sudden collapse in his play has made his first two seasons a distant memory. If there is a fitting gambling metaphor, I'd say it's like being in a casino, winning $400 in craps only to give back those winnings and then some on that very same table.

1) Freddy Garcia trade: Team A and Team B trade a 29-year-old workhorse pitcher to a contending team for prospects. Both were a few years removed from being in the Cy Young running and were having very good seasons.

Team A: In 2002, the Cleveland Indians trade Bartolo Colon to the Montreal Expos. In return, they get Grady Sizemore, Cliff Lee and Brandon Phillips. (That's two All-Stars and one soon-to-be)

Team B: In 2004, the Mariners deal Freddy Garcia to the Chicago White Sox for Jeremy Reed (AAAA player at best), Miguel Olivo (traded) and Mike Morse (injured).

On that note, we will send Bavasi on his way like a funk blast heading out of Safeco.