Brendan Ryan clears waivers

It's been pretty quiet lately. The Mariners haven't made many moves in the past few weeks, and the roster seems to be set for the rest of the month. The trade deadline went without so much as a whisper, and now the first hint of something is Brendan Ryan clearing post-deadline waivers.

This probably doesn't mean much. Even though Ryan isn't playing very often and his job as clearly been stolen by Brad Miller, Ryan joins the dozens of other players that have been placed on waivers the past few weeks, most likely including a bunch of names that haven't been leaked. He's the only player we know the Mariners have placed through waivers, although there certainly could be others. Every year, a whole boatload of players pass through waivers after the deadline, and so far there's been five trades made after July 31st. This year's big deal was Alex Rios to Texas, who changed organizations for the second time in his career after in a post-deadline waiver deal. The first time, the Blue Jays just let him be claimed by Chicago.

Brendan Ryan's suitors are limited, especially for a starting role. If the Mariners want to trade him to another team to be utility guy and late inning replacement, they'll be lucky to get a developmental reliever. It'll most likely be organizational depth at best. The Tigers looked like a possible destination with Jhonny Peralta's suspension until they went out and grabbed Jose Iglesias at the trade deadline, who did something insane. (Seriously, did you see the play?)

It's only slightly relevant, but it's so good it has to be posted again.

Either way, that's the kind of play that only a few people in this league are capable of, and Brendan Ryan is one of them. If he's going to be dealt, it will be to a contender looking for some late inning defensive help in a playoff game. That cuts his suitors down in a hurry, so I wouldn't expect anything to transpire unless somebody surprises the Mariners with an overpay. The team is just keeping it's options open.

If by some chance it is the end of the line for Brendan Ryan on the Seattle Mariners, we will never forget you. I'm not ready to say goodbye just yet.