According to Ed Price of AOL Fanhouse, the Mariners have designated outfielder Wladimir Balentien for assignment. He's bumped to make room for Michael Saunders.
The move is somewhat interesting, as the Mariners had once considered the powerful Balentien the future of their outfield when Adam Jones departed to the Orioles in the Erik Bedard trade. The 25-year-old Balentien has been disappointing, though, posting a .619 OPS in 434 plate appearances the last three seasons. He was ranked the Ms' #5 prospect by Baseball America as recently as last year. You can bet he'll latch on to another team willing to gamble.
