Pressure’s off Gillick now

While Mariners executives stayed behind closed doors, Pat Gillick took a completely different seat Wednesday afternoon.

He relaxed in the Safeco Field press box, watched batting practice and talked with a few writers, removed from the phone calls and trade speculation that once were a part of his job.

Gillick, the Mariners’ former general manager and now a special assistant to GM Bill Bavasi, doesn’t necessarily miss it.

“There are other aspects of the job that are better,” Gillick said.

It’s a week when, in Gillick’s mind, too much is made of trade speculation and the impact that deadline deals can have.

“It is significant, but I don’t know if it’s that important,” he said. “It can be significant to the players on a club, where a move can be a boost from a psychological standpoint.”

During his four seasons as the Mariners’ GM from 2000-03, Gillick became known – and was criticized by fans – for not making high-impact deals at the July 31 deadline.

“You don’t make a deal just to make a deal,” Gillick said. “It all depends on what you’re getting in return.”

He traded John Mabry and Tom Davey to the Padres for outfielder Al Martin in 2000. Seven days before the deadline in 2002, Gillick acquired left-handed relief pitcher Doug Creek from the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in exchange for cash.

Gillick made three significant deadline deals while the Blue Jays’ GM in the 1990s, getting pitcher Bud Black in 1990, pitcher David Cone in 1992 and leadoff hitter Rickey Henderson in 1993. The Jays went on to win the World Series in ‘92 and ‘93.

“It was a situation where we were right there (in a division race) and we needed another player,” Gillick said. “Twice it worked out for us.”

The last-place Mariners are far from being “right there” and any move Bavasi makes would serve to improve the club for the long range and not the rest of this season.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen,” Gillick said. “But I know Bill is working hard on things.”

Shoulder still troubles Soriano

Call it soreness or stiffness, pitcher Rafael Soriano continues to feel it in his right shoulder.

Soriano played catch Wednesday afternoon and, for the second time this week, didn’t feel right. The Mariners had planned to take Soriano on their road trip next week to Detroit and Chicago to continue his work, but that may change, manager Mike Hargrove said.

“It’s a little iffy, but we may let him go so he can continue to work on it,” Hargrove said.

Soriano, in the last stages of his comeback from elbow surgery last August, came down with a sore shoulder after pitching seven games on a minor league rehab assignment.

Eager to throw

Pitcher Bobby Madritsch hasn’t been able to play for nearly four months as he recovers from a strained left shoulder, but he will get back to a more baseball-like routine next week, when he travels with the Mariners on the next road trip and will begin throwing. He’s scheduled to play catch Tuesday in Detroit.

“I can’t wait to do some of the things I always hated to do,” he said. “I can’t wait to shag during batting practice and I’ll be happy to handle the (ball) bucket.”