PEORIA, Ariz. (AP) -The sun was still rising, and while many of his new teammates were just getting to work, Carlos Silva rumbled off the field and back into the Mariners clubhouse.
The bullish pitcher has legs like pillars. His shoulders seem to jut into neighboring locker stalls. The NFL's Seattle Seahawks could use him on their defensive line - he's listed at 6-foot-4, 246 pounds, but says he's really 270.
He's just finished 45 minutes on a cardio step machine and then a conditioning run around the field with some of his fellow pitchers. He is drenched in perspiration, and not even a little satisfied that he's done enough.
"That's my style," the former Minnesota Twins starter said. "This team brought me here for one reason. They didn't bring me here just to be a good guy on the team."
But he is that, too.
Some of his new teammates initially shied away from coming up to the imposing Silva.
"But you get to know him, he's just a big teddy bear," fellow new pitcher R.A. Dickey said. "Just a great guy."
A great big guy.
Hours after Silva's latest early morning grind, teammates emerged from the lunch room stunned.
"Silva's eating four four-by-fours - 16 patties!" one said, marveling over burgers brought in from a local joint.
"Awesome."
Mariners manager John McLaren says Silva's size is not an issue.
"It doesn't bother me at all," McLaren said. "He works as hard as anyone. He's here at 6:45 every morning, working."
Mariners51 
