SEATTLE — Sure, the Seattle Mariners feel pressure to get their top draft choices signed this season, but they didn't play it safe in the baseball draft on Tuesday.

Unable to land 2002 first-round pick John Mayberry Jr. and 2002 third-round choice Eduardo Martinez-Esteve, the Mariners are determined to get shortstop Adam Jones of San Diego under contract.

Roger Jongewaard, the Mariners' vice president of scouting and player development, acknowledged the team felt pressure to sign this year's top picks.

"But I think we knew going in that there's always that chance and if that happens, that happens," Jongewaard said.

Jones, a shortstop-pitcher at San Diego's Samuel Morse High School, was Seattle's top selection on the first day of the draft. The Mariners tabbed him with the 37th pick, a "sandwich" selection between the first and second rounds.

They didn't have a first-round pick because they had to give that No. 19 selection to the Arizona Diamondbacks when they signed free agent Greg Colbrunn on Jan. 3.

They got the "sandwich" pick because they couldn't sign Mayberry.

The Mariners are one of the top organizations in baseball, so it's not as if they're short of talent.

Mayberry, a first baseman-outfielder, and the Mariners reportedly were $500,000 apart and he chose to accept a baseball scholarship to Stanford University. Mayberry was the 28th pick in last year's draft.

Martinez-Esteve, an outfielder, opted to take a baseball scholarship at Florida State.

The Mariners aren't going to be stampeded into drafting only the players they know they can sign.

"My theory is, if we lose a few guys, it's better than taking a second division-type player or lesser-type player just to be safe," Jongewaard said. "I'd almost rather lose a guy than get an organizational clogger."

The Mariners will have to come up with enough money to talk Jones, 17, out of playing baseball at San Diego State, which is coached by former major league star Tony Gwynn.

"I think we'll sign him," Jongewaard said. "But he's signed with San Diego State and Tony Gwynn will be difficult because he's a future Hall of Famer who's recruiting."

Jongewaard said the Mariners' scout in Southern California, Tim Reynolds, told the team Tuesday that "it shouldn't be a problem" to sign Jones.

If the Mariners are able to sign the 6-foot-2, 180-pound Jones, they'll start him out at shortstop. As a right-handed pitcher, Jones' fastball has been clocked at 96 mph, but Jones has told the Mariners he wants to play a position rather than pitch.

The Mariners think he might grow some more and perhaps might wind up at third base some day.

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In Tuesday's 20 rounds, the Mariners picked 20 players. They chose Jeffrey Flaig, 18, a shortstop from El Dorado High School in Placentia, Calif., with the 56th pick in the second round.

Then they went for four left-handed pitchers in a row: Ryan Feierabend, 17, of Midview High School in Grafton, Ohio, at No. 86 in the third round; Robert Fagan, 18, of Bartram Trails High School in Jacksonville, Fla., at No. 116 in the fourth round; Casey Abrams, 21, from Wright State University and Dayton, Ohio, at No. 146 in the fifth round, and Eric O'Flaherty, 18, of Walla Walla High School, at No. 176 in the sixth round.

The 6-3, 185-pound O'Flaherty was the only in-state player chosen by the Mariners on the first day.

The Mariners are scheduled to make 30 more selections in the final 30 rounds of the three-day draft.

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