PEORIA, Ariz. — Ichiro Suzuki is chilling out at home. Ryan Rowland-Smith is 8,000 miles from his home, sweating out a thankless choice between his country and his employer.

Just another difference between baseball's elite and those craving a job.

Suzuki is in Japan preparing to play again in the World Baseball Classic. Seattle's All-Star and franchise cornerstone doesn't have to report to spring training until after the tournament ends. Given Japan is one of the favorites, that may not be until March 25.

Rowland-Smith, a brawny 26-year-old pitcher hoping to start for Seattle this season, is in Arizona. Saturday he completed his first bullpen session of camp. He'd love to play for his native Australia in the WBC. He just doesn't think he can afford to.

Is he conflicted?

"Big time," Rowland-Smith said. "If I stay here, I', missing out on a big deal, to represent by people and my country."

The promising left-hander, whom Seattle successfully converted to a starter last summer, has spoken with sympathetic Australia manager Jon Deeble and says that team is holding a place for him on its staff.

Not so with his "other" team, the one that gives him his livelihood.

The Mariners currently have seven starters competing for five spots. Rowland-Smith knows leaving camp for at least 10 days, while an entirely new staff is trying to get to know him, makes him less likely to make the rotation.

"I want to be around the new coaches as much as possible so I can make the team. At the same time, I want to represent my country," he said, adding he is leaning one way and may decide Sunday.

"To be honest, I wish people would make the decision for me. I wish they would have said, 'No, you're staying here.'"

That's what Tampa Bay apparently did to one of Rowland-Smith's countrymen. MLB.com reported that Grant Balfour won't be in the WBC because he said the Rays told him last month when he signed a new contract that they didn't want him playing in it.

When asked if he understood that by leaving the decision up to Rowland-Smith the team was putting the pitcher in a box, Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu cackled.

"I don't know what box you are talking about," Wakamatsu said.

"He's a tremendously hard worker. I saw him pitch at the end of the last year and was extremely impressed with him. He's a talented young pitcher. But, no, we did tell him it was his decision to make."

Because Australia's opening round games are in Mexico City March 5-12, Rowland-Smith was hoping to hop between there and Arizona, to satisfy both masters. The Mariners said no.

"He is concerned about it, because he wants to do the right thing — for both sides," Wakamatsu said. "We said, 'You have to make the decision one way or the other.'"

The issue of whether to play in the WBC gained prominence on Friday when Venezuela lost two aces from its provisional roster: Johan Santana of the Mets and Carlos Zambrano of the Cubs.

Santana, who had knee surgery Oct. 1, had said he'd love to play in the tournament but would leave the decision up to the Mets, who were not expected to clear him to go. The decision was ultimately made by the commissioner's office and the players' association, the joint organizers of the WBC.

They told each federation that Santana and other major leaguers who had offseason surgery and hadn't yet played — such as in winter ball — would not be eligible for the WBC because the cost of insuring them was too high.

Santana's participation in the WBC was a touchy issue back home. President Hugo Chavez on Thursday urged major league teams to allow Venezuelan players to represent their country in the Classic, calling it the players' "right and duty." Now Mariners hotshot Felix Hernandez is the ace of Venezuela's staff.

New Seattle pitching coach Rick Adair said he supports Rowland-Smith in whatever he chooses. He insists he isn't encouraging him to stay.

"The preference is for him to do what's best for him," Adair said. "How many times does a guy get to have that opportunity, to play for his country?"

But then Adair added, "How many times does a guy get to be in a position he is in with this team?"

"For Ryan, camp's important. But he does have some track record."

Rowland-Smith was 3-2 with a 3.50 ERA in 12 starts last season. His first major league start came last July 1. From Aug. 21 through season's end, his 2.56 ERA was the lowest among starters in the American League.

This conflict is entirely internal for Rowland-Smith. When asked if, like Santana, he was getting patriotic pressure back home, in a country where baseball is far behind swimming and rugby in popularity, he scoffed.

"In Australia?" he said, smiling. "They couldn't care less."