Jason Vargas
Mariners Replace Vargas with…Vargas?
Hidden underneath the Felix Hernandez hullabaloo, one might not have noticed that the Mariners signed lefty Joe Saunders to a one-year deal worth in the neighborhood of $6M, possibly with an option for 2014. Without knowing the specifics of the contract, this is still a deal I was hoping the M’s would make.
Back in November, I wrote about the importance of improving the current staff before the Big Three are ready. I was hoping for a number 2 starter to bump everyone down a slot in the rotation, and then the team went in the opposite direction, trading away Jason Vargas. That left us here:
1) Felix
2) Iwakuma
3) Ramirez
4) Beavan
5) Noesi? Furbush? Hultzen?
Counting on any more than zero WAR from Noesi, et. al. would have been somewhat optimistic, considering Noesi lit up the leaderboards for -0.7 fWAR last season, Furbush hasn’t started in more than a year, and Hultzen gave up a walk rate of 14% in the high minors last season. The addition of Saunders to the rotation adds an expected 2-ish wins for the M’s this season because he is effectively replacing a steaming pile of manure—from a baseball perspective, anyway.
Getting to know Saunders a little better basically requires that you remember that guy mentioned up there named Vargas. Check out the similarities over the last three seasons:
William Perlman/THE STAR-LEDGER via USA TODAY Sports
| Stat | Vargas | Saunders |
| ERA |
3.96 |
4.07 |
| xFIP- |
109 |
110 |
| K% |
15.2% |
13.4% |
| BB% |
6.6% |
6.8% |
| K/BB |
2.3 |
2.0 |
| Flyball% |
43.7% |
35.8% |
| FB Velocity |
87.3 |
90 |
| WAR |
5.2 |
5.2 |
Saunders throws a little harder, though neither throws fireballs, and he gives up fewer fly balls. Vargas had a slightly better K/BB ratio, and edged Saunders in ERA and park-adjusted xFIP. In the end, both contributed equal amounts of WAR to his team. But we have to remember that Vargas was playing in a ballpark practically built for him. While WAR does account for ballparks to a certain extent, it’s not tailored to adjust for individual players. Vargas had a special relationship with SafeCo that should have made his wife jealous. Even if we account for moving in the fences, Saunders can probably still expect to get extra value out of the marine air, solid outfield defense, and whatever other voodoo is at work in SafeCo.
And hey, if the salary reports are true, Saunders will cost less than Vargas this season. So it’s kind of like we got a cost-controlled Kendrys Morales, along with a cheaper Jason Vargas, for Jason Vargas. If you can’t tell, I really like this signing.
Tags: featured, Jason Vargas, joe saunders, Off-Season, Popular, seattle mariners
Posted in: Mariners | No Comments »
The Mariners Add Power-Hitting Kendrys Morales
Yesterday, the Mariners helped to fill a hole that had been gaping in their lineup for years by adding power-hitter Kendrys Morales. In order to add this 29 year-old first baseman, Seattle sent Jason Vargas to the Angels.
This was an excellent deal for Seattle for two main reasons. First of all, Seattle gained something they dearly needed without spending money. In addition, they gave up a piece that was, not only unimportant to the team’s future, but was on the verge of losing its value.
Morales is an impact bat. He’s no Josh Hamilton, but he has certainly demonstrated his ability to be a legitimate power hitter. In Morales’ only full season in the MLB, which was 2009, he posted a .924 OPS and finished fifth in AL MVP voting. In the following year of 2010, he averaged a homerun every nineteen at bats before injuring himself celebrating a walk-off homerun just fifty-one games into the season.
Morales missed the rest of the 2010 season and the entire 2011 campaign as a result of the injury before coming back to play 134 games last year. In his limited opportunities, he hit twenty-two homeruns and posted a line of .273/.320/.476.
Remember that those numbers were produced by a man who had not played in almost two years. His numbers improved as the year progressed, so now that he has shaken off the cobwebs, he is ready to be the player he was pre-injury. For those of you worried about his health, the Mariners did extensive research concerning the status of his injury before making this deal, so it appears that he is ready to play every day at first base.
With the switch-hitting Morales in the middle of Seattle’s order, the young players around him will have a lot less pressure mounted on their back and they are now more likely to come to the plate with men on base. The addition of Morales will help everyone in the lineup.
As for losing Jason Vargas, I am not at all disappointed. As I have said in previous articles, I believe that Vargas would have quickly lost value once dropped into the habitat of the new Safeco Field. His success has been largely due to the pitcher-friendly ballpark, but with the fences coming in, Vargas’ numbers at home would have reflected the new dimensions. He would have had close to no trade value by the trade deadline next year. It was wise to move him now.
Vargas’ loss will also not damage Seattle’s future considering there are lots of great young pitchers in the top of the farm system that will step up into the void left by Vargas by the time that Seattle is in the playoff hunt.
There is nothing not to like about the long-term effects of this trade. Seattle now has a dependable middle of the lineup bat, something that they have not had since Raul Ibanez.
Tags: featured, Jason Vargas, Kendrys Morales, Los angeles Angels, Mariners General, Popular, seattle mariners, trades, Transaction
Posted in: Mariners | No Comments »
Seattle’s Future for the Starting Rotation
The future of the starting rotation in Seattle looks pretty bright between the dominance of King Felix and the future of the big three, but there are still many conversations to be had on the subject.
First of all, Felix Hernandez should not be traded. The Mariners have a 26 year old Cy Young winner in their grasp, why would they trade him? With the possible exceptions of Mike Trout, Clayton Kershaw, and Giancarlo Stanton, there is not a better player to build a team around than King Felix, in my opinion. If Seattle is trying to build a winning team, there isn’t a better guy to start with than Hernandez.
Jason Vargas is an interesting case because he is a pitcher who has really benefited from playing in Safeco Field. Take a look at these splits from last year.
|
Vargas at Home |
Vargas on the Road |
|
|
ERA |
2.74 |
4.78 |
|
FIP |
3.61 |
5.59 |
|
WHIP |
1.02 |
1.31 |
|
K/BB |
3.14 |
2.18 |
|
HR/9 |
.82 |
1.97 |
|
wOBP |
.260 |
.347 |
|
SLG |
.327 |
.495 |
Vargas leaving the mound after a poor road start. Credit: Jesse Johnson-US PRESSWIRE
As you can see, Vargas is not a great pitcher when he isn’t in the friendly confines of Safeco Field. With the fences moving in this year, Vargas’ value has diminished even more than before. The deep dimensions of left field and left center have had a direct correlation to Vargas’ success.
Outside of Seattle, he is probably a decent bottom of the rotation starter, but he has become a number two starter with the Mariners because of the stadium. Once the fences are brought in, we may see an instantaneous dip in the lefty’s numbers in the upcoming year, and for this reason, I am hesitant to pencil in Vargas as a starter of the future. He certainly won’t be a top of the rotation guy like he is right now.
Hisashi Iwakuma is another interesting pitcher in Seattle right now. He was brought here last offseason on a one year contract. After spring training, he was put in the bullpen before being promoted to the rotation mid-season where he shined. However, he too had more success in Safeco Field than in other ballparks, although the correlation was not as dramatic as in Vargas’ case. Now that he has a more substantial two-year contract, it appears that the 31 year old will be here for a bit longer. He could be a good middle of the rotation man down the road if he continues to post solid numbers as long as he remains affordable.
Last season, we had two young arms at the bottom of the rotation who struggled in Blake Beavan and Hector Noesi. These two guys had an xFIP of 5.01 and 5.08 respectively. They also posted a .288 and .266 BABIP respectively, so essentially, these guys posted horrible stats even when luck was on their side. What is going to happen when they aren’t getting lucky? Unless extreme strides are made in the coming seasons, I don’t see either of these pitchers being anything more than place holders in the bottom of the rotation until guys from the farm system are developed.
One of the young arms that is commonly overlooked is Erasmo Ramirez. The 22 year old rookie got limited time last year, but he put up better numbers than anyone realizes. As a starter, his 7.85 K/9 was better than any Mariner starter besides Felix. His 1.53 BB/9 was better than any starter besides Beavan, and Ramirez’ FIP and xFIP were both second among Seattle starters behind just King Felix. Let me reiterate that these numbers excluded Ramirez’ relief appearances, so they were only his stats as a starter. I think that Ramirez has earned a spot in the starting rotation next season, and I would much rather see him as the fourth starter over Beavan or Noesi.
There may be a few other starting pitching options currently at the major league level as well. Charlie Furbush has started games during his minor and major league careers and is capable of switching back to the rotation after spending 2012 in the bullpen. Historically, he hasn’t had much success starting games, but don’t rule him out as a possibility in the starting rotation next year.
Although improbable, Tom Wilhelmsen is another name that you may see penciled into the rotation. Many people forget that he was a starter in the minor leagues before moving to the Seattle bullpen. His power style of pitching fits better in the bullpen, but thanks to the diabolical curveball that he developed and the changeup that he refined into a reliable pitch last year, his stuff is beginning to look quite suitable for the rotation. There are a lot of good young arms in the bullpen such as Pryor, Capps, and Luetge, so the organization may feel comfortable enough with the pen to try to reestablish Wilhelmsen as a starting pitcher. I wouldn’t bet on this move, but it’s certainly within the realm of possibility.
The big 3, Taijuan Walker, Danny Hultzen, and James Paxton, are all exciting prospects in the Mariner organization and are currently the number 4, 8, and 74 prospects in all of baseball respectively according to MLB.com. I won’t call Danny Hultzen a “sure thing,” but it seems that Hultzen has already been penciled into the starting rotation of the future. The question becomes just how good the second overall pick will be. He has a very high floor as a prospect, so he should be at least a four or five starter down the road. Hopefully, he will become a top of the rotation arm, and he appears to have the stuff to fit there.
Taijuan Walker is a very different prospect from Hultzen. He is a high risk high reward player. His potential is incredible, but he not nearly as certain to realize his potential as his counterpart. I might compare Walker to Blue Jay starter, Ricky Romero. Like Romero, there is no doubt that Walker has the raw stuff to be a dominant major league pitcher, but it becomes a matter of putting all the pieces together and being successful.
There is a pretty good chance that one of these three guys will be traded at some point for a good bat. If the Mariners are successful in trading for Billy Butler this offseason, it seems almost certainly that one of these prospects will be moved.
Apart from the big 3, there are a few other good pitching prospects in Seattle’s organization. Among these are Brandon Maurer, Jordan Shipers, Tyler Pike, Andrew Carraway, Mauricio Robles, and 17 year old Victor Sanchez.
Considering Seattle has one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball and one of the deepest minor league pitching staffs in baseball, it appears that the Mariners will have a very strong starting rotation in the future.
Tags: Danny Hultzen, Erasmo Ramirez, featured, Felix Hernandez, hisashi iwakuma, Jason Vargas, Mariners General, Popular, Prospect Reports, prospects, seattle mariners, taijuan walker
Posted in: Mariners | No Comments »
Mariners Awards: Like You’ve Never Seen Them
Well, this gives away one of the awards. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-US PRESSWIRE
We’ve obsessed ourselves with league-wide MVPs, Cy Youngs and Rookie of the Years for long enough now. Don’t worry, you won’t find any of those, or Silver Sluggers, Roberto Clemente awards or any of that crap here. I instead present you with the Mariner Awards of Irrelevance.
Let’s get things started off with the Bored Fans Relief Award.* This player made sure to keep the game moving while additionally providing action that a bored fan would enjoy (or enjoy yelling at). Our winner swung at 54.4% of all pitches and 44.2% of pitches outside the strike zone, leading the team in both categories. Not surprisingly he averaged just 3.62 pitches per plate appearance, good for second on the team. He also managed homeruns in a whopping 3.7% of his plate appearances en route to appeasing all fans tired of long, monotonous batter-pitcher matchups with a remedy of quick plate appearances full of swings, strikeouts and homeruns. His catching was always an adventure in and of itself, and without further ado, I present to you Miguel Olivo.
The Manly-Man Award* was a difficult one to choose, and so I really had to split it between two tough, manly men. Each took a team-leading five pitches off his body without so much as a grimace, and promptly responded every time with, “thank you, sir, may I have another.”** Each played one of the most physically demanding positions on the diamond—shortstop and catcher, respectively—while sporting the manliest and ruggedest of facial hair. I present to you, Brendan Ryan and John Jaso.
The offensive Most Well-Traveled Award goes to the guy that covered more ground than anyone. Thanks to a team-best 9.6% extra base hit percentage, our winner covered 219 total bases with his hits, and tacked on a team-leading 21 bases through thievery and deception. Playing center field put him over the top for this award, so let’s give it up for Michael Saunders.
The pitchers deserve some of this credit, too, of course. We begin with the MVP—Mean and Volatile Pitcher Award. This hardly gentle man led the team with 12 hit batsmen, and before you start pointing at garbage like innings pitched, those twelve poor souls represent four times the number that teammate, Jason Vargas, hit in 217 innings. His 13 wild pitches represented 41% of all Mariners starters’ wild pitches, and were more than twice the next highest count. Additionally, our winner led the Mariners in something called WAR—quite the surly, temperamental sort, to be sure. I thus present this award to Felix Hernandez.
That’s how you help your starters’ ERAs. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-US PRESSWIRE
The Best Friend Award goes to Lucas Luetge, who allowed just 8 of his 50 inherited baserunners to score (16%), leaving the ERAs of many teammates intact. Additionally, he pitched 17 of his 63 outing on zero days rest, the top percentage on the team. I mean, who didn’t like Lucas Leutge? On the flip side, the Worst Friend Award goes to Stephen Pryor for allowing 10 of 17 inherited baserunners to score (59%). Side note: he also drew the most glares from his starters.**
The last award—the Pitching Efficiency Award—goes not necessarily to the pitcher that most efficiently recorded outs, but rather the pitcher that most quickly recorded outs. We fans have other crap to do, right?! This pitcher threw nearly 15% of the entire team’s innings, or about one-seventh, and did so with a team-quickest 20.0 seconds between pitches. His 5-minute, 9-second innings were the shortest on the team, and for that, we are thankful for Jason Vargas.
*Players required at least 300 PA
**Source not found
Tags: Awards, brendan ryan, featured, Felix Hernandez, Jason Vargas, John Jaso, Lucas Luetge, miguel olivo, Popular, seattle mariners, Stats, Stephen Pryor
Posted in: Mariners | No Comments »
Waiver Analysis
The August waiver period had now come and gone, and with it, the chance to upgrade a team’s playoff roster. Players can still pass through waivers and be traded, but said players will not be eligible to for playoff competition.
The only information that the Mariners have let slip from what has become an airtight fortress of secrecy and covert operations, is that they placed the pitchers on waivers. Perhaps more, but we don’t have any information to suggest that they have. We only know for a fact that Felix Hernandez, Jason Vargas, and Kevin Millwood were the three elected.
What can we derive from this?
The Mariners aren’t trading Felix Hernandez
This isn’t really news, but it is a constant reassurance when another trade deadline passes with Felix still sporting Mariners blue. Jack Zduriencik has to be getting annoying with everyone. The poor man was just trying to pass Felix through waivers only to have some team –who had no chance of acquiring him–interrupt his transaction. Between other GM’s and reporters the man has to be going crazy. He isn’t trading Felix, and he is running out of new and interesting ways to say it. I’m not sure why the Mariners were attempting to pass Felix through waivers, but I’m sure he had his reasons. To see him get claimed and pulled back in, it really is a reassuring feeling.
Jason Vargas is a part of the Mariners future
Jason Vargas entered the season as the Mariners number one trading chip outside of King Felix himself. It was a near guarantee the Jason Vargas would be tossing baseballs for another team deep in the playoff hunt come August. The Mariners did make Vargas available, however, they asked for the moon and the sky; demanding premium talent for their over exceeding middle of the rotation arm. Other teams couldn’t (or wouldn’t) meet the Mariners demands, and Zduriencik opted to keep Vargas, instead of caving in on his steep demands. Vargas is going to earn a substantial pay raise this offseason, but even so he isn’t going to cost the team a fortune. Seattle may once again attempt to trade Vargas this winter, but don’t be surprised if he remains an intricate part of the Mariners 2013 plans.
Kevin Millwood was not heavily desired
Kevin Millwood passed through waivers…unclaimed. Like Vargas, the price tag on Millwood wasn’t appealing to most organizations. The Mariners insisted that his decent performance and affordable salary for the rest of the season, spiked his apparent value. No one took the bait. Seattle shot themselves in the foot on this one. Kevein Millwood is a disposable pitcher designed as gap insurance until the emergence of Danny Hultzen. The very reason he was brought in was to eat up a few innings until the trade deadline and then milk a few interesting prospects out of him. Our very own Bobby ask the perfect question, why is Millwood still pitching, let alone still here.
Tags: featured, Felix Hernandez, Jason Vargas, Mariners General, Popular, seattle mariners
Posted in: Mariners | No Comments »
Wrapping Up The Last Few Days
The trade deadline has come and gone, and the Mariners walk away from it making just two minor moves. It’s difficult not to be mildly disappointed. After all, the landscape of the team is not that different than it was prior. As a matter of fact, the addition of Capps and Pryor from Tacoma is a much bigger splash than anything the Mariners did through this deadline. Acquiring Thames for Delabar alone was a slight steal for the Mariners, but while his power is intriguing, his ceiling probably resides as a platoon bat or a fourth outfield type. There is always the possibility that he figures it out and becomes a useful regular, but that technically that caveat applies to any player. The two minor league players acquired for Brandon League, makes us all look rather silly for assuming that Belt was ever involved in any deal involving League. Leon Landry and Logan Bawcom represent exactly what our former closer was worth. Bawcom was closing for his club in Chattanooga, and Landry while extremely toolsy and an interesting player, is benefiting from playing in a hitters environment. Landry is the key to this deal, and if his power development is legitimate, then in a few years–when hindsight is 20-20–this deal will look much better than the mediocre beige feeling it is currently inducing.
But as I said before the real news comes from the recalling for Stephen Pryor and the promotion of Capps. Over the course of the last decade (and several regimes) the Mariners have been very good at building a cheap and effective bullpen. Capps and Pryor are both guys who sling it up there well faster than my first car*. With that 100 MPH heater, comes secondary stuff that is still a work in progress, but there is still enough there to prevent the opposition from cheating on the fastball. Pryor and Capps are both potential closers, and they won’t come cheap forever. But that is a long ways into the future, and for now you might as well enjoy watching them light up the radar gun.
The Mariners may have missed their opportunity to trade Vargas, but missing the trade deadline doesn’t preclude them from making a few other moves. There is still the possibility of moving Millwood, and dumping the contracts of Figgins and Olivo. The waiver period may not attract as much attention as the trade dealine, it is still essential for many teams who are looking to acquire players to help propel them into the playoffs. Players obtained after the August 31st cut off won’t be playoff eligable, so expect the majority of waiver deals to happen before the beginning of September.
The landscape of the Mariners may not be that different with the addition of a few shrubs, but they still have time to plant a few new seeds in hopes of growing something fruitful. I would throw my percentage predictions on the possibility of the players being dealt, but It proves to be quite inaccurate. But if the Mariners do make a move, you can be sure that we will be here to talk about it.
* – My 1992 Mercury Topaz topped out at 80 MPH.
Tags: Chone Figgins, featured, Jason Vargas, kevin millwood, Leon Landry, Logan Bawcom, Mariners General, miguel olivo, Popular
Posted in: Mariners | No Comments »
Mariners Trade Deadline Recap
Credit: Kim Klement-US PRESSWIRE
In light of yesterday’s trades, not so much as a peep was heard out of the Mariners’ front office this afternoon, even with the trade deadline looming. Following yesterday’s 4-1 win over the Blue Jays, the team shed Brandon League and Steve Delabar for some outfield depth and a Double-A reliever.
The first name dropped was that of Eric Thames, a 25-year-old left fielder in the middle of his second major-league season. Thames (pronounced as it appears, not as the ancient British river) debuted last spring for Toronto, where he batted .262/.313/.456 in 95 games and 394 PA.
In 2012, Thames saw 46 games with the Blue Jays before being optioned to Triple-A, where he boosted his wOBA from .281 to .403 and his BABIP from .308 to .383 in just 54 games. Defensively, he has been used exclusively as a left fielder this season, holding a .989 FIP and a single error in 456.1 innings.
On the heels of the Mariners’ second swap during a series (albeit one not quite as dramatic as Ichiro’s departure), news broke that the Dodgers won the Brandon League bidding war. In his place, they sent two low-A prospects: outfielder Leon Landry and RHP Logan Bawcom.
Landry holds a respectable .328/.358/.559 line in 80 appearances with the Dodgers’ high-A affiliate. He split his 2012 season in left and center field, putting up a respective 1.000 FP in 58 chances and .990 FP in 103 chances. Currently, Landry holds a 6-game hitting streak, his most impressive performance a 3-home run explosion against the Padres’ Lake Elsinore Storm.
Logan Bawcom, a 23-year-old Double-A reliever, was the Dodgers’ 17th round draft pick in 2010. Like Landry, Bawcom has one year of minor league service under his belt, and just a handful of appearances for the Chattanooga Lookouts in 2012, where he posted a 2.60 ERA and 2.88 FIP. In his trade round-up, Larry Stone relayed some scouting reports from Keith Law and Baseball America, both of whom pegged Bawcom as promising but far from solid:
Bawcom, he [Law] says, “might surface as a middle reliever, but his command right now would make him an up-and-down guy. Despite some tail on his fastball, he doesn’t generate enough ground balls to survive without cutting his walk rate.”
However middling the prospects, it looks like a win-win for both sides, and a relief to have Brandon League off the shoulders of the Mariners. With several corresponding roster moves to make, the team sent Carlos Peguero back to Tacoma, and recalled relievers Stephen Pryor and Carter Capps.
Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-US PRESSWIRE
Capps has seen just one game in Tacoma, striking out 3 of 4 batters in 1.1 innings of relief. He capped a 37-game stint in Double-A earlier this season with 19 saves, a 1.29 ERA, and a 1.63 FIP in 49 IP.
The Mariners have not seen Pryor since June 12, when he injured his groin on a play at first base. Since then, he has made 7 appearances for the Rainiers, allowing 6 hits, 4 walks, and no runs in 8 IP.
One last note on the trade deadline: Jack Zduriencik spoke to the media this afternoon, explaining his hesitancy to trade Jason Vargas and Kevin Millwood. Via Greg Johns:
If there wasn’t a nice match, I wasn’t motivated to do something that would take away from where we are currently,” Zduriencik said. “We’ve played decent baseball lately, we have pieces here for the future, and in order to make a move, it would have to be the right thing to do.
For now, it looks like a smart move on his part. As long as Millwood remains in the rotation, he buys Hector Noesi more time to develop in Triple-A. And even though teams passed on the pair today, there could be a trade in the works by the offseason. These may not be the blockbuster moves we hoped to see, but for the price of never having to watch League play in Seattle again, I think the Mariners did just fine.
Tags: Brandon League, Carter Capps, Eric Thames, Hector Noesi, Jack Zduriencik, Jason Vargas, kevin millwood, Leon Landry, Logan Bawcom, Mariners General, miguel olivo, seattle mariners, Stephen Pryor, Steve Delabar
Posted in: Mariners | No Comments »
Trade Bait
Here we are again, sellers at the trade deadline. The deadline is now less than a month away, and it’s time to start looking at what the Mariners will be selling and what they might get in return.
First on the block: Jason Vargas
Vargas may be the biggest piece the M’s have to offer this trade season. Despite his respectable 4.31 ERA in 117 innings of work, his value isn’t as great as the stat line indicates. Safeco Field is the perfect conditions for a left-handed pitcher. Vargas lacks tremendous tools on the mound, but the spacious outfield at Safeco combined with the marine layer makes a perfect combo for him. Take a look at these splits.
|
Innings |
ERA |
FIP |
wOBA |
K/9 |
HR/9 |
|
|
Home |
57 |
2.84 |
3.58 |
.270 |
6.95 |
.95 |
|
Road |
60 |
5.70 |
6.29 |
.344 |
5.40 |
2.40 |
While there is still value for Vargas, he would be a 4th or 5th starter on most playoff-bound teams, so the Mariners wouldn’t get more than bottom of the rotation value. A comparable trade could be the Jerrod Washburn deal in 2009 when the M’s sent him to Detroit for Luke French and Mauricio Robles. Vargas and Washburn share the similarities of being crafty lefties, but Vargas’ age and contract will raise his value a bit over Washburn’s. The Mariners would likely get one or two mid level prospects in return for Vargas on the market.
Next up: Kevin Millwood
Millwood has had a respectable season posting a 4.00 ERA in 83.1 innings of work, but teams trading for him would be getting no more than a 5th starter/long reliever and veteran presence in the locker room. This skill set can be valuable to a playoff ballclub. Still, I wouldn’t expect to get any more than a low-level prospect and maybe some cash. A Millwood trade would also open a rotation spot for quickly progressing prospect, Danny Hultzen who has three starts in AAA currently. If Seattle can get a decent offer for Millwood, I would expect them to accept considering they will have no use for him next year.
How about dealing Miguel Olivo?
Like Millwood, Olivo is a veteran presence, but he can also pitch in a little power. A team with a suspect catching situation may be interested in him to add some depth and pop at the position. The Rays, Angels, and Mets are a couple of playoff contenders that may be interested in a guy like Olivo. Again, Seattle wouldn’t get much in return, perhaps a minor prospect or two. John Jaso could probably get a bit more in return, but I don’t see the Mariners being willing to part with him.
Of Course, Brandon League
League is no stranger to trade rumors; his name has been mentioned for the last couple seasons. Unfortunately, his stock is at an all-time low due to his demotion from the closer role. Nevertheless, an organization with an unstable closing situation could still see him as a potential closer. It would be interesting to see what a team would sacrifice for League. Some teams may be willing to pay a typical price for a closer who is one year removed from an all-star year, and some teams may pay the price of an average reliever. I could see League fetching anything from a plus prospect to a low A pitcher.
Believe it or not: Chone Figgins
Yes, I said it, Chone Figgins has trade value. Very little value, but value nonetheless. An article from a while back
Chone Figgins stealing a base. Credit: Steven Bisig-US PRESSWIRE
indicated that the Rangers might be interested in our disaster. There is a market for the pinch runner/utility man mold that Figgins fits, and I don’t think any Mariner fan would object to ridding themselves of the most hated man in the Mariner organization. The M’s would likely have to eat most of Figgins’ salary and get little in return, but if that’s what it takes to make sure he never wears a Mariner uniform again, then I wouldn’t hesitate.
Mike Carp and Casper Wells
Depending on the team, both of these players could be a 3rd or 4th outfielder or even a pinch hitter which is basically a position of its own in the national league considering that pitchers need to be pinch-hit for in late innings. One guy is a lefty, and the other a righty, but I could see teams showing interest in these two guys, especially Wells considering the year he is having.
Tags: Brandon League, Casper Wells, Chone Figgins, featured, Jason Vargas, kevin millwood, Mariners General, miguel olivo, Mike Carp, Popular, Rumors, Trade Deadline, trades
Posted in: Mariners | No Comments »
Attack Of The Trade Polls
Ladies and Gentlemen.
As you may have noticed, we are approaching the halfway point in the season, and around this time every year the rumor mill starts to creak and churn. The Mariners have more than a few pieces to deal as they look to find just the right return to finally put this thing together for the 2013 season. The Mariners will look to be sellers, but instead of shooting for prospects several years out, the Mariners are going to look to acquire functioning, major league ready, talent.
With that, we have several polls that we desire your opinion on. Have a look and be sure to vote.
Tags: Brandon League, brendan ryan, featured, Felix Hernandez, Ichiro Suzuki, Jason Vargas, kevin millwood, Mariners General, Popular, Trade Deadline
Posted in: Mariners | No Comments »
How Long Until We See Hultzen and Franklin?
There comes a time in every season when you start thinking towards the future. For some teams, that time comes after the season ends, and for some, the time comes in mid-June. I prettymuch threw in the towel for this season after we got swept by the Padres.
That doesn’t mean that you should completely ignore the Mariners for the rest of the season, but it does mean that it is time to start paying more attention to prospects in the farm system and potential moves at the trade deadline.
Just yesterday, top prospects Danny Hultzen and Nick Franklin were promoted to AAA Tacoma. The best part about the call-up is that Seattle natives can take a quick drive down I-5 to watch these two guys play. As exciting as it is to see these guys in AAA, the real question is, when will we see them in the MLB?
I can see Hultzen pitching for the Mariners by the end of the season depending on two things. First of all, he needs to stay healthy and succeed, but more importantly it will depend on his inning count for the year. Last season at Virginia, Hultzen threw 118 innings. Hultzen is currently at 75.1, so he is nearing his career high. His availability for the Mariners will be dictated by how many innings they decide to cut him off at.
Assuming that Danny Hultzen’s progress is not slowed, I would not be surprised to see him in a Mariner uniform during September callups, especially since he is already on the 40 man roster. Hultzen’s chance of getting a few starts could also be helped if the rotation continues to struggle or if Vargas is dealt at the deadline.
On the other hand, Nick Franklin is much less likely to be in the big leagues this year. First of all, he is not as far along in his progression as Hultzen is. In addition, he is not a current member of the 40 man roster meaning that the Mariners would have to remove someone from the 40 man in order to bring the 21 year old shortstop to the majors. While this is not undoable, it is less likely.
The matter of demand is also a main difference between Franklin and Hultzen. The current starting rotation could use some help considering that Vargas may be traded, Beavan is now in AAA, and Noesi and Ramirez have been less than impressive. Sure, Brendan Ryan has been incompetent at the plate, but the gold glove defense is worth the .290 OBP at least until the end of the year.
Keep an eye on the Rainiers to see how these two players are doing in Tacoma. Expect to see Hultzen in the MLB in September, but wait at least until late next seasons to see Nick Franklin at Safeco Field.
Tags: Blake Beavan, Danny Hultzen, Erasmo Ramirez, featured, Hector Noesi, Jason Vargas, Mariners General, nick franklin, Popular, Prospect Reports, prospects
Posted in: Mariners | No Comments »
Kyle Seager Gives us Confidence when he comes to Bat
As you can see by my little youtube clip above I went to the game tonight down at the chilly Safe. After finally maneuvering through the viaduct mess (seems like it changes every day there) I grabbed a ticket off a scalper for $25 and sat down with a small frozen group of my fellow fans. This one started off as a pitchers duel between Drew Smyly and Jason Vargas until the bottom of the fourth inning when Ichiro broke the ice with a single. Ichiro stole second while Montero went down setting the stages for the Mariners young phenom Kyle Seager.
While I don’t claim to be much when it comes to modern statistics I do know when a guy has a sweet swing and Kyle Seager certainly does. He seems to have added a little hitch in the offseason which if done right allows a hitter to level out their swing and drive the ball on a consistent basis. Seager has found his groove and when he came to the plate I felt myself feeling something I haven’t in a long time when a Mariners comes up….Confidence. And sure enough Seager delivered with a bullet that hit off the right field fence to easily score Ichiro and put us up 1-0.
Meanwhile this was a vintage Jason Vargas outing as the lefty kept the powerful Tigers off-balance all night allowing only one run in the sixth thanks to some nifty glovework by SS Brendan Ryan who had a hell of a night on defense robbing the Tigers of hits on at least three notable plays.
Of course pitching and defense will only get you so far even at frigid Safeco Field so this one was tense until the eighth inning. Michael Saunders came into pinch-hit for Casper Wells the ex-Tiger in the eighth and delivered a leadoff double down the left field line before being pushed to third on a perfect sacrifice bunt by the veteran Chone Figgins. John Jaso was batting leadoff tonight and was the guy you wanted up there with the game on the line as he delivered a 2-strike line shot to left to score Saunders in what would prove to be the winning run. I’m starting to get some confidence when Jaso comes to the plate these days as well which is another nice development in this up and down season.
Brandon League came in to close this one in the ninth and true to his latest form he walked Austin Jackson but Brennon Boesch lined a low drive to Ryan at short who sort of bobbled it then turned it into a double play to end the threat. Score that one Brandon pitch to Brennon lined to Brendan (God I can’t wait til this generation of Brendon, Brandon, Brennan, Justin,Jason grows up!) So we get a day off after a nice 4-2 homestand before heading back to the Bronx where King Felix will take the mound Friday. Rest-up boys things are going to be a little more intense at Yankee Stadium then here at the friendly Safe! Go M’s! http://jeffsmariners.com
Tags: Brendan Ryan defense, Jason Vargas, John Jaso clutch hit, Kyle Seager Confidence., May Day and beyond, Michael Saunders Leadoff double
Posted in: Mariners | No Comments »
Mariners Win Second Season Opener Against the A’s 7-3
The Seattle Mariners played small-ball tonight against the Oakland A’s tonight combined with good starting pitching by Jason Vargas to win their second Season Opener of 2012 by a score of 7-3. Vargas went 5 1/3 innings allowing only a pair of runs coming off the bat of Yoenis Cespedes who slugged a monster 2-run homer in the bottom of the fourth. Though Vargas may not have had his best stuff tonight, he battled long enough for his team to manufacture five runs before he left in top of the sixth with a pair of runners aboard.
Steve Delabar came into relieve Vargas in the sixth and got out of the jam as well as going a scoreless seventh before Eric Wedge brought in Tom Wilhelmsen in the eighth and though he allowed a run he did manage to stop the bleeding allowing Brandon League to come in and shut down the A’s in the ninth.
Dustin Ackley had three hits tonight which is not much of a story compared to the fact that Chone Figgins went 3-4, drove in 2 runs, and scored a run in what looked like the old Chone Figgins from his days with the Halos. Figgins executed a perfect safety squeeze in the sixth to bring in Michael Saunders who had a pair of base knocks himself. As far as I can tell this might have been the first time in memory that Chone Figgins was the offensive star of a game! Yes I know that is blasphemy here in Seattle where being a hater is a well-developed art form but Figgins deserves a break.
It seems like as a Mariners Fan we are always playing the A’s. It has got to the point where when we play at the Oakland Coliseum it feels like a home game. I kind of like the A’s scruffy blue-collar fans as well who have fallen on hard times lately but have also had several World Championships to boast about unlike us here in the soggy NW. If you watched the game tonight you must have seen the big red missile with the words “The Cuban Missile” written on it in honor of the Cuban phenom Yoenis Cespedes who surprised everyone by signing with the A’s this offseason. It’s hard to hate the A’s or their fansas they are about the only team that we play that I am confident we can beat every time we come to the ballpark.
So here we go again as the 2012 season is underway with our boys starting out with a 2-1 record and Felix Hernandez coming to the mound Saturday evening. For the record I am going to predict the Mariners come in third in the AL West with a .470 ish winning percentage. It’s early so shooting for barely under .500 seems optimistic but doable from my vantage point here in Wallingford! Go M’s! http://jeffsmariners.com
Tags: 2012 Early Going, Chone Figgins 3-4, Jason Vargas, Oakland A's Fans, Seattle Mariners win, Yoenis Cespedes 2-run homer
Posted in: Mariners | No Comments »
Some Thoughts on the Japan Series
The baseball season has finally started! The Mariners are now 1-1 on the season as they return home from the two game set in Japan. Here are some of my thoughts on what we saw in the first series of the 2012 baseball season.
Things I … [visit site to read more]
Tags: Chance Ruffin, Chone Figgins, Danny Hultzen, dustin ackley, featured, Felix Herandez, Forrest Snow, George Sherrill, Jason Vargas, justin smoak, kyle seager, Mariners General, Mike Carp, Opening Day, Popular, shawn Kelley, Steve Delabar
Posted in: Mariners | No Comments »
You win one you lose one
And so the Mariners will depart Japan as the team the baseball world predicted they would be… A .500 club.
Today’s game was a downer, with the only bright spots coming from Smoak and Vargas. After getting off to a rip-roarin’ start, both Ackley … [visit site to read more]
Tags: Chone Figgins, featured, Jason Vargas, justin smoak, Mariners General, Popular
Posted in: Mariners | No Comments »
Seattle Finalizes Roster
Just yesterday I was pondering how much longer the Mariners would wait to trim a few loose strings. Today those strings have been neatly trimmed…kind of.
Here is your Seattle Mariners 2012 Opening Day Roster.
Tags: alex liddi, Blake Beavan, Brandon League, brendan ryan, Casper Wells, Charlie Furbush, Chone Figgins, dustin ackley, Erasmo Ramirez, featured, Felix Hernandez, George Sherrill, Hector Noesi, hisashi iwakuma, Ichiro Suzuki, Jason Vargas, Jesus Montero, John Jaso, justin smoak, kevin millwood, kyle seager, Lucas Luetge, Mariners General, Michael Saunders, miguel olivo, Mike Carp, Munenori Kawasaki, Popular, shawn Kelley, Steve Delabar, Tom Wilhelmsen
Posted in: Mariners | No Comments »