Back before I became the editor for Seahawks blog on this network, I was the resident armchair GM here on SoDo Mojo. It only seem right that I check in with my version of an offseason plan for Mariners. Harrison already gave his ideas, and I can assure that his are more well researched than minewill be.

Basic Theory: Stop Rebuilding and Start Building

The Mariners have unloaded all of the old awful Bavasi contracts but one, and Ichiro’s contract is up after this year. There’s no reason to continue trading away players for prospects. Plus, the 3 years under Jack Zduriencik has been the M’s farm system go from being on of the worst in baseball to being in the top 10. The minor leagues are now of talent and depth. It’s time to begin using those assets to help the major league team.

I’m not talking about a Bavasi-esque gutting of the top minor league talent, so don’t get that idea. I’m suggesting that the M’s identify the top players in their system, the ones that will eventually help the M’s win. Keep those players and trade some of the other. While those players might fetch smaller rewards, thats fine with me. There’s no reason to keep players that are blocked from getting time with the Mariners by better players.  … [visit site to read more]

I know I’ve been a little down on the M’s lately. I’ve griped about their offense, about their not understanding the DH, and just generally been in the dumps about the awful collapse of the second half of 2011. I must also admit that I was totally … [visit site to read more]

There is life beyond baseball.

Honestly, there is.

I’ve been repeating that phrase over and over again for the past day or so. Sometimes I believe it. Sometimes I just feel sad. This, of course, is the late October let down that most hard-core … [visit site to read more]

Before I get into my topic, I just want to say one thing: I miss Adrienne Beltre.

Watching Texas in the post season has reminded me of just how much fun he is to have around. Not only is he an exciting third baseman, but he’s currently hitting … [visit site to read more]

It’s always fun to sit and just talk baseball. We’ve been doing it in my new office a lot lately and I have really enjoyed it. As per normal baseball conversation at this time of year, we talk about the World Series and the playoffs. The thing is –nobody– at this point actually has a rooting interest in the World Series. I mean the Captain in my office is a Braves fan, my boss is a Rockies fans, my P-I-C is a Tigers fan and how would any office be complete without a token Yankees fan.

The thing is, we’ve reached the point that none of us have a rooting interest in any of the teams left. Sure we root for/against those teams we despise (I’m looking at you Texas). This fact pushes the dialogue to being more in the works of hot stove/rosterbation based.

I love this topic. In fact I don’t really know of anyone who doesn’t like to talk various forms of A)rosterbation or B) off-season movement.

I’ve admittedly avoided talking about that stuff here on the blog for the better part of the month because it’s just natural to want to get into it right after the season being over. The problem with that primarily is that you have 5 months of off-season. As much as I enjoy talking trades, player movement and free-agents there is time for that after the playoffs.

Jumping headlong into — what I’m sure is going to be a month of Prince Fielder – free-agent talk is just not fair to the game we love. These playoffs have been fun and the Yankees/Tigers series was great the Phillies/Cardinals was solid and surprisingly so was the DBacks/Brewers series. The Confrence championships were fun and resulted in some late nights for all you living in America. Were already headed into Game 3 now of the World Series and as we all (Mariner fans) dread the possibility of yet another AL West team winning a World championship we also slowly start to think about November and the coming excitement over what moves the Mariners will make this off-season.

But before I or anyone else starts talking about Free-Agents or Possible Trade Suggestions we first need to start talking 40-man roster.

  … [visit site to read more]

Okay, I’m kind of a day late and dollar short on this post. About two weeks ago Carson Cistulli put out to fangraphs readers that they would be crowd sourcing upcoming free-agents by position. … [visit site to read more]

Just a short little shout out to The Seedlings to Stars page on Fansided. They are doing a count down of their own top-100 prospects in MLB.

Who would’ve guessed that they had Jose Campos so high? I’m actually a little surprised personally due … [visit site to read more]

I have a lot of wonderful memories of Safeco Field. Watching the Mariners tie the American League record for wins. Seeing pitchers from Jamie Moyer to J.J. Putz to Felix Hernandez work their magic. Being present the night Ken Griffey Jr. returned to … [visit site to read more]

Theo Epstein is apparently being cut loose by the Boston Red Sox so he can take a job as General Manager and perhaps President of the Chicago Cubs.

This here is a Mariners blog, so why does it matter to me or you aside from being mildly interesting?

Per Cot’s, the Cubs payroll obligation for 2012 is only $72.6 million, down from 2011′s checks that totaled $134 million. In 2013, it sinks below $30 million. The Cubs don’t have a spectacular farm system, but they have a lot of room to play coming up.

… [visit site to read more]

This is part three of this series. Previous editions can be found here:

Kirby Arnold of the Everett Herald.
Jon Shields of Pro Ball NW

I sent out an invitation to members of the local media and blogosphere. I simply asked: “Hey, play word association with me, please?”

Some were kind enough to do so. This time we speak to Jason A. Churchill of ProspectInsider.com. Jason is easily one of the most personable dudes on Twitter and is always willing to pitch in to other bloggers like myself.

I imagine you are already following Jason on Twitter. If not, do it. Here are his responses:

… [visit site to read more]

I love September baseball.

And it’s not just the excitement of the pennant races (which this year was generated by the wild card contests — both photo finishes decided in overtime games — you couldn’t ask for much more.) September has more subtle pleasures too. There can be something pure and beautiful about two teams at the end of the season with nothing to win or lose playing baseball the way we all played it as kids, just for the joy of the game. I’ve seen those kinds of games, and they’re as wonderful as anything in sports.

The Seattle Mariner/Oakland A’s season closer, on September 28th, was not one of those games. Seattle closed out their season the way they have played too much of it: with a lackluster performance and total offensive failure. The A’s scored two runs early in the game and that was pretty much all it took. The Mariner’s lose too many games like this, in situations where just stringing together a few base hits in a row would make a game of it. But that’s what happens to Major League teams where no one is hitting close to .300. No one. So the chilly winds blew through the upper decks, fans in my section entertained themselves teaching Japanese visitors how to sing “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” in English, and I spent more time focusing on the pretty young lady beside me than on the game — even though usually, in my life, I’ve found baseball to be much more reliable than romance. Meanwhile the Mariners lost their final series and finished up the year with 95 losses. As much as I always love being at Safeco, it was a disappointing end.

Very different from the first game I ever saw at Safeco, almost exactly ten years ago. That year the season was delayed because of 9-11, or I probably wouldn’t have been there at all. I’d only recently moved back to Seattle, and the delay allowed me to make one game that season. It was October 5th — the night the Mariners tied the American League record of 115 wins. (They went on to win more games to tie the Major League record, of course.) It was also the night that Barry Bonds hit his 71st homer off Chan Ho Park to break the single season home run record. When they interrupted the game to show his accomplishment on the scoreboard, everyone cheered. It was one of those magic baseball nights when history was being made everywhere. Nights like that are what make us baseball fans.

… [visit site to read more]