Hope is alive and well in the Seattle Mariners organization, but it’s centered around a lot of talent that’s yet to reach the legal drinking age. So, while the M’s decide on a new direction for their franchise that may include both a new GM and a new ownership group, fans do indeed have something to look forward to.
But it’s important to be patient and to remember to not lose sight of the fact that the top talents in the farm system are a number of years from the big leagues, and some of them won’t pan out.
If you’re an avid Mariners fan, you’ve already heard and read plenty about their top pitching prospect, Phillippe Aumont, and if you spend any time here at Prospect Insider, you’ve also read plenty about right-handers Juan Ramirez and Michael Pineda.
All three are 19 and have shown very well in Class A Wisconsin.
With Jeff Clement in the big leagues, seemingly for good, and Wlad Balentien expected to be recalled soon, most of the top offensive prospects are raw, inexperienced players with unrefined skills and underdeveloped physical attributes.
In the upper levels where catcher Adam Moore, outfielder Michael Saunders and third baseman Matt Tuiasosopo are all viable big-league prospects, albeit it varying levels with varying risks attached to each player, there is very little starting pitching depth, with Ryan Feierabend and Justin Thomas the best bets.
There is also very little in the way of potential stars, until you scan all the way down to Class A High Desert where shortstop Carlos Triunfel is turning around his second full professional season with the best two weeks of his young career to start off July.
Triunfel enters play Tuesday night hitting .308/.368/.462 with two homers, four walks, only two strikeouts and three steals in 13 games this month, an major improvement over an eventful June.
The 18-year-old is mashing lefties for the year - .338/.390/.507 - but remains susceptible to hard stuff from a right-hander. Not due to a lack of bat speed or anything mechanical, but because of his inexperience, which produces less-than ideal pitch recognition.
He has made decent progress this season despite the off-field stuff (questionable attitude, illness, minor injury) and is starting to hit for more power, which may be the most exciting things happening in the farm system right now.
Beyond Triunfel, there isn’t a lot to be excited about it when it comes to prospective bats in full-season ball, but the Mariners have an absolute influx of talents playing summer baseball, whether it be the short-season Northwest League affiliate in Everett where second-round pick and first-base prospect Dennis Raben is off to a strong start, or the two rookie-level clubs in Peoria, Arizona and Pulaski, Virginia.
The club also has talent in the Venezuelan and Dominica Summer Leagues that cannot be ignored, including outfielder Efrain Nunez, who just signed last summer.
Nunez, a 17-year-old switch-hitting outfielder from the Dominican Republic, is showing a somewhat advanced approach in the DSL thus far, hitting .268/.381/.524 with three homers, four doubles and four triples in 26 games.
Nunez has played primarily in center field, but most believe his future is in a corner, and he does possess the physical skills to develop enough power to profile in right field.
Another very interesting prospect in the DSL is 17-year-old catcher Hassiel Jimenez, a right-handed hitter that stands 6-feet tall and weighs in just under 200 pounds. He shows good feet and enough athleticism to allow his defensive skills to improve vastly, and he’s showing mature approach at the plate and impressive contact rates.
In 29 games, Jimenez is hitting .338/.471/.400 with five doubles, 17 walks and 15 strikeouts. Showing off his above-average speed (easily well above average for a catcher, much like that of Rob Johnson) Jimenez also has five steals in six attempts.
In addition, all but three of Jimenez’s at-bats have come in the third, fourth or fifth hole in the lineup, showing how confident both he and the organization is in his abilities.
Hector Mercedes is 20 years of age, but he’s raking something vicious down there and is a solid defensive first baseman. Keep an eye on him to see if he can duplicate the production in full-season ball in the states, or if he even gets the opportunity.
Same goes for Mario Flores, who is catching now but projects better defensively at first base.
Infielder Bertin Sanon has a chance to develop into a legit prospect, too, if he can play second base everyday. His raw tools suggest he may produce average power.
Nunez and Jimenez are legitimate prospects right now.
Right-handers Nelson Germocen, 19, and Enrique Rosario, 17, are the best prospects on the mound, with Rosario’s 90-92 mph fastball and plus command leading the way. Rosario is likely to see time in the states in 2009.
In the VSL, shortstop Roberto Velasquez, 18, and 17-year-old right-hander Nolan Diaz lead the charge. Velasquez makes consistent contact and shows above-average bats peed and Diaz’s plus command - three walks and three hit batters in 48 innings of work - and sinking high-80s fastball are impressive and intriguing.
Diaz also uses a decent curve ball and is throwing a changeup as well. He’s only 6-feet tall and 180 pounds, but his delivery is smooth and easy, which suggests he may add velocity.
One thing to remember about the DSL and VSL: The umpires call a rather sizable strike zone, which should be included in any statistical analysis of both hitters and pitchers.
In Pulaski, Mario Martinez is tearing the cover off the baseball, hitting .361 with 13 extra-base hits. he won’t be 19 until this winter, and is surely to see full-season ball for all of 2009, if not later this year.
Gabriel Noriega, who was off to a fast start in Peoria, hitting .421 (all singles, though). he was sent tp Pulaski and has yet to get things going, but his future appears to be very bright. Noriega, a switch hitting middle infielder, has the footspeed and hands to stick in the middle infield, shows plus speed and his wrists are quick, suggesting average or better long-term power at the plate.
Jose Rivero gets no pub outside of Prospect Insider, but he’s an 18-year-old outfielder with a great throwing arm and good power that is already showing up in the box score. He reminds the Mariners of a young Reggie Sanders, and he fills out physically, he might be a very similar offensive talent.
Fabian Williamson is a control pitcher who’s throwing without his best control right now, which would explain why he’s piling up strikeouts - 30 in 26.1 innings - and struggling with keeping runs off the board. He’s allowed 34 hits - five homers - and 12 walks in six starts.
He sits 86-88 typically, but there’s more in the arm and if he can clean up the command problems and continue to develop his curve, slider and change, he might serve useful at the back-end of the rotation.
In Peoria, Jharmidy De Jesus is the only legit prospect in the everyday lineup. At 6-3 and 190 pounds, De Jesus may ultimately grow out of his natural position of shortstop, but he may have a bat that can play almost anywhere, including third base or the outfield.
He’s playing third now, and that’s where he’ll play for the most part, until the club is forced to re-position their four stud teenage infielders (Triunfel, Martinez, Noriega, De Jesus) in the next two seasons or so.
At the plate he already brings a confident, aggressive approach to the batter’s box, and his bat speed is well above average, reminding me of Hanley Ramirez in that manner. Most scouts see him as an outfielder in the future.
Yao Wen Chang and Kenta Suda have both put up radar readings that have brought mixed results in their stat lines. Chang has consistently sat in the 91-93 mph range while Suda has tagged 95 a few times, but has been pitching at 90-91.
Chang has a solid change already, but his breaking ball needs a lot of work. Suda’s slider and forkball have good actions, but he’s inconsistent with both of them at this stage.
On pure stuff, both are right there with the Wisconsin trio, but they each have command issues to fight through, and have more of a language barrier to battle as well. Chang’s fastball has some sink to it, enabling him to induce an above-average number of ground ball outs.
From what I have been told, right-hander Colin Buckborough has been unimpressive and inconsistent, particularly with everything but his fastball, which he’s been unable to command as well.
If I were to rank the M’s top prospects from High Desert on down, splitting the bats and the pitchers, this is how it would turn out.
Top 8 Bats
1. Carlos Triunfel, SS
2. Mario Martinez, 3B
3. Dennis Raben, 1B
4. Jharmidy De Jesus, 3B/OF
5. Efrain Nunez, RF
6. Gabriel Noriega, 2B/SS
7. Hassiel Jimenez, C
8. Jose Rivero, RF
Top 8 Arms
1. Phillippe Aumont, RHP
2. Juan Ramirez, RHP
3. Michael Pineda, RHP
4. Nathan Adcock, RHP
5. Kenta Suda, RHP
6. Yao Wen Chang, RHP
7. Enrique Rosario, RHP
8. Nolan Diaz, RHP
Good stuff Jason. Love the look at some of the more obscure names.
Someone please remind me why Aumont hasn’t pitched in a month. Anything to be concerned about here?
Jason…
GREAT stuff, this is the kind of stuff that Marinerphiles like me just love. In all honesty, you are the only guy I’ve ever had communication with that likely knows the Mariners farm system better than I do (and that’s not bragging on my part, more like admitting an addiction)…I wanted to ask you a couple questions, get the Churchill take on some things.
1. The 2008 draft. Obviously, so college-heavy and likewise so pitching-heavy…was that draft a direct response to losing the likes of Tillman,Butler and Mickolio in the Bedard trade- are they hoping one or two guys from this draft can hit the ground running and make the contributions in 2010-2011 that Tillman, Butler and Mickolio probably would have?
1a. The Mariners have already signed about 28
of those picks. That’s good news to me, I’ve always heard it said if you can sign 20-25 or over, that’s a good haul for an organization. Obviously, they’re still gonna go all out to sign Fields as a number one. Who do you see them still getting from the ‘08 draft, besides Fields? And who’s your gut-feeling pick(s) to go up the chain quickly? My first bet would be RHP Brett Lorin.
2. When you talk about potential big leaguers currently in AA (Feierabend, J. Thomas), where would Doug Fister rate? I don’t think he’s a premium guy by any stretch, but the guy seems to produce better numbers than a lot of guys at every level…and I can’t help but think that when guys like J.J. Putz and Ryan Franklin were minor leaguers, they didn’t make many scout’s hot lists, either. Maybe Fister is something along the same lines?
3. Any news/scouting report on this one 2007 draftee, RHP Jake Wild? While the last name might raise my eyebrow, where might he fit in as a prospect?
Let me know what you think…keep it rockin’ in the meantime. Rocketdawg
I’m curious about RHP Felix Bautista on the DSL team. What are his tools? Appreciate any info. Thanks.
thanks for your hard work jason.
it seems the lower the level of minors the harder it is to get solid info.
so this is true “gold”.
couple of oddities i noticed was all the pitchers are RHP and the top 8 bats are a “complete team”.
i’m taking it that if beltre were traded it would be a mistake to bring up tui at this point of his developement? as he would fall into the raw/unrefined type category.
Great stuff JAC.
This has to be my favorite article yet this year (not to say anything bad about the others, this one was just really good). I love to read about the young guys who just ooze with potential. Granted not all of them will pan out, but it is always nice to read up about possible prospects with a future with the big club.
There was somethin that raised my eyebrow, the fact that the top 8 arms were all RHP. Are we going to be able to get a lefty in the mix? Maybe draft pick wise, someone that could squeeze into that top 8?
Keep up the great work JAC, this is the type of stuff that keeps us regulars comin back, haha. This looks like it was a lot of work, because it cant be easy gettin info on the really young guys, especially when some dont even play in the states, but it is very much appreciated.
Great, great stuff Jason. Thank you. Once I get past my 21st bday this Saturday I will toss some beer money your way.
Got anything you can add on Brett Lorin? He is good friends with one of my friends and we talked to him on the phone today. Was joking that he has more movement on his pitches than Aumont. Said he will be playing down in Arizona in the fall.
I saw Lorin in Everett, he has solid stuff. If he can command the fastball, which does have good run and some sink, too, he’ll become a prospect.
Jason
Although I am familiar with most of the names you have on your list, it’s interesting to see how you rank them. I guess Triunfel will be the first to make a ML roster and the rest are a long ways away. Someone already asked about Felix Bautista but I have a few others I’m curious about. Does LF Joel Mendez in Peoria have any potential? I’m very curious where C Juan Fuentes at Pulaski projects in the future and is RHP Phillip Roy worth discussing? And then there is C Travis Howell and CF Kevin Reynolds who has been hitting well in Everett. By the looks of your lists, this organization would be almost bare without Engels input.
Uncle Al’s comment about the organization being almost bare without Engle’s international signings is an interesting point. I’ve been wondering for a while now why the Mariner’s drafts seem to be so off. Isn’t Bob Fontaine fairly well regarded in the industry? I would think we would be nailing the draft every year, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. The pick of Matt Mangini is a perfect example.
Jason, what about Jose Rios, the 18 yr old lefty in Pulaski.. i think he’s from Mexico.
So far, he’s gone
20.2 IP, 17 hits, 3.05 ERA, 23/3 K/BB, OppBA:.213
Just made his first start the other nite for Pulaski and went 6 IP, 4 hits, 0 BB, 7 Ks..
Is he interesting at all?
Jason,
Do you know if the ‘09 draft is supposed to be a strong class?
If so, would you take that into account when thinking about trading Ibanez?
Would a mid level prospect be better than receiving draft picks?
The M’s should approach trading Ibanez with the idea that he’ll accept arbitration.
Hey JAC, SI is reporting that the Cardinals would consider trading Rasmus for pitching help. Then saying they would then want to land another outfielder. Could we see a Bedard and Ibanez deal for Rasmus and Prospect package?
Do you see us honestly making any moves? What about a move with the dodgers? Any rumors on Yuni?
What possible use could St. Louis have for Ibanez?
They can point at laugh like I do.
Quick correction: This was J.J. Putz’ second rehab appearance. his first was on the 13th, where he allowed 2 hits and struck out 1 in 1 inning.
Isn’t Kenta Suda a bit young to be throwing the slider and forkball? Wouldn’t that increase the risk of arm problems?
Not the slider, no, but the forkball - which the club has limits on - could damage the arm.
fire,
I don’t see a match for STL and SEA, yes, the Dodgers aren’t much of a match except for Beltre and agreeing on return talent is sure to be tricky, and yes, there are.
Hey JAC, Thanks for answering… You said yes there are to what? Yuni rumors? Do you see a deal with the dodgers going down for Beltre? Kemp? Loney? Could we see a no deal starting with their closer going down? Maybe Beltre and Putz? for a BIG package? Kershaw?
Yeah. Yuni rumors.
No, I don’t think LAD pulls the trigger on a deal for Beltre.
Kershaw is 100% off limits, and should be, and Putz has very little trade value coming off the DL.
I agree with Kershaw being off limits…but I can dream right! ha
What are the Yuni rumors? realistic?
I don’t know any details at all, but teams have asked about Betancourt and Lopez, and have not been told no thus far.
I do think the M’s make some sort of trade over the next two weeks, and I have a feeling there might be two or three. Mostly small, like a Rhodes deal or a trade of Washburn and cash for a C+ prospect or two.
But there is still a chance, a slight chance, that Bedard gets moved, and an outside chance that the M’s move Ibanez, too.
I don’t see Beltre being traded this summer.
What a night for Halman so far..
5-5 with a 3 run homer..
Adam Moore also hit a grand slam
Any insight into how the club actually feels about Yuni and Lopez? Have they just not heard the right offer, or is there still the belief inside the organization that this is a middle infield they can build around?
If this team isn’t willing to trade Yuni, they are a bunch of complete…
Oh, wait. They are complete incompetents. I already knew that.
Personally, I think a Beltre/Betancourt package to LAD makes some real sense. If we could get Kemp and LaRoche and perhaps a Hu or Meloan out of that, I’d be very happy.
Ibanez and Washburn should also be dealt. As for Bedard, his value is pretty low right now. Deal him in the offseason, when you are also taking calls on Ichiro.
I doubt we could pull Kemp AND LaRoche out of the hat in a Beltre/Yuni deal. Very much doubt it. I could see LaRoche, Hu and maybe another guy. The Dodgers do make a good matchup in that kind of a move.
Seems to me that LaRoche is a great “buy-low” candidate right now. The fact that the Dodgers refuse to play him when they’ve had a glaring hole at 3B for the past two seasons has pushed down his value quite a bit. And given questions about Hu’s bat, I think you sell yourself short if you give up Beltre and Yuni for LaRoche/Hu/other.
LaRoche’s value is not down. At all.
I really don’t get why everyone is so determined to trade Beltre RIGHT NOW, as opposed to during the offseason. Why such a hurry to get rid of one of the few good players on this team?
I wouldn’t even trade Beltre this winter without getting one really good young player in return, plus a prospect.
No mention of Mario Yepez? I know he’s a little old for the league, but his numbers are certainly good. What do you think? Too old? Flukey BABIP?
Okay, same question but with Felix Bautista’s name in Mario Yepez’s place. And probably without mentioning BABIP.
Jason - I saw Raben wasn’t in the lineup for Everett tonight. Did he get promoted?
News Tribune Blog says LaHair is to get called up before the series in Cleveland. All I can say is wow. Even when the M’s decide to make the right move, they completely F it up. LaHair? Really? A guy with basically no shot of even becoming a decent backup? Why not Diaz, or Balentein? Or even Hubbard for that matter?
RE 36, where are they goin to put Balentien? He cant play CF, and we have Ichiro and Ibanez playin the corners, so unless one of them gets traded, Balentien would just ride the pine, its better that hes gettin playin time in AAA (I do want Balentien up NOW and playin in the MLB everday though, but for some reason the Ms want to “stay competitive” through the end of the year) LaHair is the logical choice, do you honestly want to keep seein cairo or vidro run out there everyday at 1B!?
37 - If you want to bring up Wlad, the obvious move would be Raul to DH, Wlad to LF (actually, he should be in RF, Ichiro in CF, and Reed in LF, but I digress). But again, we can’t expect the Mariners to make this move.
As for 1B, while LaHair is pretty much a non-prospect, at this point I’d rather watch him take hacks than Vidro or Cairo.
RE 38, yes that is the obvious move, but this is the Ms we are talkin about…so there really is no obvious, logical move
I have no problem with this move. A few years back, we had a great system of young pitching. The big league club was struggling, and they brought up these kids too early, they sucked, lost all confidence and value, and they disappeared. If we don’t have anyone in Triple-A ready for the bigs, then leave them there. If Lahair is not projected as a big leaguer, let him play. Vidro and Cairo are miserable to watch, so let some other kid have a shot. He’s getting too old for the minors, so get him up here. Maybe he’ll go nuts and become a big leaguer. The bottom line is that he’s not a young kid who’s future could be ruined by failing at the big league level before he’s ready for it. Give the fans someone else to watch and give the kid a shot. It’s a risk-free move.
FelixElRey,
I couldn’t agree with you more on LaHair, I am freakin’ TIRED of seeing wasted at-bat after at-bat from Vidro/Cairo. As far as I’m concerned, LaHair has at least earned a shot to surprise us all. I personally think the league will figure him out within three games, but man, let’s try something else instead of a steady diet of what we all know doesn’t work, hasn’t worked, won’t ever work.
As far as the trade market and the Mariners go- I see Rhodes and Washburn moving, as well as Ibanez. None of them will command premium prospects, but we might get some kind of stop-gap AAA prospects that go on to become okay-to-marginal big leaguers. I really don’t see Beltre moving because we don’t have any kind of way to replace him as it stands right now- he might get moved in the wintertime (in accordance with some trade or free agent move to fill the gap) but I don’t see it happening this July. As for Bedard, my gut feeling as of right now is that there is simply no way he can enhance his value enough before the trading deadline to make any deal worth consummating. Me, as of RIGHT NOW- if I’m the GM I hold onto him and hope for a solid second-half and THEN I listen to trade offers in the offseason.
The bigger picture here is the Mariners’ idiocy with Ichiro in RF and Ibanez in LF.
Those moves, and the fact that they are sticking with it, means Wlad can’t be called up.
Effing ridiculous. The Mariners are the stupidest group of humans on earth.
Conor,
Sorry I didn’t get back to you a lot sooner, I’m in and out for the next several weeks.
I have not heard that Raben is going up. I’d check the boxscores, and in the meantime I will send out an email or two.
ESPN (Sportscenter) is reporting that the A’s just traded Blanton to Philly for three prospects (unnamed). Watch they got Carrasco and Cardenas…
As much as I hate the A’s, it sure is amazing to watch Billy Beane run circles around the rest of baseball…
Gillick doing what Gillick does: Empty the farm system before he leaves.
Adrian Cardenas, Josh Outman, and Matthew Spencer.
That’s the package. Not sure about Spencer and Outman, but Cardenas is likely the A’s future 2B.
Hopefully this puts to rest the “trade Bedard by the deadline!” rants.
Cardenas and Spencer are Single A guys….Outman is a solid pitcher and could be called up by years end….But the trade market dwindles for the M’s…
This should help the club make the right choice and wait to trade Bedard.
Cardenas is aways a way, and not a premium prospect.
Oakland did very well in this deal, but the Phillies get a guy that could be a legit 3 in the NL.
That sucks about Blanton to the Phils. I thought that Philly was a possible destination for Washburn. Bummer.
The M’s had better make some moves and rid themselves of some bad contracts. Washburn in particular. This is the ideal time to deal him.
On the other hand, perhaps it would be best to wait for the new GM. Pelekoudas doesn’t inspire confidence. I am still holding out hope that there is a major, huge organizational shakeup. The rumors about Larson and Gillick taking over control of the team, and bringing in Brian Cashman as GM, would be prefect. Or perhaps the existing front office changes their M.O. significantly, and brings in a new-school GM to turn this team around.
If the club is going to move guys like Yuni, Lopez, Ichiro, or other guys locked up beyond this offseason, perhaps it would be best to wait until we get someone here who isn’t a moron.
Jason, nice wrap up of the talent down on the lower end of the system.
Hey, can we start thinking of Johan Limonta as a prospect yet? He transitioned his game from High Desert to West Tenn smashingly (literally!).
Lonnie
Unfortunately, there aren’t interested teams - in Washburn’s case - that aren’t asking for the Mariners to cover all of this year’s and half of next year’s salary.
The market, even with the cash, will improve. They really might be better off waiting til December on Washburn, too.
They are actually being wise to not send 10 mil and Wash to any team unless they are getting a premium guy in return, and we know there isn’t a team out there willing to part with such a talent.
re: Limonta
I don’t think he’s a candidate to be an everyday bat. I don’t think he can play the outfield regularly, he can’t play second or short, of course, so that leaves 1B and DH and I just can’t see him hitting for enough power to be an ideal fit there.
He really could be useful, however - he handles left-handed pitching well enough, too - though I am not sure it happens in Seattle. He’s already 25, which typically suggests the rest of his improvement comes from his brain, not his physical skills.
Okay…I’m confused. Somebody please explain to me why Gillick buying the team would be a good thing? We’re talking about Gillick. The king of old school baseball. The man who loves to clean all the prospects out of a farm system and then disappear into the night. The guy who several people were just making fun of for having dealt some solid prospects for a mediocre pitcher. And I’m not picking on you, Jerry. A lot of people seem to think that Gillick buying the team would be a good thing and I don’t understand. Am I missing something? Wouldn’t putting him in charge be very similar to re-hiring Bill Bavasi? Isn’t this exactly the guy we don’t want in charge of our team? Please, somebody explain.
The M’s website says that they optioned Hulett back to AAA and signed OF Julio Morban and RHP Fransisco Valdivia.
It says nothing about them releasing Vidro or calling anyone up to replace Hulett.
DA,
First off, I know you haven’t been around here until recently, so let me start from the beginning.
1. Gillick wouldn’t be the GM
2. Gillick wins everywhere he goes - even in Baltimore!
3. He has this rep around this area that he destroys farm systems, but it’s A) not a fair assessment at all and B) Not true.
When he was in Seattle he didn’t trade any prospects, really. Some actually rip him for not trading the Clint Nageotte’s of the world when they had some value.
Gillick came prior to the 2000 season, and the 2001 draft was the first with Gillick at the helm. But Gillick was not the scouting director, so blaming him for the bad drafts isn’t fair at all.
And that 2003 draft was pretty good, anyway. Jones, Feierabend, O’Flaherty.
But Gillick was asked to come into Seattle make the big-league club a winner, and right away. That’s what he was asked to do in Baltimore - he did it, the O’s even beat the M’s in the playoffs in 1997 - he did it in Seattle (90, 116, 93 and 93 wins during his tenure) and he’s doing it in Philly, too.
Why people find the negative and run off with it when it comes to Gillick is beyond me.
He didn’t trade away all the O’s prospects. He didn’t trade away any of the good prospects Seattle had, and he only dealt two of the Phillies’ top 10 - none of their top four (Carrasco, Marson, Donald, Brown) to get Blanton.
Gillick wasn’t run out of town, he left because he didn’t want to work under the restrictions set by the ownership group and/or Howard Lincoln.
He would have stayed beyond 2003, and if he had, who knows what would have transpired. Maybe he would have recognized that a rebuild was needed and actually rebuilt the club.
He did BUILD a two World Series clubs in Toronto. That team was very, very competitive for about six or seven years, too. You don’t do that by signing big name free agents and trades all by itself. The farm system has to be a part of that, and it was.
Gillick’s presence - whether it be as part of the ownership group or simply as team president, is a good thing in many ways, starting with the FACT that if it happened Howard Lincoln would not be here any more.
And Gillick probably has more connections in the game than any left in it, which means he might just have his pick of the litter when it comes to GMs and such.
56, The M’s called up Lahair to take Tugs spot.
Jason, a little OT, but Dejesus is killing the ball, but has batted in the 9 hole the past couple of games. Think he might have some attitude problems? A la Triunfel?
Jason,
Raben is not in the lineup again tonight. Is something up?
#46 Gillick really cleaned out the farm here Felix,Putz,Sherrill,Lopez,Balentine,Choo,Baek,Asdubal Cabrera,Eric O ,Ryan Fierbrand,Adam Jones i would say he left it stocked and Bavasi traded it away Cabrera for Bussard,Choo for Eduardo Perez,Baek for Wells,Sherrill the allstar and Jones for Bedard i think you are way off base on this one Corey but then again everyone allways kills Gillick in here and if im not mistaken he is the guy that was the GM during are best years everfor the Mariners but thats just what i saw maybe you see it diffrently?
Gillick is a winner. Point-diggity-blank. He’s won EVERYWHERE he’s ever been…to me, if there’s a place in the Hall Of Fame for general managers (so far as I know, there aren’t any yet), he and John Schuerholz are my slam-dunk choices for this era.
I don’t love Gillick as a GM.
I do think he would be a great CEO or President, though.
Replacing Lincoln with Gillick would be about as big of an upgrade as you can get.
dubs,
No. He’s batting 9th to remove any pressure off him that he might see otherwise.
If he had an attitude problem, he wouldn’t be playing. The Mariners don’t stand for that.
Jason
I see why you didn’t answer my questions in #9 as all these guys are 4 years older or more. Do you have anything to say about OF Julio Morban and RHP Fransisco Valdivia who were just signed?
Actually, Al, I just didn’t see it.
Sorry about that.
But, yeah, you’re right.
Apparently, Valdivia is an absolute gem, but like all teenagers is all projection.
Sits on the 88-90 mph range, but has hit 92-93, uses a slider and curve — The M’s will probably be shelving the slider in favor of the curve ball.
Morban doesn’t have any plus physical tools at present, but is as polished a teenager as you can expect to see, which is why the M’s think he can move quickly.
I would be so happy if Pat Gillick came in as the President of the M’s with Larson coming in as majority owner. I was always under the impression that it was a few years away from happening but has this terrible season made it a distinct possibility to happen after this season ends?
So if Pat Gillick were our owner, do you think he’d want to hire an old school GM? I’ve got my heart set on a DePodesta, Forst type of dude who loves OBP and FIP.
Why Depodesta? The only thing he proved is that he can piss off an entire ownership with the way he communicated with them and the rest of his staff.
And he’s already ticked off Towers and stabbed him in the back to the point where he has their owner considering firing Towers in favor of him.
Depodesta isn’t special in any positive way.
Forst isn’t going anywhere. Boston or NYY could offer him their GM gig and from what I hear he would say no.
He’ll be Oakland’s GM very soon anyway.
There are tons of GMs that know how to evaluate talent. Those who overvalue OBP, including Beane himself, are the ones that often find themselves with subpar offenses.
BTW, guys, Dennis Raben is day-to-day with a sore finger.
Thanks to Pat Dillon for that info.
i would imagine gillick would bring his sidekick charlie kerfeld with him as his gm.
kerfeld was also mentioned in here by jason in his gm piece when bavasi was canned.
anyway, if that were the case,kerfield is far from old school. after doing a little research on the ex astro relief pitcher,i found this tidbit…
“When Kerfeld, whose uniform number was 37, learned that Jim Deshaies had signed for $110,000 in 1987, he asked for and received $110,037.37 plus 37 boxs of orange Jell-O. Coming to the ballpark, he wore such things as pink high-tops or a Rambo fatigue outfit. also wore a lucky jetson’s t-shirt under his uniform.”
charley is not exactly an old school thinker.
#38
The idea that calling up LaHair is the right move simply because Vidro and Cairo suck so bad is severely flawed. Let me demonstrate by using that logic in a conversation between two friends, Sam and Dave.
Sam: Hey Dave How’s it going?
Dave: Pretty good man…Hey quick, kick me in the face!
Sam: Why on earth would you want me to do that?
Dave: Its better than gettin kicked in the nuts.
Just cause Cairo and Vidro suck, that doesn’t mean calling up another guy who just happens to suck a little less is the right choice. Its another stop-gap move, and the same kind of crap the M’s routinely pull. Why not look for an actually solution? LaHair doesn’t have a very good chance of being a useful backup, let alone even a slightly below average starter. He does absolutely nothing to help you look at getting better next year. Getting guys like Balentein and Diaz at-bats can, and there’s a way to get them in the lineup.
Jason, I have two questions: When is Aumont going to pitch again? and where do you see Triunfel’s numbers ending up this season?
Pat, terrible analogy. More accurately, it would be:
Sam: Dave, I’ve been kicking you in the nuts for 100 days straight. Do you like it.
Dave: No, i would rather you kick me in the face. It hurts less; plus, you might miss me completely. In the meantime, I’ll be practicing privately so I can eventually defend myself and kick your ass. However, I’m not ready yet, so there’s no point in me trying out my terrible moves now, or I may lose confidence and quit practicing them for the future.
Or maybe:
Sam: I’m going to kick you.
Dave: Good lord, why?
Sam: Don’t sweat the details. You’re gonna be kicked. Now do you want it in the face or the nuts.
Dave: The face I guess, but this sucks.
The Mariners have to play someone at DH and it appears that they think that LaHair might be the best DH in the organization. That doesn’t mean they don’t want him to be their permenant DH. He’s a band aid.
jason how does Willy Taveras project?
he picked up two bags tonight. giving him 41 on the year.
he alomost has a Jeremy Giambi thing going with the numbers. the more he plays the better he does.
anyway it’s being said he’s available for pitching help.
Taveras has no power at all, like Juan Pierre, and he doesn’t get on base.
He’s a fourth outfielder that has started out of necessity.
Wasn’t Washburn suppose to start today? Why would they push his start back to Monday?
You guys are still missin it. LaHair is taking Sexson’s at-bats. You’re still gonna have to deal with Vidro at DH way too much. So if he still has to be part of the equation, VIdro at 1st, and Diaz at or Balentein at DH actually makes sense, whereas LaHair being anywhere near a MLB roster does not. He Sucks.
He really sucks. 26 years old, in his third stint in AAA and still hasnt shown he can handle that. WHat on earth makes you think he can do anything in the majors? Is it the mediocre power, the low contact rates, or the insanely high strike out rates? We just brought up a left handed Sexson-lite. Awesome.