General Off-Season Thread

[TTown]

Olivo the former Mariner was horrendous, Olivo over the past six years or so has been decent enough. Knowing our history, we'll get the Miguel Olivo of 2005.

I keep waiting for something substantial to come out of these meetings. Cust, Olivo, offering Laynce Nix a contract... didn't we have history's WORST offense last year? Methinks we may need more than Jack Cust and a journeyman catcher and fourth outfielder.

[Sweezo]

I think they're doing alright with the budget they have to work with. While I'm hoping for an interesting trade, things like that don't always happen.

I think the offense struggled last year due to [1] a lack of talent, and [2] some awful luck. Cust isn't a great player but he can hit for power and get on base. Same with Olivo [although he's a blatant hacker].

If the M's are simply 'average' at DH/C they've improved dramatically. If Smoak can come in and be a league average 1B offensively they've improved dramatically. Same with Saunders. Same with Figgins.

[Bulltalk]

Well this is about as exciting as buying a new toothbrush.

ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Cardinals have traded infielder Brendan Ryan to the Seattle Mariners for hard-throwing right-hander Maikel Cleto.

Ryan hit .223 and had 11 steals in just short of 500 plate appearances for St. Louis last season.

The Cardinals get a 21-year old pitcher who can touch 100 mph. He spent last season in the California League. He had a 6.16 ERA in 23 appearances, all but two of which were starts. Cleto also pitched in the Arizona Fall League.

[TTown]

I've heard Ryan was bothered all of 2010 by a wrist injury, which explains his drop in production (he hit .292/.340 in '09). He plays good defense, if he's able to get on base more than the Wilsons... huzzah.

[Sweezo]

I've heard Ryan was bothered all of 2010 by a wrist injury, which explains his drop in production (he hit .292/.340 in '09). He plays good defense, if he's able to get on base more than the Wilsons... huzzah.

Yeah, I like the deal. He should play a good 2B until Ackley comes up, and then hopefully slide over to replace Jack Wilson until Franklin's time is ready to begin.

[Bulltalk]

You guys bring up some good points. My response was more the realization that this off-season isn't going to be about big splashes, or that I'd be quite surprised if we did make a big splash in the trade or FAcy market. It's these kinds of smaller strategic situational moves/signings that we're probably going to have to rely upon. I hope Z turns out to have a gold touch about them in retrospect.

[Sweezo]

You know why I suddenly like the Olivo trade more than I initially did? Domino effect...

Mariners designated C Rob Johnson for assignment. Johnson was cleared off the 40-man roster to make room for the newly-signed Jack Cust. The 27-year-old backstop batted just .191/.293/.281 with two home runs and 13 RBI in 209 plate appearances this past season. He also led the league with nine passed balls. Johnson wasn't likely to get much playing time with Miguel Olivo as the starter and Adam Moore as his primary backup, though it's still possible he could return to the organization on a minor league deal.

You guys bring up some good points. My response was more the realization that this off-season isn't going to be about big splashes, or that I'd be quite surprised if we did make a big splash in the trade or FAcy market. It's these kinds of smaller strategic situational moves/signings that we're probably going to have to rely upon. I hope Z turns out to have a gold touch about them in retrospect.

I don't know who here believes in the value of WAR, but I saw someone point out somewhere else that the combined WAR of our non-1B IF [Figgins + Lopez + Wilson (x 2)] last year was the same as Ryan's WAR.

He is, basically, a healthy, younger Jack Wilson defensively. Not the kind of move that turns a franchise around, but the type of move that leads to some improvement at one position.

Neither Cust nor Olivo nor Ryan are great players. But they're all better than what we had at those positions last year. And that's all I want right now...an offense that's basically average.

[Sweezo]

While adding Cust/Olivo/Ryan may not be overwhelming...so far, the M's are probably having the best offseason of any AL West team. The Angels missed out on Crawford, the Rangers just lost Cliff Lee, the A's missed out on a good Japanese pitcher while Beltre seems to be hoping he can get an decent offer from anyone that isn't the A's...

[TTown]

Am I the only one who would love to put together a package for Greinke? The Royals seem like the Timberwolves of MLB, which is to say we may not even have to give up the world to get him. I think his skill set would own in Safeco.

King Felix
Greinke
Bedard
Pineda
Vargas

Tell me a mediocre offense, which hopefully we'll upgrade to this year, couldn't compete in the West with that 1-5. You have Fister as insurance for Bedard. Fister pre-injury was spectacular. I know trading for offense is the priority but we seem committed to players everywhere but perhaps left field. Get a guy like Greinke and hope the offense performs to 2009-levels, this team could be surprisingly decent. We're also due for a good W/L year:

2006 78-84
2007 88-74
2008 61-101
2009 85-77
2010 61-101
2011 ?

We seem to rotate mediocrity with decent seasons.

[TTown]

The Yankees may inquire with the Mariners about Felix Hernandez, but Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports writes that Seattle is unlikely to move him.

The Red Sox, Yankees and Rays reportedly all pushed for Hernandez at the 2009 non-waiver deadline.


Read more: http://baseball.realgm.com/src_wiretap_ ... z18EalLSV5

lol lol lol

At least we have some sense.

[nuke the whales]

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=a ... adrestrade
And now Rob is a Padre

[Bay_Areas_Finest]

The fact that we could trade Rob Johnson at all is an automatic win. The guy is probably the worst player in the entire game of baseball. He sucks beyond belief at the plate, and Johnson even sucks as a catcher. Ugh. The "Player to be named later" is already "X" times better.

Woooo!

[TTown]

Aardsma, League, Vargas all sign one year deals and avoid arbitration. Got a chuckle out of Lookout Landing's blurb: "The Mariners should take Brandon League to arbitration anyway, just so they can tell him all the things he does wrong while he's forced to sit there and listen."

In another news, Gil Meche retired today, leaving $12 mil behind in the process.

[Sweezo]

Busy day for the M's. Always nice to avoid arbitration. That said, just when you thought he couldn't be any more of a disappointment:

Here's some more info on Milton Bradley. He was arrested by members of the Los Angeles Police Department's West Valley branch today at 10:40 a.m. at a residence in Encino, Calif. Police had received a call from an unidentifed woman in the Van Nuys district of Los Angeles about 8:50 a.m. saying a man had threatened her.

Bradley was booked on a felony charge of making criminal threats. He was held on $50,000 bail but released after paying it.

His next court date is set for Feb. 8.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/marinersblog/2013970742_milton_bradley_released_on_500.html

Nice work, Milton. Hopefully he did something bad enough to void his contract so we don't have to pay him any money for poor production and bad press.

[TTown]

http://www.lookoutlanding.com/2011/1/28 ... ne-figgins

Kind of hard to get excited over Kevin Kouzmanoff and a probable reliever, but getting rid of Chone's contract would be nice. If Toronto is indeed involved, it'd be interesting to see what we could bring back from them.

[ORL_4LIFE]

as long as we get rid of that contract, i'm ok with wutever we get back at this point. but wouldn't it be something if that pitcher turned out to be morrow. i know it wont be, but still.

[TTown]

Anyone else digging these minor league contracts we're handing out to guys like Chris Ray and Manny Delcarmen? Both received Major League contracts and turned them down for an opportunity of more playing time here. Maybe they flame out and don't get out of the Spring (who knows?), but the low risk/high reward factor is strong with these guys. Both have proven extremely capable in the past, here's hoping the Safeco edge works in our favor.