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We need one. Here goes.

So far, nothing but crickets from Good Ol' Bavasi. Someone remind him that he's the general manager of a baseball team and that it's the offseason. Then take his heroin stash.

Apparently we made a pitch to Kuruda

Well, if we stretch back to the middle of last season, he did sign Ichiro to an extension that seems well below market value for a player of his caliber. May not agree with the length of the deal but the price was surely right.

Right now there aren't really many moves to make. The Mariners aren't really in the mix for any of the bigger-named players out there.

Apparently the M's are going after Kuroda (a #3 or #4 starter who's likely to command a multiyear deal for eight figures per season) and ignoring Fukudome. Yep, Bill Bavasi is still at the helm. Can we call this the "Fuku, Bavasi!" thread?

hippie, I'm only too happy to oblige.

Now that A-Rod's off the market, I guess a lot of buzz in general about MLB free agency has dwindled, so maybe I'm being a little hard on his dumb ass. That said, there are some decent options stateside for improving this team that he's ignoring.

PhilipNelsonFan wrote: That said, there are some decent options stateside for improving this team that he's ignoring.

Such as?

We've touched on Bedard and Garza for pitchers and guys like Bill Hall for fielders. If Bavasi stays patient, the American market might plummet back to earth and he can get someone at good value. At least, that's how I feel this free-agent period is going to go.

In other news, Mike Lowell conned the Red Sox out of $12 million a year for three years.

PhilipNelsonFan wrote:In other news, Mike Lowell conned the Red Sox out of $12 million a year for three years.

And you know what annoys me? The fawning, cloying Boston media are going to hype this as Lowell doing the right thing, staying loyal, etc. (The same media that lambasted Johnny Damon for supposedly selling out, conveniently forgetting that he had already sold out when he left the cash-poor Royals and Athletics for the big bucks in Boston.) I hate the Fuku-ing Red Sox.

Mind you, I have no objection to Lowell doing what's best for Lowell, but let's all recognize it for what it is.

Well, to be fair, Lowell did walk away from a larger contract offer from the Phillies because of his desire to play in Boston, or so he said.

Given the dead market for 3B, I actually like this deal for Boston.

so far the only rumor i've read is the option of going after kuroda.

i don't see the M's doing a big move or something. they will try to emulate last seasons "success" with almost the same players...

Broussard traded to Rangers for Minor League INF Tug Hulett.

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=A ... &type=lgns

Well, that

I know nothing about Hulett, but I'm disappointed. I liked Broussard and wished he would have had consistent playing time. Moving Broussard kills off any dreams of something other than Sexson at first base next season. I didn't expect to see Sexson traded, but I'd like to have something on the bench to stick at first besides...*sigh*...Vidro.

Also, the M's decided to tender Horacio Ramirez a contract. We spent $2.65 million, and due to the perverted nature of baseball he's probably going to get a raise. Couldn't the $4 million saved by trading Broussard and the $3 million tagged to go to Ramirez been used to...get something better than Ramirez?

Eh, never a really big fan of Broussard. At best, he

Here's some stuff on Hulett: http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/story/...0716/03304

Sounds like the Bloomquist comparisons are apt, though maybe he's a little better than that. I note that he's had an OBP of over .400 throughout his minor league career until 2007, when he slipped to .357. If his numbers through 2006 are indicative of his ability, I'm happy.

Of course, the M's have a history of getting minor leaguers with great batting eyes and ruining them. See Reed, Jeremy.

I would have wanted to give Broussard a better shot. One idea I was going to bring up here is trading Sexson and going after Brandon Inge, who is clearly on the trading block, and letting Inge platoon with Broussard at first. Inge can't hit righty pitchers at all, but he absolutely destroys lefties -- the opposite of Broussard. The platoon splits, if they held up, would give the M's excellent production at the position, with two players whose salaries would combine for, what, maybe half of what Sexson makes. But it wasn't meant to be.

I know Inge told Le Tigres that he wants to be traded to a team that will allow him to play third full-time FWIW.

Basketball Jesus wrote:I know Inge told Le Tigres that he wants to be traded to a team that will allow him to play third full-time FWIW.

What makes him think he deserves that? Few players' splits scream out "Platoon!" quite like Inge's. In 2007:

Vs. righties: .209/.281/.340
Vs. lefties: .333/.419/.505

Problem is, nearly four-fifths of his plate appearances were against righties. That's what happens when you play full time. An adequate offensive third baseman might have gotten Detroit into the playoffs last year. So why would a team play him every day, at any position?

I have heard that Inge is a Gold Glove caliber third baseman, which obviously enhances his value. Still, when you're facing a right-handed hitter, do you want a good-glove, no-hit player with a .621 OPS at a corner infield spot? I don't think it's worth it.

Definitely, moving him to first base would be something of a waste if he has those defensive skills. Theoretically his value to a team with a third-base vacancy would be higher than his value to the M's. But, again, I don't see why anyone would bring him in to the be the full-time starter.

What makes him think he deserves that?

Hubris? Because he