Bulltalk wrote:I have to ask myself the question: Did this ownership/management group do enough, spend enough in an attempt to reduce the risk of this becoming another lost season? The answer for me is still a resounding NO! They're hoping they get lucky with the product they're putting out there as much as we are.
I was miffed about the lack of spending when there were good FA starting pitchers out there, but the one area I look at this season and really have some concern is the outfield. A SP group of Felix/Iwakuma/Walker/Paxton/Ramirez/Young/Elias is good enough, at least for me, in lieu of over-spending for someone like Ervin Santana who just be terrible.
But in the outfield? Hart's already looking like a DH, which is fine because that's probably what he should have been all along. Ackley looks locked in, but we've seen him struggle before. Almonte? Decent last season, but pretty mediocre this spring at the plate. Saunders? He's had plenty of chances and is a decent supporting player in the OF but isn't a guy I'd rely on for big production. Romero? A total wild card rookie...
I didn't really expect the team to shell out the money for Ellsbury [7 years/$153 million] or Choo [7 years/$130 million] but I think we may regret not having more talent in that group.
nukethewhales wrote:This is probably wishful thinking, but maybe the front office doesn't like what's out there right now and is waiting to see if something better comes along once the midseason fire sales start happening. My worst fear was that since Jack Z is in win now mode he would do something stupid along the lines of the Bedard trade that might help now but would really set the team back in the long run. I'll take patience (as long as it isn't just inaction) over panic.
This is where my mind's at re: trading Nick Franklin. I view him as a pretty good trade chip because guys who can play 2B/SS and offer good power at his age are quite rare. Shipping Franklin to AAA is frustrating because it means he's not helping the M's at all right now, but that's still preferable to trading him just because.
Teams will find they need a 2B or SS as the season goes along. He either moves somewhere for a piece we can use or we keep him as a utility guy, I suppose.
Oddly, as much as I was worried about our starting rotation depth to start the year, we might end up perfectly fine in the rotation and needing help in the outfield.
TTown wrote:m's pluck chris young (formerly of the nationals) from the heap. young has had a modicum of success here and there, but hasn't pitched since 2012. he is, at the very least, a slight upgrade from the possibility of throwing beavan or wolf out there. if he's healthy, he might even be downright average, which would probably be great.
It's wise to take the "Chris Young is finally healthy" narrative with a grain of salt, but I just like the idea of Chris Young more than Randy Wolf. Randy Wolf's had some good seasons but with his age I don't think he's just fighting injuries but time as well. Young's a few years younger...if his shoulder's in good shape, I think there's still some gas left in the tank. All we need is one good month from him, and he looked alright in his only spring training start for the M's.
TTown wrote:stefen romero makes the squad, which is interesting insomuch that he's that potential righty with some pop that this team desperately needs. hard to see him not getting quite a few opportunities early on to be that guy.
I don't think anyone would've been that surprised if Romero had been healthy last season in AAA. He'd done really well for himself in AA/A ball. I'm excited for him to get a chance but am tempering my expectations. Saunders did not do well against LHP last year [although he ran reserve splits in '12 for some reason], so Romero might find some chances as a platoon partner.