Lazy Day Linkage: 1/4/09

by ~ January 4th, 2009 at 5:18 pm

Not much going on today, so I thought I’d throw out a few links to stir up discussion a bit.

  • Jorge Morejon of Fox Sports International thinks that the Yankees could look to acquire Ichiro to fill their center field and leadoff vacancies.  He suggests the Yanks could get him for Hideki Matsui, Nick Swisher and a pitching prospect.  I wouldn’t be very happy with that deal, but something along the lines of Jesus Montero, Nick Swisher and Zach McAllister/Ian Kennedy could be extremely appealing (although I think Seattle would have to pick up Matsui’s contract to make a deal happen).
  • Prospect Insider’s Jason A. Churchill has a good post up in which he asks MLB scouts and executives about the current trade value of Yuniesky Betancourt, Jose Lopez, Adrian Beltre and Erik Bedard.  The post concludes with a particularly interesting (and painful) quote from an NL assistant regarding Seattle’s failure to trade Jarrod Washburn last season.
  • While discussing an interview Baseball Prospectus did with Seattle Mariners assistant Tony Blengino, USS Mariner’s Derek Zumsteg mentions that the one and only Tom Tango will be a consultant for the Mariners’ new statistical analysis department.  For any non-statheads reading this, Tango is one of the most well known leaders of the sabermetric movement in baseball and is kind of a big deal.
  • Jon Heyman reports that five teams have shown interest in Ken Griffey, including the Mariners (which we already knew).  Anyone sick of the Griffey debate yet?  I am.
  • If you didn’t notice, Jason Churchill posted a comment here recently with quotes from an insider regarding Seattle’s supposed non-interest in the big name free agent sluggers.  He was also told that the Mariners “are high on” free agent second baseman Orlando Hudson.  I wrote about Hudson as a possibility last month.  Just a thought, if Ichiro was dealt to the Yankees, Hudson wouldn’t be a horrible choice as Seattle’s next leadoff man.
  • Driveline Mechanics shares an intriguing video of a 12 year old pitcher showing off one of Dr. Mike Marshall’s many new and revolutionary pitching motions.  It is truly bizarre, but is this the future of pitching?  You can read more about Dr. Marshall at his website.  Marshall has students using motions that aren’t as strange as the 12 year old, but still interesting.  Here are a couple videos: 1, 2.  You can find many more on YouTube and Google Video.
  • Driveline Mechanics also posted a very interesting (and slightly discouraging) mechanical breakdown of Brandon Morrow back in September.  If you haven’t seen it yet, check it out.

Feel free to share any other interesting reads you’ve come across recently.

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  • http://marinermelee.blogspot.com/ Mariner Melee

    The Morrow article is very discouraging. Everyone though that Lincecum was going to be the injury risk, but if this article is correct, it will just make the Mariners and the pother 7 (I think) teams to pass on Lincecum look even more foolish.

    I hope for the sake of Morrow and mariners fans that this turns out to be a non issue. Wow…scary though.

  • http://myspace.com/tr1ckz pmbaseball7

    If we can get Swisher, Montero, and Kennedy/McAllister then i think we have to do that. That quote about Washburn killed me but is true.

  • Digger

    Reading the tea leaves: If Ichiro leaves, the leadoff man is Jerry Hairston.

  • Slurve

    Well the Morrow article is regarding his mechanics not his stuff stuff wise he is a number 3 starter or higher(then again I heard he is just a Matt Clement all FB and nothing else) they are pretty troubling but if he stays healthy or we can get a good 1000-1500IP before his arm blows out we’ll be ok Strasburg I heard also has pretty troubling mechanics as well.

  • http://bleedingblueandteal.com Jon Shields

    That was just one very pessimistic scout that compared Morrow to Clement. I think he’ll be fine.

  • The Kid

    I do not understand why we are so set on rebuilding. Especially now with a weakened AL West, we should be doing whatever it takes in the market to get back in it now. It IS possible to rejuvenate the farm system as we reload this year instead of rebuild. If the puzzle pieces that we bring in can all work out, there is no reason we cannot turn it around as the Rays did. It is not only about the success of the team, but for the success of the franchise as a whole: make some moves, spend money in the right spots, and hope for some good luck. I do not see how somebody like Matsui isn’t good enough for the Yankees, but he would fit in with us..I don’t get why everyone bashes the idea of a Griffey return to finish his illustrious career: it would not only put fans in the seats, but I feel it is right by us to get him back and let him fulfill his dream of finishing back where it started like he wants. On top of that, the Rays, who were just short of a World Series Championship(something the M’s haven’t had in the 30 years of existence), would somehow find it a good fit to sign Griffey and put him into their lineup. Other than that, it is imperative to keep Ichiro unless we get guaranteed studs. We should be going for Bobby Abreu to replace Ibanez, and someone on top of that. If we need to shop people, then shop everyone, but I feel that would be the wrong move. We are two outfielders and a starting pitcher(possibly Bedard) away from being a real threat. Let’s get it done now, not in the future. If we do it now, the future will work itself out.

  • kellykoof15

    The Kid, I agree with most of what you said. I would enjoy watching Griffey play one more years in a M’s uniform, as a DH and LF here and there. What I dont agree with you is, you saying we are two OF’s away from being a real threat. We have Ichiro and Gutierrez, all we need is one OF and hopefully that OF can bat 3rd.

  • chris d

    Griffey will only take away playing time from Clement and other younguns needing to play. Clement is not going to be a catcher. He will be the DH and if he gets playing time he will adjust and hit well. The adjustment to ML is difficult for many and he can do it but he must get AB’s. Griffey will only hinder this and I don’t think Mr Z will allow this to happen. He knows what this team needs better than anyone and Griffey is not it.

    And no big salaries for big sluggers which also would take time away from younger players. Maybe he might sign a one year contract for a left fielder, but no more. Once we get rid of $40m ( Washburn, Beltre, Baptista)in 2010 salary things will move

  • http://myspace.com/tr1ckz pmbaseball7

    getting rid of ichiro would also free up salary and apparently everyone hates him anyway so why not deal him and sign O-Dawg to lead it.

  • http://bleedingblueandteal.com Dustin Shires

    Chris D

    So you would be opposed to signing Adam Dunn, because he’d take away at-bats from Jeff Clement?

  • http://bleedingblueandteal.com Jon Shields

    I suppose the difference is that Adam Dunn would be hands down better than Clement, while Griffey wouldn’t necessarily be (or marginally better at best).

  • http://bleedingblueandteal.com Dustin Shires

    To be honest, I don’t care that Clement is the “uber-prospect.” Fielding the best team possible is what matters to me, and if Griffey puts up numbers superior to Clement’s, no question in my mind, give Griffey the spot in the line-up…

  • chris d

    Dustin, yes I believe that Clement will produce. He has not been given a chance to prove himself. ML pitching is very difficult to adjust to and in the past, as he has started at each minor league level he has done poorly but ended up doing very well. Look at his Tacoma stint. I say give him a chance at DH. And if Dunn can come in on a one year agreement and not take AB’s away from Clement than so be it.

    I think Mr Z intends to give these younger potential hitters a chance, as he should. Or maybe he will trade him but I don’t think he will be on the bench.

  • Walrus

    Since there appears to be some agreement between some of us bloggers that Clement does not belong behind homeplate due to the recent knee surgeries…has anyone heard anything about what the M’s intend to do – other than just evaluate when Spring Training comes along?
    Has anyone heard if the M’s will try to put Clement at 3rd base, to possible keep some of his uber-prospect status – especially considering the currrent status of Beltre?

  • ernier

    Speaking of Beltre…Larry LaRue has some interesting comments from him on his blog.

    http://blogs.thenewstribune.com/mariners/

  • http://bleedingblueandteal.com Jon Shields

    @ Dustin – I’m not so such that Griffey will put up numbers that are that much greater than Clement’s, if at all. A few projections:

    Clement: Bill James .256/.333/.456, CHONE .252/.333/.433
    Griffey: Bill James .255/.351/.451, CHONE .243/.333/.418

    Projections are like weather forecasts so take them however you want, but why pay for a broken down Griffey when you can develop one of your best young players without loosing much (if any) production? I know we all love Griffey, but it’s smarter to make moves with the brain and not the heart.

    That said, with Burrell now a Ray, the Mariners are going to be cast as the clear cut favorite for Griffey. We’ll see what happens.

    @ Walrus – Moving Clement to third would be convenient, but doesn’t seem very likely. Athleticism aside, Clement’s throwing arm doesn’t seem very capable of making the toss across with much authority.

    @ ernier – It’s unfortunate that one of our best players has to be so unhappy with the team. Luckily, he’ll still give it his all no matter how he feels about the rest of the roster. I wish he’d see that “going young” doesn’t always mean a bad team, because the way it looks now we should be much better in 2009 than we were in 2008.

    If the possibility of an extension wasn’t already off the table, it certainly is now.

  • banton

    To those of you who believe that Griffey will put butts in the seats, I would agree; until he gets hurt or can’t resurrect his long-ball image. Griffey is no better a hitter overall than is Clement, and Clement is no longer an “uber-prospect”. He is not our savior at first, third, or DH. His career is on the line this year-he needs to show that he can hit. He has had his chances and blown them so far, considering how many at bats he has had.

    Call it rebuilding, whatever….We are not that far off, but spending tons of dough to “buy” a competitive team is what got us in this mess in the first place. I would trade Ichi, YouBet, Balentin, Lopez or anyone else in order for Z to achieve his goals. Beltre is not going anywhere before the trade deadline, neither is Bedard (whom I think will have a great year). Washburn and Silva will be gone by the end of ST.

    We will have a good team this year. Are we going to win the
    West? Who cares!! I would be happy with a competitive team and I think we will have one. Take a deep breath or two and let Z do his work.