Comments on: Rebuilding? [Updated]

By: raffish

raffish — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 18:45:32 +0000

Billy Beane is building the perfect beast in Oakland. The A’s have been down for but a few years since their Hudson, Mulder, Zito hayday. Poor Billy doesn’t have the spending resources that Bavasi did, so he’s in the unenviable position of having to move successful players for youth until it all comes together. It might be just around the corner.

Fortunately for Ms fans, we get to spend the dough once our foundation is constructed. I wish we could get Billy Beane.

By: Dustin Shires

Dustin Shires — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 04:40:55 +0000

The Oakland A’s never completely rebuilding… Every other year or so, they sell their older players at high values and receive young players. Once those young players are 3 years or more experienced in the MLB (or so) they repeat the process. There is never a complete rebuild like the one we’re talking about.

The Rays, I’ll buy that. They have a good ownership though…

By: Jon Shields

Jon Shields — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 03:19:53 +0000

^Speaking of which, the GM responsible for the Cleveland Indians successful rebuild, John Hart, is interested in the job and should be getting an interview with the team.

By: Rob T.

Rob T. — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 02:10:21 +0000

The Indians also had a complete successful rebuild. They overhauled their whole team.

By: Jon Shields

Jon Shields — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 01:38:48 +0000

I am sick of the word rebuilding. In all honesty, what team has completely rebuilt, bottom up, and been successful? Find me an example, because most teams throw out the world “rebuild”, but never fully delve into the philosophy.

The A’s have had various successful rebuilding phases in recent years, and the Rays have done a great job rebuilding since the 2005 season. Those are the two teams that jump immediately to mind for me.

By: raffish

raffish — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 01:06:46 +0000

I, for one, am willing to endure a legitimate rebuilding phase. We don’t have a team cohesive enough to contend even if we sign two or three free agents. We need to make sacrifices, such as:

1. Trade any and all players over age 26 over the next two years. This includes Ichiro, Putz, Beltre, Bedard, maybe even Jose Lopez. Turn these players into as many blue chip prospects as possible.

2. Let the kids play, starting in 2010. As long as they’re ready, Tui, Saunders, Balentin, Halman… get em in there.

3. Draft early and often. Since we’ll have no veteran presence, we’ll surely stink, (at least we’ll do it cheaply!). This should equate to top five draft picks, maybe a few #1 picks.

4. Plan on contending as early as 2012, but more realistically in 2013. With a foundation of young talent in the farm system and at the major league level, the Mariners should be age 29 and under and ready to rock and roll.

Guys like Truinfel, Aumont, Pineda, Ramirez, Tui, Saunders, Halman, Clement, Balentin, Moore and company should be contributing, as well as all the players we’ll acquire through trades and drafting.

THEN we sign legitimate free agents to fill holes.

By: Dustin Shires

Dustin Shires — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 00:27:43 +0000

Cut payroll and sign GOOD free agents to money are two separate ideas. If you are going to go longterm on a guy, at least spend money on the right guy. Furcal/Teixeira/even Sabathia all qualify in that area.

I am sick of the word rebuilding. In all honesty, what team has completely rebuilt, bottom up, and been successful? Find me an example, because most teams throw out the world “rebuild”, but never fully delve into the philosophy.

By: Jon Shields

Jon Shields — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 23:28:23 +0000

That’s the whole problem. It would be great to grap up youngish stars on long contracts to fill the spots that the oranization is weakest in (1B – Teixiera, SS – Furcal) and rebuild from there in hopes of being ready to compete before their contracts expire, but how does Seattle draw them in?

Seattle already has a hard time bringing in top-tier free agents while they were winning ballgames, so how are we supposed to bring in guys now that they’re the worst team in the league? There is only one way that I can think of, and that is to outbid the competition. Not exactly the smartest way to rebuild and cut payroll, is it?

That said, I still wouldn’t be surprised if the organization puts out an offer to Teixiera, despite what Armstrong said.

By: Jon Shields

Jon Shields — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 23:27:11 +0000

By: Mr.Benton

Mr.Benton — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 22:41:03 +0000

I agree with Dustin i would like to do something in between, going young, but still grabbing some free agents (Tex) though i doubt he would want to come to Seattle

By: Brandon

Brandon — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 15:15:07 +0000

That’s assuming we find a way to deal with having Batista, Silva, and Washburn on the roster. It doesn’t seem like Lee wants to trade any of them, so hopefully we get a new GM who is able to deal a couple of these guys for whatever we can get.

In reference to this post, I think we should try to rebuild. We have seen what trying to sign a few veterans in the offseason has done to this team and I think it’s time to go in a new direction.

By: Dustin Shires

Dustin Shires — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 05:32:39 +0000

You know my opinion from our numerous AIM chats. But, for le public, I will rant.

I would rather go out and sign younger players, although valuable and top talent, on top of rebuilding/reloading. I want to go out and sign Teixeira (really, only to block the Angels), or go out and get Furcal, while at the same time trading Betancourt. We don’t need to sign pitching. Right now, 4 of the 5 rotation slots are pretty much filled in 09 by Felix, Bedard, Morrow, and Rowland-Smith.

We’ll see though.