A Few Odds and Ends
by Jon ~ November 2nd, 2009
Aroldis Chapman and Felix Hernandez
The Aroldis Chapman market is going to be interesting to judge. The Mariners are the latest team to jump seriously into the bidding, possibly hoping to have another front-line arm so they can deal Felix Hernandez before he reaches free agency.
Rogers must have had a hard time figuring out how to open his article, because this is just stupid. The Mariners wouldn’t go after Chapman as a replacement for King Felix. The Mariners are kicking the tires on Chapman because he’s a good prospect, and good organizations tend to gather up as many good prospects as possible.
Chapman is no staff ace. Not yet, anyway, and there’s a pretty good chance he won’t become one, either. He’s a very good prospect and that’s it. He’s very much a work in progress. And he certainly isn’t “the left handed Stephen Strasburg,” as many have said.
Saying the Mariners are pursuing Chapman as Felix insurance would be like the team deciding to draft a pitcher instead of Dustin Ackley for the same reason. Just stupid. The Mariners are pursuing Chapman because he’s the best amateur free agent in the world.
Speaking of Chapman, Jason A. Churchill tweets:
One club’s negotiating exec says Chapman’s agent is eliminating anyone who won’t go $40m-plus.
Carlos Silva for Milton Bradley
The Seattle Mariners have been at the center of bad contract swap speculation over the past few seasons thanks to Bill Bavasi. Most of those contracts have died of natural causes, but Carlos Silva still remains.
Saturday ESPN’s Buster Olney had Silva at the top of his list of potential bad contracts the Chicago Cubs could swap Milton Bradley for.
“That’s a swap that makes a lot of sense for both sides,” one executive said Friday. Said another: “It would be dead money for dead money.”
I have no idea how likely this is to happen. I would guess that it’s a longshot, but you never know.
The Mariners would be idiots not to take that deal. Not only can Bradley still contribute in the win column, he is also a helluva lot more marketable than Silva. If I’m the Mariners and I get that offer, I take it immediately. Then, if I decide I don’t want Bradley’s baggage or injury history on the 2010 ballclub, I pick up the phone and talk to the other clubs that were interested in him. If I find another deal, great. If not, I have a guy that ran a .378 OBP in a down year as my DH.
Jarrod Washburn
Washburn told Jim Street that the Mariners will be one of his top choices this offseason when it comes to choosing a 2010 team. No thanks.
I believe Washburn has genuinely reinvented himself for the better this year, but for the most part he was still only as good as the defense behind him and the rabbit’s foot in his pocket. While I never bought in to Luke French being a Washburn clone that could put together similar results, I do think the Mariners have more than enough depth at starting pitcher that Washburn shouldn’t be considered in any capacity. Good luck in the National League, Jarrod.
Street also notes in his article that the Washburn deal “did not work out particularly well for either team,” citing Washburn and French’s numbers. What Street does not mention is that Mauricio Robles joined the Mariners organization and threw 32.1 innings of 2.71 ERA ball for High Desert, striking out 34 while walking 19. I’d say so far so good for the Mariners’ return.
13 Responses to A Few Odds and Ends
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eastcoastmariner
November 2nd, 2009 at 5:15 pm
$40 million as a starting point is one heck of a gamble on a guy that has never played major league baseball. Meanwhile, players like Evan Longoria are making pennies.
If the Cubs want Bradley gone so bad that they’d swap him for Silva I think JackZ would have a heart attack before he could even pick up the phone to make the trade. Bradley isn’t the ideal guy on most peoples radar but he has been significantly better than Silva the past 2 years(or his entire career for that matter)
It was nice to see Washburn pitch well this past year but there is no way he finds himself in a Mariner uniform next year. I hope the guy does well but it’s not going to be as an Mariner
Great post Jon
Dustin Shires Reply:
November 3rd, 2009 at 1:08 am
All baseball players, before they play at the highest level, are basically stocks; business investments, if you will. If a team decides that Chapman is going to be worth 40M over however many years they decide to give him, chances are that they’ll make the offer. Is Chapman worth that? My gut tells me no. I don’t have enough knowledge on him, but a guy with a fastball that can’t find the plate and an iffy slider/breaker don’t seem, to me, to be worth 40M.
And Evan Longoria is making pennies because the Rays front office is rather intelligent.
And for the record, if we can get Bradley for Silva, and he’s able to return to his 2008 form as a DH, we’d be pretty damn well off. I’d thoroughly enjoy that.
Jon Reply:
November 3rd, 2009 at 8:20 am
2008 form is a stretch. Bradley is never hitting .321/.426/.563. If he could hit anywhere near his career line that would be nice, though.
StandinPat
November 2nd, 2009 at 6:03 pm
“What Street does not mention is that Mauricio Robles joined the Mariners organization and threw 32.1 innings of 2.71 ERA ball for High Desert, striking out 34 while walking 19. I’d say so far so good for the Mariners’ return.”
Prob cause Street doesn’t know his elbow from you know what. He prob still thinks Yuni has Gold Glove ability too….so hard to take anything he writes seriously.
Luisam911
November 2nd, 2009 at 6:23 pm
this guy on the mariners page wrote a whole paragraph in the comments section and here are some good laughs of what this idiot wrote.
“yes, adding washburn next season is a smart move.”
“oh, and bring back cedano at short, his the best shortstop you have ever had there. it`s up to the coaches to remind him, that he is there to get on base, not hit home runs.”
“vladamir balentine is one of the best young players you have ever had, and you got rid of him. again.”
“and you had a starting first baseman in mike morse, but never gave him a chance. how about getting brian roberts from baltimore for 2nd base. you can`t go wrong either way. griffey will make a good dh and pitch hitter”
Brandon
November 2nd, 2009 at 9:29 pm
lol “pitch hitter?!?” Really? Sounds like a well informed fan….oh wait, who is “V”ladimir “Balentine” anyways?
Jon Reply:
November 2nd, 2009 at 10:09 pm
In the same comment he said the Mariners needed to go after Roy Hallday or Zack Greinke.
Luisam911
November 3rd, 2009 at 12:46 am
wow they keep coming, lol
“who would we give up for him? Plus I just have a sixth sense that Tuiasosopo is going to be a factor next year. I think the M’s need to go for Joe Mauer in 2011. Fills the need for a catcher, and he handles pitchers well, plus he’s an almost guaranteed .300 from the backstop, which is rare. They should also make a run at Albert Pujols (even though he’ll be tough to pry out of StL) and Roy Halladay. As for next year in left field, if the M’s don’t land Jason Bay, they should try for Carl Crawford, provided he takes a pay cut.”
Jon Reply:
November 3rd, 2009 at 8:21 am
Someone has been playing video games…
MarinerMan6
November 3rd, 2009 at 10:49 am
With regards to Mr. Street’s notes, he also needs to take into consideration Luke French is under club control for pennies for the next 5 years for basically nothing while Washburn costs alot more. If French never throws another ML pitch and Robles never makes it at all the M’s still won that trade. The fact is Robles is going to be a big part of that exciting West Tenn AA rotation next year with Pineda, JC Ramirez, and Hensley. Couple in Truinfel, Poythress, Raben maybe and West Tenn should be exciting to watch.
maqman
November 3rd, 2009 at 11:43 am
I’m old but not senile and I can’t believe the Cubs would trade Bradley for Silva. Silva is Seattle’s Official Team Black Hole, if they could get the Cubs assistant janitor for him they should take it! He’s not worth a roster speck, let alone a roster spot.
Washburn is better than Silva, he might be worth an assistant groundskeeper, otherwise Just Walk On By.
Not to worry – in Z I Trust.
Luisam911
November 4th, 2009 at 7:23 pm
I feel like I am going to get slammed asking this but,
They said just now the Yankees are only going to keep Damon or Matsui. They also said Matsui would only prob go to Seattle, so if NY doesnt resign Matsui, should we go after him and make him our new DH? is that a smart move?
Jon Reply:
November 4th, 2009 at 7:59 pm
Matsui’s a possibility and the M’s could do worse at DH, but I’d be weary of his age and injury history. He averaged 395 feet on his homers this season, so his 28 homers weren’t all New Yankee Stadium gifts.
Anyone can be a smart move at the right money, so we’d have to know what he’s looking for.
There is also some rumors out there that Ichiro and Matsui hate each other. I’m not sure if that would play into it at all.