Bleacher Report - Articles by Griffin Cooper

Trading Jose Lopez: How Can the Mariners Improve in the Process?

Griffin Cooper — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 23:56:29 -0500

WARNING: This article is heavily sabermetrics-oriented.

Assuming we don’t get a second baseman in return, which is quite unlikely, we’re obviously going to need someone to replace him.

In Geoff Baker’s recent article on the subject of trading Jose Lopez, he mentions both Orlando Hudson and Placido Polanco as potential free agent replacements, as well as the possibility of Matt Tuiasosopo or Bill Hall filling the void.

Hudson could be a really nice fit, but he doesn’t want to come to the American League, so if the Mariners do want him, they may end up having to overpay to pry him from the National League, and I don’t see that happening. It’s a shame, too, as he’s quite the nifty little player.

Polanco, on the other hand, seems like a much more realistic possibility. He’s a 3-4 win player who’s going to be earning something like $7 million a year, so there’s no need to worry about overpaying for wins, and he could theoretically be an excellent addition to this Mariners team.

He’s been above average defensively by UZR for six of the last seven seasons, and he’s just about a league average hitter. However, he’d only be a small upgrade in value over Lopez, but he’d cost about $6 million more—so it’d really come down to what the return is in any Lopez deal.

If it were, say, the Jose Lopez, Mark Lowe, and Jason Vargas to Chicago for John Danks deal that Dave Cameron proposed , we’d be trading about $4 million in 2010 salaries and five WAR for about $3 million in 2010 salaries and three WAR.

Then, if we sign Polanco for say a two-year/$14 million deal, we end up with $10 million in 2010 salaries and about 6.5 WAR between Danks and Polanco. Then, when you consider that each WAR is valued at about $4.5 million, we basically end up breaking even, with a very small increase in value, if that makes sense.

But what that does hopefully show is that if we were to make that deal with the White Sox and then sign Placido Polanco, we’d be getting slightly more for our money while improving the on-field product, and being able to do that is going to be huge if we want to contend in 2010.

Then, there are the in-house options. The two Baker brought up, Tuiasosopo and Hall, would pretty much be our only options if we were to trade Lopez. It’s still too soon to tell as to whether or not Tui could handle the starting second baseman job, but he’d in all likelihood be slightly below average defensively and end up being about a 0.5-1 WAR player.

So, if we were to make the Lopez, Lowe, and Vargas for Danks trade, and then stuck Tui at second base, we’d still be trading about $4 million in 2010 salaries and about five WAR, and we’d end up getting about $3.5 million in 2010 salaries and about 3.5-4 WAR.

In that scenario, we’d not only be making the on-field product worse, but we’d also be getting less for our money. So no, trading Jose Lopez and replacing him with Matt Tuiasosopo would not be a good idea—at least not with that trade return.

As for Hall, he’s had very limited experience at second base, and he hasn’t had any substantial time there since 2004. That’s way too small of a sample size to really gather anything from, but for the record, he was roughly average defensively in his time there, and that’s what I’d expect from him going into 2010 if he were to end up there.

It probably won’t matter though, as I don’t see his offense ever reverting to 2006 form, and there’s virtually no way they take an average defender with a sub .300 wOBA and make him an everyday player.

I’d like to think I really got to the bottom of something or came to some sort of conclusion, but it’s still 100 percent speculation, and all of this completely changes if Jose Lopez gets traded as a part of any other deal. God, the offseason sucks.

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Or you can visit my Seattle Mariners blog here.

Big-Name Free Agents and the 2010 Seattle Mariners

Griffin Cooper — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 21:12:32 -0500

Right now, there are a lot of different theories out there, among fans, bloggers, beat writers, everyone, about how the Mariners should go about building this team for next season.

I won’t even attempt to cover all of them—I couldn’t if I wanted to, but, I do want to take a look at one of the more common ones—which is focusing primarily on the offense, and more specifically, going after big-name, impact free agents.

In theory, there’s nothing wrong with this type of a plan. It’s worked for plenty of teams—the ones with big payrolls, any way. However, it certainly isn’t a good route for every team, and I don’t think it’s a good route for the 2010 Mariners.

The first big issue, as it is with most things, is the money. Now, we aren’t the Florida Marlins or the Texas Rangers—we have some money to spend—but we aren’t exactly rolling in dough, either.

We are limited as to what we can spend, and we have to be wise with our budget if we want to turn this team into a contender.

Putting large amounts of your money towards one, big name, generally very good player, isn’t always the best allocation of resources. For further explanation as to why that is, I advise you to take a look at one of Taylor Halperin’s recent articles, here .

Now, back to the Mariners. The two biggest reasons why I don’t expect a huge free agent signing or blockbuster trade this offseason, are availability and need.

First of all, just look at the positions that we seriously need to upgrade. It’s pretty much just DH, starting pitching, and probably third base.

Some would argue that left field, shortstop, and catcher should be in that group—I disagree.

I expect both Adam Moore and Michael Saunders to be ready to take on starting roles by the start of the 2010 season, and I’d be just fine with keeping Jack Wilson around, at a reasonable price of course.

So, if we focus on DH, third base, and starting pitching, who’s available in terms of big name free agents?

The names I’ve seen thrown around a lot are John Lackey, Chone Figgins, Brandon Webb, Rich Harden, Cliff Lee, Vladimir Guerrero, Jason Bay, and Hideki Matsui.

For reference, I don’t consider Nick Johnson, Orlando Hudson, Jim Thome, Ben Sheets, or Jarrod Washburn big name free agents—not anymore, at least

So let’s work with that list. Well, you can cross off Brandon Webb and Cliff Lee right now, as both of their options are more than likely to be picked up. So in terms of pitchers, that leaves us with just John Lackey and Rich Harden.

Both of which are good pitchers, but both of which have some red flags. Lackey would be an excellent No. 2 to compliment Felix, but he’s going to be expensive, and he’s heading towards the end of his prime.

Could he be worth a one- or two-year deal? Maybe, but probably nothing more. He’s more than likely got at least a couple of good years left, but we don’t want to re-live the Jarrod Washburn experience.

Rich Harden, on the other hand, would be more of a high-risk, high-reward signing. His injury history is extremely off-putting, but he’s young and very talented.

Signing him to a fairly cheap deal, laden with incentives, could turn out to be very worthwhile. It could also turn out horribly, with Harden suffering a career-ending injury—but hey, nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Onto the position players. Vlad and Jason Bay are both in decline and terrible fits for Safeco Field—there's really nothing to see here. It'd be silly to spend that type of money on a player whose value would be absolutely wasted at Safeco Field. If I were the Mariners front office, I wouldn't touch either of these guys with a 10-foot pole.

That brings us to the last two on the list—Chone Figgins and Hideki Matsui. Both of these guys would be good fits in Seattle, but both are going to be expensive, and at least one of them will most likely be subject to a bidding war.

I honestly don’t see Matsui leaving New York, so I’ll just say that he would be a nice fix for the DH situation, but is far from the only option.

As for Figgins, he might leave the Angels, but whichever team does sign him is going to need to offer up quite a bit of cash, and I don’t see the Mariners getting too far into that competition.

Figgins is an excellent little player, and I’d love to see him in a Mariners uniform, but I suspect that there’s a way to handle the third base situation within the system.

I know this article rambled a bit, but I guess the point I was trying to make, was that there just aren’t that many big name free agents, or impact players, or whatever you want to call them, out there right now that make sense for the Mariners to seriously go after.

If we had a bit more money to spend, and really needed a big, right handed, power hitting left fielder, than yeah, there might be something we could do about that.

But we don’t, so we’re probably going to end up going the unconventional route once again this offseason.

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My Premature Farewell To Adrian Beltre

Griffin Cooper — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:21:48 -0400

I know he isn’t gone yet, and I’m certainly a subscriber to the “anything can happen” way of thinking, but it seems inevitable that Mr. Beltre won’t be here come 2010.

Adrian, sometimes fondly referred to as “Yaydrian," or “King Awesome” over at Lookout Landing, has been one of the most recognizable faces of the Seattle Mariners for five seasons now. Despite the team being really bad for three of the years, Beltre has been one of the few consistent pieces.

He’s garnered plenty of unwarranted criticism from fans, fans who expected him to repeat his offensive performance from his contract year with the Dodgers, despite the fact that he was playing at Safeco Field, an awful place for right handed power hitters.

The more well-informed fans, however, have had nothing but praise for him. They can see that he has not only made up for any offensive woes with his spectacular defense, but has also been worth every penny of his contract.

They can also see that he is one of the toughest guys to ever play the game of baseball. Just over the last year, he’s attempted to play through both horribly painful bone spurs in his shoulder and a torn testicle.

Yes, he played several innings and scored the winning run of a game after a ground ball tore his testicle. If more fans would think about the sheer amount of painful injuries he’s battled through in his tenure here, they might show him the appreciation that he so clearly deserves.

He’s pretty much been my favorite Mariner since he signed here. Sure, I absolutely adore Felix, Ichiro, Guti, Junior, and almost all of the other Mariners, but there was something about Adrian that made him stand out to me.

I guess it was mainly that once upon a time I was an aspiring third baseman on my select baseball team, who got by mostly on defense. I’m sure that was a big part of it; I really idolized him when I was younger.

It also could have been the many mannerisms he plays the game with. There’s the patented self-appeal that we all know and love, the Beltre shuffle, and of course, the fact that he so clearly plays with as much heart and toughness as anybody in the game.

With a player that’s so easy to love, it’s tough to pinpoint any one reason. I’m sure there are plenty of fans out there who will say they just love him for his defense, and that’s fine. But for me, and I’m sure I’m not the only one, it’s a lot more than that.

There’s just something about him that’s irreplaceable. He doesn’t have the stand out personality that Griffey and Sweeney have, or the home grown superstar appeal that Felix has.

I guess he’s most comparable to Guti, a quiet, Latino, defensive specialist. The biggest difference between them, though, is that Seattle is embracing Gutierrez in a way they really didn’t with Beltre.

The reason for that, I’m sure, is that fans were expecting Beltre to come in and hit 40 home runs every year, and because he hasn’t, they see him as a disappointment, and that’s really a shame. It’s a shame because he’s been far from it, and that’s obvious in the eyes of the people who have really been paying attention.

We’ve probably seen the last of Adrian, now, and we’ll probably never get another chance to show him the appreciation and affection that he deserves.

I don’t know if it was just that everyone was lost in the whole Griffey moment on the last day of the season, but the crowd didn’t even give AB a standing ovation after his last at bat. It also could have been because it resulted in a strikeout, but it was sad nonetheless.

I stood up for him, and there were a few others that understood what was going on, and followed, but that’s it. And that was a pretty good representation of what his time here was like. A few people really got it, but there just weren’t enough of them to make any difference.

Thanks for everything Adrian, and good luck where ever you end up. It probably doesn’t seem like it now, but once people realize what the Mariners have lost with your departure, you will be missed.

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How Good Of a Fit Would Felipe Lopez Be For the Mariners?

Griffin Cooper — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 18:08:40 -0400

My guess is that by now, pretty much all of you have read Dave Cameron’s 2010 offseason plan over at USS Mariner . He did a fantastic job on it overall, and clearly put a lot of work into it. One signing he advocated was Orlando Hudson, to play second base (assuming Jose Lopez gets traded).

Now, Hudson would definitely be a good fit in Seattle. He’s a switch hitter, which is something we most certainly could use, he’s an adequate defensive second baseman, and he’s a well above average hitter. Dave figures it would take about $8M per year to sign him, which sounds about right.

So we know Hudson would be a solid fit—but there’s one other player, a guy by the name of Felipe Lopez, who potentially could make even more sense. Lopez has played a fair amount of both second base and shortstop, but UZR likes him much more at second base.

Defensively, he’d probably just be a slight improvement over Jose Lopez—he’s got decent range, but makes his fair share of errors. Not much different than Orlando Hudson.

Offensively is where Felipe has shined over his career, though. Some point to his outstanding 2009 season being somewhat of a fluke, but when you track back over the last few years, it seems far from it.

His wOBA’s since 2005, in which he’s had at least 480 at bats every season, are as follows:

2009: .356 (.329 league average)

2008: .320 (.328 league average)

2007: .295 (.331 league average)

2006: .336 (.332 league average)

2005: .360 (.326 league average)

With 2007 as a bit of an outlier, he’s been pretty consistent. His power is nothing special—he hit 23 home runs in 2005, but it looks like that was a factor of his extremely high 18.3% HR/FB, as he hasn’t hit more than 11 in a season since.

Despite the lack of power, he’d fit nicely into this Mariners lineup in the same way Orlando Hudson would—he’s a switch hitting middle infielder, with above average speed and a good, consistent bat.

The biggest difference between the two? Money. Lopez would probably demand something in the range of $5-7 million per year, compared to the $8-9 it would most likely take to land Hudson.

Not a huge difference, but that extra $1-4 million could be used for a lot of different things—whether it’s re-signing Russell Branyan, bringing in a FA pitcher, or even attempting to bring back Adrian Beltre.

If we for whatever reason don’t go after Lopez, and we end up with Orlando Hudson instead, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that, but I for one, would love to see Felipe Lopez in a Mariners uniform.

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Or visit my Seattle Mariners blog, SoDo Mojo, here

SoDo Mojo is Having a $100 Sports Memoabilia Gift Certificate Giveaway

Griffin Cooper — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 21:56:55 -0400

Alright, so there was a post here quite awhile ago about a raffle, in which we, at the Mariners blog SoDo Mojo, were charging $2 per ticket. We scratched that idea, and decided to go with a completely free giveaway.

The prize is a $100 gift certificate to sportsmemorabilia.com , where you can buy a variety of memorabilia from basically any sport in existence.

All you have to do to enter is shoot an email to me at gregrabble@yahoo.com , mention the giveaway, and include your name. We’ll have a drawing in about a week of the people who’ve entered.

Good luck to anyone who decides to enter!

Here's the link to the original post about this at SoDo Mojo

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Deserving Gold Glove Winners: American League

Griffin Cooper — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 17:36:37 -0400

Catcher

Catcher’s defense is by far the toughest to quantify, as there really isn’t a metric for it, and you pretty much have to go exclusively by stats like runners thrown out, passed balls, and dare I say, fielding percentage.

Deserving Winner: Jason Varitek

Reasoning: Highest RF/9 (range factor per game) among AL catchers by far, and tied for the highest fielding percentage with Gerald Laird.

Who I Expect to Win: Jason Varitek or Joe Mauer

Reasoning: If there’s one position that’s going to be decided by reputation, it’s going to be catcher, and they both have reputations as excellent defensive catchers, whether it’s true or not.

First Base

Deserving Winner: Kendry Morales

Reasoning: He has far superior range to any other AL first baseman at 4.6 range runs above average (Miguel Cabrera has the 2nd most with 1.6), and the highest UZR at 4.8.

Who I Expect to Win: Mark Teixeira

Reasoning: Despite the fact that he’s actually a below average defensive first baseman with hardly any range, everyone seems to be under the impression that he’s a wizard in the field. If I had to guess, I’d guess that it’s because of his high fielding percentage— and he really doesn’t make very many errors, so I’ve gotta give him that.

Second Base

Deserving Winner: Placido Polanco

Reasoning: It’s a tough call between him and Dustin Pedroia, but his above average range combined with the fact that he seldom makes errors pushes him to the top. His 11.4 UZR ranks 1st among all second baseman, and he’s above average at pretty much every aspect of fielding.

Who I Expect to Win: Dustin Pedroia

Reasoning: He’s on the Red Sox.

Third Base

Deserving Winner: Evan Longoria

Reasoning: It really isn’t very close—it would probably be Adrian Beltre, but because of the time he’s spent on the DL this season, it needs to go to Longoria. Longoria is an excellent young defensive third baseman, who has a great arm, great range, and doesn’t make too many errors.

Who I Expect to Win: Evan Longoria

Reasoning: I actually think they’ll get this one right. He looks good from pretty much every angle, whether you’re into advanced stats, classic stats, or reputation.

Shortstop

Deserving Winner: Elvis Andrus

Reasoning: He’s got ridiculous range, and makes some outstanding plays over there in Texas. 10.1 UZR, too. The next Omar, perhaps?

Who I Expect to Win: Derek Jeter

Reasoning: Do I really have to explain it? He’s actually been above average defensively this year, so when it does happen it won’t be as much of a travesty as it would have been, say, last season, but he still isn’t the most deserving candidate.

Left Field

Deserving Winner: David DeJesus

Reasoning: He has plus range, a great arm, and he hasn’t made an error all year. He’s a great outfielder, pretty much any way you look at it.

Who I Expect to Win: David DeJesus or Carl Crawford

Reasoning: I’m not sure which way the voters will go on this one, but unless they choose Johnny Damon or Jason Bay, they really can’t go wrong. Even Juan Rivera would be an alright choice.

Center Field

Deserving Winner: Franklin Gutierrez

Reasoning: He’s having one of the best defensive seasons of all time—his range is absolutely off the charts, at 27.6 runs above average, and his UZR is absolutely jaw-dropping at 27.1. For some perspective, BJ Upton comes in behind him at 10.5.

Who I Expect to Win: Someone Else

Reasoning: It doesn’t matter who they choose—unless it’s Gutierrez, they’ve made a huge mistake. I’m not sure what’s going to happen, but no one is even close to as deserving as Franklin Gutierrez.

Right Field

Deserving Winner: Nelson Cruz

Reasoning: He sure has some good range for a big guy. He’s just another good all-around defensive outfielder—good range, good arm, and he doesn’t make a lot of errors. His 13.0 UZR is also first among AL right fielders.

Who I Expect to Win: Ichiro

Reasoning: Ichiro is a past winner, and has a reputation of being an outstanding defensive outfielder—which he is. He hasn't been quite as good as Cruz, but I think he'll get the nod.

Pitcher

Just like catcher, this one is really hard to quantify, so I’ll have to pretty much base it on fielding percentage and RF/9.

Deserving Winner: Mark Buehrle

Reasoning: Best RF/9 among AL pitchers, and only 1 error on the year.

Who I Expect to Win: Mark Buehrle

Reasoning: I’m pretty sure he’s also got a reputation as a great defensive player, so there you go.

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Five Things for Mariners Fans to Take Away From 2009

Griffin Cooper — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 20:29:37 -0400

With the 2009 season winding down, and the long, cold off season approaching, as Mariners fans we are yet again forced to take solace in what the future brings. This was no ordinary dreary Mariners season, though, there were probably more bright spots in 2009 than there have been in the last 5 years combined. The Mariners aren’t going to the playoffs this year, but we have nothing to be sad about – there are countless positives to take away from this season, and here are a few of them.

Begin Slideshow

Why UZR Should Be Used To Determine Gold Glove Winners

Griffin Cooper — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 18:36:27 -0400

It’s fairly unclear as to what voters take into consideration when choosing winners of the gold glove award. The one stat that has consistently been used to determine a players fielding ability has been fielding percentage.

Fielding percentage basically takes the player’s total number of chances converted into outs (assists/put outs), then takes the total number of errors, and uses a simple equation to figure out what percentage of the time the particular player makes the plays.

Fielding percentage does a fine job of determining how well the player makes routine defensive plays, but it leaves much to be desired.

Is making the routine plays (i.e. not booting the ball, dropping the ball, or letting the ball get through your legs) the only important aspect of being a good defensive player?

Almost anyone would tell you that the answer is no, and they’d be right. Making the routine plays is but one small part of playing defense—the other two big ones being range and arm accuracy/strength. That’s where UZR, or ultimate zone rating, comes in.

Here is the explanation of UZR via fangraphs.com: The number of runs above or below average a fielder is in both range runs, outfield arm runs, double play runs, and error runs combined.

So yes, it still takes the routine plays into account, but it also brings range into the equation.

Why is range important? Well, think about it. Which defensive player would you rather have on your team?

Player A, who never drops the ball, makes all the routine plays, but has no range and can’t run down anything in the gap/hole. Or Player B, who makes the occasional error, but has excellent range and frequently chases down fly balls in the gap, robbing countless extra base hits?

If you said Player B, you’ve made the right choice. But if someone were to look only at fielding percentage, Player A would look like the superior defender.

If you’d prefer Player A, you really need to stop and think about what aspects of defense are more valuable. If the gold glove voters are only looking at things like fielding percentage and reputations, they’re not getting anything close to the full picture, and they more than likely aren’t making good choices.

There have been so many undeserving gold glove winners in the recent past that it has become more than apparent that the voters are not making informed decisions. FP and past statistics/reputation are both fine things to look at, but when it comes down to finding the truly excellent defenders, UZR is the stat to consider.

It takes everything into account that makes a good defensive player, and it’s the only statistic out there that’s going to come close to telling the whole story. Defense has always been something that’s tough to quantify, but UZR manages to do a pretty damn good job of it.

Managers of baseball, please, before more deserving performances are overlooked, start paying attention to UZR. If you don’t know anything about UZR, get someone to explain it to you. If no one around you knows anything about UZR, hire someone who does. Thank you.

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Carlos Silva's Future With The Mariners

Griffin Cooper — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 22:52:36 -0400

It’s no secret that Carlos Silva has been absolutely terrible since signing with the Mariners last year. He had a good first month, back in April of 2008, but since then he’s been worth somewhere around -1 wins.

I’d even go so far as to say that there’s a petty good chance the Carlos Silva signing will go down as one of the worst in Mariners history.

However, that isn’t to say we should completely give up on him—we can’t. There are really only three options—keep him, try to get him back to being a respectable back of the rotation starter; keep him, but reduce him to the mop up role in the bullpen for the rest of his tenure here, or release him, eating the remainder of his contract in the process.

Because of the fact that he has allegedly been battling various injuries during his time here, I’m inclined to say it’s at least worth giving option one a try.

He’s never been a great pitcher, and he’s never going to be, but we have to remember that just two short years ago, he posted a slightly above average tRA while being worth almost two wins in Minnesota.

Only Carlos Silva—and maybe not even him—knows whether the huge drop off in effectiveness has been due to injuries, and that’s obviously not something I can decide.

I do know one thing, and it’s that 30 year old “finesse” pitchers don’t usually just inexplicably become terrible.

Even if he’s healthy next season, is his return to being an average or slightly below average starting pitcher a sure thing?

No—far from it, but since we can’t get rid of him, it might be an experiment that is worth looking into.

The biggest noticeable differences between his terrible year(s) and his decent years, are the increase in walks, and the decrease in strike outs. Both of those things, especially the walks, stem back to command—something that pitcher’s like Silva, who don’t have overpowering stuff, are forced to rely on.

If his not-so-steady decline in command has a lot to do with health issues, than all hope may not be lost.

I guess we’ll have to see how the organization decides to handle it—as always, I’ll trust their judgment.

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Projecting the Ideal 2010 Seattle Mariners Bullpen

Griffin Cooper — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 20:50:47 -0400

Most of the uncertainty surrounding the 2010 Mariners is focused on the pitching rotation, and because of this there hasn’t been a whole lot of talk about what the pen is going to look like.

Much like there is an abundance of starting candidates, there are a number of relief candidates. The M’s are most likely going to carry six relievers—probably a closer, a setup man, three middle relievers, and a long relief/mop-up guy.

Let’s assume for this article Carlos Silva is going to get another shot at the starting rotation out of the gate—and for the money we’re paying him, he probably will. So what’s the bullpen going to look like?

Mop-up/Long relief:

Chris Jakubauskas, Garrett Olson, or one of the other four or five rotation rejects

This spot is going to be tough to predict, as there are probably going to be at least four guys vying for one spot. Not only that, but we don’t even know which guys.

If it were to come down to Jak and Olson, unless Olson can seriously improve his command between now and 2010, Jakubauskas would be the best option.

He’s done a decent job of mopping up this season, and I don’t think there’s any chance of him being in the rotation next year. Either way, the Mariners shouldn’t have any trouble finding someone for this role.

Middle Relievers:

Sean White, Shawn Kelley, Joshua Fields

White should be a lock given the way he’s pitched this year, and the same goes for Kelley if he’s deemed healthy.

The third spot is where it gets foggy. There are other candidates, such as Randy Messenger, Chad Cordero, Mike Koplove, to name a few, but I expect one of Fields/Aumont to earn a spot.

Fields probably has a better chance of being ready by 2010, but unless we trade Aardsma in the off season, he’ll probably be slid into a middle relief role for at least one season.

Setup: Mark Lowe

Lowe has pitched really well this year, and, assuming we re-sign him, he’s all but guaranteed himself sole possession of the setup role in 2010.

This year has been his best by far, posting a tRA under four, and he probably has the best stuff in that bullpen right now. Having an eighth-inning guy with a devastating slider and a fastball that can touch 100 is quite the weapon.

Closer: David Aardsma

Aardsma has gone from a journeyman reliever to a shutdown closer on a winning team in a matter of months. This season has breathed new life into his career, and assuming we don’t trade him between now and April there’s no reason to think he won’t be right back in the closer role.

He’s benefited from pitching at Safeco and with our insane outfield defense behind him, but he’s still been really good. That 3.43 tRA pretty much says it all.

Our bullpen hasn’t been very good this season, but you’d be surprised at how much of a difference losing a guy like Miguel Batista makes. The relief corps won’t be stellar in 2010, but look to be more than passable.

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After 2,000 Hits, A Personal Tribute to Ichiro

Griffin Cooper — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 23:35:28 -0400

I don’t know if there’s much left to say about Ichiro that I haven’t said already.

I mean, there are only so many variations of the word “awesome”. But that’s what Ichiro is—he’s awesome, he’s incredible, amazing, fantastic.Whatever word you choose, it’s always right.

It’s very obvious to me that there are a lot of Mariners fans out there who don’t fully appreciate Ichiro—even I’ve been guilty of it in the past, but I feel like we need to attempt to stop taking him for granted.

He isn’t going to be here forever, and we need to realize that we’ve had the opportunity to watch him play, and cheer him on, for almost 10 years now. That’s a long time—1,402 games to be exact, and that’s something to be very grateful for.

Some people still manage to find ways to criticize him—whether it’s because he doesn’t speak English to the media, doesn’t drive in runs, doesn’t hit for power, doesn’t dive enough, you name it.

Mentioning any of the last three is absolutely ridiculous—he isn’t a perfect player, he’d be the first one to tell you that. But what he does do, day after day, is just as amazing.

He’s a very special, unique player, and rather than insulting him for what he doesn’t do, we should praise him for all of the things that he does do.

As for not speaking English to the media—I’ll admit, it sometimes bothers me, as I’d like to see him open up to the city that loves him so much a little bit more. But if I were speaking to the press, I would prefer to do in the language I’m most comfortable with as well. I mean, I’m in my fourth year of high school Spanish, but if I were playing baseball in Mexico, I’d still prefer to use a translator.

All of the things that he does or doesn’t do add to the greatness that is Ichiro.

Now, on to his accomplishment today...

2,000 hits isn’t really a huge milestone by itself, but the fact that Ichiro managed to reach that goal in less than nine seasons, is nothing short of amazing. So is the fact that even though he’s been booed in Oakland in the past for some reason, he received a warm ovation from the fans there today.

Do I think he’ll get to 3,000? Absolutely. I expect Ichiro to play well into his 40s, and I don’t see his hits totals significantly falling off for at least a couple more years. In fact, I’d expect him to get 200+ hits for at least two or three more seasons.

There isn’t much else to say. Just please, keep doing what you do Ichiro, and know that Seattle loves you.

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What's Wrong with Luke French?

Griffin Cooper — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 23:17:27 -0400

Remember when all of us were throwing “I told you so’s” at Tigers fans because of Jarrod Washburn’s struggles? It doesn’t seem like it was that long ago, does it? Well, as Mariners fans we might as well brace ourselves for the tides to turn, at least temporarily.

We have to keep in mind that although the Mariners did plenty well in the Washburn trade, Luke French isn’t a great pitcher. He probably isn’t ever going to be a great pitcher.

But what he profiles to be is a slightly better version of Jarrod Washburn who still has plenty of time to develop and will benefit from pitching in Seattle in the exact same way Washburn did in 2009.

That’s why, even if Mauricio Robles hadn’t been included, we in the Mariners community still would have been more than happy with the trade.

The Mariners got rid of an aging, nothing special pitcher whose contract is up and gained a young, nothing special pitcher who’s under club control for another six years. We made out like bandits, and French struggling right now doesn’t change that at all.

There are a few things we have to keep in mind when it comes to French—his age and lack of major league experience. He, much like Ian Snell, isn’t going to be an overnight fix.

Granted, Snell has much more potential and much better stuff, but their situations are pretty similar—they’re both relatively young, they both recently came from separate organizations, and they both need a lot of work.

The only difference is that Snell has the potential to be a solid No. 2 or 3 starter, while French’s ceiling is probably a back-of-the-rotation guy.

The entire Mariners pitching staff always gives rave reviews of both Rick Adair and John Wetteland, so we can hope they’ll be able to work their magic again this offseason, not just with Snell and French but also with guys like Jason Vargas, Garret Olson, and—dare I say?—Carlos Silva.

On to what hurt French last night: He couldn’t locate his fastball, and he didn’t miss bats. When you have an 88 mph fastball, you damn well better be able to locate it if you want to have success in the big leagues.

That pitch isn’t going to blow anyone away, and if you can’t hit your spots with it it’s going to get hit hard—and it did.

It wasn’t just his fastball, though—his offspeed pitches got crushed too, and, aside from throwing 72 percent strikes with his slider, he couldn’t locate them either. The slider was the only pitch he missed any bats with as well (two of them).

There isn’t a whole lot else to say about his outing—he couldn’t throw strikes, so he walked guys, he couldn’t locate his pitches, so he got hit hard, and he looked even worse than his line. It’s probably nothing to get too worried about, as we knew what we were getting when we traded for him, but his command is going to have to improve.

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2010 Mariners: Position Battles

Griffin Cooper — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 19:13:18 -0400

The single biggest question surrounding the 2010 Mariners will continue to be starting pitching, but there are also going to be some uncertainties in the field.

The only players that we know for a fact will be starting are Franklin Gutierrez and Ichiro, in center and right respectively. Assuming he doesn't get traded, you can slide Jose Lopez into the "lock" category at second base too.

That's it though; every other position is pretty blurry. Let's take a look at them, one by one.

Catcher:

Most likely to start: Rob Johnson

Other Candidates: Adam Moore, Kenji Johjima

It'd be spectacular if Adam Moore was somehow ready for a starting role by next season, but it's highly unlikely.

I feel for Kenji Johjima, I really do, but he's clearly fallen out of favor with the new management, and I would not be surprised to see the team buy him out, or just flat out release him this offseason. There's no point in paying a backup catcher $8 million, when we have our catcher of the future nearly ready to burst onto the major league scene.

If Rob Johnson can continue to improve his offense, and maybe learn how to consistently catch the ball this off season, he'll probably be able to do a decent job of holding down the starting role until Moore is ready.

First Base:

Most likely to start: Russell Branyan

Other Candidates: Mike Carp, Chris Shelton

I for one fully believe that Russell Branyan is going to re-sign with the Mariners. If he does, he seems like the most sensible option at first base. The team may decide to slide him into the DH role because of his back troubles, but due to the issues he has against lefties that might not work out all too well. He's too good of a hitter to be reduced to a platoon split.

Mike Carp and Chris Shelton, on the other hand, are not. Barring the signing of a power bat this off season, they would be perfect candidates for a DH platoon split. Either that, or one of them (probably Mike Carp), will earn sole possession of the DH spot.

Second Base:

Most likely to start: Jose Lopez

Other Candidates: Matt Tuiasosopo, Bill Hall

Unless Lopez gets traded this off season, which he might, I can't think of any scenario in which he wouldn't be the starting second baseman. His defense is not nearly as bad as a lot of people think. He struggles with range, but he's barely below average in the field. Jose Lopez is the least of our problems.

Tui has been solely a third baseman until recently, but since returning from the DL, he's been getting some time at second base. Although he can handle the bat, he's not much of a defender and I personally don't think he has the range for second base.

I have no idea where Bill Hall is going to play next year, but he's almost certainly going to be on the team, and he can pretty much play anywhere. So if we're in a bind and we have no second baseman, he would be able to step into the role.

Shortstop:

Most likely to start: Jack Wilson

Other Candidates: Josh Wilson, Bill Hall

I don't know that the Mariners are going to pick up Jack Wilson's option for 2010. It's around $8 million, and that's a little bit pricey for a defense first player. I do, however, expect him to be a Mariner next season, even if that means passing on his option and signing him to an extension. If he is indeed our shortstop next year, we should be ecstatic to have him.

Josh Wilson has won over the hearts of some M's fans in his recent stint of filling in for Jack. I'm not one of them. He belongs in a backup role at best, and isn't nearly as good of a hitter as one might think from watching him over the last few weeks.

You're going to see Bill Hall's name at least two more times in this article, and that's something to be happy about. He's not fantastic at any position, but there are very few spots that we don't have a competent backup for, mainly because of him. On the other hand, I would be absolutely shocked if Bill Hall was our starting shortstop next year.

Third Base:

Most likely to start: Jack Hannahan/Bill Hall

Other Candidates: Matt Tuiasosopo, Jose Lopez, Adrian Beltre

If we end up with a Jack Hannahan/Bill Hall platoon at third base, we could be doing a lot worse. I don't expect Hall to return to 2006 form, so him earning the starting job seems unlikely. Hannahan plays excellent defense, and despite having a good approach at the plate, he doesn't have the bat to be a full time starter. Because they both play good defense, though, a platoon split could work out nicely.

Tui has a better bat than Hannahan or Hall, but his defense just hasn't shown up. From what I've heard though, he's working hard on improving it, so he very well could get the starting job coming out of spring training.

I would absolutely love it if the Mariners re-signed Beltre, but I don't see it happening. Safeco Field is a terrible fit for him—we know it, he knows it, and you can bet his agent knows it. I'm sure Jack Z will give it his all, but don't count on it. If we do extend him, he'll obviously have the starting job handed to him.

Third base seems like more of a natural position for Jose Lopez, given his mediocre range, but unless we trade for or sign a starting second baseman, I don't see any reason he would get time at third.

Left Field:

Most likely to start: Michael Saunders

Other candidates: Ryan Langerhans, Bill Hall

Saunders has struggled a bit defensively this year since being called up, but he's looked very comfortable out in left and his above average range is obvious. I'd be surprised if he wasn't ready to start by next season.

Langerhans probably isn't going to get the starting job, but he's a more than serviceable fourth outfielder, and should play a significant role next season.

Yadda yadda yadda Bill Hall can play anywhere.

Center Field:

Most likely to start: Franklin Gutierrez

Other candidates: N/A

Franklin Gutierrez is going to be the starting center fielder next year, barring injuries (God forbid). He's fantastic and no one is going to challenge him.

Right Field:

Most likely to start: Ichiro

Other candidates: N/A

Pretty much everything that goes for Franklin Gutierrez goes for Ichiro too. Unless he gets hurt or traded, he's our guy.

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Mariners Minor League Recap, 8/11-8/17

Griffin Cooper — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 02:56:24 -0400

This is the first in a series of in-depth minor league looks. This week in the minors wasn’t all that interesting—we had a few complete games, a couple really great offensive performances, a few terrible slumps, and a whole lot of average weeks.

I was able to find only one move that took place this week, and that was Clinton CF Ryan Royster being demoted to Everett, although he was doing a pretty good job.

Royster was a 13th round pick last year. He’s 22 years old, and was hitting .333 with a 1.067 OPS in eight games with Clinton.

Here we go.

Tacoma Rainiers—AAA—2-4 Week, 59-64 Season

Game One: 9-5 win over Albuquerque

Game Two: 8-6 loss to Albuquerque

Game Three: 4-0 win over Iowa

Game Four: 7-4 loss to Iowa

Game Five: 4-0 loss to Iowa

Game Six: 5-3 loss to Iowa

Hitter of the Week: Matt Tuiasosopo, 3B

Weekly stats: 6-for-20, .300 BA, HR, 3 2B, 4:5 K:BB, 5 R, 4 RBI, .440 OBP.

Tuiasosopo has been absolutely tearing it up since coming off the DL. In August, he’s hitting .362 with five long balls and a .465 OBP.

He’s still only 22, and if he’s able to improve his defense at third base, he may end up being our best option in 2010.

Pitcher of the Week: Brandon Morrow, RHP

Weekly stats: GS, CG, SHO, win, 9 IP, 4 H, BB, 2 SO.

Morrow may finally be figuring it out. The strikeout total is low, but that could be a good sign—it could mean he’s focusing more on pitching to contact and using that off-speed stuff than he is on striking everybody out.

He threw a ton of changeups in his complete game, which is nice, although it would be nice to see him using his curve a little bit more too.

He only needed 94 pitches to get through nine innings, by the way.

Definitely expect to see him back with the big league club by September at the latest.

Slump of the Week: Bryan LaHair, 1B, LF

Weekly stats: 4-for-24, .166 BA, 9:1 K:BB, 2 HR, 3 R, 3 RBI, .200 OBP.

The two home runs are nice, but LaHair is never going to justify any time with the big league club if he can’t bring that OBP up and bring those strikeouts down.

I still don’t see LaHair having any future with this organization, though, as he’s still blocked by guys like Russell Branyan, Mike Carp, and Chris Shelton at first base and Michael Saunders in left.

Bad Starting Pitcher of the Week: Andrew Baldwin, RHP

Weekly stats: GS, loss, 6 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 5 BB, 4 SO.

Most of the numbers aren’t terrible, but the five walks pushed him past any other starting pitching performance.

Baldwin is 26 years old, so he’s no spring chicken, and because of his mediocre efficiency and inability to miss bats, will probably never make a splash at the big league level.

He was a fifth round pick of the Phillies back in 2004, and has been putting up below average numbers pretty much all year in Tacoma. Nothing to see here.

Relief Pitcher of the Week: Robert Manuel, RHP

Weekly stats: 2 G, 2 IP, BB, 2 SO, 0.00 ERA.

We got Manuel straight up in the trade for Wladimir Balentien, and he’s an interesting prospect.

He’s not all that young—26—but he has excellent control, and for that reason he may have a chance at earning a spot in the Mariners' bullpen as soon as 2010.

He has the ability to strike guys out too, and because of that he might end up being a suitable seventh or eighth inning guy.

Other Players of Interest

Prentice Redman, CF: 5-for-17, HR, 3B, 5:1 K:BB, .333 OBP.

Mike Carp, 1B/DH: 6-for-24, 2 HR, 6:2 K:BB, .307 OBP.

Adam Moore, C: 7-for-14, 3 2B, 1:1 K:BB.

West Tenn Diamond Jaxx – AA – 4-2 week, 27-24 second half

Game 1: 5-2 loss to Chattanooga

Game 2: 5-3 win over Chattanooga

Game 3: 9-1 win over Chattanooga

Game 4: 2-0 win over Chattanooga

Game 5: 5-2 win over Chattanooga

Game 6: 4-3 loss to Huntsville

Hitter of the Week: Johan Limonta, LF

Weekly stats: 9-for-19, .473 BA, 4 2B, 4:3 K:BB, 2 R, 5 RBI, .545 OBP

Limonta is a 25 year old left fielder, whom we acquired in the 20th round of the 2006 draft. He’s a power hitter who doesn’t excel at much else. He’s incredibly slow, has little patience, and strikes out a lot.

If he can start making more contact and develop a better approach at the plate, he might make it to the bigs some day because of his power. Because of his position, though, I don’t see how it could ever happen with the Mariners.

Pitcher of the Week: Nicholas Hill, LHP

Weekly stats: GS, CG, win, 7 IP, 6 hits, 2 ER, 2 BB, 8 SO, 2.57 ERA

Nick Hill is a guy that’s been impressive in Double A for quite awhile now. He’s 5-4 down there, with a 2.75 ERA, and a 79:21 K:BB rate in 78.2 innings. As you can see, he can strike plenty of guys out, doesn’t walk too many, and he is smart with his pitches.

There’s a pretty good chance that Mr. Hill has a future in the Mariners rotation. He has about a #3 or #4 starter ceiling.

Slump of the Week: Guillermo Quiroz, C

Weekly stats: 3-for-19, .157 BA, 2 2B, 4:2 K:BB, 2 R, 3 RBI, .238 OBP

As you may recall, Quiroz did have a brief stint with the big league club earlier this year.

He did alright in that little stint, but at age 27 without a whole lot going for him, he may never achieve anything more than just that – short stints in the big leagues. He’s rather plain, and I wouldn’t call him a prospect.

With Adam Moore, Rob Johnson, and currently Kenji Johmima blocking him, I don’t foresee an opportunity presenting itself for him to break into the big leagues.

Bad Starting Pitcher of the Week: Luis Munoz, RHP

Weekly stats: GS, win, 5 IP, 8 hits, 3 ER, 3 BB, 5 SO, 5.40 ERA

So he really wasn’t that bad at all, but once again there wasn’t a whole lot to choose from.

The Diamond Jaxx had a good week, and so did their starting pitching. The 3 walks and 8 hits in 5 innings wasn’t good though, so I had to go with Munoz. Sorry to pick on you, Luis.

Relief Pitcher of the Week: Anthony Varvaro, RHP

Weekly stats: 2 G, 2.1 IP, 1 hit, SO, 0.00 ERA

Varvaro didn’t walk anyone this week, but that’s probably a first for him. He can strike a ton of guys out, but as his 50:38 K:BB ratio in 2009 will tell you, he struggles mightily with control.

He was a 12th round pick back in 2005, and although he’s only 24, he’s definitely going to need to develop some command if he wants to have success.

Other Players of Interest:

Greg Halman, RF: 5-for-18, 5:0 K:BB, 4 R, RBI, .277 OBP

Rich Poythress, 1B: 3-for-16, HR, 6:3 K:BB, 2 R, RBI, .315 OBP

Daniel Cortes, RHP: GS, win, 6 IP, 1 hit, 1 ER, 6 BB, 4 SO, 1.50 ERA

Phillipe Aumont, RHP: 2 G, S, BS, 1.1 IP, 3 hits, 3 SO, ER, 8.18 ERA

High Desert Mavericks – High A – 3-3 week, 26-24 second half

Game 1: 5-4 win over Rancho Cucamonga

Game 2: 11-1 loss to Rancho Cucamonga

Game 3: 6-5 win over Rancho Cucamonga

Game 4: 6-5 loss to Inland Empire

Game 5: 8-1 loss to Inland Empire

Game 6: 5-0 win over Inland Empire

Hitter of the Week: Alex Liddi, 3B

Weekly stats: 5-for-19, .263 BA, 2 HR, 2B, 4:2 K:BB, 2 R, 4 RBI, .333 OBP

Pretty typical week for Liddi – multiple home runs, lots of strike outs. Although 4 K’s in a week is pretty good for him. Liddi is probably our top prospect in High Desert – he’s got a lot of power, and the ability to get on base, but he’s going to strike out a lot.

He’s anything but a good contact hitter, as you can see by his 107 strikeouts in High A this season. Liddi was an international signing from Italy back in 2006.

Pitcher of the Week: Mauricio Robles, LHP

Weekly stats: 2 GS, win, 12 IP, 3 hits, 1 ER, 9 BB, 12 SO, 0.75 ERA

You probably remember Robles as the key to the Jarrod Washburn trade with the Detroit Tigers. He got off to a rough start with the Mariners, but he looked pretty good this week.

His control continue to be an issue, but the overall weekly numbers are a little bit skewed (he walked 6 in one start, 3 in the other), his second start was actually really good. He’s got great stuff and is going to be very exciting to watch.

Slump of the Week: Leury Bonilla, 1B

Weekly stats: 1-for-15, .066 BA, 5:0 K:BB, R, RBI, .066 OBP

Bonilla was another international signing, him being signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2005. He can play a lot of positions, as he has good range. His power is above average, but that’s about all he can do.

He doesn’t draw a lot of walks, and he doesn’t hit for a high average. Again, nothing to see here.

Bad Starting Pitcher of the Week: Steven Hensley, RHP

Weekly stats: GS, 4.2 IP, 6 hits, 3 ER, BB, 4 SO, 2 HR, 6.42 ERA

Generally, Steven Hensley’s problem has been control, but he’s seemed to improve dramatically in that category in High A – his K:BB for the year with High Desert is 89:24.

He has the ability to miss plenty of bats and strike guys out, and if he can develop decent command he may find himself in a big league rotation some day – he’s only 22.

Relief Pitcher of the Week: Aaron Jensen, RHP

Weekly stats: 2 G, win, 6.2 IP, 5 hits, 5 SO, 0.00 ERA

Jensen had a good week, but he’s rather uninteresting. His K:BB this year is pedestrian, and there’s really nothing special about him. If he can develop the ability to strike more guys out, than maybe he’ll be worth taking a look at.

Other Players of Interest:

Joseph Dunigan, DH: 6-for-19, HR, 4:1 K:BB, 3 R, RBI, .350 OBP

Juan Ramirez, RHP: GS, loss, 6 IP, 5 hits, 1 ER, 3 BB, 4 SO, HR

Clinton Lumberkings – A – 3-4 week, 24-26 second half

Game 1: 6-4 loss to Beloit

Game 2: 4-2 win over Beloit

Game 3: 7-1 win over Beloit

Game 4: 2-0 loss to Beloit

Game 5: 6-2 loss to Cedar Rapids

Game 6: 18-3 loss to Cedar Rapids

Game 7: 3-1 win over Cedar Rapids

Hitter of the Week: Jacob Shaffer, LF

Weekly stats: 8-for-25, .320 BA, 2 HR, 2B, 4:1 K:BB, 3 R, 2 RBI, .346 OBP

Jacob Shaffer is a 22 year old left fielder, putting up solid numbers all around in A ball. He’s posted a .792 OPS in 2009, with a .340 wOBA, and 27 of his 89 hits going for extra bases.

To progress in the system he’s going to need to work on his approach at the plate, as his 52:17 K:BB is unimpressive, but he has some potential.

Pitcher of the Week: Kenn Kasparek, RHP

Weekly stats: GS, win, 7 IP, 4 hits, 4 SO, 0.00 ERA

Traditionally, Kasparek’s problem has been control, but that hasn’t been an issue for him in Clinton. He’s struck out 120 and walked only 28 in 2009, posting a 2.17 ERA.

He was a 12th round pick in 2008, and is only 23 years old. I’d expect to see him up in Double A by next season.

Slump of the Week: Kris Sanchez, DH

Weekly stats: 1-for-18, .055 BA, 11:3 K:BB, R, 2 RBI, .190 OBP

Sanchez has a lot of power, and a decent approach at the plate, but he doesn’t make a lot of contact, and he strikes out a ton. His only hope to proceed in the system is going to be to fix some of the holes in his swing, and start putting the ball in play more often.

Bad Starting Pitcher of the Week: Anthony Vasquez, LHP

Weekly stats: 2 GS, loss, 8.2 IP, 10 hits, 9 ER, 2 BB, 7 SO, 2 HR, 9.87 ERA

You’ll probably notice, that as we get lower in the system, the players get less and less interesting. Vasquez is no exception. He was our 18th round pick this year, and he hasn’t gotten off to a great start in Clinton.

He throws strikes, but he gets knocked around due to his inability to miss bats. He’s only 22, so he’s got some time to work on that.

Relief Pitcher of the Week: Derrick Saito, LHP

Weekly stats: 2 G, 3 IP, 3 hits, BB, 2 SO, 0.00 ERA

Saito came over with Daniel Cortes in the infamous Yuniesky Betancourt trade, and he’s been pretty good so far.

He strikes out plenty of guys, but as the problem is for many of the pitchers in our minor league system, his command is shaky. He isn’t nearly as exciting as Cortes, but he may end up being a solid middle reliever.

Other Players of Interest:

Kyle Seager, SS: 7-for-26, 2B, 2:4 K:BB, 3 R, 3 RBI, .366 OBP

Brian Moran, LHP: 2 G, loss, 3 IP, 2 hits, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 SO, 6.00 ERA

Maikel Cleto, RHP: GS, loss, 2 IP, 3 hits, 1 ER, 2 SO, 4.50 ERA

Everett Aquasox – Short Season A – 1-6 week, 32-25 season

Game 1: 13-7 loss to Boise

Game 2: 6-2 win over Boise

Game 3: 8-7 loss to Boise

Game 4: 8-2 loss to Boise

Game 5: 4-3 loss to Boise

Game 6: 7-3 loss to Salem-Keizer

Game 7: 5-0 loss to Salem-Keizer

Hitter of the Week: Hawkins Gebbers, 2B

Weekly stats: 10-for-30, .333 BA, 3 2B, 7:2 K:BB, 3 R, .375 OBP

Gebbers was a 33rd round pick this year, and he’s excelling in Everett. He has a .788 OPS in 47 games, and he’s showing both double’s power and the ability to draw walks. He’s 23 years old.

Pitcher of the Week: Taylor Stanton, RHP

Weekly stats: GS, 7 IP, 6 hits, 1 ER, BB, 5 SO, 1.28 ERA

Stanton is a 21 year old out of Antioch, California, and was drafted by the Mariners in the 26th round of the 2008 draft. He’s put up decent numbers in Everett this year, and has posted a solid K:BB ratio. Nothing else to say.

Slump of the Week: James Jones, RF

Weekly stats: 2-for-25, .080 BA, 2B, 8:4 K:BB, R, .206 OBP

Jones was our 4th round pick this year, and he’s actually done a nice job so far in Everett. He clearly had an awful week, but he’s hitting .311 on the season with a .850 OPS.

He’s a good all around hitter, with solid power and great speed. He’s only 20, and the one thing he still really needs to improve is his patience.

Bad Pitcher of the Week: Andres Esquibel, RHP

Weekly stats: 2 GS, loss, 11.1 IP, 16 hits, 11 ER, 6 BB, 5 SO, 4 HR, 8.91 ERA

Esquibel is a nothing special pitcher who had an absolutely terrible week. The one area he’s above average in is command, and he’s barely above average. He was a 38th round pick last year, and as of right now he’s not really work looking closely at.

Relief Pitcher of the Week: Fray Martinez, RHP

Weekly stats: 2 G, 5.2 IP, 2 hits, 4 SO, 1 BB, 0.00 ERA

This was Fray’s first week in the Mariners organization after being signed out of the Dominican Republic. I really don’t know much about him, but he certainly had an impressive first week out of the pen.

Other Players of Interest:

Anthony Phillips, SS: 6-for-25, HR, 2B, 6:1 K:BB, 4 R, 6 RBI, .269 OBP

Pulaski Mariners – Advanced Rookie – 3-3 week, 23-28 season

Game 1: 10-2 loss to Bluefield

Game 2: 6-3 loss to Bluefield

Game 3: 6-4 win over Greeneville

Game 4: 4-3 loss to Greeneville

Game 5: 2-1 win over Greeneville

Game 6: 10-6 win over Burlington

Hitter of the Week: Fred Bello, 2B

Weekly stats: 8-for-12, .667 BA, 3B, 2 2B, 1:3 K:BB, 3 R, RBI, .733 OBP

Bello was a 20th round pick in 2008, and he’s been extremely unimpressive since. He’s got some speed, and that’s about it. He had a fantastic week though, so kudos to him.

Pitcher of the Week: Jean Tome, RHP

Weekly stats: GS, win, 8 IP, 1 hit, 1 ER, 9 So, BB, 1.12 ERA

Tome actually took a no-no into the 8th inning, and was just fantastic overall. He’s a 21 year old, signed out of Brazil in 2008, who hasn’t shown much since coming over. He has posted a nice K:BB of 46:13 in 2009 though.

Slump of the Week: Jarrett Burgess, CF

Weekly stats: 0-for-19, .000 BA, 8:2 K:BB, .095 OBP

Burgess was our 6th round pick in 2008, and is still only 19 years old. He’s had a really bad season in Pulaski (.582 OPS), but at such a young age I wouldn’t expect all that much success just yet. What an absolutely horrible week, though.

Bad Starting Pitcher of the Week: Yao Wen Chang, RHP

Weekly stats: 2 G, GS, 5.1 IP, 7 hits, 4 ER, 3 SO, 2 BB, 2 HR, 7.05 ERA

Chang is an 18 year old, signed out of Taiwan this year. He was making his Pulaski debut this week, and it didn’t go too well. He’s another pitcher who I know virtually nothing about, but he’ll need to keep those home runs down.

Relief Pitcher of the Week: Jorden Merry, RHP

Weekly stats: 2 G, win, S, 2.1 IP, 5 SO, 2 BB, 0.00 ERA

Perry was our 40th round pick this year, and he’s been impressive so far in rookie ball. He’s got decent control, and is able to strike a decent amount of guys out. Both his 2.67 ERA and 39:10 K:BB rate are impressive.

Other Players of Interest:

Gabriel Noriega, SS: 6-for-18, 6:2 K:BB, R, 2 RBI, .400 OBP

Jharmidy De Jesus, 3B: 3-for-17, 2B, 3:1 K:BB, R, 4 RBI, .222 OBP

Stephen Baron, C: 2-for-11, HR, 5:1 K:BB, R, 4 RBI, .250 OBP

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Franklin Gutierrez is Incredible

Griffin Cooper — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 05:03:49 -0400

I sincerely hope that all Mariners fans know just how lucky we are to have Franklin Gutierrez. Not only has he been the best defensive center fielder in baseball this season, with a 15.1 UZR (BJ Upton is 2nd with a 7.7), but he has also been one of the most valuable in general, for virtually no money.

I want to make some comparisons here to a few other notable center fielders. Keep in mind, the WAR values are a day old.

For those of you who aren't familiar with UZR or WAR—UZR stands for Ultimate Zone Rating, and is the most advanced method of defense evaluation. WAR stands for Wins Above Replacement, and uses sabermetrics to calculate how many wins a player has been worth.

Franklin Gutierrez—26 years old, .300 BA, .816 OPS, 14 HR, 4.0 WAR, 15.1 UZR

Salary: $455,000

Torii Hunter—34 years old, .305 BA, .938 OPS, 17 HR, 2.9 WAR, -2.5 UZR

Salary: $18,000,000

Curtis Granderson—28 years old, .261 BA, .816 OPS, 22 HR, 2.7 WAR, -2.8 UZR

Salary: $3,500,000

B.J. Upton—24 years old, .240 BA, .678 OPS, 7 HR, 1.9 WAR, 7.7 UZR

Salary: $435,000

Adam Jones—24 years old, .298 BA, .845 OPS, 19 HR, 2.1 WAR, -8.4 UZR

Salary: $435,000

Grady Sizemore—27 years old, .232 BA, .754 OPS, 15 HR, 1.0 WAR, -2.6 UZR

Salary: $4,766,666

Vernon Wells—30 years old, .259 BA, .719 OPS, 12 HR, -0.8 WAR, -19.5 UZR

Salary: $4,687,500

And that’s just a few of the notable center fielders in the game that Franklin Gutierrez has been more valuable than. The only center fielders in baseball that have been better than him are Matt Kemp, who is also incredible, and Nyjer Morgan, who is just an unbelievable defensive outfielder.

What this confirms, is that Franklin Gutierrez is an all-star caliber player, and if he continues to play like one he will most certainly be recognized as such in the near future. We are truly privileged in the fact that we’ll get to watch him play in a Mariner uniform for at least the next three years.

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Seattle Mariners July Lineup Grades

Griffin Cooper — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 20:20:40 -0400

Ichiro—A

Ichiro had yet another great month in July, racking up 39 more hits and hitting .336 in 27 games. The flashes of power he was showing earlier in the year completely disappeared this month, not hitting a single home run, but he continued to make up for his lack of power by getting on base and scoring runs.

He scored 19 runs on the month, stole five bases, and posted an OPS of .762. Still no signs whatsoever of slowing down.

Russell Branyan—D

Russell "The Muscle" had a rough month in July, mainly due to his BABIP severely regressing. His power numbers were there, as he hit five home runs and drove in 15, but he hit .159 in the month with a .262 OBP and a pedestrian .637 OPS. He’ll keep hitting homers, but his average is probably still due for more regression.

Jose Lopez—B+

Loafie had a great month of July, doing just about everything well, aside from drawing walks. He only drew three all month, but he still posted a decent on base percentage of .327.

More importantly though, he hit for some power, and 15 or his 32 hits on the month were extra base hits. If he continues at this rate, he should be able to surpass the 20 home run mark for the first time in his career.

Ronny Cedeno—F

Ronny was having a really bad month before he was traded. He didn’t get on base, and he hardly hit for any power. He hit for a .198 batting average, a .207 on base percentage, he walked once, and struck out 18 times.

Jack Hannahan—C+

Hannahan had an arduous task of filling in for Adrian Beltre, but in the 17 games he played he did a pretty decent job of it. When you watch him hit, it’s tough to believe that he has a track record of being an awful hitter at the major league level.

In his time with the Mariners, he’s hit .240 and posted a .704 OPS. He hasn’t been an offensive force by any means, but he’s done a nice job for someone we acquired primarily for defense.

Rob Johnson—B+

Rob Johnson is actually, amazingly, starting to look like a major league player. He hit .269 in July, with a .387 on base percentage and an .810 OPS. His K:BB ratio was 10:10, and he had six extra base hits. At this point, I’m fine with him getting the majority of the starts.

Kenji Johjima—D+

Wow, it’s hard for me to swallow, but Kenji Johjima was worse than Rob Johnson offensively in July. Kenji only had one extra base hit in the 11 games he played, walked only once as opposed to four strike outs, and had an OPS of .626.

He’s had his fair share of bad luck, but he still hasn’t hit nearly well enough to make a case for himself to take the starting role from Rob Johnson.

Franklin Gutierrez—A

Gutz had another great month in July, hitting .353 on the month and posting a Godly OPS of .943. Ok, not quite Godly, but still really really good for a center fielder than can play defense like he can.

He had 33 hits, only six fewer than Ichiro, and blasted five home runs, raising his season total to 12. He also had an on base percentage of .390, good enough for best on the team. He’s incredible.

Ryan Langerhans—C+

Langerhans got the majority of the starts in left field during July, and he made the most of it. He is by no means a great hitter, but despite his low average he posted a respectable OBP of .343, mainly because of the spectacular patience he shows.

Wladimir Balentien—N/A

He only played in eight games in July, but the one thing he continued to show was poor pitch recognition. He remained unable to get on base at any kind of a consistent level, and the flashes of power he showed were far too spread out. He seems like a nice kid, and hopefully he can find some success in Cincinnati.

Michael Saunders—N/A

He only has 25 major league at bats under his belt, so it’s impossible to make any real judgments this far, but he hasn’t done a whole lot yet. He has a 10:0 K:BB ratio, and all four of his hits have been singles (although he did have a home run stolen from him). Still really excited about him.

Ken Griffey Jr.—C-

Griffey’s production still was nowhere near what you’d hope to get from your DH, but he continued to draw walks in July, so that’s something.

He walked nine times in the month, compared to 10 strike outs. Despite the good K:BB ratio, his OBP was down to .316 for the month, and he posted a .644 OPS. He also only hit one home run all month.

Mike Sweeney—N/A

His sample size of eight games for the month is really way too small to judge, but I’ll just throw out some stats. In July, he went 3-for-24, with two of those hits being doubles, while walking three times and striking out five times.

It’s not quantifiable, but based on how likable he seems, I have to hope the improved clubhouse chemistry helps make up for the terrible hitting at least a little bit.

Chris Woodward—D-

We never really expected to be much of a hitter, and he wasn’t. In the 20 games he played in July, he hit .192 with a .444 OPS, and only one of his 10 hits was an extra base hit. I would not be surprised to see him be DFA’d in the very near future, with Beltre returning.

Overall—C+

The only player I left out was Jack Wilson, and he only played one game in July, so there you go.

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Taking a Look at The Mariners-Pirates Trade

Griffin Cooper — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 21:47:37 -0400

As you should know by now, the Mariners pulled off a semi-blockbuster trade today. Seattle sent Jeff Clement, Ronny Cedeno, and three minor league pitchers to the Pirates for shortstop Jack Wilson and starting pitcher Ian Snell.

Now, I did not get the feeling from this trade that it was aimed towards making a run this season. At this point, it wouldn’t be smart to make a trade that would only benefit us for the next two months.

No, what I took from this trade, was that it was aimed at making this team better for the next two months, and more importantly, for 2010.

First, let’s look at what we gave up.

Jeff Clement no longer had a place in this organization. He’s still a good hitter with some pop, but he can no longer consistently play the only position we would need him to play—catcher. He doesn’t have the knees for it, and because of that became very expendable.

I have to think Ronny Cedeno was only included in this deal as a very temporary fix for the Pirates at short, and somewhat of a throw in.

It’s a little sad to see Ronny go, as he seemed to really fit into the good clubhouse atmosphere, but he wasn’t hitting, and the fact is, Jack Wilson will be a fairly big upgrade. He’s a slightly better fielder, and a significantly better hitter.

Then there are the three minor league pitchers we gave up. They were Brett Lorin, Nathan Adcock, and Aaron Pribanic. All three of them have back end starter or long reliever upside. We lost a lot of our minor league pitching depth with this deal, but none of those three guys are huge losses.

We also trade Wladimir Balentien to the Reds today, in exchange for minor league pitcher Robert Manuel, which restores a bit of the depth.

Now, what we got.

Jack Wilson, 31, is one of the best defensive shortstops in the game. If you don’t know much about him, you’ve probably at least seen him on Baseball Tonight a few times, checking in with a web gem.

This year, he’s running a UZR of 12.5, the best among major league shortstops. He also doesn’t make errors—he has the 4th highest fielding percentage in baseball.

He’s not exactly a slugger, or the big bat many think the Mariners need to make a run, but he can hold his own at the plate.

This year he’s hitting .267, which is about what you should expect from him going forward, with 4 home runs and 31 RBI. His 2009 wOBA is .300, which is right around his career average.

Like I said, he’s not a great hitter, but he’ll be a significant improvement over anything we’ve put at shortstop this season.

The other piece the Mariners got, was right handed starting pitcher Ian Snell. Snell is a 27-year-old with really good stuff. One comparison I’ve heard today is that he’s “kind of like Felix Hernandez without command."

That may be especially true this season. His peripherals have been his worst this year since 2005. He’s been striking out fewer batters, and walking a lot more batters, which fairly recently lead to him being sent down to triple A by the Pirates.

Since he got sent down, he’s been absolutely dominant in the minor leagues. In his six starts in triple A, he’s 2-2 with an 0.96 ERA, with a 47:13 K/BB ratio in 37.1 innings. That K/BB rate is especially promising. Hopefully, Rick Adair and John Wetteland will be able to help with his command, because there’s a lot of potential in there.

Another thing we know about Snell, is that he was really unhappy with the Pirates, so there’s always the chance that this change of scenery will be big for him.

The last piece of this deal was the Pirates picking up the tab on both player’s salaries for the remainder of 2009, coming out to be a little over three million dollars.

Was this a great deal for the Mariners? No, it wasn’t. Did we do alright? I would say yes. We filled a huge hole at shortstop, and Snell could be big for this team if we end up trading Washburn (I’d be shocked if we didn’t).

It wasn’t the best move Jack Zduriencik has made, but as fans we have to realize that even the best GM’s can’t pull off steals every time. The fact is, this trade improves our team now, and improves our team for 2010, and that’s something to be happy about.

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Pittsburgh to Seattle: Mariners Acquire Jack Wilson, Ian Snell From Pirates

Griffin Cooper — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 13:44:28 -0400

Reports have been confirmed that the Seattle Mariners have traded minor league catcher Jeff Clement, major league shortstop Ronny Cedeno, and minor league pitchers Nathan Adcock, Brett Lorin and Aaron Pribanic to the Pittsburgh Pirates for veteran shortstop Jack Wilson and young starting pitcher Ian Snell.

This is by no means a steal, but it looks like an all right deal from the Mariners side. None of these three pitching prospects were anything amazing, while Clement really had no place in this organization and Cedeno is well, Cedeno.

Jack Wilson is a 31-year-old shortstop with really good defense and a decent bat. Ian Snell is a 27-year-old right handed pitcher, who has made it somewhat clear recently that he did not want to pitch for the Pirates any longer. Because of that, the Pirates were not asking all that much for him.

Brett Lorin and Aaron Pribanic are both somewhat interesting young pitchers, but neither of them are anything special, and neither will be missed all that much. Since having a rough start to the season, Ian Snell has been absolutely dominant in Triple A.

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Major League Baseball Power Rankings: A Shift in the East

Griffin Cooper — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 22:34:03 -0400

I've decided to start a series of weekly MLB power rankings. My rankings will, for the most part, be based on standings, and how the team has been playing lately. If a team has been over performing all year, hey, they're playing good baseball, and they're going to be high up in my rankings.

I will not be taking things like divisional factors into account very much, although they are very real, I don't think that's the purpose of power rankings. So we're now about a week into the second half, let's see where each team stands.

1. Los Angeles Dodgers (61-34)

The Dodgers have continued to play great baseball since the return of Manny, and continue to be the heavy favorite in the NL West. They're currently riding a five game winning streak, highlighted by Manny's go ahead, pinch hit, grand slam against the Cincinnati Reds last night.

2. New York Yankees (57-37)

After spending most of the season in second place, the Yanks finally overtook the Red Sox for sole possession of first place in the powerful AL East this week. Increased contributions as of late from players like Hideki Matsui, AJ Burnett, A-Rod, and Phil Hughes have played a big part in their recent surge.

3. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (55-38)

As much as it pains me to say this, the Angels are basically unbeatable right now. Yes, their last three wins have been against the lowly Royals, but they also completed a three game sweep against the Yankees just before the all-star break.

What's even more amazing, is that they're 9-1 since losing star outfielders Torii Hunter and Vladimir Guerrero to injuries.

4. Boston Red Sox (55-39)

They're having a bad week, but let's not forget that they're still the Red Sox. They are still an incredibly talented team, and you can never count them out.

Their recent acquisition of Adam Laroche from the Pirates, for virtually nothing, may help them out in the near future. They've lost their last five, but they're still only two games behind the Yanks.

5. Philadelphia Phillies (53-39)

The Phils recently had a nine game winning streak by the Chicago Cubs, but that streak has them now sitting six games up on the Braves and Marlins, and they are starting to establish themselves as the very heavy favorite in the NL East.

Having Raul Ibanez healthy again has been big for them, and if they're able to acquire Roy Halladay they can pretty much start thinking about the playoffs.

6. Tampa Bay Rays (52-44)

The Rays are going to have a really tough time passing both the Red Sox and the Yankees, but the wild card may still be a very realistic possibility for them. Word has it that they have entered the Halladay sweepstakes, and also have their eyes on the Indians' veteran catcher Victor Martinez.

Acquiring either of those two would be huge for them.

7. Colorado Rockies (52-43)

The surging Rockies have now passed the surprising Giants for the NL wild card lead, and their offense has been no little part of that. Brad Hawpe and Todd Helton have both been red hot, while Jason Marquis and Ubaldo Jimenez are both having great years to anchor their pitching staff.

8. St. Louis Cardinals (51-46)

The Cards' NL Central lead has diminished to one game, due to a sweep at the hands of the Astros, but I would still consider them the favorite in that division. It is also rumored the they have been talking to the A's about a possible trade sending Matt Holliday to St. Louis.

With Pujols and Holliday at the heart of their order, and Carpenter and Wainwright at the top of their rotation, I don't see how any team would be able to challenge them.

9. Texas Rangers (52-41)

Despite having mediocre pitching and a streaky offense, the Texas Rangers have been able to hang tough in the surprising AL West.

Their much improved defense has been huge, mostly due to rookie shortstop phenom Elvis Andrus. (Getting Michael Young to a position that doesn't require much range helped, too.)

Unfortunately, the Rangers don't have the budget to take on any salaries, which may prevent them from keeping up with the Angels.

10. Seattle Mariners (51-44)

The Mariners defense and pitching has continued to keep them in the AL West race, and they are seven games over .500 despite having a lackluster offense.

General manager Jack Zduriencik is going to have some tough decisions to make. But if they can have a good last week before the deadline, he may acquire a bat, which would give them a huge boost.

11. San Francisco Giants (51-44)

The San Francisco Giants are still very much in the NL wild card race, almost exclusively due to their pitching. Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain are both having Cy Young caliber years at the top of their rotation, and they have been able to win despite having almost no offense to speak of.

If they can acquire just one impact bat, watch out Rockies.

12. Chicago White Sox (50-45)

Don't be surprised to see the White Sox, who are now tied for first place in the AL Central, go on a surge, now that they have their star left fielder Carlos Quentin back from the DL.

Also very worth noting, Mark Buehrle pitched a perfect game today against the Rays, the 18th one pitched in history, and the first one by a White Sox pitcher since the 20's.

13. Chicago Cubs (48-45)

Don't look now, but the under performing Cubs are right back in the thick of things in the NL Central. Despite terrible first half performances by players like Alfonso Soriano and Milton Bradley, guys like Derrek Lee and Carlos Zambrano have kept them very much in contention. Look for them to have a good second half.

14. Detroit Tigers (49-44)

Great first half performances by Edwin Jackson and Justin Verlander are what got the Tigers to first place, but it's going to take some offense to keep them there.

Brandon Inge has picked up a lot of the offensive slack, but his knees are in bad shape and they are probably going to need to pick up a bat before the deadline if they want to take that division from the Sox.

15. Houston Astros (49-46)

The red hot Astros just finished off a three game sweep of the division leading St. Louis Cardinals, and now find themselves only one game back of the division lead. They are still very much in that race, but today's loss of Lance Berkman to the DL could hurt their chances a lot.

16. Atlanta Braves (49-47)

The Atlanta Braves are not out contention yet, but with the way the Phillies are playing it's going to take the acquisition of a big bat to keep them in the NL East race.

If their two young aces, Jair Jurrjens and Javier Vasquez, can pitch as well in the second half as they did in the first half, the Braves may at least have a shot at challenging the Giants and Rockies for the wild card.

17. Florida Marlins (49-47)

The Fish have just continued to hang tough this year, mainly propelled by the excellent season their star shortstop Hanley Ramirez is having. Due to the fact that they have two pitchers like Josh Johnson and Ricky Nolasco (who has been very unlucky this year), it's still tough to talk about wild card contenders without mentioning them.

18. Minnesota Twins (48-47)

The Twinkies are still right in the mix in the wide open AL Central, and have as good of a chance at taking that division as anyone. They have three of the top hitters in baseball on their team, but the key to them making a second half run is going to be pitching.

Acquiring a good bullpen arm or a solid starter could make a big difference for them.

19. Milwaukee Brewers (48-47)

The Brewers have a great offense, highlighted by sluggers Ryan Braun and home run derby champ Prince Fielder. But I just don't think they have the pitching to challenge the Cardinals. Going after someone like Jarrod Washburn or Erik Bedard, or both, might be a good idea.

20. Toronto Blue Jays (47-49)

The Jays are probably the best example of a team that would be a contender if they were in any other division. But unfortunately, they're in the AL East, the toughest division in baseball, and they will continue to be.

They've gotten a lot of good performances this year, from guys like Aaron Hill, Adam Lind, Marco Scutaro, and Roy Halladay, but they won't contend for anything this year and should be in full on sell mode.

21. Cincinnati Reds (44-50)

The loss of young outfielder Jay Bruce, possibly for the rest of the season, should get rid of any thoughts the Reds had of making the playoffs. They aren't quite there yet, in any aspect of the game, but they have the type of young talent that could help them make a splash in 2010.

22. Baltimore Orioles (41-53)

The Orioles are in a similar situation as the Blue Jays, as both teams are in a tough division, but both have a lot of good young talent.

The Blue Jays may not contend in that division for a bit longer, but with players like Matt Wieters, Adam Jones, Chris Tillman, and Brian Matusz in their organization, the Orioles should be a force within two years.

Their offense has been good this year, but they've had really bad pitching, and that's why they're 12 games under .500.

23. New York Mets (44-50)

The Mets aren't going to make the playoffs this season, but you really can't blame them. They've lost Jose Reyes, Carlos Beltran, JJ Putz, and Carlos Delgado all to serious injuries, and their one remaining star, David Wright, hasn't hit for any power.

When you're facing that kind of adversity, not even Johan Santana can keep you in contention.

24. Pittsburgh Pirates (42-52)

The Pirates already have appeared to pack it in for 2009, as they've already begun trading veteran talent for prospects. As of right now, they just don't really have any pitching or hitting, and when you don't have pitching or hitting, you aren't going to win very many games.

Look for them to be good in 2011 or so.

25. Arizona Diamondbacks (40-55)

Dan Haren and Justin Upton are having great years, but the loss of Brandon Webb and a lack of offensive production has done the Dbacks in.

Hopefully, for their sake, and for the sake of my fantasy team, Webb will come back strong and be ready to help them have a good 2010 season.

26. Oakland Athletics (40-53)

Almost nothing has panned out for the A's this year. The Matt Holliday trade was a bit of a bust, as he hasn't had the type of season the A's, or their fans were expecting. Meanwhile, their ace Justin Duchscherer has been on the DL all season.

They've continued to fall in the AL West standings and are now 15 games behind the Angels.

27. Cleveland Indians (38-58)

The Indians were the favorites to win their division at the beginning of this year, but terrible pitching has spoiled those hopes. Reigning Cy Young award winner Cliff Lee has pitched well, but he's received no run support.

As for the rest of their rotation—it's been really bad. Their offense has been okay, but it just hasn't been enough.

28. San Diego Padres (37-58)

The Padres are 2-8 in their last ten games, and continue to be a non factor in the NL West. Adrian Gonzalez accounts for almost all of their offense, but he can't do it alone. Their starting pitching has also been mediocre, as ace Jake Peavy has spent a lot of time on the DL.

29. Kansas City Royals (37-57)

The Royals have lost nine games in a row, and despite good starting pitching, have not been able to find ways to win games all year. Zack Greinke has been phenomenal, but playing on such a poor offensive team may seriously hamper his Cy Young chances, as I don't see him winning that many more games.

30. Washington Nationals (28-66)

The Nationals are horrible. They're a decent offensive team, but their starting pitching, bullpen, and defense are all terrible.

They're on pace to lose well over 100 games and finish with the worst record in baseball.

But look at the bright side, they're the heavy favorite to win the Bryce Harper sweepstakes!

Building the Most Expensive Team of Under Performers in Baseball

Griffin Cooper — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 20:15:53 -0400

Inspired by the 2008 Seattle Mariners season, in which they became the first team in history to lose 100 games with a $100 million payroll, I've decided to write an article in their honor. I've set out on a mission to put together the most expensive team of under performers possible. I'm basing this entirely on 2009 salaries, and will not include any players that have only been busts because of injuries. My goal is to easily surpass a $100 million payroll, without taking into account bench players or a full bullpen. I hope you enjoy.

Begin Slideshow

Mariners' Studs 'N Duds of the First Half

Griffin Cooper — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 00:09:56 -0400

Considering the fact that the Mariners lost 101 games in 2008, they have had a great first half. They're 46-42 and four games back of the division-leading Angels. Last season at the all-star break, they were 37-58 and 20 games back of the Angels.

They have a legitimate chance at making the playoffs, and plenty of players have contributed to that reality.

I'll call them studs.

There have also been a few players who haven't helped the team nearly as much, and even some that have hurt the team.

I'll call those duds.

Studs:

Ichiro:

Coming off a down year, for him anyway, Ichiro is back to his old ways in 2009. He is on pace for well over 200 hits, despite missing the first two weeks of the season. He's hitting .362 and (at the end of this season) will become the first player in history to record over 200 hits in nine consecutive seasons.

He's cut down a bit on the stolen bases, only 19 at the break, but he's getting as many infield hits as ever, and his speed is still fully intact. He's scoring fewer runs than usual, but that's not his fault, and his defense has been good.

Franklin Gutierrez:

The Mariners got Franklin Gutierrez in the three-team deal last offseason, in which they also acquired Endy Chavez, Jason Vargas, and Mike Carp, but it's become clear that Gutierrez was the real prize.

Not only has he been the best defensive center fielder in all of baseball this year, but he's also hitting over. 290 with 10 bombs.

Franklin has been a huge part of the Mariners' success this year, and, at age 26, we should have the privilege of watching him play here in Seattle for a nice, long time.

Russell Branyan:

After signing a one-year deal with the Mariners for a mere $1.4 million, Russell Branyan has been one of the most underrated players of the first half. The journeyman is on pace for around 40 home runs and 100 RBI, and he's hitting .280.

He strikes out a lot, and the Mariners knew that about him, but he also has the ability to draw a lot of walks, shown by his on base percentage of .382.

Russell Branyan is giving the M's the type of production that usually costs closer to $10 million, and has hinted that he intends to resign.

Felix Hernandez:

King Felix is 9-3 with a 2.53 ERA, 121 K's, and a 1.14 WHIP. He's also right in the thick of the AL Cy Young race with Zack Greinke and Roy Halladay.

He has been a true stopper for the Mariners this season, and is perhaps the biggest reason that the Mariners have had success. He is also one of the M's two all-star game representatives, with the other, of course, being Ichiro.

Jarrod Washburn:

Jarrod Washburn has not been nearly as good as a lot of people would think by looking at his sparkly ERA. That being said, he has been better than he was last year, and he's been able to do something that the Mariners have really needed—eat innings.

He's gone seven or more innings in nine of his 17 starts.

The M's bullpen has been shaky, especially recently, and Wash has been able to spare them a lot of work.

David Aardsma:

When Brandon Morrow was knocked out of the closers role after a couple of meltdowns in Texas, David Aardsma stepped up to temporarily take on the role.

That was two months and 20 saves ago.

He's been the most reliable piece of an otherwise mediocre bullpen and has put up all-star caliber numbers all season.

He doesn't have the JJ Putz, Thunderstruck kind of feel to him, but he gets the job done, and for the most part makes the fans feel comfortable.

Not quite studs: Adrian Beltre, Sean White, Garrett Olson, Jason Vargas, Miguel Batista, Shawn Kelley, and Endy Chavez.

Duds:

Kenji Johjima:

Johjima hasn't been all that terrible, but he has failed to earn the starting catcher spot in favor of Rob Johnson.

I find that unforgivable.

For whatever reason, most of our starting pitchers feel more comfortable with Johnson, and because of that we've been stuck with a much worse hitter.

It's not just his rapport with the pitchers, though. He's also been incredibly mediocre offensively and just hasn't done much to help the team.

Rob Johnson:

A lot of people would disagree with me here, but Rob Johnson is a much worse option than Kenji Johjima. He's a really bad hitter, and when he does manage to have a good game at the plate, he'll generally go a week or so without doing anything.

He also has a bad arm and is clearly inferior to Kenji at throwing out base runners. The fact is, we don't have any good options at catcher, which makes me long for Adam Moore.

Carlos Silva:

He's been on the DL since May, but he built on his terrible 2008 season by having a terrible start to the 2009 season. He only started six games, but he gave up six or more earned runs in half of them, acquiring an 8.48 ERA with nine walks and 10 strikeouts.

He's just plain terrible.

Fortunately, it appears as though he's found his calling—hugging and kissing players in the dugout after they've hit home runs.

Hey, if it improves the clubhouse chemistry, I'm fine with it...as long as he's not pitching.

Yuniesky Betancourt:

He's no longer on our team, but he's been so bad this season that he bares mentioning. He's had a terrible season offensively, showing absolutely no plate-discipline and hardly any speed.

Defensively, he's been even worse than last year, showing the occasional flash of his former brilliance, but all in all having no range whatsoever and a lack of focus.

He also has appeared unwilling to buy into Don Wakamatsu's system of accountability and discipline, showing that he really has no place on this team.

Roy Corcoran:

After doing a respectable job in 2008, Roy Corcoran has been awful this season. He's had a lot of trouble throwing strikes (16 BB, 6 K) and has been getting hit hard when he does. He has been perhaps the least reliable part of the Mariners' bullpen in 2009.

Ronny Cedeno:

Ronny has been good defensively, but he just isn't hitting up to his potential. He's probably been the least disappointing of all the duds, but unless he picks it up offensively quickly, he's just not good enough to be the Mariners' starting shortstop.

Jack Zduriencik is going to have to go out and get one, most likely.

Not quite duds: Brandon Morrow (it's not all his fault), Chris Jakubauskas, Ken Griffey Jr., Mike Sweeney, and Jose Lopez.

Too Soon to Tell:

Ryan Langerhans, Jack Hannahan, Chris Woodward, Chris Shelton, and Ryan Rowland-Smith.

Here's hoping there will be more studs and fewer duds come the end of the second half!

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Jarrod Washburn Tosses Gem To Beat Orioles

Griffin Cooper — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 00:56:19 -0400

With the way the recent series in Boston went for the Mariners, they really needed a good starting pitching performance tonight to give the bullpen a break.

Well, Jarrod Washburn was certainly up to the task.

The only hit Jarrod allowed all night came on a fourth inning bloop off the bat of Nick Markakis. After that single, he went on to retire the next 16 hitters he faced to complete the one hit shutout.

It was the first one hitter of his Major League career and his ninth complete game.

The Mariners scored five, coming on Russell Branyan’s 21st bomb of the year, a solo shot, an Ichiro RBI single, a Chris Woodward two run double, and Ryan Langerhans' sacrifice fly.

As it turned out, though, the only run they really needed was the first one.

Now there’s a lot of debate over whether or not the Mariners can still contend in 2009 if they trade either Jarrod Washburn or Erik Bedard.

I think it’s possible, but of course in the end it’s going to be up to the front office to decide.

If they do decide that they want to deal Washburn, though, tonight’s game will have significantly boosted his trade value.

Tomorrow the Mariners will send Erik Bedard to the mound to make his first start since heading to the DL in early June.

He’ll be on a pitch count of 75-85, which should be good for five or six innings.

Other news and game notes:

Ichiro’s hit streak is now at: five games.

Franklin Gutierrez continued his hot hitting tonight, racking up three hits including a double.

The Angels beat the Rangers tonight, so we’ll gain a game on Texas but keep pace with the Angels.

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Mariners-Yankees: Seattle Avoids the Sweep, 8-4

Griffin Cooper — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 23:47:59 -0400

The 2009 Seattle Mariners seem to have quite the knack for pulling out improbable wins.

They’ve already done it twice in this road trip—first, in LA when we sent Garrett Olson out against Hiroki Kuroda, and tonight, in perhaps an even more unlikely occurrence, when we sent Jason Vargas against C.C. Sabathia.

Not just Jason Vargas, mind you, but a very sick Jason Vargas.

The M’s snagged the lead in the top of the first inning, and never let it go, winning 8-4.

Ichiro started the game off with a double, and scored on a Jose Lopez ground out. He had two hits on the night, one of them being a crucial two-run double in the fourth. He also stole his 17th base of the year.

Other standouts were Franklin Gutierrez, who had three hits including a solo bomb off C.C. Sabathia, and Russell Branyan, who delivered the fatal blow in the form of a mammoth two-run homer in the ninth inning.

The long ball certainly must have been a big relief for Russell, who struck out four times yesterday and three more times today.

The M’s were able to chase C.C. after only five-and-two-thirds innings of work. Sabathia was saddled with six earned runs and left the game with the bases loaded and two outs in the sixth.

Jason Vargas was apparently very sick with the flu, and was only able to work four innings of four-run ball.

Fortunately for the M’s, Miguel Batista, Mark Lowe, and David Aardsma all stepped up to work a combined five innings of shutout relief en route to victory.

One of the other big stories of Thursday’s game was Ryan Langerhans. As you know, we acquired him a few days ago from the Nationals, and he made his Mariner debut tonight.

He had two hits on the night, one being a double that he ripped past Mark Teixeira, and the other being a line drive single to right that set us up to score a run nicely in the second inning. He also had a deep line out to center field.

This was a huge win, as it evened up our road trip at 3-3, and finished off this tough series on a high note as we head to Boston tomorrow. If we can just win one game against the Sox, I’ll consider this road trip a success.

Anything more is just a bonus.

Other News and Game Notes

•Ichiro’s hit streak is now at: one game.

•It looks as though the Angels are probably going to win tonight against Baltimore, so we’re likely to remain three-and-a-half games out of first place. We will gain half a game on Texas today, though.

•Felix Day is tomorrow!

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Mariners-Dodgers: Seattle Takes Two-of-Three from LA

Griffin Cooper — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 19:25:33 -0400

A three-run, third-inning rally turned out to be all the Mariners would need on Sunday, as they beat the LA Dodgers 4-2 and took the best-of-three series.

This was the first test for the Mariners on this vigorous road trip, and they passed with flying colors.

I, along with many other Mariners fans, would probably have been happy with just taking one out of three, but today’s game was icing on the cake and the M’s now sit 39-36, three games over .500.

The Mariners four runs came on a Franklin Gutierrez RBI single, an Adrian Beltre RBI single, and a Jose Lopez two-RBI double. The Dodgers scored theirs on a Matt Kemp solo bomb and an Andre Ethier sac fly.

Garrett Olson pitched five solid innings of two run ball, with most of his trouble occurring in the fifth. Miguel Batista pitched in relief of Olson, and did a nice job. He pitched two scoreless innings before handing the ball off to Mark Lowe, who in turn pitched a scoreless eighth and handed the ball off to David Aardsma, who recorded an easy save.

So, the M’s now head to New York to face another good team in the Yankees. It’s probably going to be a tougher series than this one was, mainly due to the fact that we’ll be without Adrian Beltre. Today was his last game before he goes under the knife on Tuesday.

Other News and Game Notes

Ichiro’s hit streak is now at 10 games.

The Mariners traded minor league infielder Mike Morse for left-handed outfielder in the Nationals system, Ryan Langerhans. This was a great trade, as Mike Morse is of no use to us anymore, and another left-handed outfielder with a solid upside is exactly what we need. Bravo, front office.

The Angels beat Arizona today by a score of 12-8, so we don’t gain any ground on them.

We start a three-game series with the NY Yankees on Tuesday. May God have mercy on our souls.

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Can The Mariners Continue To Contend in The AL West?

Griffin Cooper — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 17:48:36 -0400

This is a question that Mariners fans have been asking themselves and each other all season. So far, there really hasn't been a clear cut answer, but it's starting to look more and more like a yes.

As of now, the Seattle Mariners are sitting at 35-34, two-and-a-half games behind Texas and two behind LA. On top of that, this upcoming series with San Diego presents an opportunity to gain even more ground, as our division rivals are facing much more challenging opponents.

Pitching and defense have been the two things that have kept us in this race, something we've managed to do with virtually no offense. Thinking about that raises one question; what could this team do if they added a bat?

It's an intriguing question, to say the least. The fact is, we're holding our opponents to three runs or fewer nearly every game, and we’re 25-9 when we've scored more than four runs.

This shows that if the front office could find a way to add one decent, left handed bat to the lineup, it could give the Mariners a serious chance of competing in this weak division. The way our pitching has been, if we were able to score four or five runs in most games, we would be winning all the time.

The one issue a lot of people have with the M's trying to add a bat before the deadline, is that they don't want the front office to hurt the future of the organization in order to make an attempt at competing this season.

I think that could be easily avoided.

The fact is, the M's have several pieces that they could afford to give up, without hurting our chances this year or in the near future. The first ones that come to mind are Jeff Clement, Wladimir Balentien, and Jarrod Washburn.

Jeff Clement just doesn't fit into this team anymore. If he were a good defensive catcher with solid knees he might, but unfortunately it's beginning to look like all he can do is play first base and DH. We already have Mike Carp, Chris Shelton, Russell Branyan, and Bryan Lahair.

We really don't need any more first basemen or designated hitters. There are teams out there that do, though, and a player like Jeff Clement with a nice power upside could be attractive to them.

Same thing goes for Jarrod Washburn. With Jakubauskas in the bullpen, and Ryan Rowland-Smith nearly ready to get back into the rotation, we could do without Washburn.

Yes, Wash has been good this year, but we're not going to re-sign him and it would certainly be worth trading him for a much needed bat. This is, of course, dependant on whether or not Erik Bedard is able to return to the rotation in the very near future.

If we were to trade Washburn for a switch or lefty hitting middle infielder, it would probably take away the need to deal either of the other two guys.

Wladimir Balentien is another guy that we don't really need. With Michael Saunders sitting in Triple A, nearly ready to break into the big leagues, we could do without Wlad. Saunders would fit nicely into this mainly right handed lineup, and also be fine on the defensive end of things.

Unfortunately, it doesn't look like the front office is ready to call up Saunders, so we may need to hold onto Wlad, until we have a better option at left field.

So, what caliber of a hitter do we need? Not all that much. As of right now, Jose Lopez is doing a decent job, so what we should probably set our sights on is a left fielder, or a shortstop. A couple players that come to mind are outfielder Ryan Langerhans, who is currently in the Washington Nationals farm system, and second baseman Kelly Johnson, with the Braves.

Langerhans is probably the best option. With Endy Chavez out for the season, and Wlad being an unreliable right handed hitter, he would fit the team pretty well. It probably wouldn't take all that much to get him from the Nats, either.

It would be nice if we could just use Michael Saunders, but it's probably not a good idea to rush him into the big leagues if he's not ready.

Two other big names that have come up a lot in trade talks this season are Erik Bedard and Adrian Beltre.

If the Mariners are still in the race coming up on the deadline, I don't see either of them getting traded. Beltre won't re-sign, but we're probably going to need him to stay in the playoff run.

As for Bedard, it's really hazy as to whether or not we have a chance at re-signing him or if we even want to, but he's going to be essential towards staying in this race, and we can probably get away with holding onto him for the remainder of this season. Even if he walks before 2010, we'll get a compensation pick out of it in the draft.

Currently, PECOTA playoff odds give us a 17.5 percent chance of making the playoffs.

The ensuing road trip, in which we play the Yankees, the Dodgers, and the Red Sox, is likely to change that significantly, one way or another.

If we're able to play near .500 ball in that road trip, it should go a long way towards making things easier for Jack Zdurenciek.

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Costly Error Gives Series Sweep to Seattle Mariners

Griffin Cooper — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 20:31:54 -0400

Even as King Felix dominated Sunday's game, the Mariners offense slumbered. It took a crucial mistake from the opposing first baseman to seal a 3-2 Seattle win.

With two outs in the bottom of the ninth and the game tied at two, Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Tony Clark flat-out dropped the throw from third baseman Mark Reynolds on a Franklin Gutierrez groundout.

It wasn't the ideal way to win a game, but I guess it sorta makes up for the one of the Brandon Morrow meltdowns in Texas.

That dropped ball wasn't the only mistake made by the D-Backs in that ninth inning, though. In fact, I'd say walking Mike Sweeney bring up Gutierrez was right up there with it.

Perhaps the only unfortunate part of today's game was the fact that Felix Hernandez wasn't able to pick up a much deserved win. He departed down 2-1 in the eighth inning after allowing a go-ahead home run to Reynolds.

He pitched well, though, striking out eight in seven and one-third innings of work.

The Mariners started off the scoring in the fourth on a Yuniesky Betancourt single, then tied it up at two in the eighth on a Gutierrez fielder's choice RBI.

Arizona's only two runs came on the Reynolds homer.

Mark Lowe picked up the win after pitching a scoreless ninth, and Clay Zavada picked up the loss. Perhaps it's just what he gets for making everyone look at that atrocious piece of facial hair. Karma's a bitch.

Other news and game notes:

Ichiro's hit streak now stands at five games.

Mike Carp had two hits today, and Betancourt had three.

We're over .500 for the first time since May 7, and we now sit only 2.5 games out of first place.

Tomorrow is an off day, and then we start another three-game series with the Padres. It could be a good opportunity to gain a little bit more in the division.

Old news, but Endy Chavez is out for the year with a torn ACL, and Russell Branyan and Adrian Beltre are both banged up. Hopefully it's nothing serious for either of them.

Ichiro had his 1,900th career hit today.

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Starting Pitchers (Pt. Two) For the MLB All-Star Game

Griffin Cooper — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 20:45:27 -0400

This is a continuation of the article I wrote yesterday, highlighting the starting pitchers most deserving of all-star spots. In part one I chose the AL candidates, in part two I'll be choosing the NL candidates. If you'd like to see part one, you can find that article here: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/201401-if-the-mlb-all-star-game-were-to-happen-now-these-would-be-your-guys-starting-pitchers We're still close to a month away from the All-Star game, so of course some of my choices will most definitely change before we reach mid-July. As always, keep in mind that all of this is subjective to opinion, so feel free to share your thoughts on my picks, and if you'd like, share who your picks would me. I'm always interested to hear contrasting ideas.

Begin Slideshow

Starting Pitchers For the MLB All-Star Game

Griffin Cooper — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 22:15:03 -0400

This is a continuation of a piece I wrote in May, highlighting players that were most deserving of an all-star spot. In that article I focused completely on position players, though, so in this piece I will highlight only starting pitchers. I'm going to split it into two parts, I'll do AL starters today, and NL starters tomorrow. We're still close to a month away from the all-star game, so of course some of my choices will most definitely change before we reach mid July. As always, keep in mind that all of this is subjective to opinion, and feel free to share your thoughts on my picks, and if you'd like, share who your picks would be. I'm always interested to hear contrasting ideas.

Begin Slideshow

King Felix Shuts Down San Diego

Griffin Cooper — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 01:29:00 -0400

Felix Hernandez certainly earned the nickname “King” tonight.

He gracefully worked through a two hit shutout as the Mariners cruised to a 5-0 win over the San Diego Padres.

I can’t think of a better way to rebound from a tough sweep like the one the Mariners just suffered in Colorado.

Franklin Gutierrez and Adrian Beltre both went deep for their fourth and fifth home runs, respectively, and Ken Griffey Jr. lined a two run single up the middle to tack on some insurance in the ninth.

Our fifth run came on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Jose Lopez.

The big story tonight was clearly Felix Hernandez, though, who worked hard to guarantee a happy Felix Day for Mariners fans everywhere.

His line for the night pretty much sums up how amazing he was—9 IP, 6 K’s, 2 H, 0 R, 4 BB.

No one could touch him—it was as simple as that.

He improves to 7-3 on the year, and the possibility of an all star game appearance is looking more and more realistic.

On the other side of things, Kevin Correia pitched a decent game for the Padres. But, it was clear that he was over matched, and he would have needed to be flawless to have a chance at beating Felix.

Other News and Game Notes:

Ichiro’s hit streak is now at: 0 games

The Angels and the Rangers both won tonight too, so we do not gain any ground.

Russell Branyan will miss Thursday’s game to attend his grandfather’s funeral.

My condolences to him and his family.

We send Garrett Olson to the hill tomorrow.

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Seattle Mariners Lose a Sloppy One to Colorado Rockies

Griffin Cooper — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 01:39:11 -0400

Tonight’s Mariners-Rockies game gave me a bit of a flashback to the 2006 World Series. It was between the Tigers and the Cardinals—I was completely supportive of the Tigers.

In that series several of Detroit’s pitchers suddenly forgot how to make accurate throws to first or third base, and it hurt them mightily in the series. Well, that’s sorta what happened to the Mariners tonight.

Before I get into that, though, I’ll recap how the game even got to that point. Brandon Morrow was starting in place of Erik Bedard (shoulder inflammation), and was on a pitch count of 60.

Unfortunately, Morrow looked pretty similar as a starter as he’s looked as a closer. He couldn’t throw strikes when it counted, and the one run he did allow came on a bases loaded walk of the pitcher. He was able to provide three innings of work, surrendering a run on three hits and four walks.

We tied the game at one in the fifth when Beltre, who had three hits on the night, grounded an RBI single up the middle.

That tie went away in the seventh, though, when Sean White gave up an RBI single to Todd Helton, followed by a very deep RBI double off the bat of Brad Hawpe.

Hope briefly showed its face in the top half of the eighth, when Jose Lopez hit a game-tying two run homer. It got ugly about five minutes later.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, Wakamatsu went with setup man Mark Lowe to preserve a 3-3 tie. The first batter he faced, Troy Tulowitzki, hit a bouncer to the right of the mound.

By the time Lowe picked it up, he really had no play at first base, but instead of just eating it he attempted to make a Jeter-esque throw and ended up skipping it into right field.

With Tulowitzki now on second base, Carlos Gonzalez laid down a poor sac bunt. Mark Lowe clearly had a play at third, and he made the right choice by throwing there, but unfortunately his throw was awful and it took a nice save by Beltre to keep it from ending up in left field.

Everyone was safe though, and all of the sudden there were runners on first and third with nobody out.

A sac fly, two walks, and another sac fly later it was 5-3 Colorado. The M’s threatened in the ninth, but with runners on first and third Huston Street was able to strike Adrian Beltre and Endy Chavez out swinging to end the game.

Game Notes and Other News

Ichiro’s hit streak is now at: seven games.

On a positive note, Chris Jakubauskas did a great job out of the pen tonight, pitching three strong innings in relief of Brandon Morrow.

The Angels won, the Rangers lost. We’re sitting 5.5 back of Texas and 2 back of LA.

Adrian Beltre appears to be back, he went three for five tonight with two doubles and an RBI.

We desperately need a good DH.

Morrow really needs to get down the control aspect of pitching if he plans on being a starter.

We desperately attempt to salvage one game of this series tomorrow with Jason Vargas (2-1, 2.35) towing the rubber.

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