Sexson and Delgado
Dave · November 27, 2004 at 10:25 am · Filed Under Mariners
You’ve all seen the story, by now.
I don’t believe the team is actually going to sign both Delgado and Sexson, so rather than break down why this would be a bad move, we’ll just say we’re against this strategy and leave it at that. Signing Delgado and Sexson, then calling it an offseason, would just about cement the M’s status as the worst team in the AL West for 2005 and 2006.
Comments
30 Responses to “Sexson and Delgado”
i wouldn’t put it past the geniuses to sign both of ’em. but i hope you’re right.
Don’t they remember Buckyball?
Don’t forget to look at the byline in the article either. Pocket Lint is the writer. I imagine that if one of them signs than they’ll take the offer off the table for the other one.
Let’s hope this is smokescreen.The FO can not possibly beleive this will placate even the modest fan little loan the ones with a small amount of common sense.This addresses none of the position needs at all.
Perhaps if we all purchased shares of Nitendo America we would privey to inside financial info on their holdings (Mariners) then hold FO more accountable for actions.
What can they be thinking?
What I love here is that now Finigan has upped his estimate of the money that the M’s have to spend to $16 million. However, later in the article he states that they already have $55 million locked up for next year. So, 55 + 16 = $71 million. Where is the other $23 million going? You can’t tell me that this team is setting aside 23mil for incentives and the trading deadline. What a joke.
I think it is a long stretch for ESPN to say that Sexon could go back to playing LF. Wasn’t he moved to 1b because he was a liabilty in the field. With that said, this off-season is moving too damn slow.
Bill,
Finnigan said they had $55 million tied up in “multi-year contracts”. That number doesn’t include one year deals that will be given to arbitration eiglible players or the guys who will fill out the bench.
Mark O, there is no reason for the Mariners to be in a hurry… The signings so far have been terrible;I am just glad that the Mariners have not been involved in any of them…..
The Ms would then have FOUR players whose best defensive position is 1st base–5 if you count Ibanez. I doubt there’s ever been another team that could make that claim. So if this were to come down, then we’re still waiting for another shoe to hit the floor.
Same thingin Oakland where BB’s budget won’t support his current payroll even if he lets both Dotel and Durazo walk (one of his big 3 pitchers has to go for promising–and low paid–youngsters.
This is starting to be fun.
Sexson playing left field, in Safeco no less, is about one of the stupidest things I’ve read in awhile. I’m all for signing one or the other, but signing both would be a foolish thing to do. Unless Carlos Delgado is willing to DH. In that case, it would make perfect sense, but unfortunately I’m under the impression that he’s not.
Bill Bavasi is to first basemen as Jim Bowden is to outfielders.
#10 I think he probably meant Ibanez for left, but even so it shows the incredible level of care he takes when writing such stuff.
On another note: could somebody kidnap Koskie and hide him away until next year? And maybe spirit in Matt Clement instead who might look like him with the lights turned off.
#12: Then why did he go on and on about how Sexson played Left Field in Cleveland?
David, yup you’re right. I was trying to give it a hopeful spin, as in Ibanez, Sexson etc DH, left adn first platoon as sensible, but re reading it, Finnegan takes the “source” to be suggesting Sexson play left field as he did initially in Cleveland. In which case, the Spiezio at third experiment comes across as a defensive masterpiece, and Willie B will be starting shortstop (no, even that makes more sense).
Fortunately, this does free up Bucky to start at third and sub at second when Boone is DH’ing, unless of course Ibanez gets the nod there.
…..And I thought my “moyer to be stand in closer” idea was bad….
im not quite sure why bringing in sexson and delgado is not better then having Winn and Jacobson, but whatever, the “fans” of this team are gonna find away to complain about something
defensively sexson is a strech in LF, theres no question, i have my doubts he’ll spend more then 20 games there,if this happens
I’m inclined to put a positive spin on this that is an echo of something David or Derek said about 10 days ago: the M’s FO is ready to deal, now, not later, and the available $23M (after best estimates and absent trades) will just sit in a bank account until June 2005 if the FAs they want aren’t ready to talk seriously and fast.
I see this as a more positive approach than under Gillick, who both rushed so much as to lose draft choices and dragged so much as to lose October. I’m willing to see this off-season play out the way it’s going. Now there is just too much air, too much Bowden polluting that air, and nothing firm enough yet for me to slight Bavasi so far in his first free-handed off-season. The only major move he’s made on his own thus far has turned out fairly well.
A few things:
1. I’d like to hear Dave, Derek and Jason comment on the likelihood that Bob Finnigan’s writings have a unique inside track into the Mariners front office and thus take on quasi-prophetic legitimacy … or not. Obviously, he’s not always right (i.e., his recurring bleatings about Griffey Jr.), but does he usually know something nobody else in the media or blogoisphere knows, in your opines?
2. Let’s assume Finnigan has it straight here. If so, this might be the most insult-the-fan’s-intelligence move there could be. Two aging, injured, redundant players brought aboard to take time and positons away from two players (Bucky, Ibanez) capable of doing reasonably similar jobs for a fraction of the cost. The fuzzy logic on this one can only be: “Fans think our problem last year was a lack of power. So we’ll bring in a bunch of guys with bopping pasts. Ergo, problem solved.”
3. If these deals go down before Dec. 18, and Bavasi is among the special guests at the USS Mariner pizza feed … what are the chances that violence or apocalyptic rudeness will break out and ruin the gathering?
4. How much does Randy Winn’s trade value go down as a result?
By the way, what’s everybody’s take on the Oakland-Pittsburgh deal? Is Billy Beane still the Bret Maverick of baseball? Is he KGB Teddy? Should other GMs only do deals with him in person so they can pick up his “tells”?
Re: Kendall — Working on a post on this now.
Re 18:
I would say it was a good deal. Oakland got rid of two big worthless contracts, takes on one contract that is big, but a good player is attached, and Pittsburgh pays them when the salary gets real big in a couple years. Kendall is a premium catcher.
You want everlasting proof that Finigan is either a Mariner Mouthpiece or he just simply doesn’t follow baseball. This is from today’s piece and I haven’t seen anyone take it to task on it just yet.
“(The team) has apparently made multiyear contract offers to both Carlos Delgado and Richie Sexson, two of the most powerful bats to come on the free-agent market in years”
What??!!! “two of the most powerful bats to come on the free-agent market in years”??? Thats not even remotely close to true.
#21 (Sonic) – I was thinking the same thing. I suppose it’s just more baseless Mariner propaganda from Finnigan. Virtually EVERY free agent class has power bats entering the market. Vlad, Sheffield, Thome, Giambi, Bonds, A-Rod, Manny, just to name a few since 2000.
I thought the most interesting line of the article was, “They are thought to have an offer for Boone.”
Chris two reasons. Winn/Ibanez’s defense is well ahead of Sexson, so you’re taking a huge defensive downgrade. Plus that would be a very expensive way to make Bucky ride the pine, with two huge injury risks. You’re basically taking two huge gambles that could be very, very, very bad or reasonably good.
As far as the reason why people think signing both is terrible look at it this way. You’re upgrading your car, you drive a Civic. You’ve got $2,000 to spend on it. Do you spend that money on a new exhaust and transmission? Or do you spend $2,000 to drop a whole new engine in the thing? Sure, you can moderately improve things by putting in performance exhaust and transmission…but those aren’t the major problems with the vehicle. You’re throwing away a ton of money to fix the things that should be low priority.
It’s times like these that I remember that Bill Bavasi is a guy who once thought Mo Vaughn was a really good idea.
I can think of a few possible reasons that Bavasi may want the rumor spread that he’s after both of these guys:
– He can say that he tried for both players “but we were outbid on ______” yada, yada. Look like you’re trying to improve the team without spending a dime.
– He can see if the public reacts to either of them like they did to Omar’s aborted trade last offseason, they back off on that player
– He keeps both players interested in Seattle … though it might backfire. It might be better to have Carlos and Richie think they are competing for one FA spot here, so perhaps they’d sign more readily/cheaper.
In any case, I won’t worry about having both of them until we actually have them signed.
This just occured to me, but aren’t we all “independent sources” ? So this could all be a steaming pile of feces…
#26, I hope that is Bavasi’s thought process.
Sexson in LF makes about as much sense as when the old Washington Senators had big Frank Howard, all 6 foot 7, 275 pounds of him rumbling around LF at RFK. A total disaster out there he was. The Twins made the same mistakes putting Harmon Killebrew in LF. He made a lot of errors and could not get to many balls. He was a poor 3B also. Only at 1B was he not a total fielding liability. Sexson also has the injured shoulder to worry about in playing in the OF also.
If we had both Delgado and Sexson (or Glaus) as well as Beltre, we could improve in 4-5 positions from last year and have a much better bench.
1B: more power, younger, faster, although less D
(Delgado 3 days a week, Sexson 3 days a week)
DH: more power, younger, faster (Delgado 2, Sexson 2, and Bucky 2)
3B: more power, younger, faster? (Beltre)
C: younger, faster, less D (Olivio 4, Dan 2)
SS: younger, faster? (Lopez 5, Cabrera 1)
Bench: Wilson C, Spiezio 3B/1B defensive replacement, Cabrera 2B/SS, Reed OF, Bucky DH/1B
All bench players play 2 days a week + spot roles
This lineup increases our youth, speed, and power, and still has punch when resting players or injuries occur.
I am assuming yearly salaries of 11M for Delgado and Beltre while Sexson (Glaus) get 9M + incentives. With a FA pitcher at 7.5M, this leaves our budget at 97M without incentives and “leftover†salaries from Wikki, Jarvis, Cirillo etc. I know it is high, but it will be back to normal next year.
If we do not get Beltre, we can trade for Huff from Tampa Bay. Is Huff someone we could use at third? If so, the budget could get back in line with “expectations”.
The use of the bench players twice a week (starts, excluding Spiezio) plus spot roles would keep our regulars fresh and ward off the potential of injury a bit. Also, it allows Reed, Cabrera, Bucky, and Dan to contribute regularly and be ready to fill in if needed.
Please…be gentle!