Mariners close to bloated Washburn deal?

Jeff · December 16, 2005 at 2:59 pm · Filed Under Mariners 

CBS is reporting that the Mariners are closing in on a four-year deal with Jarrod Washburn worth between $36 and $38 million.

I am near-apoplectic. This is utterly terrible news that, if true, could have awful consequences on the franchise for years to come. Dave already ably explained why Washburn is notably bad. Let me just add that this contract would keep him a Mariner until he turns 36 years old. He’s older than Kevin Millwood and markedly worse.

Sometimes, taking the cheaper alternative is preferable. Not this time. Even if it takes five years and $50 million to get Millwood, that would be preferable to paying this type of scratch for Washburn.

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155 Responses to “Mariners close to bloated Washburn deal?”

  1. joealb on December 16th, 2005 11:52 pm

    Remember the M’s traded Brian Fuentes for Jeff Cirillo. This is bad but at least the M’s aren’t losing a pretty good LOOGY in the process.

  2. LB on December 17th, 2005 12:08 am

    #101: The Red Sox are not trading Lester or Papelbon for Mariner any more than the M’s are trading Felix for any player on the Sox. They are the jewels of the Red Sox farm system and will anchor the Sox rotation for the next six years.

    It’s not happening; put it out of your mind. Clement or Arroyo you can get from them, since they have plenty of starting pitching. (And Clement would be better given that Arroyo’s looking at FA sooner.) But young, cheap starting pitching is not going to be part of any deal with Boston.

  3. LB on December 17th, 2005 12:11 am

    #152: Oops. That should not have gotten submitted.

    Edit: The Red Sox are not trading Lester or Papelbon for any Mariner any more than the M’s are trading Felix for any player on the Sox.

    (Sorry about that; touchpads are trouble.)

  4. Deanna on December 17th, 2005 12:30 am

    120 — you serious? I got the Mariners season ticket holder holidays card (it’s so cute! I love how they have Felix for “Felicidades!”) but there was no $10 gift card in mine. I feel cheated. Either that, or they don’t do it for lowly 16-game-plan holders.

  5. Oly Rainiers Fan on December 17th, 2005 2:19 am

    #154 (Deanna): well, I am (at least for another week) a full season ticket holder, and it’s the first time I ever got one.

    Then again, I sent them a 5 page complaint letter back in September…and had a follow-up 1+ hour of phone conversation with the director of sales at the behest of Chuck & Howard…so it might be a bribe still from that.

    It ain’t gonna work, I made my decision after the Everett signing. It’s a good year to try to attend every Rainiers home game. I’m just waiting till I have a chance to pen a good ‘give me my $400 deposit back’ letter to cancel…

    Regardless, I think the gift card return wouldn’t add enough into the pot, as both the Times & PI are reporting today that for Christmas we might get not one but two sorta Ryan Franklins (Washburn & Arroyo, oh boy).