M’s make another pointless trade
The M’s have made another trade that doesn’t help the team, though this one isn’t quite as destructive as yesterdays debacle.
The M’s have acquired Sean White for cash, after the Pirates selected White from the Braves in this morning’s rule 5 draft. You may remember White from his days at the University of Washington, and since he grew up in Pullman, he’s a Local White Boy (TM).
Unfortunately, he’s not any good. Think Sean Green as a starting pitcher. He throws a good sinker, but like most extreme GB guys, he doesn’t have great command and doesn’t strike anyone out.
As a rule 5 guy, the M’s will have to carry him on the major league roster all year or offer him back to the Braves. Since White was a mediocre pitcher in Double-A at age 25 last year, expecting him to contribute anything in the majors this year is a pretty big stretch. So, the likely scenario is that he eats up a 40 man roster spot all winter, the M’s realize in spring training that he’s not any good, and he goes back to Atlanta in March.
Pointless trade, and a nice finishing touch on a terrible 24 hours to be a Mariner fan.
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Given the last 24 hours (not to mention the last 24 months) I think that your ‘likely scenario’ isn’t so likely because it relies upon the M’s realizing in spring training that he’s not any good. This is not a skill they seem to be very proficient at.
*noose being tied*
tic…THWAP
*hanging carcass*
This is starting to look like the drowning man scenario: flail all around and do anything to try to keep your head above water. Except over the last 24 hours, the M’s FO criteria seems to have become
“anyone who can throw a ball that won’t cost much.”
Given the quality of the starting rotation and Grovers refusal to rest anyone or have any belief in pinch hitting, I think that this is the start of a pitcher of any sort stock pile. With the Guillen signing, Grover has his OF, he has his IF, so only three in game injury bench guys are needed. Betcha he carries up to 14 pitchers. Mainly because he has maybe one starter who can go 5+ innings. With King Felix doing his Colon work out routine, that maybe zero.
Maybe their logic is that if basically none of their pitchers are any good, then all of them will look better collectively? 😉
One of the comments heard from time to time was that the potential house cleaning here was scaring off players. I thought that Lincolns win or go statement was dumb at the time but now wonder if it was truley stupid. Is there any sense that this is true or just media speculation?
#6– who has said that?
Am sorry, not sure. It was one of those news article items that appeared on ESPN, TNT, PI, etc. like that from time to time. I think I saw it in one concerning Schmidt and Lilly (?)
Didn’t the Mariners have a guy named Sean White a couple of years ago that they got from Boston?
I believe that Eleven11 referring to the “hotseat” on which both Bavasi and Grover sit. I do remember either Lincoln or Armstrong using the word “hotseat,” in a completely non-sexual manner, when describing the jobs of Bavasi and Grover.
So Sean White must have been the real target all along. Pittsburg doesn’t get LaRoche, so they take White via Rule V. The M’s don’t get Ramirez ( I am still hoping yesterday was just a bad dream ) so they buy White from Pittsburg. Somebody pinch me. Is this all real?
It’s “Rule 5” dude
What sort of chance does Josh Hamilton have in Chicago? I’d love to see him salvage a major league career.
So let me get this straight:
Bavasi made the Soriano deal, but somehow had the wherewithall to decline taking Pavano in a deal for Sexson?
Whatever…
Is there a pattern of Bavasi acquiring pitchers who keep the ball on the ground? (Thomson, if he ever signs, also fits the bill.) The pattern is fine, but I am not certain that he execution is all that great.
atait — remember, that story came from the New York Post. It is as reliable as the rumors I would might randomly post on USSM.
There had been talk about a third player in the Soriano deal. Anyone heard more about that? White can’t be construed as that guy, can he?
I would think that a GM announcing that a team must win or changes will be made wouldn’t be any more of an impediment to free agents than a team that has lost 3 years in a row….
#14, 16 — but you’ve got to admit, George King just keeps throwing them out there.
18-Sports is an obviously performance business, losers get axed, etc., I think that is always unsaid. When someone articlates it, decision making can change. Now, I thought Bavasi would throw money at anyone, nuts to the future because he may not have one. That did not happen. So I guess my questions is, did he try and fail because of the potential house cleanng? Or maybe I should concentrate more on my year end reports and less on baseball…
The whole offseason has sucked, not just the last 24 hours. Don’t forget after all this pitching nonsense, we get to watch corner outfielder Jose Guillen and his .315 OBP block Chris Snelling all year.
Yeah!
BTW, Guillen is the new Everett. Check out lifetime AVG/OBP/SLG. We are underestimating the idiocy of that signing.
Gil Meche is up one thread in today’s Winter Meetings-a-go-go.
20 – Go look at the Luis Gonzalez deal and tell me Guillen was a poor signing…
Dave —
again you play the white player routine. In your post Pat Gillick, Mariners Savior, I asked you the following, to which you failed to respond:
I will ask you again — is there any evidence you’re willing to share that the team favors caucasian players?
What scares me is what deal Bavasi is certain to pull off now to acquire the proverbial “name” player (Jeff Weaver?) or local boy (Todd Hollandsworth?) to appease the casual fan. At this point it should be amusing to watch.
Wonder if White was the ‘prospect’ talked about in the HoRam deal? He has spent the last few years in Atlanta’s farm before being selected in the Rule 5…interesting
BFD….it’s a rule 5 guy….90% of them get returned, anyway.
ESPN.com reports “The Gil Meche sweepstakes are over, and the Kansas City Royals are the winners.”
Really? Sweepstakes? Winners? Is that what that was?
I hate this. I hate not liking my team. At least I have football.
Well, if the report about Meche getting a 5 year / $60 million deal are true, Washburn is a steal.
From Hickey’s article in the PI
Brad Holman, the pitching coach for the Peoria Javelinas in the Arizona Fall League, had White and recommended him after seeing the velocity on his fastball improve.
23, your question is loaded. There is no reason you have to assume the team is deliberately avoiding non-white players to notice that they seen to have a fondness for local white players — which doubtless makes sense from an economic viewpoint, inasmuch as marginal white players frequently do become crowd favorites in sports, whether or not we’re supposed to talk about it.
Let me ask you: Do you think it’s likely, when the Mariners sign, enthusiastically promote, and overplay marginal white players, that they aren’t taking into account the player’s whiteness? They are businessmen.
Do you think Willie Bloomquist hasn’t benefited with the Mariners by being white? (Please don’t fall back on accusing me of saying Willie is only successful because he’s white, or that a black player with Willie’s skills couldn’t have been successful with the organization. I mean no more by the question than what it’s asking.)
of course, of the top of my head I can’t really think of many local non-white baseball players … Tui? Dominic Woody?
I think it’s more of an indication that there aren’t many non-whites locally.
But the continued emphasis on the race of players the mariners pursue is curious.
Sean White’s player page says he hails from Pullman, but he actually played his HS ball at Mercer Island. I played with him, and was fortunate enough to see him make a batter fall on his ass diving out out of the way of a called strike slider.
He had all sorts of back troubles in high school, so I’m pleasantly surprised he’s made it this far. I am not pleasantly surprised, however, by the Mariner’s moves in the last 24 hours. Absolutely horrendous.
Who did the M’s give up in the trade to get White? Just cash?
FWIW, White had shoulder issues last year, and the “velocity spike” that is referred to in the M’s release about the trade is really a return to (or maybe a modest spike over and above) the velocity he showed at the UW. If he is throwing 96+, as implied in that article, he could have much better success than he had last year throwing 91-93 (again, from the article).
If they didn’t give much up oter than $100K or so, I don’t see what the strenuous objection is. He’s just another (potental starter) arm that can be looked at, and even if it doesn’t work out, what is the most they likely are out? $125K? $225K? I’m with the guy who said “BFD.” This is more than minor, compared with the Soriano for Ramirez trade, or signing Guillen, or just about any other area of activity or non-activity of this off-season.
Thought he’s going to be fodder for the bullpen…though given his command issues, Hargrove’s not going to want to use him…
Apparently The New York Times hasn’t gotten the memo:
I don’t know…I kind of like this move as a little piece of insurance, maybe a teensy bit of extra leverage in negotiations, etc. I’m sure it won’t make much of a difference, but if they’re planning on returning him, probably, unless a) they really need him or b) he looks great in spring training, I don’t see why not. I’m sure there’s somebody better they could have found, but so be it.