Yes, other teams ARE better than the Ms, but while they could focus attention on how to get AJ more playing time, and yes that would have some marginal improvement, their big bang for the buck is gonna be in dealing with their starting pitching, which they didn’t choose to deal with. Kinda like choosing between buying a new sofa that you have to throw a slipcover over, or replacing a leaky and rotting roof.

I think they’re fundamentally flawed not only in their methods in evaluating talent, but also in their choices as to … priority.

But, yep… the yanks are old, too. But they sure as hell wouldn’t be old with the players we are.

The Mariners are in a competition, and their competitors are better than they are. The status quo is not good enough. The old water heater is “broken” in that sense.

however, my new water heater will also heat water and it will do it more energy efficiently which means that while I’m plunking down some cashola (let’s just call it a signing bonus for the new water heater) initially, the ongoing power bill will be less because my new water heater will heat water when I need it, and not just heat it up and store it (you know, like…veteran experience) in case I need a whole bunch of it at once for some reason. You know, if I need my water heater to be ‘clutch’ in a tight situation….

My new one will heat water as I need it – which yes, does involve a certain amount of trust on my part. Trust in ‘new’ technology, trust that it really WILL heat enough of it fast enough to fill the tub, etc., willingness to take that risk and believe that the reward is there.

Sometimes you buy stuff and it turns out the product was vastly overhyped, which makes you all the more hesitant to fall for it again. Remember that young pitching surplus we had (names like Nageotte, Johnson, Blackley ring a bell)? Remember Reed and Olivo?

Hard to know whether the Ms are just in recovery, working up to taking another chance – or whether their fundamental assessment of WHO/WHAT to take a chance on is flawed. Or…both.

Dave, thanks for chatting. I’m a little surprised that you didn’t assign McLaren at least some blame for the losing streak, since you’ve been willing to do so here.

I tend more toward the Geoff Baker ‘if they’re getting the job done, why replace them’ approach.

“It’s better to trade a player a year too early than to trade him a year too late.”

You retain control of when and how to replace-and that’s generally a lot less trouble and a lot less expensive.

Just for some giggles, I added up the service time for the normal starting line-ups (no pitchers) for Seattle and then for the three division leaders. I counted years in Japan (minus four partial years for kenji and Ichiro), but not counting this year.

Boston – a total of 68 years of big league experience in the starting line up.

Cleveland – 45(!) years.

Anaheim – 58 years.

(just for fun, given DMZ’s post, Atlanta – 42(one less player – no DH)

Seattle – 78 frigging years. Seven-eight. Nine guys with an average of almost nine seasons each. Ridiculous.

Our outfield plus designated hitter has one less year of experience than Cleveland’s starting nine.

But –

about whether the Ms give youth a chance or not…

Felix, Betancourt, Lopez, Johjima are all playing their 2nd season in the major leagues this year. Not veterans in my mind. Add to that O’Flaherty (appeared in like 15 games last year), Feirabend, Rowland-Smith, Morrow….

It seems like the Ms are giving youth a chance.

So I’m curious as to how/when you make a distinction between youth and veteran.

(I tend more toward the Geoff Baker ‘if they’re getting the job done, why replace them’ approach. I mean, my water heater will eventually give out, but until it does, why would I replace it? In this particular example, I would need to add the disclaimer that my water heater is perfectly fine, but around the end of its alleged lifespan and I’m in the middle of having a fine new on-demand water heater installed. so perhaps I should think of Adam Jones as that fine new on-demand water heater?)