31 Jan
Wilkerson signed to the M’s
Updates as they happen. Certainly would indicate Jones is gone. Whee.
120 Responses to “Wilkerson signed to the M’s”
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Does this warrant a counter reset?
January 31st, 2008 at 2:54 pmMUCK FE.
January 31st, 2008 at 2:56 pmor, the M’s could have realized they needed to shift Ibanez out of left field to 1st, and a deal to get rid of Sexson is in place. Rejoice!
January 31st, 2008 at 2:56 pmSOmeone likely to strikeout as much as Jones will (if not more so), may NOT be as productive at the bat as Jones will be this year, certainly NOT as good defensively….WAY more expensive.
Heh. Heh heh.
January 31st, 2008 at 2:57 pm3- you’re drinking already? damn…i’m just getting off work, so i’ll be joining you soon…
January 31st, 2008 at 2:57 pmI’ll repeat what I said: The M’s would be better off putting one of those giant trash cans you can get at Lowe’s in RF. It’d make as many catches as Wilkerson would make with his broken down body.
Mariners baseball: Viva La Suck.
January 31st, 2008 at 3:02 pmlooking forward to chats with Pentland, it’s Brad Wilkerson in 2005 on his K rate:
“I’m a guy who takes a lot of pitches, but also I’ve got to be aggressive. You can’t let a fastball right down the middle go by every time. So, it’s a matter of going up there, relaxing, getting your pitch to hit, and not missing it.”
January 31st, 2008 at 3:04 pmThis one really makes me happy.
Let’s examine the facts - Richie Sexson was EXTREMELY productive offensively last season. Instead of getting “hits” or taking “walks”, he chose to swing from the heels at everything.
Combining his power with a left-handed version in Wilkerson (who has never hit over .260 something) is likely to make one of the greatest 1-2 punches ever seen!!!!!
Now it’s time to wash the vomit out of my carpet and continue smacking my head into the wall.
January 31st, 2008 at 3:06 pmI thought Jeff S. over at LL had Brad as average + defensively? He will be better than Guillen was. As a three true outcome guy, that isn’t bad for a fill in. Certainly better than Gonzo!
January 31st, 2008 at 3:06 pmthat quote came from an old Baseball Digest puff-piece; sounds like Brad is another in the long line of unproductive nice guys.
January 31st, 2008 at 3:06 pmBavasi’s next moves.. Trade Yuni and Jose to Anaheim for The Rally Monkey.. put Vidro at 2nd and Wilkerson at SS. Give Sexson a 5-yr. extension.
I’m so fed up with this org.
January 31st, 2008 at 3:07 pmThe counter totally needs to be reset. Was there really that much of a difference between Broussard and Wilkerson?
January 31st, 2008 at 3:07 pmWhile this could mean that an announcement of the Jones trade is imminent, it could also simply mean that the M’s felt they needed to lock him up in case the Jones trade does go down (especially after Gonzales signing earlier today).
January 31st, 2008 at 3:08 pmI’m having trouble caring about this signing one way or the other. It’s completely ‘meh’ to me.
I’m numb from all the Jones/Bedard rumors.
January 31st, 2008 at 3:09 pmI know this isn’t exactly a glowing firmament, but “BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!”
January 31st, 2008 at 3:09 pmLet’s not be pessimistic, jeph. Wilkerson was confined by that pitcher’s park down in Texas and has been waiting for a chance to get to a teebox like Safeco for some time.
Oh, and don’t forget Miguel Cairo at 3rd because Beltre will be DHed to fill the Vidro hole.
January 31st, 2008 at 3:09 pmWhere do Wilkerson’s defensive skills rate now? Just looking at THT’s stats it hard to tell because he hasn’t played anyone position a whole lot the last couple years.
I know BPro was really high on him after the Soriano trade (sending Brad to TEX) and actually thought he’d be more productive (oops). But with the injuries has he been completely derailed?
January 31st, 2008 at 3:09 pm12, defensively there is a huge difference. Brad can play the OF competently.
January 31st, 2008 at 3:12 pmAccording to AP, $3 million plus another two possible in incentives. Broken down as $50,000 in increments of 25 plate appearances starting at 325 and going to 400, then $100,000 for each level up to 450, and continuing at $200,000 up to 650.
January 31st, 2008 at 3:12 pmis there room enough in the trainers room for all those hamstrings needing maintainance work next season?
January 31st, 2008 at 3:14 pmEven if we keep Jones, you know McLaren now is going to sit his ass on the bench in favor of Wilkerson. Adam needs to learn from all these veterans.
January 31st, 2008 at 3:14 pmI’m probably in the minority here, but I like this deal. If Jones leaving is an inevitability, then I think Wilkerson will make an excellent stop-gap until Balentien is ready. If Jones is staying, then he is essentially Broussard with a better outfield glove.
Like I’ve said before, I’m a fan of Wilkerson since his Expos days, so I can’t help but view this with more emotion than reason.
The only way I *don’t* like this deal is if we keep Jones and bench him in favor of Wilkerson. Then I rage.
January 31st, 2008 at 3:22 pmWell, at least $3M isn’t a whole s***load of money in the grand scheme of things.
January 31st, 2008 at 3:22 pmAnd it’s one year. Normally I wouldn’t mind this much at all…except in this case, we essentially just watched the canary keel over. The bad move is now basically inevitable.
January 31st, 2008 at 3:26 pm“The addition of Brad to our club gives us a number of different options,” general manager Bill Bavasi said in a press release. “He is a solid left-handed bat who can play all three outfield positions and first base.”
…
“Brad is a hard-nosed competitor and someone that leaves it all on the field,” manager John McLaren said. “He also gives us a number of options with a left-handed bat and being able to play a number of different positions.”
If I were John McLaren’s teacher, I would send him to the principal’s office for copying off Bavasi’s homework.
January 31st, 2008 at 3:27 pm(extremely loud and angry sigh)
January 31st, 2008 at 3:27 pmIt can’t get worse, right. RIGHT!! Why does the FO always think that veterans=wins? The M’s are the retirement home for old players. When you’re a M’s fan this is our motto”Today is bad, but tommorow could be worse”.
Checked out Tango’s fan survey for Wilkerson’s defense (circa 2006; is there newer data available?) and he rates a whopping 36, one point higher than Price Fielder. Hooray!
(Incidentally, “Fielder” is a bit of a misnomer, I think.)
January 31st, 2008 at 3:32 pmYeah, this move alone is not a bad one, and does not warrant a reset of the clock. It does mean we should have our finger ready on the button, though.
These moves also make me have a pretty good guess at who they are banking will be in right field next year.
January 31st, 2008 at 3:33 pmIchiro is going to be exhausted from all that running…
January 31st, 2008 at 3:35 pmCheck that, he’s climed up to 41 for 2007. If this trend continues, he could be average by 2009!
January 31st, 2008 at 3:36 pmCall me crazy if you like, but the deal seems ok to me. He’s probably better than Guillen with the glove and I wouldn’t be shocked if he comes close to ‘07 Guillen’s bat.
January 31st, 2008 at 3:36 pmYEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!
Can’t wait to see him have a lower BA than Richie son EVER had!!!
January 31st, 2008 at 3:40 pmI think the Bedard deal still happens, but it isn’t it also possible Wilkerson’s agent came to Seattle and said, “Sign my client now or lose him to team X”?
January 31st, 2008 at 3:42 pm“… it now appears Wilkerson will get a shot, especially against right-handed pitchers.”
2007 vs. RHP: .233/.307/.470
2007 vs. LHP: .259/.337/.565
Bavasi: “He is a solid left-handed bat who can play all three outfield positions and first base.”
Yes, because we are really in the market for such a slick-fielding center fielder.
January 31st, 2008 at 3:50 pmIt’s not that THIS move is bad.. it’s that it’s a sign of horrible things to come.
January 31st, 2008 at 3:50 pmReverse platoon splits generally are a mirage in LHBs.
January 31st, 2008 at 3:52 pmZiPS does not like Brad Wilkerson. Oi.
.236/.332/.435 115 gms. And that’s playing home games at the Ballpark. I’ll be interested to see what Pecota has to say.
January 31st, 2008 at 3:52 pm11
You could try the monkey at 2b.
He may get on base more than Lopez and would certainly steal more often
January 31st, 2008 at 3:57 pmWhy is everyone so down on Wilkerson? He probably would have been my first choice for RF of those left remaining. If Jones doesn’t leave, then he’s essentially Broussard all over again, except a worse hitter, which makes you question the Broussard trade…
January 31st, 2008 at 3:58 pmBut if Jones is gone, this is a pretty cheap stopgap that will be a less productive than Guillen offensively, and a little more productive defensively. Maybe a net -1 compared to Guillen. Not bad for a short term cheapo contract.
Yeah, as an insurance move for a slow start from Jones, it’s a tad pricy, but not that bad.
As a replacement…
January 31st, 2008 at 3:58 pmThis signing obviously isn’t going to change much, but it makes sense on a lot of levels even if we don’t trade Jones. I think Wilkerson could play left a lot better than Raul (who couldn’t?), and it gives us another power hitting option if Richie is anywhere near as bad as he was last year. I’m not loving it, but I’m not hating it either. Better Wilkerson than Luis Gonzalez, not to mention Carl Everett (okay,I’m damning with faint praise now).
January 31st, 2008 at 4:00 pmI have looked at all of the defensive metrics I have access to, and the results for Wilkerson at either corner OF spot are mixed, ranging from average to crap nasty.
I would love to hear which defensive metric each of you believes to be most accurate.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:02 pmWilkerson has a pretty high BABIP v. LHP throughout his whole career. I have no idea whether it’s a massive fluke, or somehow a related to a skill…
The walks and homers are about the same against both sides.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:03 pm42
Probably depends on if he’s truly over his injuries or not as to what we’ll see this year.
He’s better than Raul, but then so is Burke in all likelihood. Burke is definitely the better field goal kicker!
January 31st, 2008 at 4:04 pmI figured it out: if you can’t beat him, sign him!
Wilkerson vs. SEA - .321/.367/.750
Wilkerson vs. HoRam - .304/.304/.478
Also, HoRam struck out Wilkerson 7 times! This means Wilkerson will also strike out less often.
YIPEEE!!!
(At least Wilkerson was the best FA option left out there after we deal Jones away. Then again, I would rather see Wlad be given the everyday role.)
January 31st, 2008 at 4:07 pmFaint praise, is it not?
(but good post…)
January 31st, 2008 at 4:09 pmHmmmmm…..
Reminds me of the Trio singers of the 60’s and 70’s
Where there was one good singer, and the other just flopped around pretend dancing on stage because they sucked.
*In a bellowing announcer voice*
“Please put you hands together for…..
Ichiro and the Defensive Wheelchairs… Raul and Brad”
January 31st, 2008 at 4:10 pmMight as well throw the counter out. All the resetting will eventually destroy it anyway. Much like my hope for the future of this team is being systematically destroyed.
It makes me sick that the best thing that could happen at this point would be for the team to go 0 for April and force ownership to clean house.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:11 pmMan, the absurdity on this board is mind boggling. I never thought I’d see the day where Seattle “fans” pissed and moaned over trading for a number one pitcher. Wow.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:13 pm#49 - Big picture, my friend. Think big picture.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:15 pmActually, I believe the “pissing and moaning” is about creating more, larger holes by trading away Jones, Sherrill, etc.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:16 pmMan, the absurdity on this board is mind boggling. I never thought I’d see the day where Seattle “fans” pissed and moaned over trading for a number one pitcher. Wow.
I, on the other hand, expect to see idiotic comments every day. Thank you for obliging within five minutes of the clock striking midnight.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:17 pmNo, what’s absurd is trading away your young, cheap, talented and starting RF, set-up man and two really good prospects for an oft injured pitcher whom I bet will take his chances at free agency in two years.
I say good day!
January 31st, 2008 at 4:20 pmI don’t mind this siging, but as it was mentioned before, whats the difference between Wilkerson and Broussard?? We traded Broussard for nothing just to get rid of his salary right? I view Wilkerson the same as Broussard but Brad strikes out more and a little less batting average. But yet with incentives, Wilkerson could cost us $1M more.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:20 pmSounds like another case of poor vision by the front office to me.
frstydogg (and others like you), maybe instead of just reading comments, you should read the informed posts by Dave and DMZ. Then you might understand why most of the folks that read USSM are disappointed Angelos didn’t outdo the Mariners in being the suck.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:21 pmBavasi or Mcclaren never mentioned Wilkersons bat coming off the bench. Good bye Adam
January 31st, 2008 at 4:21 pmWell, Broussard would probably have been a bit more of a train wreck in RF than Wilkerson will be, in the Mariners’ somewhat limited defense.
Still, it’s a sad day, but I’m happy for Adam Jones and hope he has a great career in Baltimore.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:23 pm[you have angered the metric geeks, and disobeyed the button to boot]
[also, you said 'LOL']
January 31st, 2008 at 4:24 pmBroussard in RF day in and day out would have been a freaking disaster. I’m not supporting the move that resulted in his departure, just saying . . .
January 31st, 2008 at 4:26 pmAm I too optimistic to think that Wilkerson could be our Jose Guillen for 2008? At least the M’s got a bat that works at Safeco. I didn’t like dumping Broussard for nothing because I thought he was useful for a cheap price. So, like some others I see him as cheaper more useful replacement of Broussard, of course that should be ideally filled by a AAA player that we are paying league minimum not 3-5mil.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:26 pmfrstydogg,
January 31st, 2008 at 4:27 pmYou are clearly lost. If you have no respect for metrics, this is not the blog for you. A link to Geoff Baker’s blog can be found on the right sidebar of your screen. Enjoy.
Am I too optimistic to think that Wilkerson could be our Jose Guillen for 2008?
I’m with you, although I doubt he’ll be quite so succesful.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:27 pmLet’s not feed the trolls, folks.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:29 pm58 (friskydogg)-
when our number one pitcher’s perfect game gets ruined by a routine fly thudding to the ground just out of reach of Ibanez or Wilkerson’s outstretched glove, then maybe you’ll understand the problem with this trade.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:29 pmStill, it’s a sad day, but I’m happy for Adam Jones and hope he has a great career in Baltimore.
Yeah, between Adam and Nick the Stick the O’s will finally have some real good, young players.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:30 pmAgree with 60 Lets find out what we have wlad before we bring in new blood this organization should be developing at least one position player a year
January 31st, 2008 at 4:30 pm[deleted, inconsistent capitalisation]
January 31st, 2008 at 4:31 pmAvoid feeding the trolls, guys. We’ve had the same argument with a different one about twice a day for the last week.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:31 pmZiPS likes Wlad less than Wilkerson. He’s also a right-handed pull hitter. Wlad (right now) + Safeco’s left field = not pretty.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:34 pmAm I too optimistic to think that the Expos/Nationals will one day return to Montreal?
January 31st, 2008 at 4:35 pmWilkerson could put up the power numbers but we will be lucky if he gets his average up in the .250ish range. I think optimistic is .250/.370/.480. What I am optimistic about is him remembering how to draw a walk. He used to be an OBP machine in Montreal/Washington.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:36 pmWilkerson will be better than Wlad, in 2008.
Now, I wish we didn’t have this conundrum in the FIRST place…but since we are going to have it, I don’t think that Wilkerson is that bad of a way to address it.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:37 pmI hear a lot of optimism about his power, even though he’s coming from Texas. Is he a pull hitter?
January 31st, 2008 at 4:38 pmEvery once in a while, someone says “Well, if we’re not going to get some lefty power bats, should we at least consider moving the fences in so our RH hitters have a chance?”
In the same spirit…
If we’re not going to get some corner outfielders with range, could we at least consider moving the fences in so they don’t have as far to run?
January 31st, 2008 at 4:40 pmI like that idea. Let’s move in the left field fence to right behind where Yuni stands.
Then Ibanez can sit in the first row and just try to prevent home runs.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:42 pmIs anyone buying the statement that implies that the Wilkerson pickup was just because Bavasi likes the guy, and not because it’s a precursor to a Jones trade?
January 31st, 2008 at 4:43 pmI’m not, but it seems silly that they’d make a move that obviously indicates a trade that they’ve been trying to keep under wraps.
This is such a familiar, hopeless feeling. I can’t believe he got away with roster murder again… I can’t believe he let the Baltimore Orioles outsmart him.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:46 pmI hold out hope that Wilkerson was signed with the notion that he’ll be useful whether or not they trade Jones and not because they know the deal will be going down. The M’s can use a left-handed bat off the bench to pinch-hit for Sexson.
It’s probably just wishful thinking resulting from my being sick to death of watching the outfield defensive equivalent of Steve Scheffler night after night.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:47 pmLet’s move in the left field fence to right behind where Yuni stands.
Right, that’ll show all the naysayers who keep insisting Beltre will never recreate his 2004.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:48 pmIs he a pull hitter?
Last year (and this is from firstinning.com) he pulled a ton of groundballs to the right-side, but spayed the ones in the air mostly to right and center.
It’s 11.9% LF, 24.7% CF, 17.4% RF. 29.4% of his batted balls were on the ground to the right.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:52 pmWe need power in our lineup. Our DH is 65 years old and cant hit the ball to the fence on his 4 ground balls each game he hits. Im not saying Wilkerson is a hot pickup, but its nice because he will hit home runs for our team and let balentien work with him. He will hit better than richie’s not so sexy .205 I’m just hoping he can bring up his BB’s like old times.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:54 pmWhether or not Wilkerson signed, Jones was going to be dealt. Would you rather have kept Guillen at 3 yrs/$36 million or added Wilkerson at one year $3 million + incentives? I vastly prefer this move to the rumors of trading Clement/Morrow + for Jason Bay. Do I like Bay more than Wilkerson? Of course I do, but I don’t want the farm system emptied any more than it already has been. My hope is that adding Wilkerson ends that talk.
It would be nice to see the name-calling of those with differing opinions come to an end. Jeff Nye and Carson referring to them as trolls is pretty silly and against the terms of service as they were explained to me by DMZ.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:59 pm76 - lailaihei, I am hoping it was as someone mentioned earlier and his agent said, hey we’re signing with so and so unless you give us a better deal right now. So it could be that they think he’ll be useful with Jones but they absolutely need him if Jones is gone. Key word is hoping though.
January 31st, 2008 at 5:00 pmIt would be nice to see the name-calling of those with differing opinions come to an end. Jeff Nye and Carson referring to them as trolls is pretty silly and against the terms of service as they were explained to me by DMZ.
I’d love to see how you can make an argument against trollish posting when you didn’t read the comments in question (given that our intrepid mod crew deleted them fairly sharpish).
January 31st, 2008 at 5:02 pmshortbus -
What the heck? How dare you desecrate Steve Scheffler’s name like that.
How DARE you!?!!
January 31st, 2008 at 5:04 pmIf you have a problem with how the moderators are doing their jobs, feel free to email the authors via the link provided to the left.
This discussion, however, is about the Brad Wilkerson signing.
January 31st, 2008 at 5:05 pmBavasi’s clearly trying to make a run at 2008/09, and in that vein of thinking this is a good move. His power/OBP numbers will quite likely meet or exceed Jones in 2008 and possibly 2009 — we have no idea when Jones will hit his stride. No doubt defense will suffer A LOT as compared to Jones, but that’s the risk that Bavasi’s chosen to take in exchage for a TOR pitcher.
I wish that Reed could find his bat and/or that Wlad was another year along, but since neither is the case this signing makes sense to support the current strategy. If for some reason one of those guys steps up in Spring Training and earns the RF spot, Bavasi can trade (yeah, right) or release one of our veteran clones (Cairo/Vidro/Bloomquist).
January 31st, 2008 at 5:06 pmI’d love to see how you can make an argument against trollish posting when you didn’t read the comments in question (given that our intrepid mod crew deleted them fairly sharpish).
I’m curious how those calling them trolls would get to see the comments and decide they were “trollish” if they were deleted so quickly. It works both ways. I’m just asking to have a reasonable discussion without attacking other posters. There is no reason to turn this into the PI board part 2.
January 31st, 2008 at 5:06 pmSteve Wilkerson is going to have a breakout season at age 31!
January 31st, 2008 at 5:07 pmWho the hell is Steve Wilkerson?
January 31st, 2008 at 5:08 pmYou know, Stephen Bradley Wilkerson!
January 31st, 2008 at 5:09 pm[being on-topic for one paragraph is not a license to go off-topic in the next - email the authors if you want to debate meta-issues about moderation]
January 31st, 2008 at 5:09 pmThanks Wilder. Now I understand.
January 31st, 2008 at 5:10 pmWell, we know Wilk turned down a 1/$2+ (I think) offer from Boston to sign with Seattle for 1/$3+. Did he sign with Seattle because he could start in RF or because of the extra mil? I guess the answer depends on how much value he places on a possible World Series ring. I would gladly sacrifice 1$ million to play a bench role for the Sox and a chance at a WS title . . . but I would also trade that opportunity in a heartbeat if I was offered a starting position for a fringe contender. I’m guessing Wilkerson was told RF was his.
January 31st, 2008 at 5:13 pmDoes this move mean that our 4th outfielder is Bloomquist with Balentien possibly making a move up from AAA later in the year? And if Reed somehow ends up as the 4th outfielder we’re looking at an all lefty outfield. I can’t recall ever seeing that before.
January 31st, 2008 at 5:16 pmPete-
My sincere apologies to fans of Happy Chef.
January 31st, 2008 at 5:21 pmI haven’t seen this guy play the field, is he any good out there?
January 31st, 2008 at 5:21 pmBender - Metrics say no, age and history would indicate no as well. I can’t say I’ve seen him too much myself though.
January 31st, 2008 at 5:26 pmApologies for taking this o/t.
January 31st, 2008 at 5:26 pmApology accepted.
January 31st, 2008 at 5:31 pmBy itself, this is a pretty good move. $3 million for a guy who will be almost as productive as Guillen. Now the trade that prompts this trade…
January 31st, 2008 at 5:31 pmI don’t know if I see Wilkerson putting up an .813 OPS. Not after the last couple years he’s had. Regardless, I hope I’m wrong.
January 31st, 2008 at 5:35 pmWe all know Wilkerson represents imminent trade doom, but there is a lot (8 things) to like about our newest Mariner until tomorrow.
8 Reasons to Like Brad Wilkerson:
1) For a free agent, his contract appeases the almighty $/win God.
Aforementioned Canadian-ness will help Bedard feel comfortable with his new team.
January 31st, 2008 at 5:46 pm2) He works deep counts.
3) Versatile enough to reduce the projected number of AB’s for Capt. Pink Pony.
4) Because Sexson can’t switch-hit.
5) Teammates call him “Wilk,” which sounds a lot like “milk,” which is good on cereal.
6) On paper he looks like Mike Cameron.
7) In person he looks Canadian.
Dave, if you’re around…
Where do you usually get your Marginal Wins number for players? Do you have Wilkerson at about +1?
Thanks,
January 31st, 2008 at 5:46 pmIn terms of run production and prevention I think Wilkerson will be slightly worse overall. Guillen was awful in the field last year.
January 31st, 2008 at 5:47 pmThwarted by the emoticon! Good stuff nonetheless, et_blankenship.
Does Wilkerson fit better at first base or the outfield, defensively? Perhaps if Sexson gets dumped somehow, this gives the Mariners an option at first base should they decide to bring Wlad up mid season.
January 31st, 2008 at 5:53 pmThey say he can play all three outfield positions. Do they mean that like he’s physically capable of walking out to those positions, or do they mean he’s a passable MLB center fielder?
January 31st, 2008 at 5:57 pmAt times like this, I almost wish Mike Cameron could hit left-handed — no question of who’s better defensively between him and Wilkerson.
January 31st, 2008 at 6:09 pmSo um, why the eff did we show basically zero interest in Geoff Jenkins, who seems to me like someone with a similar (though superior) skillset to Wilkerson? I would feel a whole lot better about this if it wasn’t for the fact that a much better option was available and we sat on our hands . . . I don’t get it.
January 31st, 2008 at 6:11 pm[shift keys are on the left and right of your keyboard. The apostrophe is to the left of the enter key]
January 31st, 2008 at 6:20 pmJenkins would have required both more money and years. If you want to say he was sufficiently superior to be worth the commitment, you might argue that, but if Bavasi is focused on a Guillen-type one-year patch job in the context of trading Jones, I expect that would be the reasoning.
January 31st, 2008 at 6:24 pm[violation of button terms]
January 31st, 2008 at 6:27 pmWilkinson did say all the right things about earning a starting job in the outfield …
January 31st, 2008 at 6:40 pm112: I think its not so much about ruining a perfect game so much as losing close games when our corner outfielders have to chase down routine fly balls that land 5 feet away from them as the runners round the bases. And when we lose those close games due to terrible non-Ichiro outfield defense, we won’t be a playoff team. All we’ll be is a team who better not let any balls into the outfield or we’ll lose.
And then in a couple years, we’ll be a team of Betancourt, Lopez, and Felix, and be in the same position as all the players we drafted had been traded away for a pitcher who had no defensive support, so we’ll have to sign the 2010 version of Wilkerson to a 1 year deal.
January 31st, 2008 at 6:41 pmWow this is crazy
I would rather have a playoff team with out a perfect game then have a team with a plaoff game but third in the divison.
On the assumption you were trying to write that you would rather have a playoff team without a perfect game than a team with a perfect game that finished third in the division, I agree.
Perhaps you haven’t read enough of the posts and comments here to realize it, but that there are a lot of people around here who think that the M’s are not a playoff team even with Bedard, in large part because by trading away Jones we will have a terrible outfield defense in one of the largest parks in the AL. Our OF defense last year probably cost us as many wins as Bedard will add. Jones would’ve gone a long way towards fixing that.
I’m treating your post as an honest reaction to a mistaken assumption. If you were in fact just trolling and don’t care, then my apologies.
January 31st, 2008 at 6:42 pm[violation of button terms]
January 31st, 2008 at 6:47 pm[if you know your spelling is wrong, check it]
January 31st, 2008 at 6:51 pm[violation of button terms]
January 31st, 2008 at 7:06 pm#103. et_blankenship said: “5) Teammates call him “Wilk,” which sounds a lot like “milk,” which is good on cereal.”
That must be why he didn’t sign with Boston. He foresaw the Red Sox media horde going crazy pairing him and Coco Crisp in the same sentence…
January 31st, 2008 at 7:44 pmYou can’t really comlain about this signing, because the Mariners needed an outfielder, and Wilkerson was pretty much the best option still available.
Now, on the other hand, you definitely can complain about how the Mariners got themselves in such a desperate situationj that it made sense to sign Wilkerson . ..
February 1st, 2008 at 4:34 am