Laugh, cry, your pick
Scraps wrote in yesterday’s comments:
Is Jeremy Reed really so bad that we think Willie is a better option in RF?
No, Reed is really so bad that Willie is a better option on the bench, because Willie can play multiple positions and Reed can’t, and Reed is only a marginally better hitter. (You don’t need both Willie and Cairo, but that’s another issue.)
I don’t understand where the fascination with Reed comes from at this point. When he was here, everyone wished he wasn’t. Now I guess we’ve forgotten how bad he was. 840-odd plate appearances, .314 onbase, .366 slugging, 17 for 32 as a base stealer, not making anyone forget Mike Cameron in the outfield. He’s a AAA player. Sure, he’s 27, so maybe it’s time for him to have one decent year, convince management that he’s finally reached his potential, get an overpriced contract, and go back to sucking. I figure that’s the best-case scenario.
Good points. I wanted to point out though that today, a .316 OBP and .366 slugging percentage would make Reed clearly a better offensive option than three players who started Opening Day:
Jose Vidro, .264/.310
Brad Wilkerson .302/.244
Kenji Johjima .268/.246
…in addition to being a better option than both Bloomquist and Cairo in the outfield.
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As much as Reed sucks, he’s a dramatic improvement over what is currently on the roster. We have two actual outfielders (Ichiro, Wilkerson but wilk is a flailing corpse), a DH (Raul), a 1B (Norton), and a scrappy little ball of flame who really isn’t that talented (WFB) all classified as “outfielders” by the club.
Jarrod Washburn dies a little on the inside every time he looks at the defense behind him.
Reed is an exceptional outfielder with great reaction speed.
I was at M’s vs. O’s game on Tuesday and watched first-hand the horrible reaction speed that Wilkerson has chasing the ball to the foul line.
Reed can play the outfield, he rarely strikes out, but has trouble getting the ball into the gap. Edgar needs to spend some time with him.
Derek or Dave – or USSM nation -
Do you think it is a possibility that we will get rid of Bavasi mid season? It seems that every game I watch gets me more and more furious at his terrible decision making.
I am NOT talking about the BEDARD trade either – I actually thought that was his one good move – and if Bedard wasnt injured, probably still do (although the O’s are making us look pretty sill).
Well, Bedard comes off the DL tomorrow, so I guess it’s time to fire up the Pachinko machine and get another random roster move. Is Wilkerson headed to the DL to make room for Bedard? Is Baek DFA’d so he can be somebody else’s usefull #5 making league minimum? Or are Cairo and Bloomquist sent into a cage deathmatch with only one coming out? Tune in tomorrow for the exciting conclusion…
Brian sure hits the nail on the head about the M’s outfielders. Only one guy who can really field his position. For all the talk we get from the M’s about guys needed established “roles” you’d think they’d be more aware of the most basic roles, like playing a position you’re suited for and experienced at. Somehow, hitting in a particular spot in the lineup requires years of experience, but anyone with a glove can play OF.
I’m not sure there’d be a lot of value to getting rid of Bavasi mid-season; there’s a lot wrong with the organization right now that moves at the trade deadline can’t really fix.
I actually think that Bavasi does some aspects of his job really well (players seem to like him which is a more important factor than you might think, and he handles the media well).
So the optimum, for me, would be for him to wake up one morning and say to himself “hey, I’m not really that good at evaluating talent, I should hire someone to help me with that and listen to their advice”.
Barring that, I don’t think there’s much reason to switch GMs in mid-season.
I wouldn’t select Reed in a draft, but we have him and he is better than the current options playing in the field today. Yes he’s hasn’t hit in general. But let’s be honest…the guy really hasn’t been given a legitimate shot. In his one full season with the Mariners, the guy hit .254/.322/.352 and that was 3 years ago when the kid was 24 years old. He plays good defense (when he’s not running into walls) which should give him some advantage over the likes of Morse. Why not give him another shot at this point? There’s no risk at all and only good can happen. Reminds me of what happened to Scott Podsednik with the M’s. He was trapped behind other players and labeled as a AAAA player and released. While not an All-Star, he’s been a serviceable outfielder for several teams.
Also, I don’t get how this organization seems to be completely blind to defense!!! Remember “way-back-when” the M’s had the best outfield defense in the league? And it made our average pitchers look good? Please, beside Ichiro and Beltre, I would say our defense position by position is average to sucktastic! Currently we’re ranked #12 out of 14 in fielding percentage and that doesn’t count the balls that should have been gotten to but weren’t because fielders are so slow.
Guys, let Bavasi a break, and assume he actually brilliant, we’re just misreading his moves. What if, and its a whole huge what if, Bavasi is actually building this team for 2009. Let’s think about it. Ichiro is back, playing great CF, Wilkerson is gone and Balentein in RF, Ibanez is at DH (why does Harold Baines keep popping into my head) Sexson walks and the M’s bring in Teixera, Lopez either hits a ton and earns a spot or Chen is called up from AAA, Yuniesky stays, Beltre is in his walk year, and we know what he does in walk years. Kenji either walks, or takes a pay cut to catch 70 games to Clement’s 90. Milton Bradley and Pat Burrel (cost effective) are both free agents, or how about a little Griffey action? The staff of Bedard, Felix, Silva, and Washburn is in his walk year, Batista moves to the pen as a long relief/setup guy, and Morrow takes the 5th spot or Freierbend is ready down at AAA, or they bring in a free agent, a little Brad Penny or Ben Sheets?
Boom, suddenly Bavasi looks brilliant. Of course, this is dependent upon Vidro getting hurt and not vesting his option. So, who’s got a golf club we can hit some knees with?
God, I so feel like the Cubs fan I was growing up, wait until next year…
The vacuity of the Mariner’s roster extends to the 40 man.
I disagree with the notion that dropping Bavasi mid-season would be unproductive. A new GM could use the current season to evaluate the organization’s talent – not a small task.
It is unproductive in that it involves paying 2 GMs for a period of time and that hurts the owners wallet.
At a minimum Reed for Cairo seems like a no-brainer, especially since Cairo isn’t doing anything other than being gritty. If I had my druthers I’d throw Reed in CF and Ichiro back in RF (preservation) until Reed re-proves that he can’t play at the MLB level. I feel like he never got a full shot after what was a stellar rookie call-up and then a crappy sophomore season and then hustle injuries.
Cutting Cairo would also be a nice statement to other big-paycheck M’s (Vidro, Sexson) that guaranteed contracts don’t = guaranteed jobs.
In regards to Washburn — he’s horrible to watch pitch and I feel like every time I go see the M’s down here in Anaheim he’s on the mound. Last night’s game was excruciating all around.
Re: 4
For Baek’s sake, I actually hope that happens. I think that at this point he’d be better off somewhere else.
Long time reader. First time poster. So so so frustrated with this team. Our bullpen is reminding me of Ayala and Heathcliff Slocumb. McLaren is not instilling any confidence. It’s just a joke that we have Wilkerson playing outfield. What has happened to Johjima? So far the Bedard trade makes me cringe – especially with Sherrill pitching lights out. We win 3 more games easy if that trade hadn’t been pulled off. I know, I’m patient – I want to see Bedard actually work. I hope we get to. Why oh why isn’t the management considering Clement for DH? Or Balentien for RF? It’s like they have their heads in the sand.
Jeff Pentland is terrible. I remember when there was a press release that we hired him it noted that he was KC’s hitting coach. When I looked up their stats their team had the worst batting average in MLB! I just can’t understand why you would hire someone to be your coach where the last job he did his team came in last place! We’re not working counts or anything. When they went up 8-7 last night I already knew we’d lost. Our hitters went up and flailed away at first pitches. One of our hitters was Bloomquist!
Sigh.
marinerfaninvenice
That doesn’t make a lot of sense for a couple reasons. 1. Ichiro is a better defensive CF and 2. you don’t move him around for 2 months, just to move him back. I would not mind Reed in LF and if he figures out how to ML pitching, then possibly next year, Reed to CF and Ichiro to RF.
I’ve also felt that Reed never got a fair shake and feel he’s a much better option than WFB out there.
Question remains, what if Jeremy is called up and Mac’s pet Cairo is cut? Will Jeremy languish on the bench in favor of Willie in RF? I’m looking at Jeremy’s hot start at Tacoma and wondering if maybe he has refound his ability to consistently hit the ball.
Reed got a pretty good shot, and just wasn’t up to snuff. He’s still young enough that it’s not IMPOSSIBLE that he figured something out, but it’s also not terribly likely.
Still though, I’d rather have him in right field than Princess Willie.
I laugh when I watch Sexson bat, and I cry when I look up Tim Lincecum’s stats. I wish the Ms commitment to having one local boy on the roster would have applied to that unhittable little bastard.
#14
How can you say Reed “got a pretty good shot”? Reed’s stats:
2004: 58 AB – .397/.470/.466
2005: 488 AB – .254/.322/.352
2006: 212 AB – .217/.260/.377
Since then only 17 inconsequential scattered AB.
So, let’s recap: A good introduction in 2004; a decent rookie season; and an injury plagued sophomore season and then punted back to Tacoma.
If that’s a chance, it’s no wonder the Mariners traded Adam Jones because he’ll had his chance and showed he’d never amount to anything!
if nothing else, Reed slaughters the Angels — especially in Anaheim (.382/.447/.603 w/about half of his career HRs in <20 games).
Jeremy Reed’s at-bats in a Mariners uniform: 775
Adam Jones’s at-bats in a Mariners uniform: 139
Let’s not be disingenuous and pretend they both got an equal shot at being successful at the MLB level.
Reed lifetime versus RHP: .271/.329/.396. He would be the third best hitting and second best fielding outfielder immediately. By that definition, he would and should be a starter right now.
5 -
Although you do have some good points about not ‘jumping too quickly’ I really do not care if our current Mariners players ‘like Bavasi’.
Clearly, the best players didn’t ‘like him’ enough to play here and this good will is getting him nothing but underachieving teams.
I might just be upset, but I believe most GM’s are likable. The distinguishing factor must be seen in the results of his efforts.
#5 (Jeff Nye):
When you say “I’m not sure there’d be a lot of value to getting rid of Bavasi mid-season; there’s a lot wrong with the organization right now that moves at the trade deadline can’t really fix.” I think you are overlooking the myriad benefits of a skilled GM beyond making mid-season trades to supposedly upgrade the team.
I doubt the Mariners as currently constructed have a realistic chance at the pennant and only a minimal chance at the division title. As a fan, I would not be happy to see the future of the team mortgaged so that we can be drubbed in the first round of the playoffs.
I believe a GM has to start building for the future now (this of course is not Bavasi’s interest as admitting he needs to rebuild would probably get him fired). Moving Morrow back down to the minors so that he can be developed into a starter is one move that can be made right away. Cutting Vidro before his option vests is another. Tossing Wilkerson overboard and auditioning replacement outfielders is another.
There is also the issue of getting whatever prospects you can in trade for the aging veterans who infest this team. Raul and Washburn should be obvious trade bait. Sexson for an extra rosin bag and fresh clubhouse towels would be good too. I don’t see Bavasi trading any of them until it is too late and their trade value diminishes.
In addition, the new GM would need to start evaluating the scouting assets now and develop an approach for the draft and free agency this next offseason. Giving the replacement GM enough time to properly prepare for the offseason would be sufficient reason alone to replace Bavasi now.
#20 (jspektor)
I agree that the players’ fondness for a GM is not that important. Certainly, however, a reputation for integrity in dealing and negotiations is an important asset for a GM in the major leagues to have, however. The players need to respect the GM – they don’t have to like him.
Reed can make a few nice catches, sure… I hate to say it, the assessment of some of these players’ abilities are often way off, inflated for ‘trade bait’ value and due to our inability to accurately ‘forecast’ these things. That these prospective/presumed abilities are often different than their actual abilities… Well, uh… my sense is we got snookered on Morse and Reed. There was a reason these guys were traded, there’s a reason they haven’t stayed up in the ’show’…
You’ve got a lot of good points there, Tom; I’m just not convinced it’s that feasible to make major organizational changes like that mid-season.
All of those are things I’d like to see happen, but I think it’s more realistic to do over the course of an offseason.
I think that a major reason Cairo was signed is to “mentor” Lopez. Seriously.
Not only is Cairo a gritty vet, Cairo is Venezuelan. I think the Ms are trusting that will be more effective in helping Lopez address his perceived “lack of focus” issues and transition to becoming a “big leaguer”.
The Mariners attach a high value to character, leadership, and similar traits. They believe that a player can be making a significant contribution to the team via the player’s influence in the clubhouse even if the player isn’t getting much playing time. Cairo fits that mold, and as a result the team probably values Cairo more highly than most of the people posting here value him.
23 – Jeff , didn’t St. Louis just fire their GM? Do you know the outfall from that?
I haven’t really followed that story, but I know you can fire a GM mid season. Really, I don’t think Bavasi deserves this whole year – even if he is Buzz Bavasi’s son.
#18
Obviously I was using Adam Jones to make a point / comedy. But if you want closer comparisons, how about our current LF/”Face of the Franchise” …Mr. Raul Ibañez. Over 4 seasons with the M’s in his early years, he had 480 AB and hit .241/.294/.398 and his power advantage was more related to the fact he was hitting in the Kingdome rather than Safeco like Reed. Last I checked, once given a chance to play full time, he was doing pretty well (defense not withstanding).
24 – I am sorry, although he may be a Lopez mentor the bottom line he has 0 part on this team, and should not be there.
He is making 850,000 dollars this year and one hundred percent not returning any investment. His ‘position’ is why we have Bloomquist.
24-
Ugh, I think you are right… But holy frijoles… He’s an $850K consultant, we have coaches, right?
Sweet, tender, merciful… Why are we effen’ signing coaches, mentors and ‘grizzled vets..?
Let’s be clear:
1. We are spending nearly $4 million this year on Cairo and Wilkerson.
-Why the heck are we doing this. Couldn’t we’ve spent this moolah better?
-Let’s get a 13 man pitching staff and bring back Dickey
Jeff one more thing, I know you probably know this already but I just wanted to put these stats on paper. These are some of Bavasi’s TERRIBLE contracts (not including Horatio Ramirez).
Miguel Batista – 9.5 million
Jarrod Washburn – 9.85 million (Silva, a much better pitcher is making less)
Richie Sexson – 15.5 million and probably the biggest bust since Kevin Brown and the dodgers
Adrian Beltre – 13.5 million (he is a great player I agree, but 13.5 million … mayyyybe)
Jose Vidro – 8.5 MILLION (you have to be kidding me)
Brad Wilkerson – 3 million (yeahhh)
Miguel Cairo – 850,000 (more than 2 times what the A’s paid for Frank Thomas)
Just these salaries alone equals just above
dollars of some of the worst spent money I have ever seen. This is not including Johjima, some horrible trades … and my Beer prices.
How can you not want to get rid of this guy. Okay back to work.
Reed is a known quantity at this point, is all that I was trying to say. He doesn’t have some hidden upside that we just haven’t discovered yet; we pretty much know exactly what he is as a player.
As far as the GM issue goes; it’s not impossible to change GMs mid-season (I don’t know enough about what kind of job Krivsky was doing to know whether a mid-season change was warranted), but if you’re going to entirely change an organization’s philosophy in the way that TomC was detailing, I’m just not convinced you can do that while trying to play out a season, too.
It’s not impossible I’m wrong, that’s just my sense of it.
Okay, let me throw the same reason out we always cite in this discussion: the draft is coming up. Lose Bavasi, the draft is toast.
Also, Beltre’s contract is fine.
I disagree totally. First, we need to rebuild; there are some older players on our roster that some team actually in a pennant race may want, and we could trade them for some prospects. Second, something already mentioned, arriving in July gives the GM more time to assess the team’s talent, on the 40 man and the farm, to make good moves in the winter. Third, the last thing we need is Bavasi trading our prospects in a hopeless attempt to make the playoffs.
And in response to the orginal post, reletive to the replacement level, I think Johjima is better than Jeremy Reed.
Cincinnati, which has gone through 4 GMs in a 6-year period. Oddly, enough, none of those changes has made a difference.
this is one of the things that has gone right the last few years, due to Bavasi’s friendship with Bob Fontaine. Fire Bavasi, and Fontaine leaves as well.
Make the M’s trade with TEXAS! Texas is out of it we could use some of their OF!
This thread went downhill in a hurry.
Derek – 31
I dont know if you are being sarcastic or not (I don’t truly know your sentiments on Bavasi and this issue) … do you think Bavasi’s crew is a great evaluator of talent? This reminds of another great move by his crew to draft Morrow (albeit, a good player) over Lincecum …
the problem with this discussion is that the people hiring your replacement GM are going to hire someone who won’t trade away Raul Ibanez, who won’t buck the notion that with a little luck the Ms can make the play-offs, and who won’t think the team needs to be rebuilt from the ground up.
Uhhhhhhhhhh… you don’t? Really?
Maybe I should start a blog or something.
38 MSB -
That is a good point, it is still early – and there is hope for this team yet … (I mean I guess if we are looking at the glass insanely half full)
But do you really think a new GM would come in and mail in the season?
39 – Derek -
with all due respect, I became a part of USSMariner fairly recently and pardon me if I asked you politely for your stance on the issue.
If you’re going to start a blog, can I strongly recommend Digital Forest to host it?
No, pardon me for making a light-hearted joke.
What’s wrong with Beltre’s contract?
43 – lol alright forget it I guess … I’ve gone to the last two games and I am extremely fed up with this club. no offense
I choose cry. Then laugh at myself for being such a pansy.
We’re all frustrated right now.
Doesn’t mean we can’t still have some fun.
Perhaps you need some ponies!
37-
Bavasi is a good evaluator of talent. His lead scout is much better though. I think if we got rid of Bavasi, his lead scout may follow.
37- LaFontaine is really, really good. Also, he’s intensely loyal to Bavasi. If Bavasi is fired, LaFontaine goes too.
That’s the name I was trying to think of LaFontaine.
I’m not sure I’d categorize Bavasi as a good evaluator of talent. Unless by “good” you mean “bad”. Are you trying to trick me?
Bob Fontaine (not LaFontaine) rocks, though, and if Bavasi could get just a little smarter, it’d be worth putting up with him to keep Bob in the organization.
Sorry,
Bavasi sucks as a GM and talent evaluator. He got his first job due to nepotism and the insular baseball community… Once you get your first job, you’ll get another because it’s hard to find somebody with experience, they like somebody with experience… That it’s hard to get this sort of experience compounds mattes. It was a gamble to take on a guy like Theo, he’s transformed the entire organization and his teams have won two titles.
The only explanation is the charge that is levied at the Bruins owner:
-It’s better for long-term profit if you are consistently alright. Being too good costs money, raises expectations for each successive year, etc. Salaries rise, any drop-off and you stop selling tickets, ESPN doesn’t pay to broadcast your games, etc. If you suck outright, you’ll lose out entirely
So…
-Perhaps we are just good enough to be profitable, Bavasi’s been at the helm for most of that. The organization cared when attendance dropped, stopped caring with a good season…
-Maybe they don’t really care about making the play-offs or winning a championship
#38 (MSB)
In the final analysis, you have it precisely right. Although I, and many others who visit this site, may long for the team to change its failed team-building philosophy, any such change would have to start with the owners.
My dream is they would replace Bavasi with a Billy Beane clone. My fear is that they would replace Bavasi with a Bavasi clone.
#51 (Jeff Nye)
“if Bavasi could get just a little smarter, it’d be worth putting up with him to keep Bob in the organization.”
I think it is more realistic to hope that Bloomquist hits 40 dingers this year as the replacement right fielder.
Is there any way that Fontaine would be willing to stay if we bumped him to Assistant GM? Or is his loyalty to Bavasi to strong to break?
[Cairo] is making 850,000 dollars this year and one hundred percent not returning any investment.
Which is less than 1% of the payroll. But he’s taking up 4% of the roster. That is the problem.
But, as I’ve said before, if had this level of self-introspection he probably wouldn’t be where he is today (or he would’ve realized long ago that he had a weakness and worked on it, in which case the team wouldn’t be where it is today). Operating at a level where you’re signing contracts involving tens of millions of dollars (which happens to be a significant percentage of your company’s total operating budget) is hard enough, doing it in the public eye the way sports execs do is harder still. You have to have a tremendous amount of ego to insulate you from self-doubt.
And those of you new to USSM, you can do a little searching on Fontaine to find the authors’ opinions (such as this).
Why would Fontaine want to be assistant to somebody he may not know/like when he could just be an assistant wherever Bavasi lands next?
That’s a risk though… After Bavasi’s performance here, he may not find another job.
you are absolutely correct here. The only reason he has a job is because of his father, Buzz. It is quite disgusting.
Is there any way that Fontaine would be willing to stay if we bumped him to Assistant GM? Or is his loyalty to Bavasi to strong to break?
I don’t think that’s a job Fontaine would want. He’s an excellent scout, and I suspect he wants to keep doing what he’s best at.
If ever we do fire Bavasi, we should wait until after the draft that year to do it.
What makes people think that this organization would do anything EXCEPT hire a Bavasi clone??????
If you watch the organization, it’s clear that the GM is an expression of the club’s philosophy on player evaluation and talent. NOT the other way around. Without Bavasi, they’re not going to do a damn thing different–their whole philosophy is stuck in the wrong century–the 19th Century–and replacing the GM is not going to change it.
I’m not asking Jeremy Reed to make the All-Star team. I’m asking for him to be available, so that when we have Willie Bloomquist up in the eighth inning of a one-run game, we can pinch hit Greg Norton and still have someone who can actually field right field in the ninth.
If Miguel Cairo is supposed to be mentoring Jose Lopez, give him a coaching job.
60: I agree with you entirely. The only two times this club ever made hires out of the mold of the “we play them one day at a time” were when they hired Lou and when they hired Gillick. In both cases, they had their backs up against the wall–trying to get the new stadium and knowing they’d have to trade Griffey. The moment they felt safe again, they brought in the gang that couldn’t shoot straight again. You’re not going to see a Beane clone, you’re going to see a Woody Woodward clone.
Yet another hilarious reason as to how BADLY Bavasi has shipwrecked our team. I laugh because I don’t know what to do and can’t cope with the fact that I looked up above RF last night and saw: 95 Division Champs, 97 Division Champs and 01 Division Champs. NO PENNANTS NO TITLES. IT IS DISGUSTING WE ARE WASTING SAFECO FIELD LIKE WE ARE.
what is wrong with our ownership group right now? this is a clear top down problem.
A different GM could alter the philosophy of the team… This is an organization that needs a change of leadership, everybody can see it.
Um, no. It goes higher than that.
Try President and owner rep.
Well, joser, I didn’t say that scenario was particularly LIKELY, just that it’d be the optimum.
And, by the way…the evaluation of talent doesn’t stop with just Bavasi. He’s not the only person looking at players. You have to consider the rest of the organization that’s missing on all these player evaluations….
Is Bob Fontaine really that good? He drafted Clement over Tulo and pretty much every other stud in the ‘05 draft and there is the Morrow thing. I guess Morrow has just been mishandled but I wouldn’t mind Lincecum right now.
I don’t know, convince me…
The Mariners are experiencing an identity crisis. It seems like the team’s almost good enough to contend right now, but they’ve got several guys holding them back (Vidro, Wilkerson, etc.) and have caught a few bad breaks so far (injuries to Bedard and Putz, playing the O’s when they’re hot, etc.).
But the problem is identity. Does Bavasi want to contend now — yes. But it’s like he has no sense of history or a plan how to do it. Last year the hitting was bad, the starters weren’t great, but the bullpen was good enough for a respectable season. This year the starters are good, the hitters are bad, and the bullpen is not good enough to hold leads for Putz.
Bavasi is trading one phase for another while continuing a trend of getting older across the board. Thus, in a few years, this team is going to be terrible.
I choose cry.
This org is hilarious.
Looks like Johjima’s great start is about to rewarded:
Morrow was a slotting issue and yeah, he’s been mishandled. Clement was apparently a case of drafting for need, not according to ability (perhaps a poster child for why that’s never a good idea). In other words, however good Fontaine might be he can’t overcome orders from above. He can make recommendations, but the team can decide to do something else.
So would a LOT of other people. Check out what this site said about the two around draft day.
68 – Maybe if we show up to The Safe with pitchforks and torches chanting crazy things something will change. Seattle sports, Seahawks aside *barely* are in SHAMBLES.
crying inside
So that makes Clement, what — trade bait?
75 – from todays LA Time
Here is the article if you are interested
Yeah, Clement looked pretty good, and it’s not like a lot of the other retrospectively “obvious” stars of the draft looked quite that awesome at the time.
Another ridiculously upsetting comment to read after last nights game. This time Ichiro stepping up to the mic … he knows something is severely wrong.
I feel you Ichi
Clement will take over at DH next year and spot start at 1B and maybe C. I’m hoping they clear the Richie contract and Vidro’s doesn’t vest. I know I’m dreaming here.
I would love to see Texiera or Ryan Howard in Mariner blue even at the 24 mill that Vidro and Richie take up.
I guess if the M’s are out of it near the trade deadline maybe someone will be interested in Ibanez or Washburn. Our only problem is our solution to our outfield woes is wearing #10 for Baltimore
.
I’m thinking Wlad will probably play right and maybe, just maybe, they could get a usable part for Ibanez if we’re out of the running by then.
Okay, let me throw the same reason out we always cite in this discussion: the draft is coming up. Lose Bavasi, the draft is toast.
Well, actually, when it comes to the ever-important first round picks, CHowArmLinStrong actually control the pick (see Miller, Andrew).
I don’t want to discredit Fontaine — he’s an excellent and important part of this organization, but in Churchill’s 2008 Handbook, there’s an interesting little section on who Churchill sees as the top-10 most important people in the organization (including players, coaches, scouts, front office folks, etc). I won’t spoil the beans, but I agree 100% with Churchill that Bob Engle has been more important to this organization than Bob Fontaine.
As guys like Clement and Morrow (and Tillman and Butler, oh, wait, dammit!) matriculate, the debate becomes less one-sided, perhaps — but most of the players that have currently matriculated from within the system (or are close to doing so) have come from Engle, not Fontaine. Fontaine has definitely helped the system — I won’t deny that. But Engle’s still likely to be around and pulling superstars out of his you-know-what (Felix, Triunfel, etc…).
I think we’re about to see Clement at DH in the majors, actually. There’s just no way they’re going to let Vidro’s option vest, or let him continue to “hit.” The Johjima extension seems like a pretty strong indicator of the M’s thinking on the matter.
Unless Joh falls off the proverbial cliff (which let’s acknowledge has a non-zero probability of happening, he’s getting old for a catcher), he’s an above-average hitter at the position for a below market price. If it’s two years and a club option, I’d do that in a second.
I don’t get the Texiera lust.
Anyway, there’s always an aging/slowing/hurting somebody who can be slotted into 1B/DH. Paying big bucks for those positions is just a waste of money unless you’re already loaded at every other spot.
82 – Joser, I completely agree with you … although it would be nice to have an awesome lefty power hitter. I agree Texiera is not the call … although Howard … there is no way he will become a Mariner … right?
Baltimore is not hot. They’re just beating the Ms like a drum. The O’s are 7-8 against the rest of the league.
I thought Cairo was on the team so they could pinch run Willie and still have someone on the bench who
was willing tocould play any position. But I’m not sure which reason would be a bigger waste of a roster spot.I have a lot of respect for Bill Bavasi as a man, and from everything I hear, I’d respect him as a boss, but his roster moves are, on balance, not good.
If Clement becomes a 1b/DH, that’s another first round draft pick wasted. A left-handed catcher who can hit is rare and valuable commodity. A left-handed first baseman/DH who can hit is nice, but, unless he projects as a superstar, hardly worth such a high pick in the draft. And I’ve never heard that Jeff Clement was the next Ryan Howard or Prince Fielder.
It will be recalled, btw, that Texeira was projected to go first, but fell to Texas based on signability, but he was a third baseman, not a first baseman before he was blocked by Hank Blalock.
I doubt anyone is still checking this thread but JSpektor, I would do Beltre’s contract over in a heartbeat. That guy is a beast and I hope we sign him to an extension with similar $$$s being fine by me.
Actually, Bavasi signed Cairo because Mac asked him to.
Not defending him but if we are going to tear him down on that, let’s lay the blame at the feet of the guy who begged for Willie II.
I am not as sour on Bavasi as others. He does seem to have an eye for scrapheap finds and that gives him points. His FA signings reek of Chuck & Howie. A GM should defer to his field manager up to a point. Problem with Bill is he seems to give his field managers too much rope.
Correct me if I am wrong but Sean Green was a Bavasi find, right? Norton wasn’t a bad low risk signing (if Mac would just use him). Burke and Dickey qualify as well.
The pros seem to be that Bavasi CAN evaluate talent it’s just that there seems to be a cast of characters he defers to when making his decisions (I could be wrong). He seems to be a consensus guy as well. Bob Fontaine qualifies as a pro as well. Bavasi’s drafts have been good. Too bad he traded most of them away.
The cons seem to be his love of all things gritty and then overpaying for them. I’d also say his loyalty to his field managers (Hargrove & Mac) counts too.