I Demand An Investigation

Dave · November 13, 2008 at 2:09 pm · Filed Under Mariners 

The Yankees just acquired Nick Swisher, who is still a pretty solid ballplayer signed to a below market contract, for a bunch of nothing. They turned a pile of crap into a +2 to +3 win player.

Seriously, people, there’s no reason to help the Yankees – they have enough advantages as it is. Stop giving them talent for free. What a ridiculous move by Kenny Williams.

Comments

34 Responses to “I Demand An Investigation”

  1. coasty141 on November 13th, 2008 2:16 pm

    The only thing I can figure is that Williams actually thinks Betemit is going to play 3b for them. Even with the poor season Swisher had this makes no sense.

  2. Mo Vaughn Is My Hero on November 13th, 2008 2:20 pm

    No surprise, really. Look at the trades Williams always makes. More than 60% of them are awful. Ugh. There goes one possible destination for Ibanez.

  3. The Ancient Mariner on November 13th, 2008 2:23 pm

    I hadn’t thought Betemit was that bad.

  4. abender20 on November 13th, 2008 2:31 pm

    There is an easy reason for it. Nick Swisher must not have shown the “Grit” and “Hustle” Ozzie Wants. Spent too much time clogging the bases.

  5. Conor on November 13th, 2008 2:34 pm

    Spent too much time clogging the bases.

    You have to get on base in order to clog them. Swisher was more of a bench clogger last year. Still…this is a horrible move for the “Good Guys”

  6. Jeff Sullivan on November 13th, 2008 2:44 pm

    Even though I think Betemit may be capable of average offense and defense at third, I still don’t get it.

  7. nickwest1976 on November 13th, 2008 2:45 pm

    I don’t get this at all. Heck, if this is all it took to get Swisher, we could have flipped Yuni and a AAAA arm like Feirabend for him.

  8. abender20 on November 13th, 2008 2:50 pm

    Conor, my comment was quite tongue in cheek. Even if they believe Betemit has the talent to be a slightly above replacement level player… what the heck is wrong with Joe Crede or Josh Fields?

  9. JI on November 13th, 2008 3:06 pm

    Maybe they think Betemit can play short or second.

  10. Grizz on November 13th, 2008 3:07 pm

    Even if they believe Betemit has the talent to be a slightly above replacement level player… what the heck is wrong with Joe Crede or Josh Fields?

    Joe Crede is a free agent (and arguably semi-disabled), while Josh Fields struggled to hit in AAA last year and defensively is the third base equivalent of Raul Ibanez.

  11. msb on November 13th, 2008 3:11 pm

    well, Williams did desperately want Jr…

  12. JSully on November 13th, 2008 3:15 pm

    You know what’s a good way to build a roster? Overpay for a player then sell when his trade value plummets after he posts an obscenely low BABIP. Thatta boy, Kenny. Good to see he’s still got that crazy in him.

    Side note: Why does he get so much love from the media? Buster Olney heaps praise on him for being aggressive when all he really does is get impatient and make foolish trades.

  13. Memoraballs on November 13th, 2008 3:23 pm

    Just saw that Randy Johnson filed for free agency. Only 5 wins from 300! Get him, Griffey and Joey Cora….be just like ’95.

  14. stevie_j13 on November 13th, 2008 3:35 pm

    This looks like an emotional trade by Williams, who thought Swisher would become a star hitting in that sandbox they call a stadium. I was hoping the M’s would take a look at him, try to get rid of Washburn and bring in a guy who hits from the left side and could play both LF and 1B. Oh, well.

  15. The Ancient Mariner on November 13th, 2008 3:40 pm

    Huh. Looking at the pitchers, the guy Williams sent to NYY looks more interesting than either of the pitchers he got back. I don’t know what the odds are, but this one could end up with the two players the Yankees got being the two best in the deal.

  16. Mike Snow on November 13th, 2008 3:41 pm

    well, Williams did desperately want Jr…

    Not so desperately that he would pick up Griffey’s option, at least.

  17. Mike G. on November 13th, 2008 3:50 pm

    Just saw that Randy Johnson filed for free agency. Only 5 wins from 300! Get him, Griffey and Joey Cora….be just like ‘95.

    The 2009 Seattle Mariners: “I’m getting too old for this shit.”

  18. robbbbbb on November 13th, 2008 4:05 pm

    It has obviously been too long since a NY team won it all, and Commissioner-for-Life Selig has intervened to balance the unfairness of it all.

    Plus, the financial industry just melted down, and times are going to be tough in NYC. Have a little heart, Dave.

  19. tealfan444 on November 13th, 2008 4:07 pm

    Not saying we should have… but we could certainly use a 1B, DH, corner OF type.. his deal isnt terrible by any stretch.. and as Dave said, he’s at worst a 2 WAR player..

    I’ll get yelled at here.. but he would also bring some energy, hustle, and in your face, crazy handshakes attitude to this team of choir boys

  20. Steve T on November 13th, 2008 4:55 pm

    We’re never going to amount to anything until we get Greg Pirkl back. Ninety-Five Forever!

  21. scott19 on November 13th, 2008 4:58 pm

    It looks like ol’ Kenny forgot just which pinstripes his guys were supposed to be wearing.

  22. certaindoom on November 13th, 2008 5:29 pm

    We should try to steal Josh Fields from them. 23 HR in 250~ at bats in 2006. The White Sox soured on him cause he can’t play third. But he could and would hit, possibly a 40 HR a year guy in a full season.

  23. scott19 on November 13th, 2008 6:08 pm

    If Fields could rebound enough to where you could actually get a 40-HR season out of him at DH, that’d still be better than what they got out of Turbo last year for waaaayyy more money.

  24. wabbles on November 13th, 2008 6:57 pm

    Nick Swisher always has intrigued me as somebody the M’s should have made more of an effort to acquire.
    Of course, that was based largely on watching his Jeteresque head-first dives into the stands but whatever.
    I hope deals such as these are the kind that Z-man and his Department of Baseball Research can pull off for the M’s.

  25. felixday on November 13th, 2008 8:46 pm

    ARE YOU SERIOUS? Just because Nick Swisher destroys the Mariners it doesn’t mean is is worth 6 million in 2009, 7 million in 2010 and 9 million in 2011… I think Kenny would have been happy to unload Swisher for a bag of balls… he is maybe 1 game better than a replacement 1b… maybe

  26. Teej on November 13th, 2008 8:58 pm

    Just because Nick Swisher destroys the Mariners it doesn’t mean is is worth 6 million in 2009, 7 million in 2010 and 9 million in 2011…

    Swisher is underpaid.

  27. RallyFried on November 13th, 2008 9:37 pm

    Slightly off topic, but [deleted, ot]

  28. Slippery Elmer on November 13th, 2008 10:17 pm

    LOL, haven’t people learned not to begin a post with “This may be off-topic, but…”

    If the Yanks just made it their policy to exclusively pursue ex-A’s, it would probably work out pretty well for them.

  29. Graham on November 13th, 2008 10:18 pm

    I’ll wager that Dave has a better idea of Swisher’s value than you do, felixday.

  30. terry on November 14th, 2008 4:16 am

    Swisher isn’t sexy. Sexy wins ball games.

  31. Oolon on November 14th, 2008 8:15 am

    Just to be sure, we are talking about the same Nick Swisher that killed my fantasy team last year, right? The guy with a .219 batting average, a .332 OBP, and a .742 OPS? 69 RBIs in more than 500 plate appearances?

    I’m not sure he’s the final piece to the Yankee puzzle…

  32. bakomariner on November 14th, 2008 8:19 am

    That trade pisses me off…I’ve always rooted for the Ms to try and get Swisher…and now he’s a Yankee…lame…

  33. Teej on November 14th, 2008 9:41 am

    Oolon, go look at Swisher’s BABIP, LD% and other stats that are far more predictive than batting average and RBIs. Swisher was very unlucky in 2008. He’s a good hitter and is on the right side of 30.

    He doesn’t have to be “the final piece” for the trade to be a smart move.

  34. Madison Mariner on November 14th, 2008 2:05 pm

    Couldn’t agree more, not only because the Yankees got Swisher for spare parts, but also because Cashman managed to convince Kenny Williams to throw in a 2nd player along with Swisher–the aptly named Kanekoa Texeira, who Baseball America said had the best slider in the White Sox organization this past year.

    His stats look better than either of the guys the Yankees sent to the White Sox, geez.

    I guess Kenny Williams really likes to bend over and…er, sorry. Family site. 😉

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