July 31st Isn’t Really The M’s Deadline
Wondering why there are so few rumors involving what the M’s might do between now and 1 pm pacific time tomorrow, when the trade deadline passes? It’s fairly simple – for the Mariners, this deadline isn’t really one. Besides Brandon League and maybe David Aardsma, the guys that the M’s are willing to move are players who will clear waivers in August.
At this point, the best the Mariners can hope for with Jack Wilson is that another team agrees to assume the rest of his contract – there’s no way they’re going to get anything of value back as well. If a team put in a waiver claim in August, the M’s would (or should, at least) just let him go. Tomorrow’s deadline doesn’t really affect Jack Wilson.
While the situation is a little different with Jose Lopez, it’s still likely that the M’s could trade him in August. Because of the buy-out in his contract, they’re not really looking for salary relief, but that option/buyout is also why they’d be able to deal him past the deadline. For most of the non-contending teams, a guy who they’d have to buyout of his deal this winter isn’t very attractive, so it’s unlikely that they’d make a claim. The only teams who would be interested in Lopez’s services for the rest of 2010 are those who need some infield depth on the cheap, and it would only take one team to make a waiver claim for the Mariners to work out a deal with that club.
Casey Kotchman’s the same way. You might get a team to bite on him as a defensive replacement for their first baseman and 1B depth down the stretch, but his performance and salary will let him slide right through waivers.
For Jack Zduriencik, the only guys he really has to move by tomorrow if he wants to trade them this year are Aardsma and League. Power arms under team control for several more years wouldn’t get past too many teams, so they aren’t August trade chips. But pretty much everyone else on the roster can be traded after the deadline, which is why the M’s are on the periphery right now. Teams are focusing on making trades for guys who won’t be available on August 1st. Once they get that settled, they can come back and talk to the M’s about the guys they have, and perhaps make a deal in a week or two.
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28 Responses to “July 31st Isn’t Really The M’s Deadline”
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Can you explain why we would want to trade Jack Wilson?
I admit he did not impress us last year but he has certainly shown that he can handle himself at shortstop this year. I don’t have to mention his defence that is obvious. He has also shown that he can handle the bat well enough (at least compared to the rest of his teammates this year). He has a skill that is increasingly rare these days, the ability to lay down proper bunts. He also has a great attitude and personality which will certainly please those who believe heavily in clubhouse chemistry.
Aside from that, what choice do we have anyway. There are no shortstops out there that we can pick up who will is better than Jack.
So, I know that the M’s won’t trade Ichiro, and I know why, but if they’re truly in a rebuilding/youth movement mode, shouldn’t they at least think about it?
Eviscerate away.
Nah, everyone would rather have Ichiro rot here and lose as a Mariner.
If the M’s trade Ichiro:
Portland Beavers’ 2011 home attendance > Seattle Mariners’ 2011 home attendance
It’s been stated many times that Ichro’s value to the Mariners is a great deal more than any other franchise.
Ichiro brings ticket sales for Safeco, and TV and merchandise $$$ from Japan. Mariners are owned by Nintendo. Ichiro’s not gonna get traded unless he absolutely wants to be.
I hope that Lopez and Aardsma are gone by the trade deadline (tomorrow) though.
“If the M’s trade Ichiro:
Portland Beavers’ 2011 home attendance > Seattle Mariners’ 2011 home attendance”
I find that very hard to believe since it seems this team draws very well regardless of how awful their on-field product is. Ichiro is not solely responsible for that.
Winning team attendance > 100-game loser attendance with or without Ichiro.
Moot point since they aren’t going to trade him anyways.
I think that every thread from now on should have a discussion of trading Ichiro, whether it has any relevance to the intended discussion or not.
Even if management/ownership wanted to trade Ichiro, no one would take that contract without money coming from the Mariners. It’s such an unlikely event that its not worth discussing or posting about. whoops.
That could have pretty interesting implications, considering that it’s doubtful whether the Portland Beavers will even exist in 2011, as their stadium is being remodeled into a soccer-specific facility for MLS expansion.
Have you met my friend?
This is “Literal Mike Snow.”
Other than the basic three or four off the table players (Gutierrez, Ichiro, Hernandez, probably Smoak & Saunders at least for the time being) the Mariners don’t have any players they could trade that would make much of a difference to the team either in the short or the long term.
Aardsma and League have been doing well enough, recently, but I’m not convinced that either would command more than a mid-level prospect.
If true, I’m not sure I would want to trade either one. Both of them have the capacity to contribute to a decent Mariners team.
My guess is that trades we will see will be of the: “I’ll trade these guys I’m tired of looking at for those guys you’re tired of looking at” variety. At least until the off season.
The M’s minors are looking too good right now to trade a lot of prospects off for average veterans.
If I were the Mariners I’d haul up a lot of the more advanced minor leaguers (e.g., Pineda, Leuke) at the September deadline so that I could make more reasoned decisions about what to acquire after this season mercifully drags to an end.
Hey, you can’t assume everyone has read Carson’s post from last week.
Dave,
Can you please explain (or provide a link to) the waiver wire/trading rules – post 7/31.
A lot of teams put a lot of guys out on the “waiver” wire to see if the player clears, gets claimed by only one team, gets claimed by several teams?, can be traded, gets pulled back off of waivers by offering team, etc. etc.
It is murky water for the un-informed or uneducated. Please help educate me. Thank you.
I would like that Jack ask Cleveland and Tampa for a shortstop like Brignag or Donald, the shortstop situation is almost disturbing as the Cather, Nick Franklin is young and he needs two or three years in the minors for the big leagues
And for a catcher too, he could ask for one of Joason Norris or Wilson Ramos, both are in the Nationals, and for Tyler Flowers too
I don´t know the situation of Figgy, but Jack could offer him to other teams for a young 3b like Viciedo or any (Triunfel is not ready???)
Jack Wilson is not the one that needs to go. If we had a guy sitting in AAA right now that he was blocking or something, sure. We have ZERO depth at that position upwards of Single A. Triunfel isn’t a shortstop, Tui isn’t a shortstop.
I agree with Jack Z on this one. Signing Wilson means we don’t have to worry about this position for the next couple of years. Well, until he gets hurt again.
Bryce Harper could be in the 2011 draft if not sign with the Nationals, a good reason to be in last place.
The Nationals paid fifteen million dollars to sign Stephen Strasburg. There is no way Bryce Harper will be available next year.
I don’t see why the Mariners would want to trade League – they were certainly high enough on him to go get him in the off-season, which is pretty unusual for a reliever (at least among the more forward-thinking clubs).
I’m not sure international merch sales go right to the M’s. Although he does bring tourists from Japan to the park, who are no doubt STUNNED at how close they can get to him/the field here, given the poor attendance.
He’s not as highly valued elsewhere as he is here, as many have said. It’s not just the guy, it’s the fit in Seattle.
Plus… he’s fun, dammit! How many players on this team are both good AND fun? He’s an intriguing dude.
Do I sense a hint of sarcasm there Jeff?
Dave’s post was about what possibilities the M’s might have for trading players after the deadline. It seems like the intent of the post was to entertain which players might have value to other teams. Is discussion limited to only those players that he mentioned in his post?
Never mind … found it.
For those interested: You can google “MLB Transactions (Wikipedia – the free encyclopedia;” or “Know Your Waiver Rules (Jayson Stark)” Easy reads, crystal clear … it answered the mail.
If I knew how to include those links – I would have.
M’s may be closer to dealing League or Aardsma #mariners #trades http://bit.ly/rumors730
According to Jeff Churchill of ESPN
I hope for a good package
Hi:
Please don’t link to stuff behind PI’s subscriber wall here, as most people don’t subscribe to it. Also, please don’t duplicate said content here, as it’s behind a subscriber wall for a reason.
Thanks!
It wasn’t a mod comment, it was a snarky joke.
If you guys want to just keep clubbing a horse that’s been dead for years, go right on ahead.
Gotcha. I probably should have read it as such.
So to the original poster: Ichiro is not going to be traded. The ballclub feels he has financial value to them that goes well beyond his contributions on the field, and they consider him to be iconic to the team and the Seattle community. Ichiro is a part of the team and will almost certainly remain so until he decides he no longer wishes to be.
Thank you – I will!
Stupid selfish Ichiro. Getting three hits yesterday, making his teammates feel bad about themselves, and trying to make blog commenters feel bad about themselves for posting “Ichiro is overrated” comments.