Carlos Guillen Retires
After dealing with more knee problems this spring, Carlos Guillen has decided to retire. This opens up the reserve 3B/1B role on the roster, and now makes it possible that the Mariners could carry both Kyle Seager and Michael Saunders on the opening day roster. That’d be my guess for how this plays out now, anyway – Seager/Figgins will split time at third, and Figgins/Saunders/Wells will split time in center field.
Having Seager around instead of Guillen might also make Carp the backup first baseman, a role that would have otherwise been filled by Guillen instead, so Wells might see less time in center field but a little more in left field as a result. Essentially, this shifts some playing time from an older guy with no future in Seattle to a younger player who might be able to establish some value with additional playing time. No offense to Guillen, but this is probably a positive development for the club.
I know it was pretty much what I was hoping for when I first heard he’d been signed. Thanks for 2001, Carlos, and best wishes.
Between this, and likely DL time to start the season for Guti and possibly Ryan too, I guess there’s little to no chance of any interesting position players getting left off the opening day roster. There’s enough room for Seager, Wells and Kawasaki now, even Saunders.
I’m kind of excited to see how the season goes. Each year we hear the M’s organization talking about giving the young guys a chance but this is the first real year that everyone will have a good opportunity to either succeed for fail. I don’t think this is a playoff team even with the extra wild card but I can at least support these guys and have fun this year watching the Mariners play.
That pinch-hit bunt in the 2000 ALDS will always bring back happy thoughts of happy times.
I love the squeeze so much.
Gracias, Carlos.
Well congratulations on a great career, Carlos.
I have to admit I was worried the M’s would keep him on the 25 man for his “presence” or whatever, but he didn’t belong on the 2012 M’s.
I was at that game! My wife and I were in a friend’s Diamond Club seats, and as we were jumping up and down celebrating after Rickey scored, my wife turned to me and said, “He was out of the batter’s box.”
(Which I say to share a memory, and to point out that my wife knows more about baseball and pays more attention than I do, not to take away from a truly awesome moment.)
“That pinch-hit bunt in the 2000 ALDS”
That’s still the most fun I’ve ever had at a baseball game. Mike Cameron coming around and high fiving fans all over the park, people still on their feet and cheering about 45 minutes after the game ended…. I’m ready for the M’s to be good again.
I’ll remember Carlos for two things:
1. The night Tony Phillips scissored him to the ground with his legs in one of the cheapest plays I’ve ever personally witnessed in a game. Phillips ended Guillen’s season just to keep him from throwing out a runner trying to advance.
2. The day Guillen bunted to Frank Thomas in Game 3 of the ALDS, bringing home Ricky Henderson with the series-winning run. That day is among the highlights of my sports lifetime and one of the best Mariner memories ever. We swept a team in the playoffs!
Thanks for your time in Seattle, Carlos.
It’s a shame he didn’t spend his whole career with the M’s. He did good.
Yes, it is probably best for the 2012 Mariners and beyond, because as Mr. Guillen himself mentioned, there is a lot of good talent, which is worth a look.
The Guillen trade has to rank in the top five worst of Mariners history, and is imo the trade made for the worst reasons.
If I can add to this thread my input into the Seager vs. Saunders thread, why are we not talking about the 6 man bullpen, especially for April, especially in light of the Gutierrez injury? My candidate is Darren Ford. I could see Catricala instead of Seager, but why rush it.
The depth chart would be:
OF Ichiro, Saunders, Wells, Carp, Ford, Figgins (in that order)
3B Figgins, Seager, Kawasaki.
1b Smoak, Carp, Montero
No offense to Guillen, but this is probably a positive development for the club.
Sadly, I have to agree.
Now, c’mon Michael Saunders. You’ve just been handed TWO career breaks. Capitalize.
2. The day Guillen bunted to Frank Thomas in Game 3 of the ALDS, bringing home Ricky Henderson with the series-winning run. That day is among the highlights of my sports lifetime and one of the best Mariner memories ever. We swept a team in the playoffs!
Thanks for your time in Seattle, Carlos.
Amen.
I was there that day at Game 3. With two of my brothers, in the left field bleachers. Gettin’ all happy with smuggled little bottles of liquor (hey, I was considerably younger back then).
Good times. Thanks, Carlos.
All the talk about Game 3 brings back such great memories. I was on James St. under I-5 listening to the game in my car when the bunt happened. All the sudden there were cars honking their horns like crazy all around me. Let’s hope this team gets back to moments like that soon.
I’m ashamed to admit it, but I’d sort of blanked out the fact that Guillen was on our roster. I remember them signing him… but then, whenever he’s been mentioned I’d somehow blanked it out.
Good luck Carlos. I hope your knee recovers enough to give you a fun retirement playing golf or whatever you’d like to do going forward.
I, too, was there for Game 3 – a game I’ll never forget! And I, too, wish Carlos had spent the rest of his career here – we certainly missed out on some good years… All the best, Carlos!
I was there for Game 3 as well. Did the cheering only last 45 minutes? I thought it was longer. They played “Who Let the Dogs Out?” the whole time, too.
Taking the opportunity to look back on Guillen’s career, along with those of the other players in the 1999 Big Unit trade:
Career value (measured by FanGraphs WAR), post-7/31/1999:
R. Johnson: 68.9
F. Garcia: 33.7 (plus remainder of career)
C. Guillen: 26.7
J. Halama: 7.5
Total future WAR of players received from Astros: 67.9, plus whatever Freddy adds from now until retirement.
Probably not often that that big of a trade ends up that close to even post-trade career value….
Happy retirement, Carlos. Long live The Bunt, in our memories.
Carlos Guillen was awesome I wish we would have had him during his best offensive season.
Random question does anyone know of any place that is planning some sort of viewing party for the first game of the season in Japan.
It seems like it would be fun to get together with a bunch of other M’s fans at 3am and watch Felix dominate the A’s to start the season.
^I’m waiting for the Root Sports schedule to list the replay time. I’ll plan around that!
Too bad about Carlos. Not a surprise though.
probably a positive development for the
Do you think the M’s see it this way too?
And I’d be totally down for a viewing party! Alas, I’m in Portland.
Well then, I guess that means that the Randy Johnson trade turned out to be a bust.
> That pinch-hit bunt in the 2000 ALDS will always bring back happy thoughts of happy times.
I was there, about 10 rows deep on the third base line. Carlos lays down the bunt, and it was perfectly executed. Henderson flies home from third. Safeco exploded.
Definitely one of the greatest sports moments I’ve witnessed in person.