Patience

Dave · December 10, 2004 at 1:32 am · Filed Under Mariners 

Larry Stone, filing from Anaheim.

There was confirmation yesterday from a baseball source that the club has made an offer, reportedly significant, to third baseman Adrian Beltre, one of the jewels of the free-agent marketplace.

Glaus could conceivably play first base, but Bavasi said, “Our designs were on him and a first baseman, so that made first base not an option.”

Patience is a virtue. Good things come to those who wait. I’m sure I could bust out a few more cliches, but we’ll leave it there for now.

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Comments

30 Responses to “Patience”

  1. Rob on December 10th, 2004 1:37 am

    This better be a real offer not one of those “attempts” the FO likes to make so they say they tried.

  2. Jon Wells on December 10th, 2004 1:41 am

    Interesting piece from Stone and Look! no mention of the M’s not
    being able to afford to make the moves necessary (like we read
    in just about every Finnigan article). I do think the Glaus signing will
    cause Delgado to get four years (maybe 5 if NY gets in) when he might have signed for three years previously.

  3. chrisw on December 10th, 2004 1:51 am

    Anyone heard anything about Clement or Odalis Perez? Their names never seem to come up.

  4. Skiba on December 10th, 2004 2:01 am

    I’d like to hear what you guys all think of Magglio Ordonez. Obviously I am guarded about him coming off of injuries but have always liked his bat. Just curious what the word is on him.

  5. John in L.A. on December 10th, 2004 2:27 am

    Well this is frighteningly hopeful. I gotta say, I like then new, quieter front office. I like that I don’t really know what they’re up to. Most of all I like them for what they have NOT done this offseason.

    But what’s frightening is… hope. I thougth I was past that. I thought they beat it out of me. Now I find myself with the tiniest little glimmer of optimism. It’s scary. Hold me.

  6. Dylan on December 10th, 2004 2:42 am

    John, you speak the truth. I’m hoping, praying, wishing, but there is this voice in the back of my head telling me not to because it’s all going to come crashing down.

  7. greenlaw9 on December 10th, 2004 2:57 am

    Not to bring you out of your dream world or anything guys, but come on! How many soldiers have died in Iraq? Today even? Let’s keep a little perspective here… While I’m as big a baseball nut as anyone, the way you guys say it makes it just sound silly…

    AND, I too like how the M’s are conducting themselves. It’s nice to see the winter go by with updates every day on what we are doing and how our porspects are changing – maybe for the better even – and not merely slipping away; as compared to the relative silence of last years…

    Another thing to note: this year everyone, from ESPN to newspapers around the country to the players and agents themselves are noting how much of a player the M’s are in this market. In past years, the only rumors you hear of were off the official site or maybe from the pi or the times… just a thought.

  8. Evan on December 10th, 2004 3:00 am

    Greenlaw – people I don’t know die every day. I try not to get torn up about it.

    We may be at the dawn of a good day for the M’s.

  9. marinerfaninIraq on December 10th, 2004 3:30 am

    i almost crapped my pants when i heard that we are making ovetures to Beltre….This is what i have been waiting for all year after watching the Ms suck from here in Iraq…for the love of god let him sign with us

  10. Andy on December 10th, 2004 3:42 am

    Re: #3, I’ve heard nothing on Perez/Clement (they would both be a GREAT fit for M’s land BTW).
    Re: #4, Magglio is a Boras boy and judging by how much Glaus received from Arizona (45 million/4 years) I’m wincing!
    The Glaus signing will further complicate the M’s signing a BIG free agnet becuase the oft injured 3 bagger getting 11+ mill and a long 4 year contract.

  11. John in L.A. on December 10th, 2004 3:45 am

    #7… I have absolutely zero desire to get into any unpleasantness here. So let me just say that I am well aware of the tragic circumstances here and abroad. And that me paying attention to and rooting for my baseball team does not diminish my concern over world affairs. And I think it is kinda rude to imply otherwise.

  12. Andy on December 10th, 2004 3:47 am

    The Glaus signing will further complicate the M’s signing a BIG free agenta. The oft injured 3 bagger pulled down 11+ million a year and a long 4 year contract. Sexton will now want at least the same and Delgado has always been healthy with the exception of last year. I’m closing my eyes till I read that we’ve landed a few big fish…

  13. Andy on December 10th, 2004 3:51 am

    The Glaus signing will further complicate the M’s signing a BIG free agnet. The oft injured 3 bagger getting 11+ mill and a long 4 year contract.

  14. dMIKE on December 10th, 2004 5:13 am

    I’m still having trouble believing that this is real. I’ve known all along the M’s have had the significant monies to do significant FO pursuits – haven’t we all? These mythological, available dollars available for FO pursuit have been just that – a fabrication of the local media. I still don’t believe how deep their commitment is to do this pursuit. Has ownership really smartened up from last year’s debacle? Do they really understand what’s needed this off-season to get warm-bodies into the Safe? Do they fully understand the extent of the damage last season created in the fanbase?

    I feel encouraged by all this speculation, but I’ve rooted for this club long enough to be just cynical enough to not have my hopes dashed by any behind-the-curtain, superficial off-season speculation. My eyes are wide open and I’m still breathing, because this ain’t Lapwai, ID Dorothy and I don’t wear ruby slippers – well, only in the privacy of my own home

  15. DMZ on December 10th, 2004 6:35 am

    These mythological, available dollars available for FO pursuit have been just that – a fabrication of the local media.

    I think this is the first time anyone’s said this, and I guess I don’t understand what you’re saying. The team’s said they expect to run a payroll of $x. They have existing salaries that amount to much less than $x.

    How does doing the math to see the difference make the local media liars? If you’re arguing that the front office doesn’t intend to spend that money, your beef is with them.

  16. dMIKE on December 10th, 2004 7:29 am

    Derek – Please!! Lying: means intent to deceive. The M’s local media is mostly poor journalism – sloppy and lazy – not liars.

  17. stiletto on December 10th, 2004 7:53 am

    15, if they don’t spend the $x that they say is available, boy, that sure won’t be the first time they do that will it?? the section you quoted was a bit of unrealized pessimism for this off season that has grounds in actual events in past seasons. I sure understand his sentiment. nervously. we’re talking about some mighty big pockets here.

  18. Tod on December 10th, 2004 8:37 am

    Don’t miss Gammons at his rumor-spreading self:
    http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/gammons/story?id=1943079

    Lots of good stuff in there, including reflections on how active Seattle is. As Dave’s been predicting for months, this is a very different regime. Regardless of results, the team is doing this right by focusing on the stars. Let’s hope the change is rewarded.

  19. hurt on December 10th, 2004 9:45 am
    Ralph Malph on December 10th, 2004 10:04 am

    dMIKE: You said the FO dollars were a “fabrication” of the local media. Fabricate, according to Webster, means “to make up with an intent to deceive.” Which means you accused the local media of lying. I don’t think Derek misread what you were saying.

  20. PositivePaul on December 10th, 2004 10:36 am

    Well, let’s hope we can really seriously be at the front in the end for Beltre. Actually, this is not the first time the M’s have offered significant money to a player. They offered both Griffey and Pay-Rod well over 100 million, according to Thiel in “Out of Left Field” (I don’t remember the exact figures, but both offers were over 100 million). We were blown out of the water by 100 million on the latter, of course. Admittedly, though, that was in the Ellis/Woodward days, not the Lincoln/Bavasi days.

    Still, the fact that there’s been some serious cash given to mediocre-to-barely-above-replacement-level players, and (aside from Wilson, which was a fan-appeasing move) the M’s haven’t played that game yet (knock on wood) leads me to have at least a little optimism.

    Drew, Delgado & Beltre or bust!

  21. PositivePaul on December 10th, 2004 10:45 am

    We certainly are not a team in poor financial condition. At least not yet. My partner in pixels has assembled the pieces from the spinning of both Lincoln and the extended public information arm of the M’s in the local press over at the Mariners Morsels: http://marinersmorsels.blogspot.com/2004/12/whats-truth-about-ms-payroll.html

  22. Eric on December 10th, 2004 10:53 am

    One thing in this article and in other rumors confuses me. Why on earth would Texas be after Delgado? Aren’t they trying to make room for Gonzales at 1B? meaning Texjeira moves to DH?

  23. Jon on December 10th, 2004 11:05 am

    I’m sure the M’s love it when we squabble among ourselves, parsing each other’s words. dMike makes a valid point, and he gets schooled on the meaning of “fabrication”. I can hear the M’s laughing now. The point is that the M’s are dissemblers and the local media are enablers. The dissembler/enabler combination packs a powerful punch, and some fans are feeling punch drunk.

  24. Graham on December 10th, 2004 11:21 am

    #24… I don’t think the M’s care whether we argue about what the meaning of ‘fabrication’ is. Not even a little bit.

  25. chief on December 10th, 2004 12:11 pm

    Oh, I so want to believe that we are in the running for Beltre and Delgado and that Pavano has us in his top three! But, I keep harking back to the FO’s track record in previous off-seasons and trading deadlines and I get very suspicious. I know I have grown very cynical when it comes to the FO credibility and the media disinformation. I just hope the events in the near future prove me wrong!! BTW has anyone thought about how we can put together a trade package to get some help if the FA market doesn’t help? There are some talented guys out there if the FO can come up with attractive proposals.

  26. Jon on December 10th, 2004 12:51 pm

    #25. You mean the M’s really aren’t huddling around their computer screen obsessing over the comments made here? Shocking! Even if they aren’t, I’m sure the M’s are gleeful that the fans’ attention can be so easily steered away from the M’s own parsimony.

    Dissemble/enable: a powerful combination.

  27. Matt Staples on December 10th, 2004 3:05 pm

    I hate trying to understand what Gammons is saying. Doesn’t anyone proofread his articles?

  28. Mark on December 10th, 2004 4:12 pm

    Re: Pavano. It’s been a steady theme among the blogs — here and elsewhere — that Pavano is vastly overrated. We explain the M’s and Yankees’ interest in him as a sign of their front-office naivete. But so why is Boston in the running, too? Isn’t Theo supposed to be one of the young, wunderkind, numbers-savve GMs? If Pavano’s such a stiff, why is Boston wooing him rather than Perez or Clement?

  29. Adam T on December 10th, 2004 4:34 pm

    Re: 29 – overrated maybe but invaluable no. The Yankees and Boston can afford to may their bottom of the order starters $10 million a season.