Weekend Transactions
JMB · March 27, 2005 at 8:35 pm · Filed Under Mariners
From this link (and others around the web, I’m sure):
To Tacoma: RHP Cha Seung Baek, SS Jose Lopez, OF Jamal Strong
To minor league camp: C Ryan Christianson
Sold to San Francisco: 2B Mickey Lopez
Back via Rule 5: LHP Ryan Rowland-Smith
Dave and I are both fans of RRS, so I think I can speak for both of us in saying we’re glad he’s back (Rowland-Smith was a Rule 5 selection by the Twins last winter, but wasn’t going to stick on their maior league roster. I suppose it’s still possible the two clubs work out a trade and he winds up in Minnesota’s minor league system).
In other news — and speaking of the Rule 5 — I see the Royals sent Luis “Rule 5 Kid” Ugueto to their minor league camp.
Comments
23 Responses to “Weekend Transactions”
Jason — According to hickey’s article in Monday’s P-I, the Twins tried to work a deal to keep Ryan Rowland Smith but the M’s wanted him back. It seems doubtful to me that if they couldn’t work out a deal before announcing that he was sent back (and the player has already flown all the way from florida to arizona to join Seattle’s camp) that they’d continue working on it…
I guess Smith starts the season at Double-A San Antonio?
How much could they have possibly received for Mickey Lopez?
#2, the Giants must be short on AAA middle infielders. Looks like Durham is hurt which may have created an opening.
So does this mean Dobbs makes the team? There aren’t any OF left except for the starting 4 (though I’ve seen Spiezio and WB in the OF a lot in spring training). And the IF are Gutierrez, Santiago, and Dobbs, IIRC.
I’m starting to get worried about Felix still being up in the big camp. Are they actually thinking about keeping him up there to start the year/his arbitration clock?
We’ll see I guess. Is there anywhere that lists who all is still at spring training in the big league camp btw?
I read where Hargrove said that Felix is still in the mix, but probably won’t break camp with the big club.
#3 — If a report in one today’s Seattle papers is correct, then neither Gutierrez nor Gil will make the club. I would assume that Dobbs and Santiago are competing for the last spot to compliment Wilson, Spiezio, and Bloomquist on the bench. I would guess that Dobbs makes the club, and I hope, without any evidence or reason, that he can approximate 65% of John Mabry’s value. But that is unlikely to happen.
With Campillo and Baek gone, King Felix still in go-slow mode and Willone sucking much ass, there’s not anyone left for 5th starter competition for Franklin other than Sele, is there?
I think it’s pretty clear after Sunday that felix has no business right now on the major-league roster. He’s got the stuff, but learning how to be a pitcher as opposed to a thrower simply takes more time.
Anybody claim Brooks Kieschnick yet?
And if we had to make a deal with the Giants, I’d like to have dealt Randy Winn  they definitely have the need, even if Randy isn’t as old as SF would prefer. Seems like they can’t figure out what to do with Todd Linden, and I think someone like David Aardsma could be had as well.
#7 — Since the M’s have a fair amount of off-days in April, they might go with a four-man roto until Piniero comes back. And I expect Sele to be a starter and Franklin to be in the bullpen. This is not all that bad. If Sele has miraculously become non-lousy, great. Franklin is better in the bullpen. If Sele eventually shows that he is lousy (I would place money on this scenario), he can be jettisoned and Franklin, or someone else like Baek or Campillo, can move into the fifth spot in the rotation.
Perhaps my memory isn’t serving right now (it wouldn’t be the first time… sleep deprivation does not help), but hasn’t Sele historically been pretty good for the first half of the season before he turns into a pumpkin? or at least the first part? Couldn’t we start him while he’s useful, then at the first sign of fatigue, give him his paycheck on the way out the door?
Aaron Sele = Jose Lima. Buy short, sell long.
#8 – Linden would give the M’s a Kitsap County trifecta (along with Bloomquist and Sele).
In terms of a PH we really need for the bench, it appears that Dean Palmer won’t make the Tigers….
Didn’t Dean Palmer retire, and then un-retire to give it another go with the Tigers?
Come on, St. Jude (patron of hopless causes), come through with those prayers I sent your direction for Bucky’s health…
Ix-nay on Ugueto-ay. They scored major points on my financial protest ending scale when they finally let him go. I might have to sell my Opening Day tickets if he returns…
Re 14:
I am going to have to disagree with you. It seemed like his bat was finally starting to come around in the second half of the season. He would have been a better bench option this year than Gil, Santiago, Gutierrez, or Dobbs, IMO.
Re: (# 12) “#8 – Linden would give the M’s a Kitsap County trifecta (along with Bloomquist and Sele).”
FYI (SCN?): Whenever, SELE plays in Minneapolis, the papers play up the fact that he’s a native of Golden Valley, a Minneapolis suburb.
Funny … my paper (The Kitsap Sun) calls him a Poulsbo native. Makes one wonder how “native” is defined. I think his family moved to Poulsbo when he was six.
I think they should just pick up any and all of them, & not even bother with adding them to the roster– just play them as needed. After all, on FSN this evening all four broadcasters *plus* Kevin Cremin managed to miss that the long-sleeved wearing 6-3 Michael Barrett had been replaced by 5-10 Henry Blanco (clad in short-sleeves) in the 5th. He caught an entire inning (called ‘Barrett’ all the while on both tv and radio) and this continued into his at-bat the next inning, unmasked. FWIW, Henry Blanco does not look the least bit like Michael Barrett. I bet they could get away with it.
msb, waiting to see if they acknowledge Blanco’s previous at-bat when he comes up again…
I heard they sold guttormsen to japan?Anyone else here this????
Just out of curiosity where would have Ryan Rowland-Smith fit in the Future Forty if he had been a Mariner when it was published?
Someone tell me i read this wrong Matt the stiff Thorton made the club and sherrill is out?????????Tell me i cant read ..Tell me this is a typical stupid bavasai move/ please dont tell me grover are price made this call?????If they did we went from no guts deer in the headlights bob melvin back to more of the same…How bad does thorton have to pitch before someone says he isnt good enough to be in the majors.Wheather it is sherril are joeblow on the moon the point is how many bad outings is one pitcher allowed that has never had success at the upper levels??Please someone explain because i just gave away my openoing day tickets if this happens…
JC, it hasn’t happened yet, but yes, both the Times and the TNT are speculating that it will. Those two are split on whether the final bench spot will go to Santiago or Dobbs.
But there is good news. According to ROTOWORLD, BENJI GIL has been sent to the Mets for cash considerations.
(And the Mariners have picked up relief pitcher DAVE GIL.)