Pierre to Cubs, Villone to … ?
Jeff · December 7, 2005 at 11:51 am · Filed Under Mariners
Saints be praised, the Mariners missed out on the Juan Pierre “sweepstakes.” He’s been traded to the Cubs for young pitchers.
Also in the article: Ron Villone might well be the next to be traded, with the Mariners and Yankees (!) considered the top destination candidates.
Comments
92 Responses to “Pierre to Cubs, Villone to … ?”
[6 errors in three sentences, plus ignores yesterday’s post on this subject]
he’s had a few changes of scenery. 10, in fact.
Everett hit .251 with an OPS of .746 in hitter friendly Chicago last year. Nothing we probably couldn’t get from DHing Morse and Dobbs.
For a club that has already has had questions about it clubhouse leadership, why in the world they want to bring in person like Everett who has a history of bringing moral down.
Also, Everett was the cover boy for bad attitudes in sports when he was in his prime, can you imagine what kind of tizzy fits he could throw when he’s not hitting like he used to. He’s about due for that over 35 statistical slide.
Please no Carl Everett. It would be nice to get Jones…I get a nerdgasm thinking of how good our outfield will be with him. Remember that lowers all of our pitchers ERA’s too which will be important given how sketchy it’s looking on the pitching front.
I guess this could be deleted as OT, but [deleted as off-topic]
Nerdgasm? What aweful imagery that non-word conjures.
Any news on Jamie Moyer? The 9PM deadline is looming. Will he be offered arbitration?
I’d be OK with Piazza as a DH with a one-year deal and a vesting option. He’s not the hitter of old, but I’d rather have him than Everett or Burnitz. And like John in L.A., I think NOT catching would help his offense.
This would also make me feel better about trading Torreabla and going with Rivera or Miller as #2, knowing we have good #3 in case of injury. In fact, Piazza could catch every 5th game when Felix pitches as there won’t be any base runners to steal, which is his primary defensive weakness 🙂
I really like the idea of Piazza as DH and backup 1B/catcher too, especially if part of the deal is to go into the Mariner broadcast booth after he retires. You know, to take the place of another retired Mariner catcher…?
I think Piazza’s pretty much shot as a hitter. Last year Piazza hit .251, .326 OBP, .452 SLG. Okay for a catcher, inadequate for a DH. It’s the sixth straight year his OPS has declined, so I wouldn’t bet on an improvement. I don’t think not catching is going to improve his hitting, it would just keep his hitting from declining faster. The wear and tear on his knees has happened, it’s a done deal. When catchers go south, they don’t return.
What do people think of forgetting left field for a year and instead locking up two pitchers like Milwood and Weaver for 3-4 year deals? This way your getting value into the future and I like the following starting five:
Hernandez
Milwood
Weaver
Piniero
Some rookie/journeyman
M’s are going to squeeze every last second they can out of the Moyer announcement. Don’t expect anything for another 5 hours.
Piazza? Corey Patterson? Trading Torrealba for Villone?
What has happened to this thread? Has it been hijacked by the PI bloggers?
The most amazing thing about all the trade speculation is how it sounds like the Phils may actually be willing to deal Bobby Abreu. Are they nuts? And, if they are, why would the M’s not jump at the chance to send off an Ichiro/Meche package for this guy? (Or at least entertaining the thought.) Bobby and Ichie are stealing about as many bases these days, so no loss there. I know Bobby’s owed some money, but this guy is quietly one of the best players in the game. Thoughts?
I would never trade Ichiro for Abreu. Never ever ever.
He’d sure look good batting third…..
Scraps, last year Ibanez’s OPS was only 14 points higher. And has never been, not once, as high as Piazza’s career average.
Not saying Piazza is the answer we’ve all been hoping for, but no one seems to be clamoring to replace Ibanez – who is equally valueless in the field.
All in all, if we are talking about DH, I’d rather have Piazza. He is a good 2nd or 3rd catcher and who knows, may turn his OPS around a bit if he goes Edgar.
But I’ve always liked Piazza, so I grant you it’s not a clear-cut choice. Just saying that if Piazza’s numbers are unacceptable, then so are Raul’s.
shaun, why would never make the ichiro for abreu trade? yeah, ichiro’s defense is superior. but, offensively, i don’t think there’s any comparison. bob takes the cake.
I would be okay with Piazza or Thomas being signed to a one year if they wanted to DH here.
Ugh, we’ve been over the “trade Ichiro” argument before. He’s a marketing cash cow for this organization. Period. There’s no way they will ever give that up. Even if a trade were to make “baseball sense”, it will never make financial sense, so it will never happen. Meche has next to zero trade value.
ChrisK, how much fun is this blog if we can’t dream a little? Besides, I think the M’s organization would benefit more if we won a World Series without Ichiro, than settle for another 90 loss season with him.
70 – While that may be true, swapping Ichi and Meche for Abreu wouln’t win us the World Series.
The difference between Abreu and Ichiro is not the difference between 90 losses and the world series.
So Joe, if Ichiro is off limits, would you do Beltre and Meche for Abreu and David Bell?
70 – There is a significant financial risk to try to win a World Series without Ichiro. There is virtually no risk in keeping Ichiro and banking on the revenues he brings in from ticket sales, merchandising, and general interest from casual fans (which increases viewership/listenership and thus their huge media deals). The team makes tons of money from Ichiro regardless of whether he hits .280 or .380, and regardless of whether the team wins 70 or 90 games. That’s money in the bank for the franchise, year after year.
I’m just saying this is a bottom-line organization, and it makes no financial sense for them to trade him unless they get a player of equal (guaranteed) revenue-generating might.
#73 I’d do that deal and I guess it’s possible the Phils might actually do it too if the M’s threw in a pretty good prospect. Philly is so anxious to get rid of D. Bell.
I’m not convinced that Ichiro has that kind of pull with all Mariner fans. Your talking about small population of people that are die hard Ichiro fans. Not that they don’t follow him everyday, they do, they buy tickets and merchandise and even eat Ichirolls. But as a M’s fan if they were to trade Ichiro away and I don’t agree with the Abreu deal but if you were to trade him away for the right person and prospects I’m not sure what kind of financial loss you would take in the long run. You might the first season especially if you lose but in the long term I think Ichiro is just another player.
Should we we expect any Mariner DFA’s in preparation for tomorrow’s rule 5 draft? And if so who? Baek, Strong?
Since I always enjoy reading Jim Caple I was extra happy to see his column today where he talks about overpaid “closers”. He summed up the reasons why I think the Mariners should trade Guardado to Boston for Clement.
Plus, there’s a photo of Anna Benson so it’s worth the trip either way…
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=caple/offbase/051207
On the subject of Villone, it seems most likely that the M’s could acquire him by shipping Yorvit to the Marlins.
I had hoped that Bavasi couldve used Yorvit as a major part of a package with the Mets for a guy like either Trachsel or Zambrano but Lo Duca pretty much eneded that dream for me.
Given the catchers that have moved to teams with the biggest needs and the best chips (New York, Arizona, San Diego) and that Hernandez and Molina are still out there, Yorvit’s trade value has diminished dramatically. In short, he has much more value as a backup to the transitioning Jojima than he would in any trade scenanrio that’s been rumoured. Frankly, Villone could be had fo mid level prospect and the willingness to take his contract-Yorvit would be wasted by shipping him straight up for Villone.
Perhaps Yorvit for Bigbie makes sense but Id rather have the insurance at catcher (unless of course it means playing some of the failures from Tacoma in left).
The Reds are looking for arms and to drop salary meaning Larue is expendable. Maybe Meche and Yorvit could be packaged for someone like Pena to solve the DH problem.
I guess Id have to be dazzled to trade Yorvit at this point. Jojima/Yorvit could be one of the best tandems in the majors.
I’d DFA Baek. I watched him pitch in 05 and it was uuuuugly.
Ichiro is god. Seattle loves him, not just a small number of japanese people. I wouldn’t trade him straight up for Abreu, even though I love Bobby as a player.
I’m all with you joebob, #61. Who cares about left field? Pitching is the biggest hole.
How does this scenario sound….. assuming jojima is the offensive stud we all hope, he could be rested by DHing while Yorvit fills in with superb defense and respectable offense.
I guess Id say no to Villone if he costs the M’s Yorvit.
I for one like the idea of Piazza. I think he can rebound with the bat, espeically not playing catcher. Keep him around as a DH/3rd catcher/ terrible first baseman/PH. Whatever a one year contract could be a win/win.
Given that all indicatons are that Jojima is more Hideki Matsui than Kazuo Matsui (discipline, work ethic, proven talent, multiple tools), you take the safe gamble that he’s an every day guy, get what you can for Yorvit, and let Rivera be the backup. If Rivera flames out, get someone off the pile of veteran backup catchers. If Yorvit gets you another arm or a bench bat, that’s just capital well spent. If you can package him with other resources (I mean valuable resources, not Gil Meche), maybe you can even fold it into being the starting pitcher we need so desperately. As for trading Ichiro, criminy, make the trade talk stop. It’s just…it’s from space.
Whatever happened to Pat Borders?
It hurts me to watch Pat Borders run. Those spikes need to be bronzed and hung on the toolshed.
Ha, ha, that sounds good, Adam, but if The King doesn’t allow any runners, then we won’t need Piazza’s bat, will we?
I think that we have a plethora of catchers right now. Rivera and Miller are as good as most of the #2 catchers we’ve had recently, so I think YT (or perhaps Rivera) should be put in a trade package.
I say Villone instead of Thornton. If they really get rid of Thornton then I’m all for Villone. And why don’t the M’s give Milly that 5 year deal. I know the problems if he sucks but if does well and they want to unload him (al la Delgado) they could probably get something decent in return. If the Marlins can do it, why not the M’s.
#87
I like Millwood but am unsure of what type of contract I’d offer (yrs and $). The sagas of Chan Ho Park and Darren Dreifort should be enough to give anyone some pause re: 5-year deals.
How about taking a flier on Erubiel Durazo to fill the hole as a potential lefthanded sock? He wasn’t offered arbitratioon by the A’stonight. I know he lost his sock in the dryer last year, but it would be worth a one million deal with some incentives, or just be a bench player like he was back in Arizona.
I don’t like the idea of Durazo.
If the GM Bill Bavasi traded Matt Thornton to the Florida Marlins for Ron Villone, then most people would be happy with the Seattle Mariners bullpen.