Add Another Bullpen Sleeper
Dave · February 5, 2009 at 2:43 pm · Filed Under Mariners
Baker reports that the M’s have signed Tyler Johnson to a minor league contract with an invite to spring training.
Yep, another quality free pickup for the M’s. Johnson’s coming off arm surgery, but he’s a pretty decent LOOGY when healthy. Add him to the mix with Rowland-Smith, Lugo, Seddon, and Vargas, and the M’s are stocking up on potentially useful LH relievers. And they aren’t giving up anything to get them.
This is beautiful to watch.
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17 Responses to “Add Another Bullpen Sleeper”
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Johnson walks a few too many batters , but he gives up less than one hit per IP and looks like a decent situational lefty.
My question… he appears to be 100% healed from his 2007 surgery (elbow bursitis), but can he regain the form that helped him pitch so well in the 2006 postseason for the Cardinals?
We shall see! Another good, under the radar move for Doc-Z.
Yes another good move. I think the M’s are building up to some bigger move. They keep adding quality arms on the cheep. This should make some arms available for another trade. I look forward every day to see what the next move is. When was the last time any of us could say that?
If he doesn’t…what did we lose?
If he does, what do we win?
Looks to me like a low low risk, low to medium reward thing. Never a bad time to take a flyer on those.
I’m feeling like Zduriencik has one more trade up his sleeve that he’s setting up for, like maybe a couple three bullpen arms for a solid LF or DH.
Here’s hoping Nick Swisher comes to town.
I dont think you’re going to get a solid LF or DH for 3 of our bullpen arms. It’s nice that we’re acquiring them for nothing, but they don’t have any trade value.
How do you increase your chances of winning the lottery? Buy more tickets. With the defense we have, one of these guys will develop some sexy stats that we can flip to a contender at the deadline. The Red Sox once turned Heathclif Slocumb into Derek Lowe and Jason Varitek. Go Z.
They could develop some value, but we’re not bringing these guys in so that we can trade them for a LF or DH.
So this has nothing to do with the topic, but [deleted, off-topic]
Thanks for that analogy. I’ve been looking for the succinct way to put this point and you’ve nailed it.
We can only have so many of these guys on the major league roster and so many in Tacoma. If, at the end of spring training, we still don’t have that LF or DH, it’s possible the excess can be flipped for something of value. It might not be Nick Swisher, but there are always pieces floating about when roster cuts are made that could be of interest. So this gives us additional bargaining chips, which is a lot better than having to give up a Matt Thornton for a couple weeks of a Joe Borchard.
I’m not sure the Thornton/Borchard example says much, other than that Joe Borchard is about all the value you’ll get for a surplus reliever at the end of spring training when everyone’s rosters are full and they’re looking to cut.
“The Red Sox once turned Heathclif Slocumb into Derek Lowe and Jason Varitek.”
Um, that’s one of those things, along with Scott Sanders, that has been “stricken from every pylon and obelisk…unheard and unspoken, erased from the memory of man (or at least M’s fans), for all time.”
But on the latest acquisition, yes, just like Woody Woodward stockpiling outfielders to begin building the “good young arms” of the early 2000s, Z obviously is up to something here. Methinks it will be a power-hitting, league average DH, which is fine as that’s one of our needs.
I think it’s a matter of talent evaluation and undestanding your needs versus the surplus that is out there. Some organizations have their eyes on hidden gems in other organizations and are ready to leap when the opportunity arises. Others have to ship Cha Seung Baek to San Diego for nothing because they weren’t watching. I’m hoping we’re now in the first camp.
Yeah. And so what? Are we so talent rich that it’s blocking folks?
Nah, this is a good move in and of itself. It’s such low risk, it wouldn’t matter if the team cuts ’em entirely.
If he’s healthy you guys will like Johnson, his slurve is nasty against lefties. Doesn’t always know where the ball is going but his stuff is as good as any LOOGY. That and at all times he has the largest dip in place for any pitcher in history I’m pretty sure.
Nice. The upcoming bullpen battle is easily going to be this year’s most entertaining storyline coming out of Peoria.
Oh, so THAT’S what LOOGY means!
😉