Mo Vaughn

DMZ · November 16, 2004 at 10:40 pm · Filed Under Mariners 

I’m going to continue to do free agent writeups for guys you may have overlooked or for whatever reason haven’t been part of the conversation yet!

Your attention please: this, and the other post, are jokes. The joke being that unlike Dave, who’s been writing quite serious and in-depth profiles, given the keyboard I would write bizarre, error-filled, badly-reasoned profiles of the wrong people.

As we talk about the need for left-handed power in Safeco, one heavy name in free agency’s gone unmentioned: Mo Vaughn. He’s a huge left-handed power bat, he’s always drawn walks, and he’s been trying to get back in the game.

Now, the injury is an weighty issue — his 2003 was severely curtailed when his knee went out, but as late as 2000 he played in 161 games! And after a full season rehabbing, all the nagging aches and strains that slow most players down, nagging them through the off-season, aren’t going to be a problem. That he missed a year will raise some eyebrows, sure, but when he was with the Mets, he fought with their medical staff constantly to get back in the lineup — with their financial problems and their desire to shift Piazza to first, they wanted to collect the insurance money more than they wanted to have his monster bat in the lineup.

And if bringing Richie Sexson in isn’t an issue, why would Mo Vaughn be any different? Who wouldn’t want a career .293/.383/.523 hitter in the middle of their lineup?

Plus, Mo Vaughn brings intangibles. He’s a gritty player who thrived under pressure for East Coast teams. If we’re looking to bring grit and veteran leadership to the team, Mo would bring a ton of it.

Comments

72 Responses to “Mo Vaughn”

  1. Evan on November 17th, 2004 3:01 pm

    Urbina had a pretty lousy year. 0.1 Adjusted Runs Prevented, in 54 innings pitched. He was almost exactly a league-average reliever.

  2. Econ guy on November 17th, 2004 3:07 pm

    I believe that Urbina makes $4 mill. this year.

  3. Brent Overman on November 17th, 2004 3:16 pm

    Maybe we could get Rex “Wonder Dog” Hudler to put his bong and microphone down and had some clubhouse presence and scrappy play to the squad. Hey, there’s a tie to the Angels! It could happen!

  4. Pete on November 17th, 2004 3:19 pm

    I think I’d trade Winn for a hard-throwing 30-year-old reliever to serve as our set-up guy or back-up closer. Winn’s $3 mill. for his $4 mill. straight up. The more I think about it, I’d do it in a second. Would the Tigers? Maybe?

    We’d add just $1 million to our payroll and pretty much solve the bullpen until Soriano gets back.

    Input from the insiders? Dave?

    Winn for Urbina straight up.

  5. Brent Overman on November 17th, 2004 3:36 pm

    Why not make a team of V’s?

    1B: Ty Van Burkleo
    2B: Zoilo Versalles
    SS: Coot Veal
    3B: Jim Viox (no extra “x”)
    OF: Arky Vaughn
    OF: Vince Ventura
    OF: Fritz Von Kolnitz
    UT: Peek-A-Boo Veach
    SP: Vito Valentinetti
    SP: Dazzy Vance
    SP: Tony Van Fricken
    SP: Rip Vowinkel
    CL: Hippo Vaughn

    Okay, I guess this has run it’s course…

  6. Aaron on November 17th, 2004 4:38 pm

    I don’t think the Percival deal sets any market this winter. The Tigers said last year that they would have to overpay to get anyone to come thier way, and it looks like this year won’t be any different.

  7. Dr. Jeff on November 17th, 2004 4:48 pm

    Why not make a team of V’s?

    What, no Van Lingle Mungo?

  8. Evan on November 17th, 2004 4:58 pm

    On a straight VORP comparison, Winn for Uggie is a bad deal.

    Winn’s 2004 VORP: 33.2
    Uggie’s 2004 VORP: 9.7

    And Winn’s cheaper.

  9. Dave on November 17th, 2004 5:37 pm

    The more I read, the more I think Randy Winn may be the most underrated Mariner. Trading him for Ugueth Urbina, a more expensive middle reliever, does not improve the team one bit.

    Winn is a surplus that this team doesn’t necessarily need, and we harped on his deficincies as much or more than anyone. But he’s still a solid player signed to a reasonable contract, (especially in this apparent market) and trading him for a less valuable player who costs more just to dump Winn is not a good idea.

  10. Pete on November 17th, 2004 5:41 pm

    Dave,

    I agree on Winn. I enjoy his play, and he is underrated as far as the M’s fan base goes.

    However, I feel like plugging Reed in wouldn’t have a huge drop-off. And I think Urbina would serve as a nice set-up guy. Maybe I’m wrong though…I’m don’t know a ton about him other than the fact he seems to have dominant stuff at times.

  11. Zagfan on November 17th, 2004 6:26 pm

    You all forgot the best Vaughn of them all. The Mariners could use the “Wild Thing” Rick Vaughn. Geezus, with him in the rotation, how could we lose.

  12. Steve on November 17th, 2004 6:45 pm

    re #61: You’re too late. Ricky was mentioned in #26.

  13. East Coast Agony on November 17th, 2004 7:54 pm
    Let’s not make a deal
    or Four Reasons It’s Not So Bad To Be a Mets Fan Today 1) The Mets may stink and the Wilpons may too, but at least they’re not trying to rename the team “The Tri-State Area Metropolitans”. Angels owner Arte…

  14. Sabrman on November 17th, 2004 8:54 pm

    This may be an upopular opinion, but I would prefer if fake “gag” posts and posts about video games go on a separate blog. I have been trying to convince my father that clubhouse chemistry isn’t what’s missing from the Mariners, and when I suggested he read USSMariner, he found a suggestion to sign Mo Vaughn. If I am in the minority, it’s fine. Thanks.

  15. Basebliman on November 17th, 2004 9:36 pm

    I can’t believe no one has brought up Vaughn Eschelman yet. Sign that guy up!

  16. Rob on November 17th, 2004 9:54 pm

    #64

    If anybody read the mo vaughn post and thought it was for real…. actually I don’t know what to say about that. But even if you thought it was real, you could tell it was fake with this line

    “his 2003 was severely curtailed when his knee went out, but as late as 2000 he played in 161 games!”

    The post made me laugh

  17. Dave on November 17th, 2004 10:17 pm

    Sabr,

    I’m sorry your Dad didn’t get the best first impression of the site. Hopefully you can keep him engaged enough to stick around and read the other 98 percent of the work on here that got you to recommend us in the first place. Perhaps send him links to some of the stuff we’ve written that you’d like him to read specifically?

    For me, part of the charm of this blog is that we’re not uber serious all the time. Derek’s going to write some really funny stuff, and I personally enjoy the fact that there’s a bit of levity to go with the more serious analysis.

    If you’d like, have your Dad drop us an email, and I’ll answer any specific questions he’d like, no sarcasm included.

  18. Adam on November 18th, 2004 9:30 am

    Tyler:

    I wasn’t trying to milk Caminiti’s for humor, but I can see how somebody would take it that way, so allow me to apologize if anyone was offended. I was trying to make a broader point that people who “can play” and are out of the game are out of the game for a pretty good reason. For every Jose Lima or Ruben Sierra, there seems to be at least as many Ryne Sandbergs, Jim Palmers, Ken Caminitis, Norm Charltons, etc.

  19. tyler on November 18th, 2004 10:31 am

    it’s cool. wasn’t sure… just thought that was a thin ice to tread on, at least so recently.

    personally i thought it funny… but sickly funny. and sad. i’ve seen an awful lot of Caminiti’s… he just happened to have more fame and made it farther before the fall.

    great post, DMZ.

    and i still say a NRI spring training slot isn’t a bad thing. assuming he can still walk. (which makes me think of the bionic knees comment, nyuk nyuk nyuk.)

  20. Evan on November 18th, 2004 11:27 am

    Hey, if Mo Vaughn can walk I’d give him an NRI in a flash.

    I doubt he can walk.

  21. Andy on November 18th, 2004 8:17 pm

    Good stuff! With the true “Grit” the M’s have been assembling for the roster the past few years (i.e. – Spezio/Arillia signings), why not take a shot at an X-MVP who cannot stand under his own weight. Maybe we can use him as a pitch hitter and have someone run for him like The Babe at the end of his career.

    Sign M’s Sign…those other free agents.

  22. GWO on November 19th, 2004 7:33 am

    And from out you really can’t make this stuff up department…