Way Out In Left Field

The Prodigal Son(s)

2013-04-23T08:16:00.001-07:00

Book of Zduriencik 15:11-32

¹¹Wedge continued: “There was an organization who had four sons: Jesus (not that Jesus), Dustin, Justin, and Kyle. ¹²The right side of the infield and the catcher said to their father, ‘Father, give us our share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.

¹³“Not long after that, Jesus, Dustin, and Justin got together all they had, set off for a miserable start to the season and there squandered their skills and and the faith of Mariner fans in a miserable existence. ¹⁴After they consistently batted under the Mendoza line, there was a severe famine of victories for the Mariners, and these three were in need of sustenance and extra-base hits. ¹⁵So they went early to BP, studied film, and 'got their minds right'. They practiced with Dave Hansen who sent them to his fields to feed pigs (okay, maybe Big Z got a little careless with the allusion here). ¹⁶ They longed to fill their stat sheets with the hits and averages and confidence that others were having, but it would not simply be given to Jesus (the other one, remember?), Dustin, and Justin.

¹⁷“When they came to their senses, they said, ‘How many of the Mariners are struggling right now, and here we are only making things worse! ¹⁸We will work hard and go back to the Mariners and say: Edgar (the most beloved Mariner of all-time is God), we have underperformed against you and all the Mariners faithful. ¹⁹We are no longer worthy to be called Major League Baseball players; make us like those baseball players who play in Tacoma.’ ²⁰So they left their respective homes and went to Minute Maid Park in Huston, Texas (Why Houston? That's a very good question).

“But while they were still a long way off from batting and statistical competency, the Mariner fans saw them and were filled with compassion and hope; they watched the Aprill 22nd game against the Astros, and after the game ran and embraced Jesus (THE OTHER ONE!), Dustin, and Justin.

²¹“They said to the Mariners fans, ‘Mariners fans, we have sinned against you, against the Mariners organization, and against Mendoza. We are no longer worthy to be called Mariners.’

²²“But the fans said to the three, ‘Quick! Take us to Houston; we can celebrate by PLAYING THE (L)ASTROS. ²³Put Felix on the mound and let him get number 100. Let’s have a batting feast: a combined 6-10 with 1 walk, 4 RBIs, and 3 runs scored for the lost players. ²⁴For these cornerstones of the Mariners organization were dead but are alive again; Dustin has almost found the other side of the Mendoza line!’ So they began to (prematurely) celebrate.

²⁵“Meanwhile, Kyle was over at third base. When he came the dugout at the end of the 7-1 victory, he heard music and dancing. ²⁶So he called one of the reporters over and asked what was going on. ²⁷‘Your teammates have come around,’ he replied, ‘and the Mariners fans have prematurely put their faith back in these three young hitters.’

²⁸“Kyle became angry and refused to go in. So the Mariners went out and spoke with him. ²⁹But he answered the Mariners, ‘Look! All this year I have been hitting and playing the field consistently. I'm on an 11-game hitting streak and have gone a combined 5-9 with 3 runs scored, 4 RBIs and 2 home runs in the last two games. Yet you never talk about my success and let me basque in the glory of being the only consistent Mariner position player. ³⁰But when Jesus (THE OTHER JESUS PEOPLE GET A HINT), Dustin, and Justin decide to start playing competently again, even if only for one game, you celebrate and make it seem like the Mariners are a-ok again!’
³¹“‘Kyle,’ the Mariners fans said, ‘you are always good, and all of our cheers and hope rest in you. ³²But we had to celebrate and be glad, because your three teammates were sufficiently dead at the plate now they are alive again; they were lost and now they maybe are found.’”

33 And somewhere off in rehab Michael Saunders is shouting: 'hey! Don't forget about me, the Condor!'

*Note: this is a dramatization of the recent existence for the Mariners. This series could be a breath of fresh air for the M's and these struggling hitters, or it could be an anomaly and they will fall off the map again. But two things need to happen:
1) Morse needs to get healthy and start hitting well again.
2) Saunders needs to be healthy and playing because he could solidify this Mariners lineup.

Go Mariners -- and blessed be those who take the time to turn the parable of the prodigal son into a blasphemous blog about the recent success of the struggling Mariner hitters.

Long Live the King.

-Charlie @C14SpencerD

The Cool Hundo

2013-04-17T16:19:00.000-07:00

Can Felix do it tonight? Third times a charm, right?

For all who live under a rock or choose to avoid technology for religious reasons, Felix Hernandez is going for his 100th win tonight against Miguel Cabrera *ahem* a Detroit team that has been hitting the snot out of the baseball. His last two times out the King has put up un-regal numbers, more jester-like if you asked me.

But tonight is the night the King nabs the cool hundo. Write that down as fact; if it isn't the case I will do something crazy and never tell any of you about it. But know I am confident he can do it tonight. Even if Max Scherzer strikes out the first 27 Mariners batters he faces, Felix will find a way to win this game.

This is going to be a fun game to watch if you enjoy playing chess, long drawn out games of risk, or enjoy the intricacies of competitive crocheting. This will be a pitching duel... unless the Mariners hitters come out of hibernation tonight. Dustin Ackley with an extra-base hit and a multi-hit game anyone? (I know I will never let it go).

But back to Felix.

I have no doubt in my mind that he is going to be a great pitcher throughout his time in Seattle *hopefully his entire career*. I want him to get that 100th tonight because he deserves it, because the Mariners deserve it, and I don't want the M's to have 10 losses already. He, and the Mariners, will find a way tonight.

On a note not entirely related to tonight's game, the Mariners are dropping like flies due to injury. In recent games Saunders (the condor not the lefty number 3 in the rotation who always looks so damn smug), Guti, Morse, and Pryor have been hampered by injuries. Arguably, those four make up a majority of what has been going good for the Mariners so far this season. Hopefully Saunders and Pryor can come back soon from the 15-day DL. And hopefully somebody is making Guti stretch and pray and take ice baths every half hour. And maybe somebody should start reminding Morse to keep his pinkies to himself.

As for the rest of the Mariners offense, they need to step it up and get that SoDo Mojo back. What happened to that Spring Training confidence? They youngsters seem more tentative and scared than ever, and can somebody please tell me if Ack and Smoak are going to ever figure it out? And what about Montero? The way the tea leaves read nowadays, it seems like Zunino will be up sooner than expected and Montero will be off floating in space- a place where the rare skill of being able to move your legs quickly in a forward direction is useless because you float around aimlessly and run into satellites manned by Soviets who were sent into the atmosphere during the Cold War. Maybe some 40 year old potato vodka could whip Montero into shape, and help me curtail my run-on sentences. I guess only someone named Fyodor or Illyich would know.

It just always seems like the M's hitters choose to be patient when they need to be aggressive, and choose to be aggressive when they need to be patient. And is it just me or does it always seem like the Mariners run into teams while they're getting hot? Or maybe it's just that the Mariners make other teams look hot because of how poor they often play. I've thought about this way too much and it's a vicious mental cycle, like watching too many episodes of the Twilight Zone in a row.

Regardless of those offensive woes though, Felix is going to notch W number 100 tonight (wow that last sentence reads more awkwardly than it sounded in my head).

Happy Felix Day to all, and to all in Seattle good afternoon; I am already consumed by darkness on the East Coast.

Look forward to that victory tonight... maybe this game will be a little more entertaining than the last couple... as a college student I've decided to go to bed at 10:30 instead of watching the games. I think that says it all.

Long live the King.

-Charlie @C14SpencerD

Sports Reality Check - the Boston Marathon

2013-04-16T08:01:00.002-07:00

This post has nothing to do with Mariners baseball. It has to do with humanity and the power of sports and the goodness of people in a time of crisis.

Yesterday I was running the Boston Marathon for charity, as a 'bandit' runner, along with 250 other Boston College students. One of the greatest sporting events in the U.S., I was wrapped up in the energy and excitement of it all. Running past BC dressed as Forrest Gump elicited shouts of "Run, Forrest, Run!" while a number of my friends jumped out of the crowd and raced down Comm ave. with me, urging me forward.

I felt like I was dying those last couple of miles, but a half mile from the finish line came the reality check.

Boston PD stopped the runners at Mass ave and Comm ave, halting an endless stream of exhausted, emotional, and anxious competitors.

We didn't hear the explosions, we didn't know what had happened.

Some of us stood while others tried to stretch, to keep themselves warm, unsure if we would be able to finish the race.

I went to the side street, seeing droves of people moving quickly away from the middle of the city. I asked two women with a "Run On" poster what had happened.

They replied: There were two explosions at the finish line.

Reality set in, and finishing the marathon was no longer important.

I'm sure you've all read about and heard about the panic that ensued, but there were moments of kinship, of humanity as well. A man still dressed in his chef clothes came out of a nearby restaurant, passing out water bottles to the exhausted and dehydrated runners. People were helping each other over the barriers, giving up their sweatshirts to keep each other warm.

Then came the phone calls, and the text messages.

By the end of the day over 50 people called or texted me to be sure I was safe and unaffected by the attack. Fifty people! Close friends, roommates, people I hadn't seen or spoken to since high school. It was an outpouring of attention and human concern that I will never forget. And it wasn't just for me. Almost every runner I knew got the same treatment; the world concerned not about whether or not they finished the race, but concerned about their safety and well-being.

There are bigger things in this world than finishing the marathon, watching a Mariners game, screaming at Dustin Ackley when he grounds out to second again. What matters are people, their families, their friends.

Yesterday reminded me of that.

The first thing I did when I heard the news was to contact those I feared were affected, happy to be assured of their safety.

But I was still overcome with grief, with a strange nausea I had never felt before. This attack was real. People I cared about had seen the explosions.

This was the 117th running of the Boston Marathon. An inspiring event that has been a symbol of charity, friendly competition, and heartbreak hill. But yesterday it wasn't about any of that, at least not at the end. What I am getting at here is that sometimes it is good to take a step back and put competition in perspective. I ran 25.7 miles and was prevented from finishing the marathon; but my frustration was short lived.

More things matter than finishing the race, winning the game, getting the strikeout. What matters are the people we love and care about, because without them we would have no one to celebrate with, and no one to chide after a victory.

I was reminded of a number of things yesterday: people are capable of doing terrible things, and that will never change; we can only try to grow out of that adversity, come together, and support one another. People care about one another, despite everything- time, distance, conflict- we are humans because we love and we feel for each other. And lastly, the power of the human spirit is miraculous, sacrificing, and beautiful.

I will never forget April 15, 2013. Yes it was the day I ran the Boston Marathon. Yes it was the Mariners first off-day of the season. But more than anything else, it was the day that reminded me of the innate goodness in people. I never heard anybody making angry, hateful phone calls.

They were only made to be sure that the people they loved were safe.

-Charlie @C14SpencerD

Things to Take Away from the First Week of Baseball

2013-04-08T18:50:00.004-07:00

By: Anthony

Well the Mariners are 3-4 going into their home opener tonight. They have left some wins on the table and also have gotten away with some wins, this is all to be expected. There is no point to freak out, yet. The number of panicked texts from Patrick about the team has been relatively low for this week, although I think that may be more a part of him being at the Elite Eight and Final Four than with the amount he is panicking already. Here are some things that I have noticed.

Full disclosure though I haven’t actually watched a game yet. I have had other things on my plate and forgot the password for the MLB.tv account I used last year.

Dustin Ackley is not the new Brendan Ryan

It is really easy to look at his current batting average or really any batting stat and write off Ackley already. But before we cut the guy one pick from Stephen Strasburg after a week into his junior season, he has changed his stance and it will take him some period of adjustment. I actually saw this in Spring Training and failed to bring it up. He starts with his bat on his shoulder and basically swings from that point. He cut out a lot of the extra movement before his swing. In theory, this will keep his body relaxed and allow him to see the ball better. It hasn’t worked yet, but Ackley has hit the ball hard and those will start falling in for hits.

"Hit the ball out there please"

Mike Morse is Strong

Patrick has texted me this a few times after some of his more impressive home runs this season. And I’ll be clear, I am not opposed to Morse as a hitter, just as any position other than DH. His defense has been shaky by all accounts and that has not helped the rotation out much. However, Homeruns!! Yay!!! And 10 K’s in 29 at-bats!!! This is essentially the Josh Hamilton approach that I preached against when we were courting him. It’s not sustainable and if he doesn’t change it pitchers will stop throwing him pitchers that he can hit 450 feet. But hey, Homeruns!!!

Joe Saunders is the new Kevin Millwood

Congratulations to you Joe, you have received the dubious honor of being my least favorite pitcher in the rotation. I don’t know if it is the AAA game I saw you give up numerous runs to AAA players or just something about you being awful. But welcome to the Kevin Millwood Club, I hope you don’t get comfortable.

I still love your beard Brandon

Brandon Maurer Welcome to the Big Leagues

So Brandon Maurer wasn’t stellar in his first start, sorry folks who thought we had the next Stephen Strasburg hidden under the radar. I still need to watch one of his games to issue some judgment of my own, but I heard he was struggling with his fastball command. That’s something that happens, he could have been nervous, but any pitcher will get an ERA of 9.00 when they can’t command their fastball.

The Rubber Match, or Trying to End the Roadtrip with a Winning Record

2013-04-07T08:57:00.002-07:00

Today is a big game for the Mariners for a lot of reasons. First and foremost, it is a regular season baseball game and when you win or lose one of those you get a + in the win column or the lose column that usually improves or hurts the trajectory of your season.

But in reality this early in the season there is a big difference between 4-3 and 3-4 for these uncertain Mariners. A winning record on this first road trip of the season against a division champ and a team we CANNOT seem to beat in Chicago would mean a lot for this team. Confidence wise. Record wise.

Felix did something yesterday that he hardly ever does. Giving up a Righty home run on an 0-2 pitch. We can forgive that because that hardly happens and you just have to live with it when it rarely does because it's Felix and Felix is the King.

However, the offensive is inconsistent and that is something that needs to change. Even though we've been scoring runs, our batting average is low and a couple of guys who need to get going still haven't. Smoak and Ackley have been patient at the plate, drawing a number of walks. But they need to get it going swinging the bat.

I understand Ackley has hit a few hard and has nothing to show for it, but he was a number 2 overall pick and my patience is starting to wear thin for a guy that I'm emotionally attached to as an athlete. We know you can do it Ack! Let's just hope these two are working out the kinks in their swings and all will end well.

Guti has looked good and so has Morse. But beyond that some serious consistency needs to develop. I hope it does too because the M's have the bullpen and the firepower to hang and win baseball games.

Today is a big game against the ChiSox's ace, Chris Sale. He can pitch, so this could be a rough game for the battery of Mariners who have had a rough start thus far.

The M's are countering with Iwakuma, who looked good last time out and needs to continue asserting himself in the number 2 slot in the rotation.

A win is a win but sometimes it is something so much more than a win. This first road trip could either portend success or mediocrity for the season-- and I think that will be defined and determined today whether or not the Mariners can gut out a win against a tough White Sox team.

Side gripe: Why does Brendan Ryan get a single when he literally THROWS HIS BAT at a pitch, where every single thing Ackley hits is either gobbled up, called for an error, or caught by a miraculously perfectly positioned outfielder? Today Ackley is going to have a mini break out of sorts (if he plays). I based that statement exclusive off of empirical evidence, facts, and statistics. And that's the truth. Trust me-- I am SOPHOMORE in college (a wise-fool for all those unfamiliar), so I really Do know everything.

*Update: Ackley isn't in the lineup today, so he will have to start the comeback against Houston at home tomorrow.

Go Mariners.

-Charlie @C14SpencerD

There Goes the Perfect Season

2013-04-04T08:19:00.001-07:00

Last night was rough. The M's teased us in the first with homers by Guti and Morse, only to shut down offensively for the rest of the game. Montero's slap-shot singles back up the middle were about it outside the first inning at the plate.

Saunders... oh lord Saunders... I sure hope last night was a fluke. He BARELY got through four innings, walking people left and right, serving up well hit doubles deep into the outfield gaps. And if it weren't for Guti's superior range and defensive, there would've been at least one more of those.

Saunders looked angry and confused and frustrated, while Montero was forced to slide around behind the plate preventing passed ball after passed ball.

Again, for the THIRD NIGHT IN A ROW (and the first time ever), Montero played three days in a row behind the dish. He is still looking competent, and he still tears up left handed pitching. Oh and with Morse's 3rd homer of the year the Jaso trade is starting to look less and less befuddling.

Bay and Andino got their first starts of the season. Bay was issued a walk in his first plate appearance as a Mariner and then went quietly along his merry way. But, but! he did have a nice relay throw to Ryan from the left field corner, saving a potential run at the plate by the A's 1B rookie Freiman (spelling?).

Andino didn't look like much of anything. He really wasn't tested defensively, and at the dish he hurt the Mariners more than helped.

As a keen observer, you have probably come to the realization that if Bay and Andino started, two starters had to sit. Bay played left and booted Saunders for the night (the other Saunders, the better Saunders thus far). Andino started at second, giving *tear* Ackley the day off. I think this was a smart decision on Wedge's part, giving Ackley a brain-day, avoiding the crafty lefty Milone and giving him some time in the cages to tidy up his new stance and balance at the plate.

Ok now I am done talking about last night... I stayed up till 1 am watching a game that really wasn't fun to watch as a Mariners fan. Or an A's fan I guess, their stadium looked pretty empty and I am just assuming not many people really follow the Athletics.

So now there is today... Maurer getting his Mariners debut... his beard being showcased for the world (yes, everybody and their mother watches A's-M's Thursday day-games).

I don't think anybody expects 8 innings of no-hit ball, but I would love to see Maurer find some good control and patience on the mound. We know he can strike people out, but I am more interested in seeing him get out of Major League jams like he did in spring ball.

Likewise, look for the Mariners to make a little more contact tonight, they've been walking and hitting dingers but really not getting all that many hits.

Let's see if they can't get the series here today. Although a 4-game series split against the reigning AL West division champs wouldn't be the worst way the Mariners could start the season.

Wait a minute..... the Athletics won the AL West last year??? I thought the Angels and Rangers were in that division too... huh. Kids these days.

-Charlie @C14SpencerD

Moonshots and casual strolls to first base

2013-04-03T09:42:00.001-07:00

There is a lot to be said about last night's 7-1 victory over the Oakland A~~-holes~~'s, but what needs to be talked about first is the professionalism of the lineup from top to bottom. With 8 walks and only 2 strikeouts, the Mariners were patient at the plate and drove up Parker's pitch-count, chasing him from the game in the 5th. We scored all 7 runs last night with 2-outs on the board, so I'm guessing we should start calling every guy on the team Kyle Seager.

Justin Smoak- JUSTIN SMOAK!!- was patient enough to draw a walk with the bases loaded to score a run. Saunders stole second and was then driven in by a vintage Seager (can 2012 be considered vintage? For wine, definitely not. For Pabst? That's much to old and probably rancid) 2-out double, which was followed up by the first RBI and the first hit as a Mariner for Kendrys Morales, the meatiest looking mother who doesn't even wear batting gloves. *My theory is that he couldn't fit the gloves over those brautwurst fingers.

Then, there was the Beast. One time Mariner Mike Morse, who now wants to be known as Michael Morse (because the two syllable first name gives a better introduction in his opinion) decided to take his yin and yang to the next level with two impressive dingers. The first was a three-run shot that put the Mariners ahead in the 3rd.

And a showy solo-shot in the 9th. He knew the minute he hit this ball that it was gone, and casually and confidently tossed his bat as one who gives zero fucks tosses cobras aside (for a hee-hawing good time watch this video if you've never seen it before. Funniest thing I've seen in a while).

Most everybody on the team looked good last night except for Ackley... which if you don't know by now kills me because I am irrationally attached to Dustin as I am to my beard (2+ months in the making). I expect him though to make a showing here in the next couple of games and get back on track.

Saunders looked intimidating on the base paths-- and wow Jaso really can't catch anybody stealing.

Seager was on base five times and looks nifty in the 2-hole. I like him and Saunders to kick off the game going 1-2.

Iwakuma looked like a solid number 2 starter, although I say that cautiously... a few too many balls were hit well to the warning track last night, and Cespedes reignited the Cuban Missile Crisis with his rope-shot solo dinger that gave the A's their only lead of the year so far.

Capps looked nasty. And Oliver Perez quick-pitched Cespedes like a crafty veteran who just wanted the game to be over with. *My roommate is laughing right now about that note on Perez; he is a die-hard Mets fan and cannot believe the Mariners had the audacity to give both Perez and Bay (the Mets versions of Bedard and Figgins) money to play for a professional baseball team.

And sorry, Raul, but I couldn't help but chuckle a bit when you lost that single to left between your legs for what seemed like an eternity. We love you and we always will, but we have to love your flaws too and one of those is outfield defense.

Morse was tested too defensively, and took advantage of his 6'5'' frame to snag a line drive that he misread off the bat.

And Gutie got some PT too, crushing a double off a good closer in Balfour and making a couple of putouts to end the 9th for the M's.

Finally the Mariners have a team 0.5 ERA and two victories by their starters so far this season. We are also averaging 4.5 runs per game, good enough for seventh in the league (and all of this really matters because it is the second game of the season and baseball isn't a marathon or anything absurd like that).

Overall a solid win last night. It was good to see patience at the plate and good hitting with RISP. Now all we need is for Morales to get it going and have Ackley start hitting the way he is supposed to in the 8 spot.

This could be a wild ride of the season, and it continues tonight with Saunders on the mound. Not sure what to expect from him, but we can only hope he eats up 200 innings this season like the Kung-Fu Panda eats up everything he can get his hands on, including Verlander fastballs.

-Charlie @C14SpencerD

Day One, in more ways than One

2013-04-02T08:06:00.000-07:00

It's a new season, and the Mariners won the Opener (again). It's a new Opening Day, and Felix won against the A's (again). This is a fresh start, A New Hope for the M's (thank you Star Wars).

Today is a new day too because it is my first day writing a blog, my first time on Way Out in Left Field, and my first time trying really hard to be funny. I am not funny, but I'll do my best not being cringe-worthy. And as I continue to write I will try to get more meat and potatoes in my fluffy blogging.

My name is Charlie, and I was high school sweethearts with Patrick and Anthony, your favorite (and only other) Way Out in Left Field bloggers. Though time and distafacebook.comnce has separated us, our bonds are as pure as a King Felix changeup. Nasty.

But let's not get sentimental.

Much like the Mariners, I am feeling good right now. The first W is in the book. An air of confidence in and around baseball for every team that won their first game. (Note: We are tied with the Astros, THE ASTROS!!!! for first place in the AL West. That's baseball for you).

Going to school in Boston requires serious dedication to the Mariners. Last nights game didn't start till 10:07, so of course I watched it in bed on my tiny laptop on MLB.tv. I also decided not to do homework, in honor of this new baseball season (it's amazing the things we can use to procrastinate). But enough about me... let's first talk about all this FACIAL HAIR:

Seriously though. Who stole all the razors from the clubhouse? Everybody looks glorious. Morse has a tidy 10:07 shadow. Wedge looks like a Confederate colonel in the Civil War. Ackley is, well, Ackley (he can do NO WRONG in my book; no wrong; like honestly).

Felix looked like the Felix of last July and August. Even though he got a little messy late, he dominated the A's lineup and reminded us why we love him and why he is the King and why he will make more money this year than I'll probably make in my entire life. He was pitching masterfully, and those balls and strikes were being thrown to a very ~~collected and competent,~~ ~~a competent~~, a screw it a collected and competent backstop Jesus Montero. He looked like he knew what he was doing. He looked alert, except for that foul tip that took his chin off and had him falling backwards in slo-mo. He was blocking those Felix pitches that get driven into the dirt with more movement than a kid who lost his ADD pills. I don't want to get greedy with such a small sample size, but my faith has increased marginally in Montero.

Oh, and he also had one of the most peculiar groundouts I've ever seen. He can run! He can run? No, he can't, but he sure is trying harder this year to not look like an old man walking on hot asphalt.

Smoak looked... oh you know how he looked and I really don't want to say it out loud or on the internet because I don't want to jinx anything. I hope he has a year this year that is consistent. I've really been pulling for him and this really is his last chance. Hope he can figure it out.

Morse and Morales were whiffing, and so was Saunders, but that really wasn't unexpected. We can only hope that they can hammer the ball deep every so often to help out the rest of our starting rotation.

Brendan Ryan is batting 1.000. Over the Mendoza line! For now. And how about that beautiful pirouette put-out of Cespedes last night?

All in all last night's game was fun to watch. It would've been more fun with more offensive fireworks, but I think I would enjoy watching Felix watch paint dry.

Tonight the M's are throwing Iwakuma versus Parker, and it should be a game we should watch because it's Mariners baseball and we will always love Mariners baseball no matter how much it hurts. And at least until tonight it won't hurt much at all. Thanks for the good start boys, let's keep it going.

P.S.: thank you readers for your patience with me. I hope to write a lot for you this season and any suggestions you have I would love to hear (and will surely take with a grain of salt). The truetotheblue juices are flowing, and I am excited to write for you and haphazardly reveal my biased thoughts on Mariners baseball. Follow me on Twitter @C14SpencerD if you have a heart, or a heart for the Mariners, or the desire to make my day 'cause I only have 13 followers (I got a Twitter about a week ago).

Go M's and Long Live the King!

Sorting Out the Offense

2013-03-30T12:16:00.002-07:00

I talked about the pitching here yesterday, and today we switch over to the offense and defense. And just a heads up, I am not a huge fan of the moves the M’s made. I don’t like Jason Bay, Mike Morse or Raul Ibanez. Kendrys Morales was ok until the other three showed up. I will explain my feelings in a bit but for now, here is the roster break down right now.

To be clear, the Casper Wells vs. Jason Bay roster battle has not yet been settled. However, I watched Casper Wells play in a AAA game yesterday while Jason Bay is with the M’s in Salt Lake. Meaning that Bay is the front-runner there and Wells has not been cut in case of injury.

Sorry Casper, looks like you didn't make the squad

Here are the 13 players who are starting the year with the Mariners

C Jesus Montero

1B Justin Smoak

2B Dustin Ackley

SS Brendan Ryan

3B Kyle Seager

LF Michael Saunders

CF Franklin Gutierrez

RF Mike Morse

DH Kendrys Morales

C Kelly Shoppach

INF Robert Andino

OF Raul Ibanez

OF Jason Bay

To make this seem easier, I am going to break this into probable lineups against righties and lefties.

LHPS

Catcher	Montero/ Shoppach
First Base	Smoak/ Morales
Second Base	Ackley
Shortstop	Ryan
Third Base	Seager
Left Field	Saunders/ Bay
Center Field	Gutierrez
Right Field	Morse
DH	Morales

RHPS

Catcher	Montero/Shoppach
First Base	Smoak/ Morales
Second Base	Ackley
Shortstop	Ryan
Third Base	Seager
Left Field	Saunders
Center Field	Gutierrez
Right Field	Ibanez/ Morse/Bay
DH	Morales/ Morse/ Ibanez

What really makes this situation super complex is the number of defensive options that actually exist and the variables that influence these options. Wedge has shown that he likes to play platoon splits, based off of how he handled the Jaso, Olivo, Montero threesome last year. But he also now has a lot of power at his disposal, which could lead him to ignoring splits and trying to get Morales and Morse as many AB’s as possible. Then there is Justin Smoak who is just the worst kind of baseball player. He is so teasing with his talent and then is awful. And all indications are he will get every chance possible to play regularly. Also, Morales is still not 100% in the field and Wedge has already said that he won’t get regular time there. And now we dive into the giant mess of GJMBSP (Giant Jumbled Mess of Big Strong Players).

"I have to play in the field? Thats totally not working out well"

So if we are facing a lefty, we want as many right handed hitters in the line up as possible. Except Saunders, who actually is pretty even with his platoon splits. That means Smoak and Morales, as switch hitters, should start at DH and 1B. Morse will probably get the start in right field, which makes myself and every Mariners pitcher cringe in horror. Then there is Jason Bay who could step in for Saunders if the platoon splits are worrying or if they want to give Morse a day off. Or Smoak, or Morales.

Now we get to right handed pitchers and the real dilemma of Raul Ibanez. If Ibanez gets a start now and then, as he should since he is on the roster and we don’t need another Chone Figgins-esque waste of a roster spot like last year, it gets weird. If Ibanez plays DH then Smoak or Morales must sit, a definite downgrade. If Ibanez starts in left, that means Saunders, Guti or Morse must sit. And if we start Ibanez and Morse in the outfield, I pray for mercy on that pitcher because those two could not stop a balloon filled with helium from falling for a single.

Robert Andino= Total baller

So in conclusion, we have about 5 guys who can play the outfield and 5 guys who can play 1B/DH. This leaves us with Robert Andino who is left backing up all three infield spots that aren’t first base. So pretty much Wedge has left himself a deep dark hole of roster confusion to deal with. Or, to look at it another way, he can play around with the lineups to his hearts content, just with positions that are often not messed around with. This team has a lot of flexibility at the 1B/DH/C/LF/RF spots, and very little flexibility elsewhere. Oh, and by the way, our first pinch runners off the bench are looking like Andino and Jason Bay. Who is excited for Mariners baseball?

Sorting Out the Mariners Pitching

2013-03-29T11:10:00.001-07:00

This is all sort of late and whatever, but this is a second blog post in two days. I’m taking baby steps here. Soon, you might even get some new, original, up-to-date and interesting content. I really shouldn’t get your hopes up though, that was dumb of me. Anyway, since I am lazy and would rather spend tomorrow looking at the GJMBSP (Giant Jumbled Mess of Big Strong Players) that is our offense right now I will be looking at our pitching situation.

Yeah Hisashi, I'm already predicting your stats, don't suck please

Starters

Felix Hernandez

Hisashi Iwakuma

Joe Saunders

Brandon Maurer

Blake Beavan

I already discussed the last three yesterday and can sum up that discussion in a few words. I love Brandon Maurer’s beard. Joe Saunders is in the running to be this year’s Kevin Millwood. Blake Beavan is still Blake Beavan. Now we move onto Felix and Hisashi Iwakuma.

I had the pleasure of watching Iwakuma face the Chicago Cubs yesterday and despite their regulars only getting one at-bat before the scrubs showed up, Iwakuma did fine. He is weirdly consistent in that he will strike out a few guys, walk a few guys and give up a home run. I am really tempted to project his stats this year in the 15-10 with a 3.58 ERA and a HR/9 of about .80. That’s right, its been published on the internet, I am totally accountable for those projections. And I guess I’ll stand by it, whatever, he is Hisashi Iwakuma. Despite suffering from dry skin issues yesterday, I am totally serious too, he looked like the boring, consistent and not sexy pitcher I remember. That is absolutely a good thing. We need all the consistency we can get with Saunders, Beavan and Maurer behind him.

Instead of discussing how awesome Felix Hernandez is, I will leave you with a slideshow of awesome pictures of Felix pitching and doing other things. You’re welcome.

Pensive Felix

Excited Felix

Peek-a-boo Felix

Flexible Felix

Bullpen

Carter Capps

Stephen Pryor

Tom Wilhelmsen

Kameron Loe

Oliver Perez

Lucas Luetge

Charlie Furbush

This is the exact same bullpen as last year, except Josh Kinney grew like a foot and totally changed his appearance, pitching mechanics, and name. I automatically like Kameron Loe because he is tall, but he offers similar results to Kinney. Whereas Kinney used off-speed stuff ad nauseum, Loe uses his fastball and steep angle of release to get a bunch of groundballs. He can also pitch a few innings and will play the “long-relief” role along with Charlie Furbush. Lucas Luetge’s hair is looking super awesome, for everyone who cares. WHICH SHOULD BE EVERYONE! He has since gotten his hair trimmed. Because his wife wanted him too. I am not pleased with you Mrs. Luetge. Wilhelmsen has not looked good so far, but I don’t really care because Spring Training stats really mean nothing. I saw Carter Capps pitch against the Cubs scrubs yesterday and he looks like the real deal. He could very easily threaten for the closer role this year and definitely next year. His fastball looked as awesome as ever and he has a lot more confidence in his slider than last year. I’m excited to watch him this year. Stephen Pryor is still throwing gas, as was expected and Charlie Furbush is still classic Charlie "Whirling Dervish" Furbush.

This pitching staff will not be as good as it was last year. Saunders, despite having almost identical stats to Vargas, is on the wrong side of 30 but should be around league average, depending on how much the fence changes affect fly balls. Felix is Felix. Hisashi is Hisashi. Beavan is still a ham sandwich. The real wild card is Brandon Maurer, who hasn’t pitched above AA before. Remember last time the M’s broke camp with a guy who hadn’t pitched above AA before? He didn’t give up an earned run until June 19^th. He was also Lucas Luetge, a lefty specialist, but whatever. If Maurer can’t hang with the major league hitters, Erasmo Ramirez is waiting in Tacoma. But I think Maurer will surprise people and potentially go Erasmo all over everyone (I think Erasmo-ing is totally catching on). This rotation is solid, but the GJMBSP will have to hit to carry this team to a winning record.

The Spring Training Post: Only Two Months Late

2013-03-28T09:54:00.001-07:00

Ok, so at this point I am not even going to try and justify why Patrick and I haven’t been writing much. Sorry I have a life and spend many weekends of my chasing a piece of plastic. That part of my life is mostly over and my calendar has opened up. So I am giving some of you readers who are still with us for some reason, a slice of my newly discovered time. This also correlates with my trip to Arizona to watch the Mariners. Due to some unfortunate scheduling, I will only get to see one game and will not get to watch any practice. Such is life. To be totally honest, this isn’t the first article I’ve tried to write on Spring Training. I wrote one about a week and a half ago and sent it to Patrick. Who didn’t post it. Probably because it was not very good. So this is my second attempt to get people fired up for the Mariners in 2013. You fired up yet?

These guys are fired up

This Spring has been full of surprises and some things that were essentially already set. Brandon Maurer has made the rotation, that’s a surprise. Mike Zunino did not, shocker! As much as I would love to break down the roster and tell you whether it will be Casper Wells or Jason Bay making the roster, I really don’t know. A rejuvenated Jason Bay could get much more value at the trade deadline, but he also has not been a productive player since 2009. Wells has his own issues and did suffer an injury earlier in Spring Training, which cost him some games and chances to prove himself. He’s the safe bet between the two, but Wedge rarely thinks like I do and he could gamble on Bay figuring out his swing.

I’ll cover the details of the rotation, offense and how Wedge plans on playing Montero, Morales, Smoak, Morse and Ibanez all at once tomorrow or Friday. I really haven’t looked at too much and it’s kind of a giant jumble of really big, strong, slow baseball players. For now, you will have to settle with me discussing Brandon Maurer, Joe Saunders and Blake Beavan. The new Three Amigos. (Thank all things holy I don’t have to talk about Hector Noesi anymore.)

Blake Beavan

As much as I hate Blake Beavan and how boring he is, he somehow managed to make the roster again. Although, if things break right (And by right I mean badly for Beavan), he will be sent down to AAA and Erasmo Ramirez will retake the spot he should have had locked up after last year and this Spring. (I’m a little bitter). Beavan has made himself more interesting in the off-season though. He went and worked with the pitching coach at University of Texas who changed up his mechanics a little. The difference being that Beavan now releases the ball higher in the air, giving it more of a downward angle as it moves toward the batter. This makes it harder to hit the ball in the air, and will absolutely make Beavan better. It also makes it harder to pick out off-speed pitches, so Beavan might actually strike out some guys this year. But I don’t see his changes benefitting him too much. A 1.36 HR/9 can fall only so far and Beavan still does not have the stuff to be effective at the MLB level. Ramirez, who I expect to handle AAA with ease, should replace him within two months.

Brandon Maurer

The first thing you need to know with Brandon Maurer is that he is awesome. Look at this beard. Look at it again. I really don’t care if he pitches like Jeff Weaver, that beard is the greatest thing about this 2013 M’s team. He also put up some awesome numbers in Spring Training, but those things are just as important as the shower cap in hotel rooms. Everyone knows that Maurer is the guy who beat out the Big 3 for Minor League Pitcher of the Year. These are the three things you need to know about Maurer before he debuts with the team.

I think I am lost in his eyes

1. He has an awesome beard.

2. He played on the same high school baseball team as Gerrit Cole, number one draft pick for the Pirates

3. He is really good. Polished, smart and not afraid to use his secondary stuff. Don’t be surprised if he goes Erasmo on us. (I may be trying to get that word into everyday conversation)

Show me your mean face Joe

Joe Saunders

I first knew who Joe Saunders was when he was a young lefty for the Angels who somehow outperformed and was a solid starter for my fantasy baseball team. He is about 90% Jason Vargas and 10% Jarrod Washburn. If you are jumping out of your chair in excitement, just wait, there’s more. There isn’t more, sorry, Saunders is not very good. And I really don’t see him doing much more than filling a spot until Hultzen is ready or losing his spot to Erasmo Ramirez if Beavan suddenly Erasmo’s (That wasn’t forced right?). I think Joe Saunders is this year’s Kevin Millwood. Damn.

There will be more content coming soon. I swear on the lack of flexibility on our roster right now and the combined K percentage of Morse, Morales and Smoak. And that right there is a promise.

Jack Z Makes a Really Awful Trade

2013-01-16T17:21:00.001-08:00

By: Anthony

As a college student, I have certain freedoms that I do tend to indulge in that other, older people do not have. The abundance of sunshine where I am is one of them, In-N-Out burgers are another thing, but my favorite indulgence is napping.

I may have to only wake up at 10AM but that is still too early for me sometimes, so I take a midday nap when I get the chance. So as I was beginning to settle in for a snooze today I was awoken by a text from my brother. It read “Morse Eh?” and was quickly followed by Patrick texting me “Morse!” That instantly made me go to Twitter and investigate. Sifting through the Manti Te’o fake girlfriend stories, I found a few stories about the M’s closing in on Mike Morse. I wasn’t a fan of adding Morse because, as I told Patrick a week ago, he really fills the hole we have at 1B and DH. He didn’t get the sarcasm.

This is a top result when you google search for MIke Morse images. I am not kidding

Anyway, I then kept looking through my tweets and saw that it was a three-way trade and the A’s were the third team involved. Cool, good for Billy Beane. Then I saw the thing that ruined any chance I had at finishing my siesta. John Jaso was whom we traded away in return for Morse. I then quickly replied to both Patrick and my brother with expletive-heavy texts.

This is an awful trade for the Mariners. And the worst thing is that there are ~~six~~ seven reasons why this is an awful trade for the Mariners and leaves them in a super awkward place roster-wise.

1. Mike Morse can only play 1B/DH. I really couldn’t tell you who would be a worse outfielder, him or Raul Ibanez. And even worse, I don’t know whom that is a worse insult to. As a reminder, that now makes three first basemen on the roster right now, four if you count Ibanez and five DH’s.

2. Fine, I’m adding an extra reason in case the M’s see Morse as an outfielder. We already have Guti, Saunders, Wells, Thames, Carp, Peguero and Bay competing for a spot in the outfield. And Morse needs Guti next to him in center to hide his lack of defense. So not only does he not clear up anything at 1B/DH, but he also makes the outfielder even harder to figure out.

I'll say this for Morse, he knows how to prepare for Seattle weather

3. Jesus Montero is the only catcher on the 40-man roster right now. Yes, the same Jesus Montero who is supposed to be transitioning from C to DH and 1B. And there is no way the organization is counting on Mike Zunino breaking camp with the team. So we either carry one catcher all year, or have to sign or trade for another C who will now see significant playing time and will probably be awful offensively.

4. Mike Morse broke into the league in 2005. Seven seasons ago. And has played in 485 games. That is less than 70 games a season. He has broken 500 AB’s in a season once in his career. He is a huge injury risk and becomes a free agent after this upcoming season. To summarize this reason, we could be giving up John Jaso for most likely less than a whole season of Mike Morse.

5. John Jaso is really good. He was by far one of the best hitters on the 2012 M’s and did so partially from the catching position, normally a position of offensive ineptitude. His .850 OPS put him in the company of Alex Rios, Paul Konerko and Austin Jackson. He was the 5^th best catcher in the MLB by that metric. I know he faced favorable matchups and was pretty bad against lefties. But still, he has way more value than Mike Morse.

6. More on John Jaso, he gets paid less than $500,000 this year and is not a free agent until 2016. He also has an awesome beard. As one who has grown a similar beard to Jaso (The amish neck beard), he truly was a source of inspiration for me and all other amish-beard fanatics.

Justin Smoak, Kendrys Morales, Mike Morse, Raul Ibanez have to share 1B and DH now. Process that for a while. And we gave up one of our best players to let that situation happen.

I'll miss you John

Is this the worst trade Jack Z has made while in Seattle? I wouldn’t go that far, the Fister trade was pretty bad. But this trade only further muddles the water of the 2013 Mariners roster by adding a piece we simply did not need and giving away a piece we sorely did need. Not to mention that the piece coming in is more expensive, more injury prone and will be a free agent sooner than the piece leaving. I might have to go for a run or something right now since I can’t nap. Just kidding, I’ll just go to In-N-Out and drown my sorrows in a double-double or something.

Seattle Mariners 2013 New Years Resolutions

2013-01-03T14:31:00.000-08:00

By: Anthony

Happy New Year to all of our readers, and here it is, much to Patrick’s chagrin, our first post of 2013 (Only took three days!). Like many people across the world, various members of the Seattle Mariners made New Year’s Resolutions. Thanks to our tireless reporting and sources close to various members of the team, we have learned some of these resolutions made by the team.

Blake Beavan- Be even more Blake Beavany this coming year. Go for the Perfect Beavan (attempting going an entire game without missing a bat).

Carter Capps- Figure out if the mythical pitch called the “changeup” is real or if Carl Willis is just messing with him.

Felix Hernandez- Find a way to face 26 batters in a complete game. Also, shore up fiscal policies in Court as well as limiting serf’s freedom further.

Hisashi Iwakuma- Bring the excitement and dance moves his idol Muenori Kawasaki brought to the clubhouse last year.

Lucas Luetge- Take the term LOOGY (Left-handed one out guy) to a whole new level, spitting a mixture of saliva and phlegm at all strikeout victims.

Hector Noesi- Learn difference between 2-0 and 0-2 counts.

Stephen Pryor- Do all possible to change awful Mariner hashtag “Pryorfire.” Including learning knuckleball and epheus

Erasmo Ramirez- Become best Nicaraguan pitcher in MLB.

Note: Vincente Padilla is the only other Nicaraguan pitcher in the MLB. So be better than Padilla.

Tom Wilhelmsen- Develop signature drink called “The Hammer Curve.” Must include 151 Rum and Everclear.

John Jaso- Grow beard more often.

Jesus Montero- To further piss off Jeff Sullivan, change facial hair daily.

Dustin Ackley- Tell Justin Smoak he doesn’t want to be in a band with him and Kyle Seager

Kendrys Morales- Develop a cool, less dangerous celebration for walk-off home runs. Also, hit walk-off home runs.

Brendan Ryan- Play “How low can my batting average get before I get benched” less often and win a gold glove.

Kyle Seager and Justin Smoak- Get Ackley to join band, or find another second baseman that can play oboe.

Franklin Gutierrez- Purchase personal bubble to prevent catching polio from Saunders. Also, learn to play baseball in personal bubble.

Michael Saunders- Convince Gutierrez that Canada also vaccinates against polio. Free healthcare!

Carlos Peguero- Open eyes when he swings more often.

Eric Thames- Sue Thames River for stealing name and change pronunciation.

Casper Wells- Follow lead of Eric Thames and sue deep holes sunk into the earth to obtain water.

Raul Ibanez - Land an endorsement deal with Warren Zevon, allowing him to go on tours after he retires. If you don't get this, go to some Mariners games. Side note: Warren Zevon died in 2003

Jason Bay - Disprove some Canadian stereotypes and hit his weight.

How Jason Bay and Raul Ibanez Fit in 2013

2012-12-26T12:46:00.002-08:00

With the addition of Jason Bay and Raul Ibanez, the Mariners offseason is looking more active, but not really productive. The Jason Vargas trade is nice, Kendrys Morales is a fun player, as long as he stays away from walk-off home run celebrations. But I really don’t like the addition of Bay or Ibanez. They are redundant and waste spots on the roster. I am struggling to see how they make sense without more trades coming and I’ll show you why by breaking down what the roster could look like in 2013.

In 5 seconds, bad things will happen

The infield is pretty set with Jaso, Montero, Morales, Smoak, Ryan, Ackley and Seager. However, we do still need a third catcher who can backup Montero or Jaso when both are in the lineup. And then a backup infielder that can play the other three spots is necessary to give Ackley, Ryan or Seager a day off, either someone like Nick Franklin, Carlos Triunfel or a cheap free agent. So that is nine guys needed to fill in the infield spots on the roster. The Mariners now have to decide to carry 11 or 12 pitchers. If Bay makes the roster, the M’s will be forced to carry 11 pitcher because we cannot have Bay/Ibanez playing everyday, they are too old and not good enough defensively. If Bay doesn’t that makes things a little more interesting.

These guys are fighting for the 4 or 5 roster spots

Eric Thames (L)

Michael Saunders (L)

Raul Ibanez (L)

Jason Bay (R)

Franklin Gutierrez (R)

Casper Wells (R)

Mike Carp (L)

Saunders, Wells and Guti can all fill in at CF. And I expect Guti and Saunders to be playing most of the time after successful seasons last year. Ibanez seems to be fitting in the role as bench player who could be platooned with Bay or Wells in left field. It seems like Wells is battling Bay for the platoon spot with Raul. However, if Bay does make it, Wells seems like the most likely to get the 5^th outfield spot because he can play center and backup Saunders and Guti when/ if they get injured.

Please do awful in Spring Training

If Bay does do awful in Spring Training and does not make the roster and Wells does platoon with Raul, its Thames against Carp for the 5^th outfield spot. Or another reliever. Wilhelmsen, Capps, Pryor, Luetge, Furbush, Perez all seem to be locks so it is a question of Kinney, Ruffin, Kelley or LaFromboise. This is just as complicated as it looks on paper.

The outfield of Saunders, Guti, Bay/Ibanez does not seem very good. Offensively, Ibanez is not very good anymore. His stats were inflated by playing in Yankee Stadium and being strictly platooned to favor himself. Even if we do that, playing in Safeco will hurt him, as will being a year older and having to play defense. Bay is a wild card who has some reward for a very small investment. But their addition, at best, makes one slightly above average outfielder and wastes two roster spots. Fantastic. Casper Wells and Eric Thames are a much better option than Ibanez and Bay. But they will be stuck fighting it out with Bay for a roster spot.

So for now, with the addition of Ibanez, Morales and Bay, the Mariners may not have gotten better but they have made their roster decisions much more difficult and they are in no way done with their moves this offseason. And it looks like Mike Carp and maybe even Eric Thames could be the ones moving away from the Pacific Northwest.

And now it has been announced that DJ Mitchell has been designated for assignment to make room for Raul, meaning the M’s have 10 days to trade, cut or resign him off of the 40 man roster. So, for the record this is what happened on the 40 man roster.

Added- Raul Ibanez from 2009-2012

.280/ .349/.517 at home, in New York and Philadelphia (Lefty friendly ball parks)

.239/.301/.417 on the road

Dropped (Potentially)- DJ Mitchell in 2012 in AAA

9-6, 4.29 ERA, 7.03 K/9, 3.21 BB/9, 0.8 HR/9

FANTASTIC!

Mariners Trade Value Rankings

2012-12-02T12:46:00.002-08:00

By Patrick

With the Winter Meetings fast approaching (they take place Dec. 3-6, which is next week) and Jonah Keri writing a similar list recently for Grantland, we here at Way Out in Left Field decided to make a trade value rankings list of our own.

Anthony will be commenting on my selections and making sure that there is someone there to make fun of me/call me out if I put Carlos Peguero on this list. He is far too excited to do this.

A few guidelines before I start. This list factors in every player in the Mariners organization. Whereas Keri's list only featured major leaguers, my rankings includes players on the active roster, on the 40-man, and those who aren't on either yet.

Moreover, I ranked the players based on their ability to acquire the most possible talent in return if traded. The rankings are not impacted by the likelihood a player will get traded whatsoever. James Paxton doesn't get any sort of boost because the Royals would send the Mariners Billy Butler if he was included in the deal, for example. (If you are playing a drinking game for this article, drink every time Patrick mentions Billy Butler)

Finally, I chose to rank 15 players to show I have a bit of organizational confidence. Twenty-five would have been too many, and 10 wouldn't have told the whole story. So 15 it is.

Without further ado, your Way Out in Left Field trade value rankings (don't sue us Grantland):

15. Hisashi Iwakuma

He's sort of unknown still, since he only has one major league season under his belt, and started for only half that time. But what he showed as a starter makes him valuable. He finished last season with a 9-5 record and a 3.16 ERA. However, his contract isn't the most economical, as he's set to make $6.5 million this season with a $7 million option for 2014.
Iwakuma gets K's and if he can control the homerun problem he had last year, could be one of those weird trades that nobody really pays attention to because, well, he is Hisashi Iwakuma.

14. Jason Vargas

The Mariners have seemingly been shopping Vargas for a while now, and the fly-balling lefty could be capable of bringing a B-level prospect back from a willing buyer. His value could certainly depreciate in 2013, as the spaciousness of Safeco (which is thought to be his saving grace most of the time) decreases with the fences coming in. However, he's coming off of a career year, where he set a career high in wins at 14-11 with a 3.85 ERA. His consistency increased, and that bodes well for him in a trade, even with his expect $7 million-plus new deal through arbitration this winter.
And so continues Patrick's love affair with Dr. Jekyl. As someone not in love with Jason, I see a package that is less than what we got for Jarrod Washburn. Meaning worse than Luke "I am pretty awful" French and Mauricio "Why was he put on the 40 man roster in 2010" Robles.

13. Michael Saunders

Roughly nine months ago, the Condor's inclusion on this list would have been ludicrous (Or Rickdiculous). However, after a solid 2012 season during which he hit .247 with 19 homers and 57 RBI, he could definitely draw some value players, especially if included in a bigger deal, like the one Dave Schoenfield suggested the other day. His contract situation is interesting, as he missed the "super two" deadline by one day, which would have allowed him salary arbitration for this upcoming season. Instead, he'll probably make well under $1 million again this season and therefore be a cheap option for teams looking for outfield depth.
What has to be remembered when thinking about Saunders' trade value at this point, is that he was a horrible player before last year. So you may understand why some teams aren't so high on the condor right now.

12. Mike Zunino

This was a tough one to gauge for two reasons. First, there's no way in hell the Mariners would ever trade him. He's the catcher and offense stalwart of the future for the organization. As a result, not much is known about how other organizations value him, so his trade return becomes harder to evaluate. The fact remains that Zunino looks like a complete stud from his time in Everett, Jackson, and the AFL with the Peoria Javelinas (awesome name). He could appear with the Mariners in 2013. He was drafted in June 2012. That doesn't often happen. The guy can rake. His trade value will increase even more if he proves he can stick behind the plate.
The Javelina is actually a collared peccary. And if you know what a peccary is, congratulations. In other news, I would not call him an offensive stalwart just yet, small sample sizes and all. But Zunino will not be traded, mostly because of the reasons Patrick listed but also because my brother bought his jersey already. His jersey collection now includes Zunino, Ichiro and Lofa Tatupu. Oh wait, nevermind...

11. Tom Wilhelmsen

The Bartender established himself as a legit closer in 2012, with 29 saves in 34 opportunities after taking over in May for Brandon League. He has two superb pitches, his heater and hammer-curve, which make him a perfect late game out-getter. Plus, he has an astounding four more years of club control, which makes him easy to move. The only reason he's this far down on this list is because he's a reliever, and the Mariners have two other relievers with more trade upside.
For those readers who don't know, its really easy to find decent relievers from the scrap heap. Look at Oliver Perez, Josh Kinney and Wilhelmsen. He is one of the people who could actually get moved mid-season and actually get us something interesting, like more than Luke "Secretly loves Rebecca Black" French and Mauricio "I prefer Burger King to McDonald's" Robles

10. Stephen Pryor
9. Carter Capps

These two will be linked by Mariners followers because of the proximity of their big league call-ups in 2012 and their abilities to throw 100 MPH gas (And baseballs). Both are under club control for another half-decade, and they both showed MLB talent in limited action last season. Pryor became the defacto set-up man for the M's later in the year, and Capps showed huge upside in middle relief. The Mariners won't trade these guys, since they view them both as potential future closers.
All we need now is for my brother to buy both their jerseys and they'll be here for good, right?

8. Nick Franklin

Is this a little low for the Mariners' top hitting prospect? Probably. But there is too much mystery surrounding Franklin for him to be higher. Will he make it to the majors this season? What position does he play best, short, second, or somewhere else? Can he improve upon his .243 in AAA last year and be a solid, top-of-the-order MLB hitter? Too many questions. He would be a nice piece in a Billy Butler trade however.
Yes, this is low for a switch-hitting middle infielder with power who is only 21 and played last year in AAA. And that's one drink.

7. Dustin Ackley

Ackley and Franklin are pretty similar, with Dustin being Nick's major league equivalent. Ackley shined in his rookie year, hitting .276 in half a season. It seemed natural that he would improve into a legit .300 hitter at the top of the lineup. Then he hit .226. So, at this point, nobody really knows what Ackley will become at the major league level. He was considered untouchable a year ago, but now, he might make an intriguing trade piece at the Winter Meetings.
Nobody really knows where he will play at the major league level either. And since he survived the sophomore slump, he will be fine. Also, what happens at the winter meetings? Do the GM's and team executives talk all day? Seems pretty dull to me.

6. James Paxton

I wanted to group the big three together, but that really doesn't make sense, especially since Paxton struggled with injuries (Injury) in 2012. He has always been considered the least of the group of elite pitching prospects which also includes Danny Hultzen and Taijuan Walker. Paxton went 9-4 with a 3.05 ERA in 21 starts last season in AA Jackson. He threw about five innings per start, which means he's not as MLB ready as some teams (the Royals apparently) think. Still, he could probably be the centerpiece of a big deal for a guy like Billy Butler. I want Billy Butler. Can you tell?
No, I had no idea. Your parents must love shopping for you for Christmas. Also, I don't see the Royals getting Paxton or any of our guys. They want MLB ready pitching, not prospects. So no Billy Butler, sorry Patrick. Here's a cute picture of him to remember him by as you drink a second time.

5. Kyle Seager

One year ago, Seager being on this list would have been crazy. It's hard to remember, but in April, the Mariners thought Seager would back up Chone Figgins at third in 2012. He then went on to lead the team offensively, hitting .259 with 20 homers and 86 RBI. His 86 RBI ranked third among MLB third basemen, behind Miguel Cabrera and Adrian Beltre. So Seager is possibly the Mariners' most valuable organizational hitter. I don't think he is, but you could certainly make that case, and Seager could draw some top players in a trade.
Hmmmm.... I never thought I would see the day that Seager is mentioned in the same list as Beltre and Cabrera, except at a chicken wings eating contest. I would put money on Beltre to win that, he is more aerodynamic than Cabrera.

4. Danny Hultzen

Hultzen could probably pitch in Seattle in April. He could headline a trade for a top major league bat. But what is his upside? He went 8-3 with a 1.19 ERA in the season's first half in Jackson. Maybe that's his upside? Then he went 1-4 with a 5.92 ERA in Tacoma. That's not his upside. Hopefully, the Tacoma stint was just a sign of fatigue for Hultzen. He was only drafted about a year and a half ago. A lot of people forget that. Other organizations still salivate over him, and so I could almost see him getting swapped one-for-one for a great prospect hitter like Will Myers if that's what Jack Z wanted to do.
Nope, nope, nope. Wil Meyers will not be swapped one for one for Hultzen. Maybe Walker and a toss in, like Mauricio "I prefer Crystal Geyser bottled water" Robles. I don't know if many teams salivate over players, unless they have cannibalistic tendencies like the San Diego Padres, but that was in the 80's and everyone was a little weird then.

3. Taijuan Walker

The Mariners view Walker as the next Felix. We heard so much about Hultzen last year, people overlook the fact that Tai had a terrible year in Jackson. He went 7-10 with a 4.69 ERA. Not exactly ace material. But the hype still exists within and outside the organization, and he's only 20. That's his biggest asset. He's still really young. He's a year away from the majors most likely, and that's why he doesn't rank as the ace on this list.
I will throw this out there, he threw more innings than he has in his entire life this year so fatigue probably is an issue. However, he could be moved if the M's do their usual surprise everyone thing, and what we would get would be glorious. Let's just hope that if he goes to the Padres, they stay strong and don't get tempted like they did with Jake Peavy.

2. Jesus Montero

The former top prospect in the Yankees organization has diminished in value for two reasons. One, he can't play catcher according to everyone who matters (So everyone but Miguel Olivo and Mauricio "I think fire alarms are fun" Robles). So he'll be a career DH unless he learns to play first base. Learn to play first, Jesus. Secondly, he was underwhelming last year. He hit .260 with 15 homers and 62 RBI. Not great, but pretty typical Mariners numbers. This year will be big in determining his future success as far as opposing GMs are concerned. For now, he could easily be swapped one-for-one for Billy Butler (Drink) and both teams would be satisfied. I do not endorse this trade however.
Stop thinking about Billy Butler! He is way too hot for us right now, we are the nerdy kid in high school right now who will get rich after college. Billy Butler is the super hot girl in high school. Way out of our league. And for Montero's first season in the MLB in the wilds of Safeco, he wasn't too bad. Just learn to play first Jesus, I'll teach you. First lesson, put foot on base and then catch the ball.

1. Felix Hernandez

The King is the only Mariners player that could draw one or more top prospect back on his own. He was top five in the Cy Young this year, and threw a perfect game, which, fun fact, only 22 other pitchers have done (But Phil Humber is on that list). But Jack Z has said he's not going anywhere. Fine by me. All hail the King.
Would it be funny if someone tried a coup this year. Like if Erasmo Ramirez starting wearing a "Impeach the King" shirt around? Or if Carter Capps hung a sign in the bullpen that said "Viva la Revolucion!" I don't know about his pitching but Felix's fiscal policies have failed and don't get me started on his foreign policy decisions. If you can't tell, I am not worried about Felix getting traded.
We'll continue to update these rankings if one or more of these players gets moved.

A Brief Rundown on the Offseason

2012-11-21T11:51:00.000-08:00

By: Anthony

Offseason Rundown: Mariners Rumors and Speculation Galore

If you haven’t been paying attention to the off-season, not much has happened. Psyche! The Marlins traded almost their entire team to the Blue Jays, who then followed that up by signing Melky Cabrera. The Jays also have a manager now in Jay Gibbons and they are the new sexy pick to win the AL East, like the Marlins were last year. The Melky signing hurts the Mariners more but for 2 years and 16 million, I am not upset about it. Melky only made sense to me at a one-year deal because of the PED issues and general inconsistency in his career.

Now the obligatory note about Josh Hamilton. (We will delve into this issue in much more depth soon.) Of course the Mariners have been linked to him, as well as the Orioles, Phillies, Red Sox and Braves. His asking price has been rumored at 175 million. I don’t like many players at 175 million, let alone aging sluggers with injury and drug problems. So there’s that.

There has been no news on the Nick Swisher front, but in other former AL East corner outfielder news Cody Ross is available. Since the Mariners need offense and corner outfielders, Ross’ name was bound to come up. He is similar to Swisher but is not a switch hitter and has been less consistent throughout his career. If we cannot sign Swisher, Ross is a solid consolation prize.

"What is this place they call 'Seattle'"

A rumor I heard the other day that intrigues me but is only a rumor revolves around Billy Butler. The Royals first baseman is a stud and would bring a good approach, power and would hold down first base for awhile. His price would be quite high, probably one of the big three and another B level prospect like Stefan Romero, Brad Miller or Francisco Martinez, or Brandon Maurer, Nick Franklin and a low level prospect. I am quite high on Butler but it will take a lot to pry him away from the Royals.

Speaking of Nick Franklin, the M’s got an insurance policy against him in Robert Andino. They traded away Trayvon Robinson for the utility infielder who should compete with Franklin as the backup middle infielder or will take that role should Franklin be traded away. Andino is a light hitting backup, essentially Muenori Kawasaki minus the awesomeness. Robinson didn’t really have a spot on the team this year with a free agent filling in one spot in the outfield and Wells/Carp/Peguero/Someone else filling in the other. He is not a big loss unless you are my father who loved him for some reason.

I for one will miss this beautiful man

In 40-man roster moves, Chone Figgins and Scott Cousins were designated for assignment, meaning we have 10 days to cut, trade or send them to the minors. A moment of silence please for the illustrious career of Scott Cousins. Added to the 40-man were Brandon Maurer, Vinnie “The Old Prospector” Catricala, Bobby “The Levitating Zucchini” LaFromboise, Julio Morban and Anthony Fernandez.

Whoever the Mariners pursue and eventually sign, there will be a target on their backs. If we get another Figgins-esque performance it does not bode well for Jack Z or Howard Lincoln. That being said, I don’t think that they will make that mistake again. For one, it is really hard for someone to be as bad as Figgins was, but the front office will take their time and won’t make a risky decision in case it does blow up on them.

The Arizona Fall League Update: The Golden Saguaro

2012-11-19T13:23:00.001-08:00

By: Anthony

The AFL Championship Game occurred this past weekend and the Peoria Javelinas triumphed, winning the coveted Golden Saguaro. Ok, I don’t actually know what the trophy is called but it should be called the Golden Saguaro. As a far reaching and comprehensive blog, we of course had a few sources watching the game in Arizona. Much more importantly than the Golden Saguaro is how the Mariners’ prospects did in the AFL and what that means for them going forward. And since I can’t write an article without doing something that makes Patrick throw his arms up in frustration, I made up my own nicknames for each player.

The Javelinas gathered around the Golden Saguaro (Photo Credit Aubrey Davis)

Nick “Flapjack” Franklin

Frankin needed to show he could hit in Arizona if he wanted to make a serious case for playing time in the MLB next year. He did just that, posting a .338 batting average and an OPS of .942. He did struggle from the right side of the plate, which could prompt an abandonment of his switch hitting. When I talked about Flapjack in an earlier post, I mentioned his strike out problems as a major problem, along with his defense. In Arizona he played second base, with no reported problems. Meaning the log jam at second base is still a looming threat. His K rate in Arizona was 19.4% but his walk rate was 15.5%, a trade off that I will accept. He should get a shot at backing up Ryan and Ackley in the middle infield.

"Help me Aslan"

Mike “The Chronicles of Narnia” Zunino

The future backstop of the franchise went down to Arizona to get more reps after his brief season in Everett and Jackson. While he couldn’t keep up his ridiculous numbers from Everett, he still hit at a decent clip posting a .288 average and an OPS of .800. His strike out rate went up to 20% while his walk rate was 6%. That is not good and signals that he still needs some seasoning. His defense was also fairly shaky, something that is worrying after hearing good things about his defense in college. He is also dealing with a new staff that he didn't have much time to get used to so there is an excuse, but his defense is something to monitor going forward. He should start the year in Tacoma and could see time in Seattle about mid-season.

Stefan “The Wooly Mammoth” Romero

Romero only saw limited action, playing in 11 games versus 19 and 20 for Franklin and Zunino respectively. However, he did put up solid numbers and is listed at 3B for the Javelinas. Romero hit .333 with an OPS of .886 but his K rate was 22%, a number that spiked up from his 17% K rate in Jackson and 13.5% in High Desert. I will attribute the K’s in Arizona to a small sample size. All Romero has to do now is find a position he can play at the MLB level and he should be fine. I see him starting in Tacoma and hopefully getting somevtime in Seattle in September. He could get some reps in the corner outfield since that is the only position on the Mariners where playing time would be available.

"There's gold in those hills! Gold!"

Vinnie “Old Prospector” Catricala

Quite simply, 2012 was a throw away year for Catricala. Coming off a 2011 where he won Hitter of the Year in the M’s system, the expectations were high and he did not meet them. He was just awful in Tacoma. He came to Arizona to try to turn things around and started off on the wrong foot. However, he turned things around to end with a respectable .279 average and .741 OPS. He absolutely needs a good spring to be considered for the team but he will probably end up doing another year in Tacoma and is in the same boat as Romero with trying to learn the corner outfield.

James “Sushi Chef” Paxton

Paxton was in Arizona to get more reps after a knee injury cost him a month in Jackson. He had some starts where he looked ready to make the next step to the MLB (3 innings, 5 K's, twice) and others where he struggled greatly. His command still appears to be shaky and needs to improve for him to succeed. He may have fatigued toward the end after putting up some very good numbers to start the year and was shut down early after he reached his innings limit. Paxton will start the year in Tacoma and, like Danny Hultzen, will need to dominate there to make it to the MLB.

Carson “Big Bird” Smith

I did not know who Carson Smith was before the AFL started. I now know that he went to Texas State University. He is also a pretty talented reliever. Not quite in the mold of Capps or Pryor but he throws a low 90’s sinker that gets a lot of ground balls and a lot of K’s. Both really good things. He struck out over a guy an inning in Arizona and had an ERA of 2.40. He should start the year in Jackson but should move up to Tacoma mid season.

Logan “Nacho Cheese” Bawcom

Bawcom was acquired for Brandon League and was lights out for Jackson as a reliever, despite some command issues. While he was not as good for the Javelinas as he was for the Generals, he was not awful and showed better command. His ERA of 5.27 is inflated by a few poor outings and his 11 K’s in 13 innings bodes well for his future. Bawcom should start the year again in Jackson.

The Zucchini prepares to levitate mid-pitch

Bobby “The Levitating Zucchini” LaFramboise

LaFromboise profiled as a lefty matchup guy in the George Sherrill/ Arthur Rhodes role but has stepped up his stuff and looks to be a big piece in the future bullpen. He was auditioning for a big league spot next year. Like Bawcom, he didn’t dazzle like he did in Tacoma. But his 5.44 ERA isn’t as bad when you look at his 17 K’s in 13.0 innings and only 4 walks. I would like to see him in a bullpen that is looking very young right now.

Seon Gi Kim also played for the Javelinas but only made a few appearances and they were pretty awful so I don’t really want to talk about him. That is it from the AFL and there were absolutely some positives to take from the Golden Saguaro winning team. Go Javelinas.

Break up the Big Three? And to the Royals?

2012-10-27T12:20:00.001-07:00

By Patrick

Winter is coming. By winter, I mean three really good pitchers

In 2014-ish, the Mariners should have one of the most formidable young rotations in baseball, with an extended Felix Hernandez joined by any number of four young pitchers who have proven themselves to be studs at the minor league level. The three superstars of the Mariners' system are Taijuan Walker, Danny Hultzen and James Paxton, affectionately referred to as the Big Three. They're basically LeBron, Wade, and Bosh, except they play baseball, haven't won a championship, and haven't played at the major league level yet. However, all that should change in 2013, when all three will likely make their debuts in Seattle. Hultzen may break camp with the team, whereas Walker and Paxton will likely start in AAA.

All of this means that the future is getting closer by the second. The Mariners window for future success is almost open. And at least at this point, the offense doesn't appear ready to seize that opportunity when it comes. However, the Mariners could drastically bolster their offense by trading young pitching for young hitting, much like they did when they acquired Jesus Montero for Michael Pineda last January. In theory, if a move like that were to occur, the M's would have to throw in one of the Big Three to get maximum value out of such a deal. The question, should they?

According to Geoff Baker and Buster Olney in a compiled report on MLBTradeRumors.com, the Royals have actively been scouting Paxton in the Arizona Fall League. For those who don't remember the eight games between the Mariners and Royals in 2012, the Royals cannot pitch for shit. In two four-games series in July, the M's scored 52 runs. Jesus Montero hit like .600. The Mariners beat Bruce Chen. THE MARINERS BEAT BRUCE CHEN! The Royals, by extension, need pitching, and not just rent-a-pitching, but young, talented pitching that can contribute for years to come.

The Mariners have a similar need, except that theirs is on the hitting side. The Mariners need some young, talented hitting that will actually contribute (Justin Smoak doesn't count) for years to come. Ironically, the Royals have a surplus in this area. Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas, Alex Gordon and to a certain extent, Billy Butler fit the Mariners area of need quite well.

Of those four, Alex Gordon stands out as a perfect candidate for the Mariners to trade for. Gordon has hit .303 and .294 the last two seasons while missing a grand total of 12 games. He missed one game last season. He's also a gap power left fielder who can run fairly well.

In case you don't understand part of the reason this blog is named Way Out In Left Field, the Mariners have only had two players in franchise history log 150 games in left field in one season. The only good left fielder the Mariners have ever had was Raul Ibanez. That's it and that's all. A player like Gordon could change that.

But is the likely price of Paxton and another much younger prospect worth the move for the Mariners? Maybe. Paxton is certainly the "Chris Bosh" of the super threesome, having struggled with some injuries and ultimately projected as the "worst" of the Big Three. Would just two super awesome young pitchers be enough for the Mariners to work with?

As tempting as Gordon and his fellow teammates are on paper, the Mariners have to hold on to their entire core of young pitching. If the Royals would except Erasmo Ramirez in place of Paxton, then maybe Jack Z pulls the trigger. However, the motto in all four of Jack Z's years with the organization has been building from within and eventually winning with that talent. Young hitters like Mike Zunino, Stefan Romero and Nick Franklin offer hope that with additions of quality veteran free agents, the Mariners can win without having to deal the deep pitching that will take them to the next level.

As the San Francisco Giants are showing in the World Series right now, pitching depth is huge once the playoffs begin. The Giants have four quality starters, and a fifth with two Cy Youngs on his resume that bridges the gap from starters to shut down relievers. The Mariners will have all of those by 2014. For now, they need young hitters to continue to progress to get them to the playoffs. What they can't afford to do is deal one of the Big Three and risk losing out on an incredible talent for the seasons in their window of opportunity. As tempting as Alex Gordon and Mike Moustakas are, Tai Walker, Danny Hultzen and James Paxton are ours, and you can't have them. Go Mariners.

2012 was a success only if 2013 is better

2012-10-19T11:05:00.002-07:00

By Patrick

2010 was a simpler time. Also, Carlos Silva and Ryan Langerhans.

Now that I've had about three weeks to separate myself from the Mariners 75-win 2012 campaign, it's about time I sit back and reflect on what took place and what it means for the franchise's future.

The Mariners embarked up their 35th season in franchise history with little hope of contending, and early on in the year, the team dashed what small hopes they had. By the end of June, the team was 12 games under .500, and not a threat to contend. Chone Figgins went from opening day starter to situation pinch runner. Felix Hernandez struggled, and Hector Noesi and Blake Beavan still looked like AAA pitchers. The offense hit well on the road, but went ice cold at home in the thick, marine air.

However, things changed in July, about a week or so after the all-star break. In a month where the Mariners had dropped a franchise record 17 straight games just a year before, the team surged. The Mariners embarked on a stretch of a little over a month where they had multiple seven-game winning streaks, won 15 out of 16 at home, and nearly clawed back to .500. Jason Vargas was AL pitcher of the month in July and following his perfect game, Felix Hernandez won the same award in August. The M's played five games over .500 in the two months. Jesus Montero, Kyle Seager, Michael Saunders and the boys started to swing the bats, and fans got a glimpse of what a successful, young baseball team looks like. Ironically, this all happened after the Mariners traded away the face of the franchise, Ichiro, to the Yankees for two prospects who may never see the majors.

In September, the team came back to earth, going 11-18 after September 1. The young team became discouraged with losing once again, and the contenders in the division that had a real chance at a playoff spot fought for it and took it from the M's. Incredibly, Justin Smoak hit the crap out of the ball in the season's final month, rescuing a doomed .185 average and raising it 30 points. The M's finished with eight double-digit home run hitters for the first time in a decade, and Seager posted a respectable .259/20/86 season in the triple crown categories. Felix limped to the finish, knocking himself out of Cy Young contention with four horrible starts in the season's final month. The Mariners finished 75-87, winning eight more games than in 2011, the first year of the Eric Wedge era.

Overall, the 2012 season was a step in the right direction for the Mariners. The young players like Seager, Saunders, Montero, Smoak and Ackley got another season under their belts, and regardless of how shitty it might have been for some of them, they at least got to see a full season of major league pitching. John Jaso was an absolute delight, leading the team in batting after coming from the Rays in exchange for everybody's friendly neighborhood sodomist, Josh Lueke. Vargas had the best season of his career, Felix threw perfect game and nearly won his second Cy Young, Hisashi Iwakuma shined as a starter in the second half, and even Blake Beavan went 11-11 (that's real. check it.). The team found out that Brandon League couldn't close and Tom Wilhelmsen and his nasty hammer curve could. They also debuted young bullpen arms like Carter Capps, Stephen Pryor, and Lucas Luetge, who all appear to have bright futures with the franchise.

The Mariners also found out a few things the hard way. Chone Figgins helped the Mariners realize he's not a major league baseball player any more. The entire offense helped the Mariners to see that the fences need to come in if home runs are to be a part of April and May baseball at Safeco. Miguel Olivo reminded the franchise that he's, well, Miguel Olivo, and .222/12/29 is what he's been doing his entire career. Carlos Peguero, Luis Jimenez, and Alex Liddi reminded the franchise why they've been in AAA for so long. Mike Carp made the organization forget about last August by being hurt all year and sucking when he seemed healthy. Hector Noesi absolutely tanked all year, and doesn't look like a major league starter. Kevin Millwood somehow made it through the season at 6-12, even though he came out of about five games with injuries and had almost zero upside at 37 years old.

The question then becomes, where do the Mariners go from here? 75 wins is only acceptable if it becomes a number in the 80's the next season. The team needs to keep improving. Sure, the youngsters will get better as they approach their primes, but for 2013, just relying on Seager, Ackley, and Montero to kick it up a notch won't be good enough. The team needs to pursue quality, veteran free agents that will bring a culture of winning back to Seattle, and eventually put some more butts in the Safeco Field seats, which were filled about half as much in 2012 as they were in 2002.

The Mariners can win 80 games in 2013, but only if they show a strong commitment to continue this upward trend of wins from within and outside of the organization. That requires everyone involved, from the players to the manager to the GM all the way up to Chuck Armstrong and Howard Lincoln, to give their best effort to make this team into a winner. Frankly, I don't know if that's going to happen. But if it does, some great things could happen in Seattle in 2013. Go M's.

Here are my 2012 season awards:

MVP: Felix

Pitcher of the year: Felix

Hitter of the year: Seager

Reliever of the year: Wilhelmsen

Rookie of the year: Iwakuma

Captain Clutch: Jaso

Most Inspirational: Munenori Kawasaki

LVP (L is for least): Figgins

Worst Pitcher: Noesi

Worst Hitter: Figgins

Worst Reliever: Steve Delabar

Least Inspirational: Figgins

Projecting the 2013 Lineup:

2012-10-16T13:25:00.001-07:00

By: Anthony

Once again Patrick and I have dropped the ball on providing consistent content. I have been on a beard quest in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and Patrick has, well, been busy. He has already projected the 2013 rotation and I will now take on the more daunting task of projecting the 2013 starting lineup. Note: I will be incorrectly assuming that the Mariners take the same position players they had this year into next year because of the infinite possibilities of signings and trade Jack Z could make. If you want to read my offseason plan for the Mariners, here it is.

Jaso

Smoak

Ackley

Ryan

Seager

Wells

Gutierrez

Saunders

Montero

Carp

Franklin

Robinson

Catricala

The definition of a successful beard quest

Catcher

John Jaso should start, plain and simple. He was one of our best hitters last year with an OPS of .850. He also made a successful beard quest mid-season and was only marginally below average on throwing out base runners with a caught stealing of 20% versus the league average of 26%. Mike Zunino will not be ready to break camp with the team. We do not need to sign a veteran scrap heap guy to break camp with the team. We will for depth purposes so he can sit in AAA and be ready to play if Jaso gets hurt. Our backup will be- drum roll please- Jesus Montero. I understand why people don’t want him to catch, it is not where he will play in the future. But how much damage can another half-season of backing up Jaso until Zunino is ready do? He wasn’t a disaster defensively and we need to get his bat in the lineup as much as possible.

First Base

I really hate Justin Smoak but of course there is nobody in the system right now who can push him for a regular starting spot. It will be a battle between him and Carp for first and Smoak will get more plate appearances because of his September. The team will stick with Smoak until he once again reveals his ineptitude in months that don’t rhyme with Feptember. To fill in his place, Carp and Montero can split reps. Yes, the timing of this will be weird. But once Zunino is called up and displaces Montero from backing up Jaso, Montero will switch to backing up Carp at first base and getting most of his reps at DH.

Second Base

Dustin Ackley will once again get his playing time. We must hope that the most advanced bat in the draft will figure out how to hit and not become a defense first second basemen. Backing him up will be tough to figure out with Nick Franklin knocking on the door in the AFL. With a good spring, Franklin will fill in at both shortstop and second.

I guess he is kind of good at defense

Short Stop

Brendan Ryan. Is anyone here surprised? He can hit .230 and be an above average player because of his defense. Enough on him and Franklin backs him up.

Third Base-

Kyle Seager should not be a surprise and Chone Figgins should leave. So in the backup role we have Vinnie Catricala. This is what I would call a “power move.” Not in the way that Catricala has tons of power, but after struggling in AAA Tacoma last year he lost much of his prospect shine. He will turn it around and backup Seager and also get some time at first to introduce him to the big leagues.

Pray to any and all deities that he stays healthy

Outfield

Saunders, Wells, Robinson and Gutierrez. I include four people here because of the almost guarantee the Guti gets hurt. Right now Wells, Saunders and Guti will start and Robinson can back them up/ be ready to play once Guti suffers a freak injury that nobody saw coming. Carp can also play left to split time with Robinson post-Guti injury.

This roster will win roughly 75 wins. Almost the exact same as last year, which is the reason why some moves will have to be made and some guys cut loose. But it is good to know that we have enough organizational depth to fill in with talent and let some young guys get their feet wet.

Justin Smoak and Socrates: What they have in common.

2012-10-04T17:03:00.000-07:00

By: Anthony

Now that the season is over and the Mariners ended up with a respectable 75 wins, we can now start to project the roster for 2013, an awesome exercise in speculation. One of the biggest questions is of course the hole at first base. I talked about this briefly in both my “What the Future Holds” and “Offseason Free Agent Targets” articles but that was before Justin Smoak looked at a calendar. Going back a step or two, I will explain the title of this article.

"How dare you compare me to Justin Smoak!"

Socrates is one of the most famous philosophers in history and was executed by the Greeks for corrupting the youth and impiety. Smoak may have corrupted many young people with his horrible hitting and general suckiness but this isn’t ancient Greece, otherwise Chone Figgins would have already had a hemlock smoothie. Socrates was known as a gadfly, a bug that is really annoying and doesn’t like to go away. A gadfly keeps buzzing around and annoying people. That’s why Justin Smoak is like Socrates, he is a gadfly!

Not only is Justin Smoak bad, but he has a great habit of being really good in September and just god awful for the other 7/8ths of a season. Don’t believe me? Think Justin Smoak is more of a dung beetle (Get it, it’s because he is bad)? I give you the data.

September/ October Stats

Year	Average	OPS	Home Runs	Strikeouts/ BB
2010	.340	1.001	3	11/7
2011	.301	.793	3	20/5
2012	.341	1.005	5	13/13

April- August Stats

Year	Average	OPS	Home Runs	Strikeouts/ BB
2010	.198	.624	10	80/39
2011	.220	.704	12	85/50
2012	.190	.575	14	98/36

The numbers do not lie. Justin Smoak either thinks that Spring Training continues through August or he secretly hibernates April through August. Personally I don’t know which is more feasible, I guess I would take hibernation due to his bear-like appearance.

Half-man, Half-Bear, Half-Gadfly

The affect that his September stats have on reporters, bloggers and fans is that he may have figured it out. Either he finally got healthy or he made a swing alteration or something changed and Smoak is finally living up to the talent level that saw him exchanged for Cliff Lee. I am still very dubious about this year. Smoak has shown a pattern in his hitting and until he proves he can hit April through August, I think he is a bust and should not spend too much more time in Seattle.

There is good news however for Mariner fans and Smoak. He still has another option year! Huzzah! This means that he can be sent down to Tacoma and not have to clear waivers. So, say in some bizarre world Smoak sucks again at the start of next year (I am willing to accept bets that this happens). The M’s can option him down to Tacoma and let him try to figure it out for a while, free from worry that some team would claim him on waivers (I’m sure Jack Z has nightmares about that).

Something that Smoak has struggled with is his confidence and many people close to the team have said that Smoak is finally feeling comfortable hitting and the results are starting to show. They are also saying the adjustments he made to his swing in the short time in Tacoma are starting to bear fruit. They are also saying his pregame routine of praying to the shrine of Foghorn Leghorn in his locker has been altered to include both Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck seems to finally be working. Guess what? Some of those things may be true, but it really doesn’t matter. He has shown this before and I will only be convinced he has become a competent Major League player when he hits the ball well from April to August.

He will benefit from the fences being moved in, like most hitters. And Smoak will get a shot next year at first base, competing with Mike Carp and hopefully Jesus Montero. Carp failed to impress this year, battling injuries most of the year and Montero needs to learn the correct way for a human to run. This year was supposed to be a make or break year for Smoak, but somehow he gets another shot. If this team wants to medal in the AL West next year (a respectable feat these days), Smoak needs to figure out how to hit the ball consistently like he always does in September, or he can just be a gadfly again and annoy people.

What the Future Holds: Third Base

2012-09-24T18:50:00.000-07:00

By: Anthony

If you haven’t read my first two pieces on first base and the middle infield, here they are.

Middle Infield

First Base

The hot corner is a feast or famine position. Meaning that teams either have a very good third baseman or a guy who can play there but is a hole in the lineup. For instance, Evan Longoria, David Wright and Adrian Beltre all play 3B for a contender. Know who else plays 3B in the MLB? Joaquin Arias, Brandon Inge and Jordan Pacheco. So the drop off is pretty steep from star to Chone Figgins. But seriously, I will not mention Chone again in this column. I will put 100:1 odds on Chone playing for Seattle next year. You may email me at terriblebets@gmail.com (all emails sent here will not be answered since it is a fake email address).

You're going to talk about me right?

The Mariners are actually doing awesome here. Understand by awesome I mean that there is a young player who is performing at third base and minor leaguers who are not. Kyle Seager was supposed to be a middle infielder/ utility player. So basically Muenori Kawasaki without the dance moves. But then he shows up this year and takes over our offense, (At least away from Safeco). I could talk about how much I enjoy watching Seager hit, or I could make more Chone Figgins jokes. I’ll let you, the reader, decide. Go ahead, think about it. I’ll wait. (Pondering the life cycle of a western Red Wood tree). Sorry I have been in college this week, so I have been getting super intellectual. Anyway, my favorite Chone Figgins fun facts.

1. His name is actually Desmond, not Chone for all those confused

2. He was acquired by the Angels in a trade for Kimera Bartee

3. He was born in Leary, Georgia

4. He will not play for the Seattle Mariners next year

Clearly those weren’t in order since Leary, Georgia was mentioned third on that list. But Chone is terrible and according to my sources and instincts, Jack Z resents ever signing him (Seriously, both played a role in that opinion).

Super Stud

This how much I’ll talk about Kyle Seager. He should and must stay at 3B. He has been solid defensively and has been one of our best hitters. He may be better defensively at 2B, but we already have numerous guys who could play there in the next five years, and we don’t need another one of those players. Our talent pool in the middle infield is much better than at third and Seager has been a bright spot in a relatively uninteresting year.

So what exactly do we have in our minor league system at 3B? We have Alex Liddi, who I do not think will be able to hang in the MLB, especially with his current K rate. We have Vinnie Catricala, who was the most valuable hitter in the Mariners system last year. Francisco Martinez was hanging around in Jackson and Steven Proscia was basking in the glory of High Desert.

Alex Liddi is the first Italian-born player to play in the major leagues. Yay for fun facts! He also hit grand slams in back-to-back games a few years ago in Spring Training. Yay for fun facts! He has a K rate of 38% in 170 major league at-bats. That’s not very fun. And that is why I do not think Alex Liddi will stick with the Mariners. But something I do like from Liddi is that he is only 24 right now and still has a year or so to figure it out. He needs to cut down on his K’s drastically and has to work on getting on base more. His OBP is .278 right now, a pretty mediocre batting average. Liddi certainly has power, his .458 slugging in Tacoma shows that but like most young power hitters he has to drop his K rate to stay on the roster. I think Liddi starts off the year in AAA unless he makes big strides this off-season.

Vinnie Catricala had never hit below .300 in the Mariners system since he started in rookie ball in 2009. This led to him being lauded as a big prospect for the M’s, that and his OPS being over 1.000 in a 2011 year split between High Desert and Jackson. He was put on the Rainiers to start the year in 2012 and struggled. He hit .229 and had an OPS of .640 in 507 at-bats. It was weird to see him struggle for a few reasons, one of them being that he had not struggled before. Another being that his K rate and BB rate were right about where they had been before in his career. Something I see is that his batting-average-on-balls-in-play dropped about .100 points. Unfortunately there is not very much data available to look at his fly ball and ground ball ratios that would help immensely in analyzing his BABIP. So for now I will just say that the Arizona Fall League will show whether this year was a random aberration of luck or whether Catricala needs another year in Tacoma. I think he will shine in the AFL but won’t make the M’s because of his limited defensive capabilities; he will probably have to shift to left field if he wants to see regular playing time.

Francisco Martinez was acquired in the Doug Fister trade, one that is looking pretty bad for the M’s right now. Casper Wells is pretty meh and Chance Ruffin struggled in Tacoma. Martinez was supposed to be the best player acquired in that trade for us so hopefully he outperforms Ruffin and Wells. Martinez is a bit different of a 3B than normal. He is more of a speedy, average hitter versus a stocky power hitter that most third basemen are. He had 27 stolen bases this year for Jackson but only hit a pedestrian .227 with an OPS of .610. He also struck out 21% of the time. He clearly needs more seasoning before getting called up. I think he starts in Jackson and moves up when Catricala is called up to Seattle.

I don’t know what it is about the ACC that the Mariners love, but Proscia is another product of University of Virginia (Joining Danny Hultzen and John Hicks) who saw some time in Jackson last year. He is more of a traditional third basemen in the big power mold. He spent most of his time this year in High Desert where he did what most people do in High Desert. He hit .330 with an OPS of .930 with a slugging percentage of .564. His K rate is still about 20% which is normal. Most power hitters sit around that but I would like to see him get that number around 15% before he gets to the higher levels. He should start the year in Jackson, splitting time with Martinez.

Other names that you may want to know are Patrick Kivlehan and Jordy Lara. I have already talked about Kivlehan and his raw talent and power. Lara is not very important; he just won the best name for a third baseman in the Mariners system. There wasn’t much selection.

Third base is a position of strength for the Mariners, mostly because of Kyle Seager. His break out season will have to be continued with Catricala and Martinez in the system but I do not see either of them replacing him next year. This is one position that is locked down, even when the M’s become contenders. It is one of the few for the team so we should enjoy it while we can.

Projecting the 2013 Rotation

2012-09-18T10:11:00.001-07:00

By Patrick

"You think they'll resign me, ball?"

"I sure hope they resign you Hisashi."
"Me too, Moony. Go back to shortstop now."

Yes, I'm back. My absence from Way Out resulted from me going back to college and being not only very busy, but also pretty removed from the Mariners. I haven't written since Felix's Supreme Court night, which was a really long time ago. Felix was a Cy Young Candidate back then. I'm as angry about his decline as you are.

Today I want to talk about the Mariners rotation in 2013. Starting pitching is definitely the Mariners' strength from an organizational standpoint, and they have a number of developing young pitchers who could become superstars. While that is certainly a major plus, the downside of all that talent is deciding who gets a rotation spot and who doesn't, and when to cast off veterans who ultimately aren't a part of the organizations future. Jack Z has some seriously difficult decisions to make in this regard. Let's look at the possible candidates for those all-important five spots.

Current M's Rotation:

Felix Hernandez, RHP, 27 in 2013
Jason Vargas, LHP, 30 in 2013
Hisashi Iwakuma, RHP, 32 in 2013
Kevin Millwood, RHP, 38 in 2013
Blake Beavan, RHP, 24 in 2013

The two guys who are sort of in the rotation too:

Erasmo Ramirez, RHP, 23 for most of 2013
Hector Noesi, RHP, 26 in 2013

The big three:

Danny Hultzen, LHP, 23 in 2013
James Paxton, LHP, 24 in 2013
Taijuan Walker, RHP, 20 for most of 2013

Other options:
Unnamed veteran free agent
Andrew Carraway RHP, 26 for most of 2013
Charlie Furbush, LHP, 27 in 2013
Tom Wilhelmsen, RHP, 29 in 2013

OK, so that's 14 potential options. That's a lot to sift through. Let me cross off a few options right away though. The Mariners are not going to bring back Millwood. He has zero upside, and should probably retire. We can probably also rule out Wilhelmsen, who's conversion to the rotation has been discussed mostly by bloggers and radio hosts, but really isn't taken seriously by the organization. He's probably too old to make a change like that anyway, regardless of the fact that he has three solid pitches. Furbush is in a similar boat to Tommy, and probably could make a few spot starts, but is better suited to a middle relief role.

Now we have 11. I don't think the Mariners will spend money on a veteran free agent starter this year. With all of the rising youth and the potential presence of Jason Vargas and Hisashi Iwakuma, a Kevin Millwood-type pitcher won't be necessary, and that money can be used to upgrade the offense.

So that leaves ten starters within the organization with a chance to crack the rotation. Here's how I see it shaking out.

1. Felix
2. Vargas
3. Iwakuma
4. Ramirez
5. Hultzen

Let's look at this top to bottom. Felix will be the ace of the staff if he's on the Mariners. Since Jack Z will probably go all out to resign him this offseason, and Felix says he loves Seattle, he' psalmist guaranteed the top spot next spring. After Felix, it gets more complicated.

Vargas and Iwakuma both have complex contract situations that could lead to their return or exit just as easily. Iwakuma's is simple on paper. He has a one-year deal set to expire at the end of the season. But he's not a conventional free agent, since he will be a 32-year old second-year player in 2013. His asking price will probably exceed the $1.5 million he made this year, and I think the Mariners will be willing to give him a small raise because of how good he can be when healthy. His performances in the second half of this season have earned him a return to the staff.

Vargas' contract is more complicated. He made a shade under $5 million this year, and is arbitration eligible to try and increase that or possibly test free agency. I think the Mariners will be able to talk Vargas' price down, since he still relies heavily on the dimensions of Safeco Field for success. If they can sign him for under $7 million, it will be worth it for one more year. I fully expect Jason to leave in 2014 as a free agent, but until then, he'll probably hold the two-spot until one of the big three step up and take it from him.

Following the veterans, I like Ramirez to slot comfortably into the back of the rotation, where he hopefully will be for years to come. He's pitched admirably as a rookie, and probably could have stayed in the rotation most of this year if it wasn't for his elbow injury and subsequent AAA demotion. He'll impress in the spring and lockdown a spot in the top five.

Hultzen is a bit of gamble as far as projections are concerned. In June, Hultzen's arrival in the big leagues in 2012 wasn't a question of if, but one of when. But then he struggled with command in AAA, and never quite made it up I5 for any of this season. That's a bit nerve-wracking. However, using former Mariners top prospect Michael Pineda as precedence, I think Hultzen will break camp as the fifth starter and slowly climb up the rotation and be the consensus number two going into 2014.

As for the five other guys, their fates are uncertain. Hector Noesi and Blake Beavan are starting pitchers, but may only find work available in the bullpen. Noesi has done that before, but Beavan hasn't. At the same time, if Beavan breaks camp in AAA, that would kind of make him seem like a 4A player (which he is). I would say trade one or both of them, but they both came over in recent blockbuster trades, so I'm not sure if that's what Jack Z will do. That being said, I bet Noesi and Beavan both start 2013 in AAA.

And why not have the other three (Paxton, Walker, and Carraway) round out the rotation in Tacoma when the M's break camp? How great would that be for a AAA rotation. Hector Noesi might still be the worst pitcher! A rotation of Walker, Beavan, Paxton, Carraway, and Noesi would probably get the Rainiers back on track and boost confidence in the immediacy of the Mariners' playoff ascent.

At this point, next season is all that matters. The Mariners' goal in 2013 has to be to contend for a playoff spot. With that in mind, they need to do what's best for the organization, and that's resigning Vargas and Iwakuma and working Hultzen, Paxton, and Walker into the rotation as the year progresses. Go M's, and it's great to be back.

On Mike Zunino

2012-09-12T09:54:00.000-07:00

By: Anthony

People who know me will probably tell you that I don’t like to admit to being wrong. And when Patrick told me that Mike Zunino could play in a Mariner uniform in 2013 after we drafted him I told him he was crazy. Now the hard part, Patrick could possibly, maybe, be right. Zunino has been the best hitter in the Mariners system since he was signed and he conveniently he plays catcher, a position the M’s have room for.

The Mariners catcher in 2013?

If you didn’t infer from that last sentence I don’t think Miguel Olivo will not be a Mariner next year. Something about his 26.3% K rate and his 1.5% BB rate make me think the man affectionately called Mike Olive is done. And in his place we have John Jaso, who is awesome but struggles against left handed pitchers, and Jesus Montero, who does not have a future behind the dish, unless it’s a dish of pasta (Get it? It’s funny because he is slow.) Those two could platoon next year but I don’t think that is the answer for the future. Hence the need for Zunino.

Zunino was drafted as a sure thing behind the plate. He wasn’t projected to be a star but was going to have above average defense and power for his position. That is always a good thing, especially at catcher where offense is scarce. Zunino, like Danny Hultzen, has performed differently than scouts projected him to. We all know how good he was at Everett, earning him a call up to Jackson (A jump from A- to AA). In 15 games, a super small sample size, he has a triple slash line of .333/.386/.588. Incredible numbers, especially from a catcher in his first season of pro ball and generating some talk that he could break camp with the M’s.

This is pretty much unheard of and as Dave Cameron of USS Mariner pointed out, Thurman Munson was the last catcher to make the MLB in his second last year. Munson played in the 1970’s so this is very rare. Something we are overlooking is that Zunino has only played half of one season in pro ball. And as we have seen from Danny Hultzen, AAA is not something that can be overlooked. And while Zunino has showed no signs of slowing down, we need to take his results with a grain of salt. I don’t like to consistently repeat what other writers have said but in the words of Jeff Sullivan, Zunino hasn’t flopped yet.

He is going to be playing in the Arizona Fall League once Jackson’s season is over and that should get him some more at bats against quality pitchers. We should not plan on Zunino making the team out of Spring Training and the team should bring in a cheap alternative to backup Jaso and maybe Montero. But if he continues to perform in Tacoma, we will see him next year. And that is absolutely a good thing, besides the fact Patrick theoretically could be correct.

The Justin Upton Trade Potential:

2012-09-11T12:31:00.001-07:00

By: Anthony

There are two things I would like to say before I get into the article. First of all for those who are wondering where Patrick is and why he has not written anything recently, he is alive and well. He is at school now, like a loser (The quarter system is much better), and is writing for the school paper there. He is busy and the Mariners have not earned much of his time recently. He said he would write something soon, so look out for that maybe. Also, the Jackson Generals are in the Southern League Championship Series. It is not very consequential for the Mariners but good for them and its nice that guys like Miller, Paxton and Walker all get to experience that kind of atmosphere.

If any reader is tracking the articles we publish, they will probably see that most of them aren’t dedicated to the big league squad right now. And there is a reason for that; they just aren’t very interesting. As much as I want to write about Carlos Triunfel striking out on three pitches or Hector Noesi getting a start, I really don’t. So we write about more interesting things, like what the team needs to do in the offseason. Something this article covers, and more specifically Justin Upton.

If only we could trade Carlos Triunfel for you straight up...

Upton is only 24 and has already been in the MVP race once, a year ago when he placed fourth. That guy sounds awesome right? We would have to give up quite the package to get him right? Umm, well probably? The Diamondbacks aren’t happy with him and have repeatedly tried to shop him around, despite him being one of their best players. I wish I could decode this into concrete terms, but I am not a psychic, sorry to ruin that for all of you. So I have to do my best decoding into less than concrete terms.

Upton is available, unlike most 24-year-old players who have played in over 700 MLB games and played on two All-Star teams. Usually those guys are highly valued and are signed to extensions. But since the D-Backs don’t like his attitude very much, they are shopping him. What they will want in return will definitely not be cheap. We would have to part with one of the “Big Three”, or Nick Franklin along with some other prospects to get him. Like I said, it will be a steep price. If we do deal Franklin, one of our other starting prospects will have to be included. Guys like Brandon Maurer, Andrew Carraway and James Gilheeney are names that would probably be included.

That is the price of Upton, but this is what he brings to the table. He has a career slash line (average/ slugging/ on-base) of .276/.376/.473 and he fills in a corner outfield slot. He has a rare package of power and speed, not unlike his brother B.J of the Rays, (Who is going to be a free agent. Family reunion in Seattle anyone?). He has stolen over 20 bases twice and seems to be in 15-20 range pretty consistently. He is also in the 20% K rate and 10% walk rate range consistently as well. What I like about Upton is his age and his upside, once again, 24 with two all-star seasons. Unfortunately there are some red flags that aren’t just attitude related.

When I talked about Swisher, Hamilton and company and evaluated them I stressed health, consistency and cost. I have already discussed Upton’s cost, which does not help his case. Frankly, his health is not good. He has played one full season once and seems to hover about the 130 games range. Yay he is consistent! Boo that he is consistently not healthy! That is one thing I do not like about him, the second is his streakiness. In 2011, he was an animal. He hit 31 home runs, had an average of .289 and stole 21 bases. That is awesome. However, this year he has taken a step back. His K rate has gone up and his average, homers and stolen bases have all dropped. This drop is not unprecedented in his short pro career. In 2009 he hit .300/.366/.532 with 26 home runs. Then in 2010 those numbers dropped to .273/.356/.442 with only 17 home runs. So is he in line for another big year in 2013? I don’t really want to find out. He is not consistent.

Another thing I want to address is that he has been playing half of his games in Arizona, a place Jason Vargas hates with a passion. He would be moving from a great park for hitters to the death valley of Safeco Field. I do not see that playing well with his power numbers, a major reason we would be trading for him. However, Upton is still coming into his prime as a player and is only owed $38.5 million over the next 3 years.

This is a tough decision and Jack Z has shown a knack for making big trades that nobody really sees coming (Cliff Lee, Michael Pineda, etc.). But I would not support this trade if it happened as I have projected the price it. We would have to give up one of the “Big Three” and another solid prospect like Stefan Romero or Brad Miller. Upton is not healthy, is not cheap and is not consistent. If I am the Diamondbacks, I am creating a bidding war between teams like the Red Sox who need a young power hitter to rebuild around and driving his price up. Bidding wars are not good for the teams bidding and unless we can get him from the D-Backs for less than one of the “Big Three” he is not worth it. Sorry Justin, but you join Josh Hamilton on my “Please Don’t Come Here List. ” (Also there are Kevin Millwood and Cliff Pennington {I hate Cliff Pennington more than I hate an overcooked beef wellington. And I cannot stand a good beef wellington being overdone.}). Go Mariners for those who are still paying attention.