Mariners 2014/2015 Offseason

[NWinAZ]

Per mlb trade rumors:

The Mariners have fielded inquiries from a few teams on Hisashi Iwakuma and the Red Sox have had at least internal conversations about the 33-year-old right-hander. The Mariners, meanwhile, would want an impact hitter like Yoenis Cespedes in return.

 

[ehwq]

Especially regarding Nelson Cruz after the reports of last offseason's facepalm. If the report is 75%, the reality is more like 30%.

Gotta say though, I would love it no matter the cost. I would have loved it even more last season, but

I would also find it very interesting if the M's actually did sign Cruz so soon after having that signing vetoed last offseason. It might show that someone upstairs is actually recognizing that they screwed up last year and have the ability to make it right, if a year late.

Either way, signing Nelson Cruz would boost my optimism quite a bit for next season.

Jackson/Saunders (If the Jackson for Gattis move would happen)
Ackley
Cano
Cruz
Seager
(DH) - Gattis?
Morrison
Zunino
Taylor/Miller

CF-Jackson
RF-Rios
2B-Cano
DH-Cruz
1B-Morneau
3B-Seager
C-Zunino
LF-Ackley
SS-Miller/Taylor

Trade Saunders+Elias+prospect for Morneau

Per mlb trade rumors:

The Mariners have fielded inquiries from a few teams on Hisashi Iwakuma and the Red Sox have had at least internal conversations about the 33-year-old right-hander. The Mariners, meanwhile, would want an impact hitter like Yoenis Cespedes in return.

I hate hearing about trading guys like Kuma and Walker when there are still good free agents available.

 

[NWinAZ]

I hate hearing about trading guys like Kuma and Walker when there are still good free agents available.

Available, yes. Signable, not likely. Kuma is a free agent after the season and he has regressed for whatever reason since September where he has a 7.61 ERA and got blasted in Japan this week. He is the perfect example of the old saying, 'It is better to trade a player a year too early than a year too late.' Now is the time to deal him if a legit bat is obtainable. Sign a couple mid lever free agent pitchers like Volquez from Pitt and McCarthy or Masterson. Easier to sign pitchers in Seattle so deak a guy like Kuma and/or Elias for hard to sign bats and then sign arms.

 

[ehwq]

Available, yes. Signable, not likely. Kuma is a free agent after the season and he has regressed for whatever reason since September where he has a 7.61 ERA and got blasted in Japan this week. He is the perfect example of the old saying, 'It is better to trade a player a year too early than a year too late.' Now is the time to deal him if a legit bat is obtainable. Sign a couple mid lever free agent pitchers like Volquez from Pitt and McCarthy or Masterson. Easier to sign pitchers in Seattle so deak a guy like Kuma and/or Elias for hard to sign bats and then sign arms.

Yeah makes sense on Kuma(forgot how old he is and how bad he finished the season) but hate hearing about Walker....

 

[NWinAZ]

Yeah makes sense on Kuma(forgot how old he is and how bad he finished the season) but hate hearing about Walker....

I can agree with that. I would trade Walker if the deal was right, but not for just a prospect or mediocre bat. I would rather deal Kuma and Elias who I think isn't as good as he pitched last year. Maybe another deal does.

I would deal Elias for Gattis if they would take it. Or throw in Saunders or Jackson and prospect and try to get either Upton or Heyward as well. I wish we still had Franklin to offer Braves since they traded their 2B today.

 

[PolarVortex]

The Braves just traded Jason Heyward to the Cardinals, which means that Justin Upton is probably staying put. So, there is another bat previously linked to the Mariners this fall that is now off the table.

Victor Martinez
Justin Upton
Michael Cuddyer
Giancarlo Stanton

The availability of the number of big bats is decreasing rapidly

 

[unlvmariners]

Per mlb trade rumors:

The Mariners have fielded inquiries from a few teams on Hisashi Iwakuma and the Red Sox have had at least internal conversations about the 33-year-old right-hander. The Mariners, meanwhile, would want an impact hitter like Yoenis Cespedes in return.

Trading Kuma this off season makes sense to me. Especially if we can get a good return for him.

 

[gowazzu02]

Trading Kuma this off season makes sense to me. Especially if we can get a good return for him.

Would LOVE Cespedes in Seattle.

 

[NWinAZ]

5h5 hours ago[/ame] Source:Russell Martin deal with [URL="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BlueJays?src=hash"]#BlueJays is five years, $82M.


I know he wasn't a M's option, but this just goes to show the rise in the price of bats. If M's want to be real players next year, then raising their payroll to $110-120 won't cut it. They need to be players in the $130-150M range.

 

[SeattleCoug]

I don't think the Braves trading Heyward means they wont move Justin Upton. In fact if they are truly rebuilding which it seems like they may be, it would make more sense to move Upton then Gattis since he is a FA after this year, and unlikely to resign. However a Walker for Justin Upton swap would make me nervous.

 

[NWinAZ]

I don't think one year of Upton and a sandwich draft pick is worth Walker. Elias I would do for that in a heartbeat.

I am not apposed to dealing Walker, but it has to be for a bat under contract.

 

[NWinAZ]

Here is an article by Lookout Landing I ran across after my last post.

A discussion about the Braves, Justin Upton, and trade value - Lookout Landing

Something it doesn't mention directly, but I thought of after reading the article, would be a deal involving Gattis and Upton and a prospect for Saunders, Ackley and Elias. Ackley can move back to 2B for a year or so until their top prospect at 2B is ready and then move back to the OF. They also get another young SP and a starting OF. We get two RH'ed bats we need and a prospect of some sort.

 

[SeattleCoug]

I don't think one year of Upton and a sandwich draft pick is worth Walker. Elias I would do for that in a heartbeat.

I am not apposed to dealing Walker, but it has to be for a bat under contract.

Yup my thoughts exactly

 

[wazzu31]

I don't think one year of Upton and a sandwich draft pick is worth Walker. Elias I would do for that in a heartbeat.

I am not apposed to dealing Walker, but it has to be for a bat under contract.[/QUOTE]

I think that is the consensus for most fans. You don't do deadline type deals in the offseason.

 

[NWinAZ]

So a few names are off the board and our biggest off season signing has been Pat Listach? Jack is the man.

 

[dude82]

So a few names are off the board and our biggest off season signing has been Pat Listach? Jack is the man.

It's mid-November. Need I remind you that we signed Cano in December last year? I realize that Zduriencik lost the benefit of the doubt years ago, but just because a few guys off your wishlist have signed elsewhere doesn't mean that the M's can't still get stuff done. It's not even Thanksgiving yet.

 

[SeattleCoug]

Don't forget the Cuban pitcher!!

 

[cezero]

It's mid-November. Need I remind you that we signed Cano in December last year? I realize that Zduriencik lost the benefit of the doubt years ago, but just because a few guys off your wishlist have signed elsewhere doesn't mean that the M's can't still get stuff done. It's not even Thanksgiving yet.

Signing Cano tied up more than 50% of total team payroll in 2 players.

It would be nice if they complemented it with a FA bat or two to that brought payroll up to 2008 levels ($115 mill), but as you said, the benefit of the doubt just isn't there. I cannot bring myself to believe that this organization is going to go that route, and we've heard all of this "the m's pushed hard for blah blah blah" for a very long time until the Cano anomaly.

I think a big multi-team trade is more likely, which frankly terrifies me, but that's me being realistic without going too far to the dark side.

 

[NWinAZ]

It's mid-November. Need I remind you that we signed Cano in December last year? I realize that Zduriencik lost the benefit of the doubt years ago, but just because a few guys off your wishlist have signed elsewhere doesn't mean that the M's can't still get stuff done. It's not even Thanksgiving yet.

You kind of made my point. A December signing of a guy for $240M looks a bit desperate. Does that mean we are going to overpay another hitter in December after the list of available hitters shrink?

 

[ehwq]

Wonder what Iwakuma's value is at the moment? Could the M's get a Cespedes straight up or would it take a bit more?