Mariners 2014/2015 Offseason

[PolarVortex]

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?

Cespedes is overrated in my opinion.
Positives: he seems to have a nose for the RBI and he has no problem hitting for power at Safeco Field.
Negatives: his defense is horrible, his on base percentage sucks, he may have an attitude problem, he hasn't been able to duplicate the OBP and SLG he put up in his rookie year, and 2015 is his walk year.

But I still might do the deal. Iwakuma is also in his walk year and I'm concerned that Kuma's drop off at the end of last season may carry into the 2015 season. I'd want them to explore Iwakuma trade value with other teams before 'settling' on Cespedes, but given the lack of offense in recent seasons, Cespedes is probably as good as they can get for Iwakuma right now.

 

[gowazzu02]

Cespedes is overrated in my opinion.
Positives: he seems to have a nose for the RBI and he has no problem hitting for power at Safeco Field.
Negatives: his defense is horrible, his on base percentage sucks, he may have an attitude problem, he hasn't been able to duplicate the OBP and SLG he put up in his rookie year, and 2015 is his walk year.

But I still might do the deal. Iwakuma is also in his walk year and I'm concerned that Kuma's drop off at the end of last season may carry into the 2015 season. I'd want them to explore Iwakuma trade value with other teams before 'settling' on Cespedes, but given the lack of offense in recent seasons, Cespedes is probably as good as they can get for Iwakuma right now.

Once again good points. The attitude problem does scare me a bit,,, but with a great clubhouse in seattle with big time leaders, Felix and Cano hopefully that would mediate that.

I like Cespedes, I like his game, light tower power, cannon for an arm. Im not comparing him to Stanton.... but he does has stanton esq power and look what that just fetched...... In todays non PEd baseball, power is hard to find.

Im not sure what to think about Kuma either.......



Polar vortex, how timely for that name huh!

 

[unlvmariners]

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?

Personally I don't give Cespedes much value, I think he is overrated, I would rather have other players but I wouldn't oppose a trade for him. I personally think the perceived value of both players is fairly similar. On one hand you get a solid pitcher but he is aging and showed some signs of possibly taking a step back. The other is a guy who in all honesty puts up similar numbers to Kyle Seager except with fewer walks and from the right side of the plate. Both guys are in their final years of their contract.

 

[dude82]

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?

We talk all the time about how the Mariners need to overpay to sign anyone worth signing. Yes, $240 million was a lot of money, but I don't think desperation was the motive. I saw it as more of a recognition of what it was going to take to get someone of Cano's caliber to turn down other teams and come here.

 

[NWinAZ]

And like $70M more than the next team offered him. Desperation. They needed a marquee name and they overpaid for it. Not a problem if you put good players around him, but as of right now they have not. Maybe that changes tomorrow or the next day, but to date it has not happened and history is on the side of it not happening any time soon.

Crossing fingers tomorrows headlines prove me wrong.

 

[cezero]

We talk all the time about how the Mariners need to overpay to sign anyone worth signing. Yes, $240 million was a lot of money, but I don't think desperation was the motive. I saw it as more of a recognition of what it was going to take to get someone of Cano's caliber to turn down other teams and come here.

don't get me wrong, i'm happy nintendo was willing to overpay for cano, but how is paying somebody way more than anybody else was willing to pay not desperate?

anyhoo, the only way we get a marquee guy to come here is to do the same again, and i don't believe in miracles 2 years in a row from this organization. not yet. slim pickins out there, of course. maybe they're really going to go for cruz and shock all of us. fingers crossed.

 

[NWinAZ]

A Cruz, Upton, Volquez, Gattis off season would be satisfying to me...for what it is worth.

 

[NWinAZ]

• The Mariners will surely make a run at either Justin Upton or Evan Gattis, if they haven’t already, according to David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. O’Brien gets the sense that top prospect Taijuan Walker is not completely off the table in trade talks with Seattle, but it would probably take more than one year of Upton to acquire him.

Trade Notes: Porcello, Ramirez, Upton, Kendrick, Padres ? MLB Trade Rumors

 

[NWinAZ]

3m3 minutes ago[/ame]
St. Louis Cardinals acquire INF Ty Kelly (.263, 15 HR, 80 RBI at Tacoma-AAA) in a trade with Seattle for RHP Sam Gaviglio. Roster at 37.

 

[NWinAZ]

Sam Gaviglio Minor League Statistics & History | Baseball-Reference.com

Gaviglio stats

 

[wazzu31]

We talk all the time about how the Mariners need to overpay to sign anyone worth signing. Yes, $240 million was a lot of money, but I don't think desperation was the motive. I saw it as more of a recognition of what it was going to take to get someone of Cano's caliber to turn down other teams and come here.

Not knocking the signing of Cano but all the signs of it were the sign of desperation especially looking at the subsequent or lack thereof moves by the Mariners regarding their middle infield spots (which going into last offseason was a position of perceived strength) As soon as that signing and the signing of Rodney went down Franklin or Miller and some reliever should've been shipped off for a Denorfia type player at least or someone that could contribute to the team. It just seems last winter Jack should have been easily wheeling and dealing getting the offense average with his two big offseason free agents were areas of strength within the organization.

 

[SeattleCoug]

3m3 minutes ago
St. Louis Cardinals acquire INF Ty Kelly (.263, 15 HR, 80 RBI at Tacoma-AAA) in a trade with Seattle for RHP Sam Gaviglio. Roster at 37.

I don't know much about Gaviglio but I do know this team does need starting pitching depth at the AAA level so maybe that helps. Outside of the projected 5 man rotation there is zero depth behind it on the 40 man unless you count Erasmo who I believe is out of options. Kelly had a decent plate approach from what I had seen but didn't really have a position. I think if the organization thought highly of him, he would have been up last September. Also could have been lost in the Rule 5 draft anyway

 

[cezero]

I guess vmart was indeed close to signing here

sorry if this is a repeat of what somebody else posted

Agent: Victor Martinez nearly signed with the Mariners - Lookout Landing

 

[gowazzu02]

I guess vmart was indeed close to signing here

sorry if this is a repeat of what somebody else posted

Agent: Victor Martinez nearly signed with the Mariners - Lookout Landing

Wash rinse, repeat....

Get copy ready, delete Vmarts name, insert Hanley and Cruz, hit save./

 

[cezero]

Wash rinse, repeat....

Get copy ready, delete Vmarts name, insert Hanley and Cruz, hit save./

I would usually agree categorically, but this was from outside sources, and it was a big offer the m's made that he contemplated before his home club offered something bigger.

not sure if this qualifies as "going through the motions" or not, but when i see that much from outside sources, i think maybe not.

 

[SeattleCoug]

From what it seems, there was little chance Vmart was leaving Detroit. I think it was one of those things where he going to test the market and let Detroit match any offer. I bet the Mariners made a decent offer. No idea if it was more, less or the same but figured it would have to be significantly more for him to choose Seattle over Detroit.

 

[Podunkparte]

There are talks of the Reds possibly considering trading some big pieces. I would absolutely love to add Jay Bruce to this team. We would immediately fill that professional hitting corner outfield hole.

I don't know that they would move him right now, but it's worth trying to get them to talk. He's left handed, but only 28.

Would you rather trade for Bruce or Justin Upton?

 

[NWinAZ]

Depends on price. I like Bruce, but it doesn't solve the RH problem. Upton is RH, but doesn't solve the long term problem. Add both and call it a day.

 

[NWinAZ]

Not that we were in on him:

Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports that the White Sox and Adam LaRoche have agreed to a two-year, $25 million contract.

With Jose Abreu entrenched as the team's first baseman, it's likely that LaRoche will see most of his time in the DH role in the White Sox lineup. The 35-year-old slugger slashed .259/.362/.455 with 26 homers and 92 RBI in 140 games with the Nationals in 2014 and should see increased power numbers with the move to the hitter-friendly confines of U.S. Cellular Field.

 

[Podunkparte]

Depends on price. I like Bruce, but it doesn't solve the RH problem. Upton is RH, but doesn't solve the long term problem. Add both and call it a day.

Well we definitely won't be trading for both.

Trade for Bruce and sign Cruz as a FA would work for me.

I just think Upton is going to cost way too much for a guy who strikes out so much and is only on a 1 year deal.