Ownership standing in the way?

[seahawksfan234]

There have been some that believe Jack's hands are tied, and others who believe he just refuses to make a move. I was reading this article in the Tacoma News Tribune and saw a really interested tidbit that I had not heard on this board or on any other website:

Multiple sources say Zduriencik had deals in place with Nelson Cruz and Kendrys Morales before ownership nixed them. Both players then signed elsewhere.

By deals in place, I have to assume that both sides agreed to terms on a preliminary basis, Jack ran it past ownership and they said no.

If the Mariners would have signed Cruz imagine how much better off this team would be.

Nelson Cruz is having a monster season, and it's not just because he's playing in Camden yards for 82 games a year. 16 of Cruz's 26 HRs have come on the road, and he is hitting considerably better on the road than in Camden Yards. Cruz is hitting .321 with 16 HR on the road vs. .236 with 10 HR in Baltimore. Even if he hit worse than that in Seattle, he would've been a massive addition to this roster.

It is frustrating that Jack seems to have his hands tied.

 

[blstoker]

If that turns out to be true, then once again it would appear that the Mariners ownership might as well become Jerry Jones and become the GM themselves so people can stop blaming other people for their decisions. I had this insane hope they'd be better at this crap than the last owner, or that they'd sell the team to someone who cared as much about winning as they did about the money.

 

[NWinAZ]

What article was that in? I would love to read it.

I did read somewhere else that said has a reputation as a low ball dealer and it turns some GM's off. I am paraphrasing the example, but it said something like he would offer Smoak for Stanton and then say are we close? If not, then what? Again, not actual exampe but he is said to rub some GM's the wrong way.

 

[DunceKaep]

My Gosh, if WE only knew the truth!
Can this team, as it is, win the WS, Absolutely. Will they, probably NOT.
Will they, as they are right now, EVEN make the playoffs? WOW. IDK, but my heart wants to say YES.

Please don't trade Walker or Peterson.
Franklin, Paxton, that's all we got, so trade options are thin.

How about Ackley for Byrd?????????????

 

[Itsmytime]

Believe it or not. But I took a tour of Safeco about a month or so ago, and we got to see the Owner's Suite and the guide said that the owner has never seen a game. (Already knew this) But before he died he was going to try and sell the team to the fans ala Green Bay Packers. But the league nixed the idea.

 

[NWinAZ]

Interesting.

 

[seahawksfan234]

Believe it or not. But I took a tour of Safeco about a month or so ago, and we got to see the Owner's Suite and the guide said that the owner has never seen a game. (Already knew this) But before he died he was going to try and sell the team to the fans ala Green Bay Packers. But the league nixed the idea.

That would have been a really cool idea. I'm not an expert on the upper level functioning of MLB teams, but why would MLB be opposed to such an idea?

Here is the link to the article I found that tidbit in:

Mariners Q&A: What are Seager?s All-Star chances, the likelihood of a trade?and more | Mariners Insider - The News Tribune

 

[NWinAZ]

"
@bj_haley: has there been any indication it’s working and ownership is willing to open their wallets?
General manager Jack Zduriencik is on the record as saying he expects to make a deal before the July 31 non-waiver trading deadline. At minimum, that suggests he’s been green-lighted to explore possibilities.
But…seeing is believing. Multiple sources say Zduriencik had deals in place with Nelson Cruz and Kendrys Morales before ownership nixed them. Both players then signed elsewhere.
Me reading tea leaves? Yes, I think the Mariners will try to make a deal."


Wow! It just makes me sick to read crap like this. What a bunch of crap. Sell the team if you don't give a crap about it. They have made hundreds of millions on us and won't spend a few million that attendance would make up for. Let's spend another $10M on a big screen or whatever million on a camp in the D.R. for those players to be seen and then sign with the Yankees. That is good management.

Read more here: Mariners Q&A: What are Seager?s All-Star chances, the likelihood of a trade?and more | Mariners Insider - The News Tribune​

 

[wazzu31]

"
@bj_haley: has there been any indication it’s working and ownership is willing to open their wallets?
General manager Jack Zduriencik is on the record as saying he expects to make a deal before the July 31 non-waiver trading deadline. At minimum, that suggests he’s been green-lighted to explore possibilities.
But…seeing is believing. Multiple sources say Zduriencik had deals in place with Nelson Cruz and Kendrys Morales before ownership nixed them. Both players then signed elsewhere.
Me reading tea leaves? Yes, I think the Mariners will try to make a deal."


Wow! It just makes me sick to read crap like this. What a bunch of crap. Sell the team if you don't give a crap about it. They have made hundreds of millions on us and won't spend a few million that attendance would make up for. Let's spend another $10M on a big screen or whatever million on a camp in the D.R. for those players to be seen and then sign with the Yankees. That is good management.

Read more here: Mariners Q&A: What are Seager?s All-Star chances, the likelihood of a trade?and more | Mariners Insider - The News Tribune​

I get the hatred for the front office, but if he had deals in place and the ownership wouldn't take on the extra cash then maybe Jack should've taken Morales or Cruz over Hart and Rodney. Sure PED's could scare away Cruz, but so should knees with Hart, and a closer was not even close to a pressing need like Morales.

 

[NWinAZ]

I am guessing it would have been the 3/$30M for Morales or maybe $35M and probably the rumored 4/$40M for Cruz. That would have been $20M vs $13M for Rodney/Hart and more years. Not excusing ownership because it should have happened along with the Rodney deal. That would have had us at about a $110M payroll. That is about on par with Angels and Rangers I think. ERRRR!!!!!

 

[wazzu31]

I am guessing it would have been the 3/$30M for Morales or maybe $35M and probably the rumored 4/$40M for Cruz. That would have been $20M vs $13M for Rodney/Hart and more years. Not excusing ownership because it should have happened along with the Rodney deal. That would have had us at about a $110M payroll. That is about on par with Angels and Rangers I think. ERRRR!!!!!

Ok, say the payroll was still shitty. How it is not Jack's fault he chose Rodney and Hart over upping the ante with Morales? To a lesser extent Cruz? They didn't need a dude who's knees are shot and a closer. Their bullpen was fine prior to Rodney, they needed a hitter. Take Hart's and Rodney's salary and they have a better offense. They need hitting not another starter. They could take a every 5th day loss if they could pick up another number 2-4 guy win.

 

[Podunkparte]

Ok, say the payroll was still shitty. How it is not Jack's fault he chose Rodney and Hart over upping the ante with Morales? To a lesser extent Cruz? They didn't need a dude who's knees are shot and a closer. Their bullpen was fine prior to Rodney, they needed a hitter. Take Hart's and Rodney's salary and they have a better offense. They need hitting not another starter. They could take a every 5th day loss if they could pick up another number 2-4 guy win.

You have a point with Hart, but Rodney has been great. He had a couple little hiccups, but compared to Farquar (young/inexperienced) and Tom (already off the closing rails) I think he's probably won us a few games just being himself.

You can say "What good is a closer on a team that doesn't score," but on the same token, What good is a good hitter, who still fails 70% of the time, if your closer just gives the game back?

 

[SeattleCoug]

Well at bare minimum there is an extra $5 mill or so saved in incentives from the Hart contract since he got hurt. Maybe that's why the last minute offer for Kendrys was 1 year $5 mill. The question how much more is there, even extra a few to make it 8-10 mill would be nice. Given the guys likely available there shouldn't be payroll issues even adding a mid-level guy

 

[NWinAZ]

There should not be any payroll issues. Billionaires making hundreds of millions on their original investment and they can't spend another $20-$30M? Just think how much of that would be recouped with added attendance with them playing a real lineup? You would think they make about $30 per ticket sold (ticket/parking/food). That lineup with both Morales and Cruz (while still signing Rodney but not Hart) would add maybe 10K fans per game? That is $300K per home game times 81 games equaling $24M per year. The cost would have been about $30M so they only actually spend an extra $6M on the year. I am sure they could make up that $6M somewhere with a winning team with a good lineup. That is 60% cost of a big screen TV at Safeco.

 

[NWinAZ]

I just ran across this from another M's site. I found it interesting because it makes Jack look worse if that is possible.

Mariners find themselves in a rare position: Contention | Larry Stone | The Seattle Times

Mather says, emphatically, that the Mariners have the financial resources to enhance the roster, despite speculation to the contrary.
“I’ve heard national reporters have said that Jack (Zduriencik, the general manager) has no flexibility, that’s why he’s trading like (salaries) for like,” Mather said. “One day, I called him in and I said, ‘You know, we have flexibility.’ He said: ‘I know. Kevin, it’s just part of the negotiations.’ ”
Mather added: “We have flexibility. Our owners are excited where we are.”

 

[SeattleCoug]

I just ran across this from another M's site. I found it interesting because it makes Jack look worse if that is possible.

Mariners find themselves in a rare position: Contention | Larry Stone | The Seattle Times

Mather says, emphatically, that the Mariners have the financial resources to enhance the roster, despite speculation to the contrary.
“I’ve heard national reporters have said that Jack (Zduriencik, the general manager) has no flexibility, that’s why he’s trading like (salaries) for like,” Mather said. “One day, I called him in and I said, ‘You know, we have flexibility.’ He said: ‘I know. Kevin, it’s just part of the negotiations.’ ”
Mather added: “We have flexibility. Our owners are excited where we are.”

 

[PolarVortex]

They hav e money.
They don't have money.
They have money.
They don't have money.

Look, the biggest deadline acquisition they have made this entire century is Al Martin. No one is coming to save this offense. Don't know why you guys keep hoping for something different to happen.

 

[Mariners_44]

They hav e money.
They don't have money.
They have money.
They don't have money.

Look, the biggest deadline acquisition they have made this entire century is Al Martin. No one is coming to save this offense. Don't know why you guys keep hoping for something different to happen.

Wait........we just called up Sucre!?! I mean, he's batting .274 this year in AAA. That's an upgrade, plus he's way younger than his replacement in Buck.

 

[seattlefan75]

I know everybody is hurting whenever we look at nelson cruz but we cant ASSUME that just because he is playing well in that stacked lineup he can come to the mariners in safeco bat behind cano and still get those monster numbers its no coincidence that all there pitchers are struggling its a hitters park.... now with that being said whatever numbers he would have gotten hitting behind cano would be sure as hell better than anything were getting in LF and RF

I really wish the truth would come out about what really went on in the offseason there were so many rumors i remember on espn that cruz turned down a 5 year deal with the mariners but signed a one year deal with baltimore? to me there was more to that story than what was going on

 

[NWinAZ]

It is never about a player coming here and putting up the same numbers. That won't ever happen. It is about a player coming here and putting up better numbers than the guy he replaced here. If he put up half his current numbers while playing here this year, then that is still way better than Hart or Smoak. That is the key.