At 22-36, the Mariners are the worst team in the American League. Worse than the clueless and inept Devil Rays. Worse than the stalled low-payroll rebuilding of the Royals.
Peter Gammons reported that Bavasi is telling GMs calling about Freddy that he wants to wait a little longer before making any decisions. Now, if that’s because he wants to get the bidding up, I understand, and that might even be smart.
But don’t you suspect that he’s wishing that Garcia would help the team make up some ground, any ground, in the division? That what Bavasi really wants, more than a chance to help the team long-term by making some astute trades, is to salvage any scrap of redemption out of this season to help him keep his job? As if people would say “Boy, that Bavasi.. he made all the right moves but he was sabotaged by injuries and, uh, bad luck. See how the team was starting to play well before he had to make moves? They might have come back.”
And I’ve been reluctant to mention this, but Boone looks a lot less mobile out there at times this year. He’s just not making the fast three, four-step runs to snag balls I’m used to seeing. And then sometimes he flashes the leather, ranging way out to his right and then gunning the ball to first. I don’t know if it’s the injuries he’s been fighting or if he’s flat demoralized and having trouble getting psyched up enough, but… I can’t be the only one who’s seen this this year.