Geoff Jenkins signs with Philly

Dave · December 20, 2007 at 7:41 am · Filed Under Mariners 

2 years, $13 million, for a high quality defensive outfielder who swings from the left side and has a swing tailor made for Safeco Field.

When you’re getting outsmarted by Pat Gillick, it’s time to do something else with your life.

Comments

71 Responses to “Geoff Jenkins signs with Philly”

  1. msb on December 20th, 2007 1:39 pm

    However he does make bad decisions and that gives players a reason not to come here. It is tough to get guys to play for a team that they know won’t be any good.

    judging from players’ talk, they often have very little idea what makes a good team, and are thrilled to hear their team has signed someone we all think is a terrible mistake….

    and re: signing Johjima:

    In Oct, rumors go ’round that Joh is likely to try free agency, despite a nice 4-year offer from the Hawks.

    In early Nov. he says that he will try, and flies to LA. About 6 clubs immediately get in touch with Alan Nero, including the M’s. It is said that the Pads have scouted him for a year, and are the likely front-runners, along with the Mets.

    Joh visits Seattle, goes on to Nero’s office in Chicago & has a press meet, and is scheduled to go on to NY. He then surprises Nero by going back to Japan (later said to be due to a family illness) and not re-scheduling the NY trip. Word is that the Hawks offered a new & lucrative 1-year deal, and the belief is he’ll either take that or the M’s offer.

    He signs with the Mariners.

  2. heyoka on December 20th, 2007 1:40 pm

    Does Morrow have more or less upside than Bedard?

    The SP talent on that 09 FA list is freakin’ nice. Good thing we’ve got all these other guys locked up……

  3. zackr on December 20th, 2007 1:47 pm

    Dave or DMZ –

    Have either of you heard more rumblings of players wanting to avoid playing for Seattle lately? It seems like we’re hearing more often than usual that people want to stay away from our travel/smaller market sitch.

  4. HamNasty on December 20th, 2007 1:47 pm

    51- I am sure that they know a general state of the team. Their agents get a call from Bavasi, then that player talks to his teammates and friends around the league about Seattle. There are more then a few stories about players not being happy about their time in Seattle. Unless of course you are an aging vet who gets whatever he wants.
    Once again I am not saying its all or even mostly Bavasi’s fault, but his role of how he puts this team together does get some factor into the decision.

  5. Mike Snow on December 20th, 2007 1:49 pm

    according to the hot stove on MLB.com, seattle is the favorite for bedard and it says the O’s are willing to take Jones OUT of the deal…

    “In fact, echoing a general belief, the Post-Intelligencer said the Mariners are now considered the favorites to acquire Bedard, probably because the Orioles are more likely to drop outfielder Adam Jones from the asking price.”

    i’m down for THAT!

    I’d love almost any trade for Bedard that doesn’t require Adam Jones, too. The problem is, I can’t find any basis for the speculation that the Orioles aren’t insisting on Jones. Despite the report, it doesn’t seem to be from the P-I, whose latest story on the subject pretty clearly says that including Jones is the starting point for any Bedard trade.

  6. msb on December 20th, 2007 1:51 pm

    what stories have more weight, the ones from the guys who were traded and complain about it later, or the guys who talk about how the team made an effort to place them in a good situation when they knew it was time to part ways?

    oh, and FWIW< Geoff Jenkins, at the Philly press intro:
    “… had some other offers, looked at the stadium, the way it fit me, and a chance to win now, I looked at the park, and I knew some of the guys… “

  7. HamNasty on December 20th, 2007 1:57 pm

    56- Jenkins helps me prove my point…
    Safeco fits him well, lefty bat and a chance to make an impact as a defensive OF.

    He has almost no chance to win now. Partly Bavasi, the point I have been trying to make.

    Safeco is considered one of the nicest venues.

    I have no idea who he is friends with so I can’ comment on that.

  8. msb on December 20th, 2007 2:04 pm

    or, he doesn’t help you prove your point as he mentions that he had other offers, and chose to stay in the NL, in a smaller park where the ball can fly out in the summer …

  9. msb on December 20th, 2007 2:06 pm

    per Baker: “Carlos Silva is apparently in Seattle and will attend a 4 p.m. press conference at Safeco Field to announce the signing.”

  10. HamNasty on December 20th, 2007 2:20 pm

    Or he does cause I keep say Bavasi is PARTLY responsible however there are other factors.

  11. FutureMsGm on December 20th, 2007 2:24 pm

    Re: MLB’s Hot Stove Report

    I believe that the article is simply speculating that of the Twins (Santana) and Orioles (Bedard) the O’s are more likely to accept a package not centered around Jones. Not necessarily saying that such a thing has been discussed. At least that is the way it read to me.

    That said if we can keep Jones and still get Bedard I’m all for it. I just don’t see that being the case though.

  12. joser on December 20th, 2007 2:24 pm

    If we still hope to get Ibanez out of the outfield (or if, heaven forbid, they give up Jones in a trade) who else is out there as a second choice to Jenkins?

  13. joser on December 20th, 2007 2:27 pm

    Well, I don’t know where Cot’s gets their information, but they already have Silva listed on the M’s page “signed as a free agent 12/20/07” — but no contract details beyond the 4/$44M.

  14. DMZ on December 20th, 2007 2:30 pm

    Silva’s signing has its own post, but thanks for hijacking.

  15. 300ZXNA on December 20th, 2007 3:39 pm

    Anyone else wonder if Bavasi’s thought process was something like this:

    “The Phillies are going to sign Jenkins to a 2 yr $13 mil contract? Well, then good we didn’t pursue him, because if he is only worth 6.5 mil per year he must really suck . . .”

    *sigh*

  16. ChrisK on December 20th, 2007 3:44 pm

    #40 – you’re incorrect about Johjima. Read Bavasi’s quotes from that offseason:

    “INDIAN WELLS, Calif. — The Mariners are Kenji Jojima’s first choice. He may not be theirs.

    Jojima, who could become the major leagues’ first Japanese catcher, wants to play in Seattle next season, a club source said Thursday. The Mariners, however, are reluctant to sign him at the numbers — three years, $16-$18 million — floated by his representatives in recent days.

    General manager Bill Bavasi has said he wants to find catching help, but has left that below pitching and left-handed power among his offseason priorities.

    “It’s far down the list,” the club source said. “We have more pressing needs. To go out and get a catcher now, before signing a pitcher, wouldn’t be prudent.”

    http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/baseball/248008_mari11.html

    That article was written on Feb 11, 2005. Ten days later, they signed him to a contract. He fell into Bavasi’s lap.

  17. msb on December 20th, 2007 4:03 pm

    the article was in November, not February.

    what Bavasi has said than, and since then, was that they intended to get pitching first, and look for offense later, but Johjima’s somewhat unexpected availablility in November (at the same time as the GM meetings) changed their focus — is that what you mean by ‘he fell in their lap’? They still had to sign him, and despite the not very accurate ‘club source’, there was competition.

  18. bayoumariner on December 21st, 2007 11:29 am

    Gillick with Jays-They win the World Series
    Gillick with Baltimore-Reach ALCS.
    Gillick with Seattle-Reach ALCS twice. GM of a team that wins 116 games.
    Gillick with Philly-They reach playoffs for the first time in a decade.

    Clearly the man is just lucky and has no real business in baseball.

  19. mrmitra on December 21st, 2007 12:27 pm

    I have been told that Jenkins wanted to stay in the NL and was only considering NL offers. I suspect that was the reason Bavasi never really went after him. Of course Jenkin’s agent would never let something like that become public knowledge. I do not have any proof to back up my claim however.

  20. Pete Livengood on December 22nd, 2007 3:18 pm

    68 – bayoumariner: Gillick certainly knows how to build a team for short-term success. Building a team that can sustain that success? That is more than debatable. Look at what happened to each of those teams as / after Gillick left….

  21. jamesllegade on December 26th, 2007 12:04 pm

    OK… what if we sign Shawn Green, Luis Gonzalas or Trot Nixon… Trade Jones and Clement for Bedard and keep Morrow?

    Then we wait for Wlad to develop… anyone one of those guys gives us lefthanded pop and a year or two of time to either develop another OF or pick one up.

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