M’s Promote Greg Norton
Dave · April 11, 2008 at 12:32 pm · Filed Under Mariners
Hasn’t been announced yet, but the M’s have promoted Greg Norton from Tacoma and he’ll be on the team for tonight’s game. I’m guessing Sexson to the DL with an acute case of tired-of-getting-booed-at-home-itis, but they could simply waive Jimerson or Cairo too.
Serialy?
Who plays 1B then, Vidro/Morse platoon?
Would love to see Balentien in LF, Ibanez at DH and Morse/Vidro platoon at 1B but it won’t happen.
Or sign Kenny Lofton for LF and move Ibanez to DH, something I have been calling for since spring training.
Serial (from Dictionary.com)
anything published, broadcast, etc., in short installments at regular intervals, as a novel appearing in successive issues of a magazine.
While the authors here do post regularly I don’t think the posts can be defined as serial.
“Sexson to the DL with an acute case of tired-of-getting-booed-at-home-itis” equals beer.
“simply waive … Cairo” equals tacos.
Why choose one?
Maybe we’re cutting back to a 10 man pitching staff.
Please let it be Cairo…since there’s no way it’s big sexy.
It kind of looked like Richie was favoring his groin the other day. Then again, perhaps he just felt like he’d been kicked in it by his declining skills.
Still, that gives them the fig leaf.
So Norton plays first, right? I’d love to see Raul there, but that’s not going to happen. I don’t think we really want Morse or Vidro learning a new position in games that actually count. 1B may not be the most demanding place to field, but it still requries some practice. (Morse has 16 games at 1B in the minors, Vidro has none).
#6 – I would be fine with Raul at 1B as well as it would open up LF for Balentien or a Lofton type.
Warning: Results-based analysis on small sample size. Take with grain of salt.
The thing is, Sexson hasn’t been awful. He’s hitting 206/372/382 for an OPS+ of 112. That’s not hideous. It’s heavily weighted toward OBP, but that’s fewer outs, y’know?
Now, if he’s lost bat speed, then you can expect him to be sucktastic going forward. But hbis performance so far has been decent.
With his contract, Cairo would clear waivers and likely accept the assignment.
Yeah, Sexson hasn’t been a problem.
Here’s hoping it’s Cairo because everyone knows he’s worthless.
Here’s dreading it’s the replacement for Wilkerson in the RF platoon.
Vidro and Morse logged 72 and 28 innings at first base last year for the Mariners respectively. Also, Vidro has 200.1 innings at first base for his career, logging time there while with both the Expos and the Nationals.
Maybe Mac put Cairo in yesterday’s game just so Miguel could say he put on the M’s uniform during his career.
Cairo needs to go, he serves no purpose on this team whatsoever.
Maybe we can trade him to the Giants for a case of sunflower seeds — they could put him right in the starting lineup!
Whoa I just had lunch.
You may recall that Wilkerson and Vidro played for the Expos in their last throes years. Seattle has a couple more good players than that team had (the Expos had Vladdy and precious little else, and not even him at the end), but this team still reminds me of that one – except three times more expensive.
At least Minaya had an excuse for poor roster construction and trading away the farm for Colon – he was actually working for a division rival – the Mets. Is Bavasi on Beane’s payroll?
Cairo, Turbo, or Bloomquist are not going to be released. If this Norton report is correct (no one else has it, at least that I’ve seen, but I’ve got no reason to doubt it) then either Sexson is going to the DL or Jimerson is gone. My guess is Jimerson because McLaren (& Bavasi) think that Morse or Bloomquist can handle the OF utility, or possibly that Norton has impressed them enough at AAA OF that he can fill in out there.
Well, I can’t get to all of the box scores, but Norton has apparently been playing 1B lately down at AAA with Lahair spending some time in LF. Which is interesting in itself. Could be that the word came down from on high to Norton ready for his call-up?
Actually, he’s probably more likely to still be on Moreno’s.
Also, Norton is hitting a ton at AAA .417/.500/.917 (yes, limited sample size) and he has hit pretty well against major league pitching before.
he has hit pretty well against major league pitching before.
You mean unlike every single person now on the Mariner bench?
This is awesome IF Jimerson is not dropped…if it’s Cairo now or Richie to the DL then Cairo on Richie’s return, it’s great news.
Norton immediately improves the 1B defense and offensive production…and he is a switch hitter…no need for a platoon…
Next they need to bring up Reed (ducking objects now) to platoon LF with Jimerson…here me out! That would DRASTICALLY improve the defense out there and Raul’s move to DH would improve the offensive offense of TURBO…
At this point a Reed/Jimerson platoon will out-hit TURBO…and they both have plus speed, so no more TURBORIFIC double-plays…
#15 — Corco also played for those Expos/Nats teams. Now if we can only get Tony Armas Jr.
#20 — Norton does not hit well from the right side. Turbo would probably provide more production when a lefty is opposing the M’s/
This makes our bench look slightly less nutty– though if Sexson were going on the DL I think they should/would(?) give WLAD a look with Wilk going to first.
23- I’m a big fan of platoons…they could have Reed/Jimerson in left, Wilks/WLAD in right, and Norton/Richie at first…
Can’t be Sexson. His batting average is up a whole point from last year.
24
The Mariners aren’t.
Jimerson makes a fine defensive replacement and pinch runner (and certainly makes more sense than Cairo), but his approach at the plate combines Kenji Johjima’s patience with Brad Wilkerson’s ability to make contact.
16 – Actually, Norton’s played more LF than LaHair (who’s got only one game in the OF so far).
Still, i’d doubt they’re bringing him up for positional flexibility – I’d guess they want a competent pinch hitter. We’ll see, I guess.
That’s what I figured. I saw opening night and Norton was in LF. But I could only get the last three box scores on the Rainiers’ website and Norton was at 1B/DH.
Norton has played LF before with the Rays and in the minors, and probably would be comparable out there to Ibanez, if a touch faster, but with slower jumps.
Where did you get your info on the defensive stats? The Rainiers’ site has nothing, baseball cube has nothing from 2008, neither does B-R or THT.
Crossing my fingers for Cairo.
Jimerson still helps this team with defense and pinch running ability. Think Charles Gipson.
Great! Mac always needs more bad options that he can forget about on his bench.
Seriously? Norton’s had one season (2006 in Tampa) where he’s been a superior offensive player. Otherwise, he’s the switch hitting version of Mike Morse. I guess the Mariners aren’t satisfied with having two Willie Bloomquists, so now they need two Mike Morses.
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31- But Norton is probably a better option right now than Sexson…
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I will get excited about them calling someone up when they actually USE one.
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But Norton is probably a better option right now than Sexson…
Sexson’s ZiPS projections: .234/.323/.441, 4.8 runs created per game
Norton’s ZiPS projections: .250/.345/.384, 4.7 runs created per game
Norton’s 35 years old, and has a grand total of ONE full season where he had an OPS+ above league (2006- his Colorado numbers are outrageously inflated by Coors), which means as a corner position player, he’s terrible. I have a hard time seeing this as an “better option”. Basically, he’s a fading veteran we’re grabbing off the scrap heap, with the major difference being that unlike Sexson, he was never really very good.
[this is not a Barry Bonds post]
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So if Norton sticks on the team the rest of the year, he’ll have like 40 at bats maybe throughout the year? It doesn’t make any difference if we don’t use them. (not that our bench is any good anyways) The M’s will find a way to F* this up anyways.
Notron > Cairo
Over the last two years, Sexson has created 815 Outs in 1154 PAs (70%); Norton has created 575 Outs in 373 PAs (65%). So there is that.
42-thats a lot of double plays
I get what you mean though
It’s Jimerson, not Cairo. Sorry for the bad news.
I watched a lot of Norton in ‘06. He basically was a poor man’s Aubrey Huff. And not 2003 Aubrey Huff. He wasn’t bad at first, was better than Gomes in the outfield (if thats saying much of anything), and was very serviceable as a DH. Not a bad bargain basement pickup that year.
norton up for jimerson
So, that means the M’s OF defensive replacement in late innings is going to be Willie.
Awesome.
If Jimerson goes, that means the M’s replace their all righty five man bench with a bench that has a lefty bat but now has five men who are all infielders. (Choosing to play Morse in the OF does not make him an outfielder any more than putting Cairo on the mound makes him a pitcher.) Eventually they will figure out how to construct a bench with both righty and lefty bats and infielders and outfielders. Every other team in MLB can this.
Well, McLaren isn’t bright enough to use defensive replacements in the late innings anyway. So this makes basically no difference.
SSS aside….
Can anything be inferred from Sexson basically being Adam Dunn in a slump right now?
BABIP is .300 (which is his career norm). Can we be optimistic that he’s going to be sorta productive if the K’s drop from their current torrid pace? Or is this insane BB% and K% the sign of a dying man taking his last few breaths?
Defensive Replacements? McLaren hasn’t been doing that anyways. Of course, the 35 year old Norton is probably considered a defensive whiz in the mind of McLaren.
It’s got to be Cairo. They’ve hardly used him at all.
Oh hey, it’s Jimerson. Okay then.
After all, why give Jimerson a little big-league experience when you’ve got all that veteran goodness in Cairo?
Can I ask why all the Bonds comments are being taken down by the moderators?
I’m surprised it’s Jimerson. Mariners.com did a story on him wearing 42 for Jackie Robinson day. This timing really sucks for him, because he was really honored to do it. I figured they’d wait until after the 15th to send him away.
Just read Baker’s blog, with Condotta filling in. Apparently Mac said that he likes Jimerson’s talents, but that he never had the opportunity to use him. One poster on this blog, either Dave or DMZ, guessed that Jimerson would be used less than Ellison. How can we figure this stuff out, yet the M’s can’t?
Hopefully Cairo gets DFA’d when the Mac needs a seventh arm in the ‘pen.
Can I ask why all the Bonds comments are being taken down by the moderators?
Because they’re off-topic and inflammatory (if not in themselves, in the reactions they provoke, or are calculated to provoke). But fundamentally, it’s off topic. You’d get much the same reaction if you brought up Griffey or any other players who (a) have been debated to death, and (b) the Mariners haven’t announced they’re adding to the team.
Happy Felix Day!!!
Another stupid albeit small move by the team. Is there any rational reason Cairo should be on the roster?
I don’t get this at all. Jimerson has a ton of speed and is a good pinch running option and a good defensive replacement late in games. Cairo and Willie are the same player.
Why do the M’s continue to cast off young guys with some upside for over the hill veterans? I am glad Norton is up, he is a good pinch hitting option and a lefty bat but why at the expense of Jimerson?
60:
Because the M’s don’t know how to quantify defense, and they have Willie for their pinch-running needs.
Is Willie really that much worse than Jimerson in the outfield? I don’t think so.
Although, I agree that Cairo should have been the one released.
Pretty funny how quickly the “Richie on the DL” rumor went around the ‘Net. People were so excited they didn’t read the ailment.
With players such as Balantien and Clement available, does anyone have a guess what would have to happen for them to be recalled? If Kenji continues to slump at the plate for another week? If Wilkerson goes 2 for homestand? Anyone want to guess the kind of reaction Sexson will have tonight? I guess he will have one grace AB but if he hits into a double play or bounces out to end the inning, it may be a very lonnnnnng game.
hello?? ello ello ello ello
is everone else down at the Safe?
I’m in Portland and I just got to see my first Vern Fonk (is that right?) TV ad. Now I know what you guys joke about.
I agree with Felix’ sartorialness. Not so much the pitching yet. But I have faith.
Suppose this is the Felix Day thread…
Felix – further proof that wins are a useless pitching stat.
0.00 era and no decisions.
Anybody getting MLB TV?
Johjima!!!
Clearly not everyone’s at the Safe. I didn’t expect to see that many seats.
Finally, Chone’s gone.
I swear, I have more problems with this piece of crap product then anyone.
That was impressive.
According to gameday – establishing the fastball … and the slider, changeup and curve.
(Don’t know if identified correctly – ask Matthews and Vlad.)
Just seeing “Weaver” on a uniform with long hair close made my heart a little sick. Then I remembered our Weaver is gone and if this one goes bad, it’s a really good thing for us.
Does anyone know the 800 number for MLB internet products. I just ordered Gameday Audio for the year and it will not work.
Ibanez!!!
why, yes, Raul does like to see young Jared.
Now can the bullpen hold this lead (once Felix hands it to them)?
traffic was crappy earlier– dunno about now
That’s the Weaver I like to see.
#72 I was only able to get the 1.2mb feed to work. The 400kb and 800kb feeds wouldn’t load.
So, why no game thread?
81 – Not sure if it’s because of despair from DFAing Jimerson, or having Norton called up.
That’s hilarious… bad call by management by the way. Makes no sense to have two clones on our bench. Morse, Norton; WFB, Cairo. No sense.
#80 – I can’t get either. So far this is the third game I haven’t been able to view on the video feed. The other two, Felix’s previous two starts….. actually, it started working half way through the second start. I tried with Mosaic, but it just takes me to a subscription page, plus, I never got my Mosaic to work for more then a couple seconds without it crashing anyway.
I get the radio feed just fine, good thing I payed 10x more for the video I can’t watch….
Oh well, I will stop complaining about it now, I promise….
At least Norton can bat lefty in late & close situations.
There’s a game thread up now. Just in time for our big inning. No? I’m shocked, shocked I say that these three didn’t score.
RAUULLLL
Jimerson is just wasted roster space. You can’t have a man on the roster who cannot hit at all, no matter how fast he is or how good a fielder (and he never really proved either of those things). Norton gives them an option who won’t change the pitcher and a backup to Richie. And an actual pinch hitter who might make the opposing manager do something other than salivate.
And, no, that is not a defense of Cairo being on the roster.
The M’s are still adjusting but why haven’t they given Morse a set position and use him instead of wasting his hitting talents. He is an adequate infielder but needs to be an everyday player. Give the guy a break or trade him.
[Morse] is an adequate infielder but needs to be an everyday player.
This is the exact opposite of truth. Nice.