News Bits
Dave · April 23, 2008 at 4:29 pm · Filed Under Mariners
Two quick things to pass along.
1. Mike Morse had surgery to repair a torn labrum and is done for the year. Despite his huge spring training performance, this just isn’t a big deal to the M’s – Morse is easily replaceable. The minors are full of guys with his skill set (example – the A’s claimed Rajai Davis off waivers today. Davis > Morse) – not that the M’s would ever bother to look to upgrade their bench anyway.
2. Frank Thomas is probably going to sign with Oakland. I’ve been ambivalent about this from the start, and this doesn’t really get me worked up one way or another. He’d have helped a little bit, but at least now we can still hope that the M’s have an epiphany, get a real left fielder, and move Ibanez to DH.
Amen.
Reed would hit as much as Vidro and play way better defense than Ibanez…they already have the best option in house…
Sucks for Morse…wasn’t all crazy about his spring stats and all that hype, but I was rooting for the kid…
As long as we’re talking news clips, there’s a really great article on fastball speed and location up at THT.
I agree that Morse will not be missed, but his injury is another example that supports Ichiro’s decision not to dive for fly balls.
Reed would hit as much as Vidro and play way better defense than Ibanez…they already have the best option in house…
Hitting “as much as Vidro” shouldn’t really be our objective. I think we could do better.
“He’d have helped a little bit, but at least now we can still hope that the M’s have an epiphany, get a real left fielder, and move Ibanez to DH.”
Or, the team goes after Jack Cust when he’s sent down to make room for Thomas. At least if that happened Cust does hit left handed. Seems to be the kind of move the M’s would do.
How well does AAA stats project to MLB? Reed is hitting ~.300 in AAA, so what would that project to with Seattle? I know it’s not a science, but…
Yes, but Reed’s defense is a huge upgrade, and if Wilkerson continues to be terrible, you can go outside the organization to replace him. This is what I’d love to see the M’s do, but I sincerely doubt they will.
I was at last night’s game, and as far as I can tell, Raul now starts moving only after the ball hits the ground. Routine singles are automatic doubles, and every team is on to him. I don’t care if Jeremy Reed (or any other replacement) bats .230, we need at least two outfielders who can actually catch a fly ball.
Dave, do you still view Reed as nothing more than a 5th outfielder? If so, who do you think is available to play OF if this shift would take place? I know there is Kenny Lofton, but anyone who is younger still available?
I was at last night’s game too. I took my 4 year old to his first MLB game (we go to a lot of Aqua Sox games). My favorite part was when Ichiro ran from Center Field to catch a ball in Left in front of Ibanez.
at least we’ll see SOMETHING happen.
10: I thought he had a better shot at the ball where Wilkerson got injured, too.
Wayne Krivsky fired as Red’s GM. Replaced by Walt Jocketty.
Commence laughter.
A: The Mariners hate giving young players a chance.
B: Mariner fans tend to have a highly exaggerated idea of the value of the Mariners’ minor leaguers.
A + B = Constant wondering why the Mariners won’t play bad players. It’s not like Jeremy Reed hasn’t had the opportunity; he’s just been bad every time they’ve tried to hand him a job, and if the team has given up on him they can hardly be blamed. Jeremy Reed is probably the guy they have in mind when they won’t play Adam Jones. Reed was supposed to be a can’t-miss prospect.
Dave —
Assume (for the sake of argument) that Bavasi gave you the go-ahead to make any deal you want for a LF. What would you do?
I’m surprised that no one has brought up the Safeco buyout.
I can’t wait to start attending games at Liberty Mutual Field!!1! We can call it “The Lib!”
16-
I have heard, via KING5, that it will stay Safeco Field.
from KJR this afternoon, in answer to a question (from a guy who must not be one of those ‘baseball seamheads’ that Gas frets about) about why Willie (what with his hitting and his intangibles) isn’t the answer in right:
“Willie should be part of the solution, but he has got to do something to make them not take him out of the lineup”
Right. Willie should be the solution, if only he would play like a solution.
Sucks for Morse. Finally got his chance (probably his only chance) and now its over.
Pretty much, I would say, #21. I like the kid and would have loved to see him get his shot here as he did deserve it, despite what he may or may not project stat wise.
And we can still dread that they trade Carlos Triunfel for Jay Gibbons. Don’t say it can’t happen.
The problem is not losing morse. Its that we are now playing a light hitting 2b on a platoon basis in RF when you can pick up a rh corner OF for two bottlecaps and a copy of swank.
reed is your basic 5th OF. huge platoon splits, runs OK for a guy who’s not really fast, has gap power but not GRAYSKULL POWER!!!! plays OK D in center but not so much that he’s a sober mike kreevich or anything. takes a walk if you hand it to him. rather have him on the roster instead of Cairo but id rather have trench foot than Cairo on the roster.
Reed in left, Wlad/Wilk in right, Rauuul at DH, Vidro on a bus, and Cairo, well, wherever he was before this season.
you have to platoon reed no matter what and his bats really not going to carry a corner job for long even if he is platooned.