It’s just that something doesn’t look right to me. I come from the sports betting world, where we love and respect your work, and where we happen to value pitching very strongly.

I think my issue has to do with trying to value pitching and defense as “runs prevented,” which you can only measure by the failure to do so. Which is by necessity the same as the other guy’s “runs scored.” That’s not computing for me, and if I’m wrong, I hope you can set me straight.

Pitchers simply don’t have the same impact on wins and losses, because they only impact part of the half, while the position players impact the whole of one half and part of the other.

Pitchers also defend and hit. If the position players get credit for their hitting and defense, then you have to give pitchers the same treatment when weighing their impact.

Actually, I think the whole argument falls apart with equating the value of “run scoring” and “run prevention.” Run scoring can be measured in runs scored. Run prevention cannot be measured; it’s an idea. If Seattle beats the Yankees 2-1, how many runs did the M’s prevent the Yankees from scoring?

The Bedard trade was horrible, there’s no way he’s the best pitcher in baseball, the Mariners ship is sunk for 2008, and that winning streak you want them to go on would require them to play .680 baseball for the rest of the year. No one’s that good, especially not this sorry bunch.

It all goes back to front office stupidity and panic. 88 wins + Bedard = Playoffs. Well, no it doesn’t in oh too many ways. How can the front office not see that we were not an 88 win team last year. It just doesn’t make sense to me.

Beltran is going to look sorely overpaid before the end of his contract – remember he’s not even halfway into his seven year deal – and Alfonso Soriano is already starting to look a bit albatrossy. The Cubs will owe him about $19M when he’s limping around left field at the age of 38.

And seriously? Soriano? At least Beltran can play center field pretty well. Soriano is another impatient, defensively-limted righthander, who would look dreadful playing half his games in Safeco Field. Soriano is a seriously overpaid veteran – exactly what this team has too much of.

Sorry mw3 – your post is just the sort of slightly knowledgeable, bar-room wisdom that sounds okay on the morning show on sports radio, but doesn’t over any real analysis.

The Mariners need to pony up and pay a true #3 or
#4 hitter top dollar.

No, they don’t.

That’s the kind of thinking that got them into this mess.