Because the Washburn issue isn’t bad enough

JMB · August 15, 2008 at 11:36 am · Filed Under Mariners 

Chris Tillman tops Baseball America’s Prospect Hot Sheet this week. You might remember Tillman from such trades as Jones-Sherrill-Mickolio-Tillman to the Orioles for Erik Bedard.

Tillman’s fanned nearly ten hitters per nine innings at AA this year while allowing a mere nine homers in 118.2 innings, Sherrill’s saved 31 games, Jones has hit better than (I personally) expected, and Mickolio’s pitched well in relief (again).

Ugh.

Comments

25 Responses to “Because the Washburn issue isn’t bad enough”

  1. terry on August 15th, 2008 11:43 am

    You guys have hawked USSM swag in the past. How ’bout some USSM bag swag (the kind with two eye holes that is meant for placing over your head)?

  2. Sports on a Schtick on August 15th, 2008 11:44 am

    Tillman is officially an elite pitching prospect.

    Who the hell actually thought this trade was a good idea?

  3. Tek Jansen on August 15th, 2008 11:46 am

    I remember Tillman from the Jones-Sherrill-Mickolio-Tillman-and-Butler to the Orioles for Erik Bedard trade. Since I am a masochist I had to remind myself that the M’s gave up FIVE players for Bedard.

  4. EnglishMariner on August 15th, 2008 11:48 am

    To be fair, no one predicted a year ago that Tillman would be any better than a number three starter. That said, oh God I hate the Mariners.

    Serious question: are we currently at the lowest point in the organisations history? There doesn’t seem to be any hope for the immediate future. There are a bunch of morons in charge of the ballclub. The fans are losing interest. The farm system sucks. Felix looks like he will never improve.

    Where is the hope anymore?

  5. Tek Jansen on August 15th, 2008 11:51 am

    “Who the hell actually thought this trade was a good idea?”

    Well, aside from the M’s management, people who liked this trade are generally people who now dislike Erik Bedard for not being a chatty Cathy. Just check out KJR’s lineup. Just about everyone, except for Dave’s parter Groz, thought this was a no-brainer.

  6. Spanky on August 15th, 2008 11:51 am

    As much as some like to give credit to Bavasi and company for “re-building” the M’s farm system, that trade all by itself should remove all consideration from being given for the re-build because it so crippled the M’s going forward.

    What amazes me is that it took SO LOOONG for the O’s to finally agree to do it. Wasn’t there anyone close to Bavasi that could have walked into his office and slapped some sanity back into him during that time????

  7. Sports on a Schtick on August 15th, 2008 11:54 am

    #4

    Depends. If the M’s hire another retread GM and manager this offseason then that might be the low point.

    Being a M’s fan is like Dante’s Inferno. How many circles of hell can there be?

  8. Willmore on August 15th, 2008 11:57 am

    Losing Tillman was the only sore spot for me in the Bedard trade. If it was Jones for Bedard, I’d be fine. But Tillman was always a great talent in my eyes and losing him completely depleted the M’s farm system of elite arms.

  9. Some Dude on August 15th, 2008 12:09 pm

    Ugh is right. I think it’s time to step off the Bedard trade bashing bandwagon. And white-knighting for Jones is just trying to make an issue of something that’s not even there.

  10. Sports on a Schtick on August 15th, 2008 12:17 pm

    I think it’s time to step off the Bedard trade bashing bandwagon. And white-knighting for Jones is just trying to make an issue of something that’s not even there.

    Like the fact the M’s don’t know how to evaluate talent?

  11. Jim_H on August 15th, 2008 12:20 pm

    I’m not suggesting the trade was good, but am going to throw out the ‘Hind Sight is 20/20’ cliche…

  12. DMZ on August 15th, 2008 12:22 pm

    Umm…. except that at the time, we spent months railing on what a horrible deal it was. Soooo is our foresight 20/15? 20/10?

  13. CaptainPoopy on August 15th, 2008 12:22 pm

    Jim –

    We didn’t need hindsight to know that the trade was bad from the beginning.

  14. Sports on a Schtick on August 15th, 2008 12:32 pm

    And let’s not forget Tony Butler was also in the deal. If he ever pans out… wow.

    For Bedard the Mariners traded a first rounder, a second rounder, a third rounder, a prospect and an All-Star reliever.

    And some people still think draft picks are overrated?!

  15. jordan on August 15th, 2008 12:38 pm

    I know the M’s next big blunder..

    They will get the #1 pick, and pick a relief pitcher and not Strasberg, because “He has a chance to come into our bullpen and solidify it this year”

  16. JMHawkins on August 15th, 2008 12:40 pm

    Whoa, who is the “JMB” fellow posting here? I think there used to be someone by that name, but that was a long, long time ago.

  17. msb on August 15th, 2008 12:42 pm

    on the other hand NY just decided maybe Richie had nothing left in the tank …

  18. gwangung on August 15th, 2008 12:42 pm

    To be fair, no one predicted a year ago that Tillman would be any better than a number three starter.

    Actually, quite a few people saw the possibility…

    I’da been comfortable trading the minor leaguers themselves, and maybe Sherrill, but adding Jones on top of that? Ugh. Ugh, ugh ugh.

    Part and parcel of the Ms inability to evaluate talent. They’ve consistently over-valued veteran talent and under-valued young, rising talent.

  19. stripesjr on August 15th, 2008 1:34 pm

    Yeah, I’d have to say that everyone of the writers here were thinking this trade was a very bad idea. I talked to some friends about this trade while it was happening and they were stoked… I was sitting there befuddled wondering what the future would hold if Bedard melted down or they couldn’t sign him long term. Go figure.

    It took NY less than a month figure out Richie had nothing left in the tank. “Go Rays!!!!!!”

  20. bergamot on August 15th, 2008 1:39 pm

    Serious question: are we currently at the lowest point in the organisation’s history?

    In terms of performance and aggregate talent, probably.

    I think the low points were the final games of most of the years in the 1980’s and early 1990’s, when we weren’t sure if the Mariners were going to be back in Seattle on Opening Day of the following season.

    Bad Team > No Team.

  21. casualfan7 on August 15th, 2008 1:54 pm

    Spanky said:

    As much as some like to give credit to Bavasi and company for “re-building” the M’s farm system, that trade all by itself should remove all consideration from being given for the re-build because it so crippled the M’s going forward.

    What amazes me is that it took SO LOOONG for the O’s to finally agree to do it. Wasn’t there anyone close to Bavasi that could have walked into his office and slapped some sanity back into him during that time????

    The O’s and M’s quickly agreed on Sherrill, Tillman, Jones by many reports. The O’s and their GM waited and pryed Butler and Mickolio away from Bavasi.

  22. VaughnStreet on August 15th, 2008 2:29 pm

    One reason this is such a low point in Mariner history is that just a few years ago this team won 116 games and was starting to make semi-regular appearances in the post-season. Now the team is losing maybe 116 games and is making regular appearances in the toilet.

  23. Steve T on August 15th, 2008 2:40 pm

    But, guys, think how crappy we’d be without Bedard. We’d be one of the worst teams in baseball if it wasn’t for him.

  24. Xteve X on August 15th, 2008 3:06 pm

    New Ms commercial:

    He got cut by the Ms for not hittin’ in the clutch
    Now NYC’s also seen too much
    Reduced to hitting vs. lefties in a first base platoon
    His next gig: washing dishes in a greasy spoon

    BIG RICHIE

  25. scott19 on August 15th, 2008 4:05 pm

    Maybe Richie can go buy himself an Arby’s franchise…

    Or, better yet, a Sizzler…then he could hire Silva as the night manager! 🙂

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