Say what?
M’s pick up Guardado’s $6.25M option for next season. I’m floored. Better yet, Bavasi says they’ve discussed a contract extension to keep Eddie in Seattle after 2006. I’m double floored.
Mmm.. more potpurri
The M’s declined Hasegawa’s option (yayyyy), Reese’s option (you’re shocked, I know), and are still “in talks” with Guardado.
MLB.com reports they’re “negotiating a new deal with left-handed starter Jamie Moyer” in a passing tidbit, which is cool (home starter!).
In the front office, Lee Pelekoudas is now an Associate General Manager, whatever that means (the M’s got a lotta weird titles this year), and Jim Na moves up to Director, Baseball Administration.
Potpourri
Three more small items of note:
1. Corey Brock’s piece in the TNT about Japanese players with the potential to come to the majors this season goes well with John Hickey’s P-I story about Kenji Jojima. To regular readers of this blog, there’s not much new information, but these are fair summaries of where the Mariners are at as regards Jojima et. al.
2. Larry Stone’s story in the Seattle Times about Eddie Guardado informs us that the pranktacular closer and his agent are seeking a two-year deal from the club. If also affords us the opportunity to engage in a little language pedantry. Scroll down to number three if you have no patience for this.
If Guardado declines his option, he then becomes a free agent. But Guardado’s camp is considering jump-starting the process by filing right away for free agency on a conditional basis. That tact has been taken in the past by other players who have options.
This is a common error. It’s not tact, but tack. As Johnny Depp might say: nautical term. Tact is the quality you use to convince the drunken navigator to steer away from the oncoming storm; a tack is the course he sets to avoid the deluge itself.
3. Also from Stone:
Announcer Dave Niehaus is again under consideration for the Ford C. Frick Award, the top honor in baseball broadcasting.
The first component of the award is fan balloting that begins today online at www.baseballhalloffame.org, and continues throughout November. The top three fan vote-getters will be on the final 10-person ballot that will go to the Frick electorate. The winner will be announced Dec. 5.
You know what to do.
Gillick to Phillies
Word on ESPN and elsewhere is that our own Pat Gillick has been hired as the new Phillies GM. Read more
Ichiro wins Gold Glove again
Live in Bellingham? Been To Spring Training?
If so, and you’re interested in fame, fortune and glory — or at least in being interviewed by the Bellingham Herald — hit me up via the backchannel e-mail address. A friend of mine is doing a story on Mariner fans just like you.
New coaches, Gillick interviewing in L.A.
The M’s hired Rafael Chaves to be their new pitching coach (replacing Bryan Price) and Jeff Pentland as their hitting coach. Pentland was lately the hitting coach for… wait for it… the Royals.
Royals hitting, by OPS rank
2003: 7th of 14
2004: 14th of 14
2005: 12th of 14
He certainly got results.
Also interesting, though, is that the M’s have let the Dodgers talk to Pat Gillick for their vacant GM position. It’d be amusing, if only because Bavasi came to Seattle from L.A. to take over from Gillick, and now Gillick may go to L.A. to take over that organization from one of the young whippersnapper GMs he has little patience for.
“What’s this computer doing on my desk? Who left all these SQL manuals in here? What’s this CD… Mogwai? Who the heck is Mogwai?”
Mariner free agents
No Mariner filed in the opening batch, but in alphabetical order, I present the possibilities:
LHP Eddie Guardado (mutual option, team still pondering their $6.5m option)
PH-L Dave Hansen
RHP Shigetoshi Hasegawa (club option ha ha ha ha)
LHP Jamie Moyer
RHP Jeff Nelson
IF-R Pokey Reese
C-R Dan Wilson
Props for Niehaus
At long last, Dave Niehaus has been recognized by America’s Finest News Source — The Onion. Enjoy.
Matsuzaka’s posting request denied
We’d been hearing rumors about this, and from Kyodo News via JapanBall.com, here’s the confirmation: the Seibu Lions have denied Daisuke Matsuzaka’s request that the team post him. The posting system is the only way he’d be able to come to the major leagues this year.
Team representative Akira Kuroiwa said he told Matsuzaka that
the 25-year-old is a ”symbol” of the Seibu group and should
continue as an important member of the Lions next season, although
his wish to put himself in a more challenging situation is
understandable … [snip]After the 2004 season, Seibu suggested it would give Matsuzaka a
chance to ply his trade in the majors through the posting system on
condition that he perform well enough to make his case this year.This year, Matsuzaka was 14-13 with a 2.30 ERA, third in the
Pacific League, in 28 games. He led the league with 226 strikeouts,
15 complete games, three shutouts and 215 innings pitched.The numbers, which came one year after Matsuzaka posted a 10-6
record with a 2.90 ERA and 127 strikeouts, apparently failed to
convince Seibu front-office officials.
There appears to be an air of finality about this, although Matsuzaka says he’s going to keep trying to persuade them. Under the current situation, he wouldn’t be eligible for free agency before 2008.
Two immediate impacts here. First, top free agent pitchers like A.J. Burnett and Kevin Millwood just got more expensive due to scarcity. Second, this is a real disappointment from a major league fan’s perspective, since one of the most enticing players won’t get the chance to ply his trade in the states this year.
Frankly, I’m happy for Japanese fans that they’re not losing a talent like Matsuzaka. I don’t want to see the Japanese leagues become a de facto feeder system. But I’m bummed that I won’t get to see the gyroball in Safeco Field next year.