PI: “Winn trade imminent?”
Morosi’s got a piece up on the PI site worth reading.
Hargrove said it was “just a day off,” but one Mariners source said Saturday that there is a 90 percent chance Winn will be moved by Sunday’s 1 p.m. deadline, with the San Francisco Giants a late entry to the market.
The thing reads like Morosi following a trail of footprints with a magnifying glass up to one eye.
Ichiro and Costas
It’s the weekend, so here’s a frivolous link to distract you from rampant trade talk.
Bob Costas was interviewed on the Daily Show, and much of his talk with Jon Stewart was devoted to Ichiro. I don’t have a direct link, but go to their video page and click the Costas interview link. Matters of great weight and import are discussed, such as Ichiro’s favorite expressions in English.
As Jim Rome might say in a different context, trust me, it’s funny.
Game 103, Indians at Mariners
The approaching trade deadline is the talk of the comments. The below thread’s for that, while this one you can use to to talk about the (non-televised) battle between C.C. Sabathia and Ryan Franklin.
Alternatively, you can gleefully watch the Yankees’ bullpen vaporlock against the Angels. Who knows? You might even see someone get pulled out of the clubhouse and sent to the airport.
28 hours and counting
We’ve got a little more than a day until the trading deadline. The M’s are working on several deals, and it’ll be the upset of the year if they don’t make at least two trades. Meche’s shoulder tightness and Sele’s general terribleness didn’t help, but you could still see some interesting moves made that people may not be expecting.
Anyways, here’s a roundup from the local dailies.
The P-I gives us:
But yesterday afternoon, less than 48 hours before tomorrow’s trade deadline, multiple industry sources indicated that Bavasi has dropped his asking price on closer Eddie Guardado, to the point that a trade is almost certainly expected.
while the Times counters with this:
The two other players who are most likely to be moved are left-hander Jamie Moyer and outfielder Randy Winn. The team appears extremely reluctant to part with Raul Ibanez and Eddie Guardado.
So, depending on if you believe Morosi or Ko, the M’s are either expected to move Guardado or reluctant to part with him. Most of what I hear is closer to Morosi’s story, so I expect Guardado to be dealt, and the M’s to get a pretty solid return for him.
Also, the P-I and the News Tribune are confirming what I said on Wednesday; today is Felix’s last appearance in Tacoma. He’ll join the club at some point between tonight and Tuesday. The original plan was to work him in relief until September and give him a few starts, but with Aaron Sele getting beat like he stole something, that may change. Whether he’s starting or relieving, though, you’ll see him in Seattle next week.
Caple on Ichiro
Caple maintains that Ichiro is a Japanese-American fusion.
Back when I used to write for Baseball Prospectus, I’d get hate mail sometimes would have something in them like “This article was something I’d expect to read from Jim Caple’s ESPN stuff” or “blah blah blah and then you turned in Jim Caple.”
And I would reply “Thanks, I’m glad you enjoyed it.”
Anyway, check it out. I don’t agree with some of his conclusions, but it’s a good read. The bath thing is funny.
Game 102, Indians at Mariners
RHP Kevin Millwood v RHP Aaron Sele. 7:05, FSNW.
Morse at short, Betancourt at second. Wiki catches. The Ignitor sits. I’m still baffled by the Betancourt-at-second thing. I wish they’d say something about it, because having a tremendous defensive shortstop play at second is weird.
Sele’s DERA (Defense-adjusted ERA) since leaving the Mariners:
2002, 4.88
2003, 5.68
2004, 5.33
2005, 5.41
Hardball Times stats have his fielding-independent ERA at 5.23.
Anyway, he’s not pitching really well, is what I’m saying.
Borders out, Wiki in
The M’s have designated Pat Borders for assignment and recalled Wiki Gonzalez from Tacoma.
Expect it to be the first of several moves in the next 30 hours.
The Feel-Bad Story of the Year
As we all know, Friday is Become Pessimistic About The Fate of Humanity Day. What better tale to start it off than this one, a sordid narrative about a Little League coach offering one of his players $25 to drill a teammate before a playoff game, the better to keep the weaker player off the field?
This would be sad and pathetic at any level of baseball, no matter what. It’s the details that make what Mark R. Downs Jr. is accused of doing all the more jaw-dropping. To wit:
* The kid who Coach Downs wanted plunked and injured was mentally disabled. Already, we’re approaching James Bond adversary level villainy.
* Keith Reese, the eight-year-old who says his coach offered him the payoff, testified that as instructed, he nailed his teammate with a throw to the groin — but the blow wasn’t hard enough, and Downs instructed him to hit him again, this time in the head.
* Downs allegedly admitted what he’d done to Reese’s father. Of course, the lawyer is disputing that. Coach’s cover stoy: The parent must have been confused from the time Downs offered a $25 bounty if anyone tagged an umpire. What? That’s your defense? He has this confused with another bounty?
Apparently, the coach had tried other strategies to keep the mentally challenged boy from playing, too, like telling his parents that certain games were cancelled. All of these are just allegations at this point, but Downs has been arraigned and will stand trial. The younger Reese’s account seems to paint a pretty damning picture.
Stupefyingly, the kid testified that Downs stiffed his little hit man! Sign up for fall league, and I’ll pay you then, ol’ Rifle Arm says the coach told him. No wonder the kid flipped on him.
Kicking down that 25 bucks might have saved him 25 years. If this story is accurate, even wearing David Byrne’s suit from the “Stop Making Sense” video, as he appears to be in the linked picture, isn’t going to generate enough sympathy to save him.
The coup de grace (or is that coup dis-grace?) comes in the last paragraph: “League organizers have said Downs won’t be allowed to coach again if he is convicted of criminal charges … Downs is not suspended and remains a coach in the league.”
Dave Bliss is probably still the most loathsome coach of the last 10 years, but if half of these allegations are true, this guy’s number two with a bullet.
Game 101, Cleveland at Mariners
Sorry we’re late.
Lopez down, Betancourt up
Betancourt’s been hitting better than expected in AAA, but this is a rapid ascent for him. Lopez is down, having hit poorly since his recall… but wow, that’s not a long trial. And where would Betancourt play?
I don’t understand the logic here. Betancourt’s defense has earned rave reviews, but say you plug him in at second as an attempt to help the ball-in-play rotation… then what happens to Morse? And then who’s playing second?