Snell and Wilson Coming To Seattle

Word is breaking that the Mariners and Pirates have pulled a swap involving seven players total. I probably should wait a little longer to make sure the deal is correct, but it looks like the trade is going to happen. Seattle acquires SS Jack Wilson and RHP Ian Snell from the Pirates for SS Ronny Cedeno, C/1B/let's be honest, DH Jeff Clement, RHP Nathan Adcock, RHP Brett Lorin, and RHP Aaron Pribanic. It was obvious something was up last night when Jeff Clement was pulled from the game in Tacoma, but nobody had this rumor.

The trade makes perfect sense from Pittsburgh's perspective. Wilson will be a free agent at year's end, assuming his player option is bought out as it should be. Snell didn't want to pitch for Pittsburgh ever again. In return they get a middle infielder to take Wilson's spot on the roster, a guy to place first base in the wake of the Adam LaRoche trade, and three young pitching prospects. I'm surprised they had enough leverage to get this much for these two guys.

However, the Mariners didn't get fleeced. Jack Wilson is a big upgrade at shortstop. He's always been a great defender, and he's been among the elite this year. Wilson is arguably as big of an upgrade over Cedeno on defense as Cedeno was over Betancourt. On top of that, Wilson isn't a great hitter, but he's Babe Ruth compared to what we've seen at shortstop most of the year. Because of how bad shortstop has been for the M's this year, acquiring Wilson might help the M's as much as Holliday helps the Cardinals. That sounds crazy, but might be true.

Ian Snell should not be overlooked either. He is under contract for several years. He has struggled the past season and a half in Pittsburgh, but has dominated in AAA. Relations were definitely icy between Snell and the Pirates front office, so a change of scenery is great for him. I'm a little worried Snell has some character issues because of the situation, but the Mariners have a secret weapon, Mike Sweeney. I swear he is the cure for clubhouse cancers.

Giving up five players is scary for a shortstop who may be here for only two months, and a pitcher with possible character issues. However, this isn't anywhere close to the package given up in the Erik Bedard trade. Ronny Cedeno can't be sent to the minor leagues (he's out of options), so he couldn't be sent to Tacoma to work on his hitting troubles. Jeff Clement had no future with the Mariners either. He hasn't caught in months, and Mike Carp is the clearly the first baseman of the future.

Of the trio of young pitchers included, I'm most disappointed to see Brett Lorin go. However, he is no Chris Tillman. Pribanic profiles as a back-of-the-rotation type at best, and Adcock has a pretty big arm but still not that great of command. The M's have many young arms ahead of these three in the system, and several arms from the 2009 draft look promising already. The prospects in this trade are replaceable, and the M's may have already found them in last June's draft.

Even though the Mariners gave up five younger players, this trade did not deplete the farm system. I'd argue it barely put a dent in it, actually, and in return the Mariners got a couple guys who will definitely improve the team significantly right now.

Interestingly, this trade makes the M's look like buyers. I would probably be selling right now, but I'm still fine with this deal. Keep in mind that most players will sneak through waivers, so the M's can sell in August if they really want to.

Felix, Washburn, Bedard, Snell, and RRS could be the best rotation in baseball down the stretch, especially playing behind what may be the best defense in baseball with the acquisiton of Wilson, and impending return of Adrian Beltre. That's not an outlandish stretch. If Beltre comes back with a healthy bat, the offense will look significantly better too. All of sudden, this team looks pretty decent. A below-average offense can work with the best pitching and defense in all of baseball.

I'm sure many will say this was too much to give up, and this isn't a team worth buying players for. I like the deal though. It pales in comparison to the marvelous J.J. Putz and Yuni Betancourt deals, but it is a fine one. I'd like to think that this team can make a surge with Beltre's return, especially with Snell and Wilson added to the roster. It's nice to at least give the team a chance to make a push once they get back to full strength. They deserve that chance with how hard they've played, and how admirably well they've hung tough with all the injuries.

The plot seems to continually thicken with the 2009 Mariners. A new day, a new way indeed.

UPDATE (11:56 AM PDT) - The Pirates reportedly will pay virtually all of Wilson and Snell's salaries the rest of this year. Jack Wilson is not in today's lineup for the M's, and he is not listed as an option on the bench. Also, early comments from Jack Z indicate he may pick up Wilson's option, meaning Jack is probably more than a rent-a-player. Clement is going to AAA for Pittsburgh, and all the pitchers will be going to A ball. Also, for a closer look at Pribanic and Lorin, check out my post about the Clinton LumberKings a few weeks ago.

2009 Tacoma Rainiers At a Glance

Before delving in to today's post, I should mention something real quick. Kevin Cacebelos over at seatownsports.net approached me about writing a guest post, and that is now up. It's a closer look at the two M's in the futures game, Tyson Gillies and Alex Liddi. Check it out, as well as the whole blog. As the name suggests, they cover Seattle sports, and have all sorts of interesting content.

Finishing out the midseason glances at Mariners minor league affiliates is a quick look at AAA Tacoma. With all the M's injuries this year, several players on this list are known commodities that have logged some time in the majors. Also, this list will include a few older players that are not really prospects anymore, but are internal options to join the Mariners if needed. Any of these players could be called up by the end of the year. Without further ado, the Rainiers to keep tabs on:

Chris Shelton, 3B - Shelton definitely falls under the category of non-prospect that could help out the team. In fact, rumor is that he will be called up today. To call Chris a third baseman is being polite, but he has played there regularly for Tacoma all season. The 29-year-old is here for his bat, plain and simple. It will be interesting to see how what Don Wakamatsu does with him, especially if he hits really well, given his limited defensive abilities.

Mike Carp, 1B - The most advanced prospect the M's got in the Putz deal is enjoying a fine first season in AAA. Plate discipline is Carp's greatest attribute, and he has enough power to go with it to post good enough power numbers to be the first base prospect Bill Bavasi never drafted. Carp has been playing outfield from time to time in Tacoma too, though I think that has as much to do with getting everyone playing time down there as anything else.

Jeff Clement, 1B - That's right, Jeff Clement is no longer a catcher. I'm surprised this has not been talked about more. It was pretty clear when Guillermo Quiroz was called up in front of him. It's also clear considering that Adam Moore has been the everyday catcher in Tacoma since being called up a few months ago. Clement has been DHing primarily for the Rainiers, but played first base last night. At this point he is a bat without a position, and he is almost 26 years old. He should have been moved to first base years ago by the Bavasi regime once he developed elbow problems, especially with the black hole the M's had in the farm system at first base. I think Clement is one of the most likely Mariners to get traded at the deadline, and if not at the deadline, then in the offseason. He is no longer a key part of the organization's plans, and I would argue he isn't really a part of the plan at all at this point.

Doug Fister, RHP - One number stands out for the 6'8" righty, his walks. He only has five of them the whole year. That's a little better than one every other start. He gets hit around, but he also gets a fair number of strikeouts and keeps the ball in the ballpark fairly well. A pitcher with Fister's command and at least decent stuff is worth paying some attention to.

Bryan LaHair, OF/1B - Sometimes it is funny how things work out. Bryan LaHair was an outfielder in college, but the Bavasi regime switched him to first base because they did not believe he would stick in the outfield as he developed. Then, despite a black hole at first base for a couple years, he never got a look in the majors until the roof caved in last year. Now, with Mike Carp around, LaHair is back in the outfield. The 26-year-old is having his best pro season yet, but he is basically the same player we saw last year with a little bit more power.

Adam Moore, C - Adam is the Mariners catcher of the future, if they have one in the system at this point. He is a little bit older at 25 years of age, but year by year has progressed through the minor league system. His power numbers are down this year, and they will need to come up for Moore to seriously challenge for the M's starting catcher spot. His best bet for improving them is better plate discipline. Moore has room to walk a little more. Still, he is likely to get called up in September, and get more than a cursory look in spring training next year.

Prentice Redman, OF - At 30 years old, Redman definitely is not a prospect, but he has been pretty good in Tacoma for a couple years now. He never really got a chance in the majors, which is a shame because he is good enough to be a reserve outfielder and right-handed pinch hitter.

Ryan Rowland-Smith, LHP - When can we expect Hyphen18 back on the Safeco mound? Maybe sooner than later. His velocity has come back, and his last start was by far his best of the year. He went seving innings and delivered a very strong performance, throwing over 100 pitches along the way. The question is whether he is a better option than Jason Vargas, and that's debatable.

Michael Saunders, LF - The Victoria, BC native is not far away from the majors. He needs just one more home run to tie his total for all of 2008, and most of that season was spent in AA. Saunders is progressing quickly, and it is really encouraging to see power starting to come out of his 6'4" frame. He should be a September call-up, and he is the early favorite to start in left field on opening day 2010 for the M's if you ask me.

The lack of pitching prospects in Tacoma should not be too surprising or discouraging. The M's are carrying extra pitchers right now, and have been depleting by injuries too. Both Garrett Olson and Jason Vargas started the year in Tacoma, Ryan Feierabend is out for the year, and Cesar Jimenez is working back from an injury as well.

This wraps up a quick four-day tour of the Mariners minors. Some notable prospects were left out, including everyone in rookie leagues, but in the end I looked at 33 players that have put together good (or at least intriguing) seasons, with varying levels of potential. Overall, the system looks stronger this year than last, thanks to a good final draft by Bavasi, the Putz deal by Zduriencik, and perhaps the new development approach. Nobody has been rushed through the system this year, which was definitely something Bavasi had a bad habit of doing. Just like everything Jack Z has touched in this franchise so far, the farm system is on the rise.

Good Start to the Second Half

A series between the Mariners and Indians sounded a lot more appealing at the start of the season, but that can be said about pretty much any series the Mariners play. Still, as long as Felix is on the mound, this team is fun to watch. I won't say that Felix's growth this year has gone overlooked, but it is harder to notice players that take steps forward when the front office continues to talk about how much the team has underachieved. Sure, the Indians offense is bad, but Felix had few problems dispatching them, and his ERA now sits at a shimmering 2.95.

The only thing out of the ordinary with Felix's start last night was the run support he got. Aaron Laffey was shaky, and Raul Ibanez made him pay dearly with his grand slam. With Felix on the mound, that felt like it would be plenty, but then Jose Lopez added a three-run homer a couple innings later. It was nice to see some power and some runners on base out of this offense, especially for the pitcher that deserves them more than anyone else.

It is just one game, but maybe it is a sign that this team will bounce back a bit in the second half. J.J. had a nice rehab outing in AAA last night too. Bryan LaHair is finally up. Apparently he had a little injury, which is why the M's did not call him up once they released Sexson. That makes the bizarre timing of the move a little more palatable, but I still would have called him up. Tug barely played, and now LaHair probably won't with a string of left-handed starters. It will be awkward if LaHair takes a whole week to play after Riggleman said that he plans to give LaHair plenty of playing time, but at least he is on the team. Riggleman is even thinking about putting Jeff Clement out there a bit at first from time to time, a move the whole organization has shied away from, with little good reason, for years. What's next; will they consider cutting Jose Vidro, or putting Brandon Morrow in the starting rotation?

Maybe there is reason for hope in the second half. Maybe this team will finally put its best product on the field. The Mariners are inching towards maximizing its own personnel with each move, and maybe one of these days Riggleman will wake up and realize that the most worthless player in all of baseball should not bat clean-up on a regular basis. Maybe, just maybe, what is left of the season will be better than what has already transpired.

Bedard for Jones Talks Red Hot

Last week, reports broke out of Venezuela that OF Adam Jones (73/85) had been pulled out of the lineup because a trade for SP Erik Bedard (96/94) was close. The rumor subsided when Jones returned to the lineup. Tonight, word broke again that Jones had been pulled from the lineup. However, this time is much, much different. According to reports, Jones received a call from Bavasi Saturday night telling him that he was the centerpiece of a deal for Bedard, and that he needed to go to Baltimore for a physical. Additionally, the Mariners have confirmed that Jones is finished in Venezuela, but would say no more. Still, considering Jones was hitting third in the lineup for a team in the midst of the Venezuelan championship series, it seems obvious that only something as major as a trade would make the Mariners suddenly rip him out of the lineup for good.

Of course, both sides said a final agreement has not been reached as of tonight, though Baltimore GM Andy MacPhail according to one report also said Jones was not coming to Baltimore for a physical. Furthermore, it is rather certain the deal will include as many as three more players going from the Mariners to the Orioles, and speculation is rampant on who those others could be. Interestingly, one player commonly brought up in the trade, RP George Sherrill (86/83), says he has not been contacted by anyone to this point.

Right now, I am not sure if the deal is actually done or not. Listening to Bavasi last week, it was clear he had laid out his final offer to the Orioles, and that he was also fairly confident the Orioles would agree to it. I think their GM clearly has at this point, but owner Peter Angelos must sign off on it. With most owners, this step can be dismissed, but not with Angelos. He is notorious for striking down deals, and considering a prospect is at the center of what they will receive, it is no given that he will give a final thumbs up. Still, he did approve the Tejada trade earlier this offseason, so between that and the Orioles apparent interest in acquiring a black star, the odds seem to be that he will approve this deal. That is, if he has not already.

The second key to this deal, from a baseball standpoint, is how much more beyond Jones the M's have to give up. My gut tells me SP Chris Tillman (46/78) will also be in the deal, and that C Jeff Clement (70/78) will not be. Tillman makes sense because I do not see the M's including Jones and SP Brandon Morrow (75/81), so Tillman is in effect a substitute for Morrow. As for Clement, I think he has more value to the Mariners than the Orioles since Baltimore just drafted a power-hitting catcher with their first pick this year, Matt Wieters. However, any additional pieces in the trade I have no idea about, though the report about Sherrill makes me believe he will not be a part of it (though I am not sold that he is not in it). I will write more about the trade once there are more details.

Quick Look at September Call-Ups

With September comes expanded rosters, and the Mariners plan to take advantage of it. Yesterday, they announced that they planned to call up a total of 10 players. Five of them are part of the ballclub now, and four more will join it when the AAA season ends on Tuesday (John Parrish was supposed to be called up today but wasn't, so it is unclear what the Mariners are planning to do with him now). Here is a quick look at the players the Mariners are adding, and the impact of the moves:

CALLED UP TODAY

• UT Mike Morse (69) - Morse had a knee injury that kept him out for a couple months, but he when healthy he was productive. For as big of a man as he is, he still hasn't flashed much power, though he has shown the ability to hit for average both in AAA and the major leagues. Ultimately, Morse's greatest value to the team is his defensive versatility, and he'll likely see a few at-bats as a right-handed pinch-hitter.
• OF Charlton Jimerson (56) - With 25 home runs and 35 steals in the minors this year, Jimerson possesses a nice power/speed combo. However, his power is wiped out by an obscene number of strikeouts - 139 in 387 at-bats to be exact. He'll be the designated pinch-runner, a role that he should thrive in.
• C Rob Johnson (62/73) - The Mariners have long been high on Johnson, and though he likely won't play much he should make his major league debut sometime in the next month. Johnson's strength is his defense, and his hitting has developed some. Still, he will be the third-string catcher, so he will see little playing time.
• LHP Ryan Feierabend (59/67) - Since struggling mightily in the majors, Ryan has settled down and ended up having a solid year in Tacoma. Still, he's not ready for a pivotal role on this team. He should take over mop-up duty in any potential blow-outs down the stretch, freeing up Ryan Rowland-Smith for more important innings.
• RHP Sean White (68) - The Rule Five draft pick is back, and he is the biggest addition of the guys called up today. White will join Feierabend as a mop-up man, though he is a better pitcher than Ryan right now. The two of them should ease concerns of burning out the bullpen.

GETTING CALLED UP TUESDAY

• OF Jeremy Reed (68) - To a certain extent Reed has re-discovered the stroke that once made him a top prospect. He should be a good left-handed pinch-hitting option off the bench. McLaren may also use him as a defensive replacement as well, but that would be a mistake if he picks Reed over Adam Jones in any situation.
• OF Wladimir Balentien (71/83) - It will be interesting to see what the Mariners do with Balentien once he is called up. Wladimir is yet to make his major league debut, but he is the best player the M's are calling up. Balentien's greatest strength is a powerful bat, though he also has underrated speed. He has started to tap into his power potential thanks to remarkably improved plate discipline the last couple years. The odds are Wladimir will get very little playing time, though he should share pinch-hitting duties with fellow call-ups Mike Morse and Jeremy Reed.
• INF Nick Green (69) - Green has been tearing the cover off the ball ever since joining the Rainiers. Nothing about the rest of his career says he can maintain the type of hitting he has shown, but maybe this is just his year. Green can play around the infield, though his best position is second base, which has value on this team given Jose Lopez's struggles.
• C Jeff Clement (71/83) - Clement might be even more interesting to watch than Balentien in September. The former first-round pick is yet to make his major league debut, but after a slow start he really heated up. Thanks to his patience and power, he should see some pinch-hitting opportunities. Clement bats left-handed, but he absolutely crushed left-handed pitching. Hopefully McLaren realizes that he is much better against southpaws.
• LHP John Parrish (64) - When the Mariners traded for Parrish he had a 70 rating, but his rating has since dropped significantly despite very few innings pitched. He was supposed to be called up today, so I'm simply guessing that he will eventually be called up. Parrish should not be anything other than another mop-up man, but he is a better pitcher than he has shown in Seattle.

To make room on the 40-man roster for a number of these players, the following players had to be removed from it. They all are still part of the Mariners organization, but there is now a chance they could lose all of them (to put a complicated process way too simply):

• OF Mike Wilson (44/63) - Wilson got off to a horrible start, and though he had a much better second half, it still wasn't that impressive. He has great power, but struggles to make contact.
• INF Oswaldo Navarro (57/67) - Oswaldo looks like a light-hitting, decent-fielding shortstop at best. I don't know how he ever got on the 40-man roster to begin with.
• C Rene Rivera (41/59) - All I'll say is that I'm very glad the Mariners have Jamie Burke, because another year of watching Rene Rivera flail at the baseball like he's blindfolded was going to be painful. Rivera has inexplicably regressed as a hitter the last couple years to the point that he is not a viable option in the majors. How he stayed on the 40-man this long nobody will ever know.
• LHP Jake Woods (50) - After a pleasantly surprising season out of the bullpen last year, Woods has had a not-so-pleasantly surprising disaster of a season in Tacoma. Woods probably is not as good as he pitched in 2006, but also not as bad as he was this season. Still, given all the lefties the Mariners have on the roster, this was a logical move.

The Mariners September call-ups could actually be major difference-makers down the stretch. For the most part they won't be pitching or hitting in crucial situations, but they will allow McLaren to rest important contributors in non-crucial situations. It will allow important players to have days off that they otherwise would not get, especially in the bullpen. That will be especially valuable given how few days off the Mariners have the rest of the way.

All Smiles For Now

Though pitchers and catchers reported yesterday for the Mariners, their first official workout was today. As usual, everyone was all smiles. Just look at Mike Hargrove, who didn’t have many opportunities to turn his frown upside down last year.

So Mike, what do you think of some of the young pitchers, like Marcos Carvajal and Emiliano Fruto?

“Carvajal was impressive, so was Fruto and I like the way Meche and Pineiro threw. But the young guys caught my eye.”

If you’re asking who the $%!@ is Marcos Carvajal and/or Emiliano Fruto, don’t worry. Neither is likely to see much time in the majors this year because they aren’t ready, though Carvajal is a very good-looking prospect.

Hey Mike, what do you think about Seattle’s newest Japanese sensation, catcher Kenji Johjima?

“I liked the way he received the ball and I liked his energy level. I was curious to see how he swung the bat, and he swung it well. Everything I saw from Johjima was good. It was a good first day for him.”

Anything else Mike? I mean, Kenji is getting quite a bit of media attention!

“He is a very engaging guy and [dealing with so much attention] takes a lot of patience.”

Hold on, I’ve got to pinch myself. You mean to tell me there are a couple great-looking young pitchers AND a great-looking catcher in camp, even though there’s only been one day’s worth of workouts? No way! Hold on…I was wrong. Mike, what was that you just said about catcher Jeff Clement, Seattle’s first round draft pick (third overall) just last year?

“Give me an easy chair and a glass of tea and I can watch him swing the bat all day long.”

There’s TWO great catchers in camp! This is too good to believe. It’s almost like Mike Hargrove is pitching a product on an infomercial!

Like I said, everyone was all smiles because that’s just the nature of spring training. It’s great to hear and read about a bunch of great-looking players, put it’s got to be taken with a grain of salt. I have to admit, I want to hear that Marcos Carvajal looks good and that Jeff Clement has a ridiculous stroke. I want to believe that Kenji is the next Ichiro and that a couple veteran enigmas like Meche and Pineiro are on track for huge seasons. Frankly, I’d be deeply concerned if Hargrove wasn’t optimistic right now. However, it was the first day of workouts. We’re still a month and a half away from a pitch mattering (a couple weeks away if you count the World Baseball Classic) so all this great news has to be taken with a grain of salt. But then again, Mike could’ve just said he liked Clement, not that he wanted a lawn chair and a glass of tea…

HOME