Results tagged ‘ Mariners ’
A Sunday Splash of Spring Training
Ken Griffey Jr.’s decision to return to Seattle has been portrayed as the feel-good story of the early spring, but I’m not convinced it’s in the best interests of either side. From the Mariners’ perspective, they are acquiring a veteran player in a season in which they have virtually no prayer of contending. In other words, they will be giving playing time to an aging player near the end of the line, playing time that could go to a young, developing player instead. The Mariners are also banking on Griffey helping at the box office, but few players in baseball history have served as one-man drawing cards. Teams have to win to draw fans–and the M’s won’t be doing that in 2009. As for Griffey, he will be playing what could be his final season for an also-ran, when he could have opted for a more optimal situation with the Braves, who at least have a chance to make a run at the National League wild card. He will also have to endure a return to Safeco Field, hardly a hitter’s haven. Griffey didn’t like hitting at Safeco in his prime; will he feel any better about it in 2009, with a 39-year-old swing that has slowed considerably? This feel-good story could turn very ugly by August…
Griffey’s last second change-of-mind caps off what has been a winter of frustration for Atlanta GM Frank Wren. At one point or another, Wren thought he had free agent deals with both Junior and Rafael Furcal, only to be rebuffed at the last instant. He also believed he was close to completing a major trade for Jake Peavy, but the Padres’ asking price grew too large for Wren’s liking. Still, in spite of all the disappointments, the Braves look like an improved team. They added Derek Lowe and Javier Vazquez to a rotation that already included Jair Jurrjens and can now look forward to a full season from lefty closer Mike Gonzalez. And on Monday, they will officially announce the signing of Garret Anderson, their Plan B option to Griffey. Anderson has become a defensive liability in left field, but he is three years younger than Griffey and has just about as much left in the tank offensively. Anderson will platoon with Matt Diaz, another Brave poised for a comeback in 2009…
Very quietly, Mets GM Omar Minaya made a shrewd move in bringing veteran outfielder Bobby Kielty to spring training as a non-roster invitee. Kielty didn’t play in the majors at all in 2008, in part because of two different injuries, but he’s healthy now and has a history of hammering left-handed pitching. Kielty’s splits for his career are borderline terrific; he has a .379 on-base percentage and a .503 slugging percentage against portsiders. Capable of playing all three outfield spots, the switch-hitting Kielty would make perfect sense as a platoon partner for Ryan Church in right field. There is an obstacle, however, to the Kielty comeback. The Mets’ fifth outfielder is currently scheduled to be Marlon Anderson, who was dreadful in 2008 but has a guaranteed contract. The Mets will have to show some courage in waiving Anderson and swallowing his salary. Otherwise, Kielty’s best hope might be for an injury to one of New York’s other outfielders.
A Smattering of Intelligence–Heilman, Seattle’s Infield, and Torre
When the Mariners acquired Aaron Heilman as part of their multi-player haul for J.J. Putz, it was widely assumed that the changeup specialist would take his place in Seattle’s remodeled rotation. That won’t happen now–not after the M’s traded Heilman before he even threw a pitch for them, sending him to the Cubs for infielder Ronny Cedeno and failed Oriole Garret Olson. Long desiring a rotation role, Heilman almost certainly would have started for the Mariners, but now he’ll have to battle for the fifth starter spot in Chicago, all while doing so for an impatient manager named Lou Piniella. I have my doubts as to whether Heilman will succeed. He’s basically a two-pitch pitcher–featuring that dandy change and a passable fastball–but he’ll need to come up with an improved third pitch to succeed as a starter. He’ll also have to show off the ability to shake off the emotional effects of a horrid 2008, a season that saw him become the No. 1 punching bag in the Mets’ putrid bullpen…
With the addition of Cedeno to a team that already has Jose Lopez and Yuniesky Betancourt, the Mariners continue to collect middle infielders of questionable hitting ability. There’s been plenty of talk that the M’s will move Lopez to first base; if so, Seattle would have one of the worst offensive infields of the last 20 years. (It would also be reminiscent of the days when Dan Meyer, Julio Cruz, Craig Reynolds, and Bill Stein formed an anti-Murderers’ Row infield for Seattle in 1978.) Although Lopez enjoyed career highs with 17 home runs and 89 RBIs in 2008, his on-base percentage remained a problematic .322. As a second baseman, Lopez can be an offensive asset; as a first baseman, he’s probably an average player at best…
Up until now, I’ve resisted writing anything about Joe Torre’s revealing and provocative book on his years with the Yankees, and will continue to reserve final judgments until I’ve actually read the volume. (My wife has already placed an order with a local bookstore in Cooperstown, but actual arrival will not take place until next week.) I will say this, though. I’m very curious to read Torre’s defenses and/or explanations of his decisions to use Jeff Weaver in the 2003 World Series, his failure to use an effective Chris Hammond in that same postseason (except for a lone two-inning scoreless stint), and his refusal to run against Jason Varitek and Tim Wakefield during the 2004 collapse to the Red Sox. I’d also be curious to hear what Torre has to say about the lack of effort that plagued Yankees players during the first halves of the 2006 and 2007 seasons.
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