So with Jose Lugo going back to the Twins and RRS being named fifth starter, the following arms are still hanging around and vying for work:
Jakubauskas
Kelley
Aardsma
Batista
Lowe
Corcoran
Delgado
Morrow
Seven of those players are going to break camp with the Mariners. Lowe, Corcoran, and Aardsma are locks. Morrow is probable, unless the team decides to give him a week or three in Tacoma to get ready. Batista's probable, too, barring an unlikely release. That leaves us having to pick two out of the Jakubauskas/Kelley/Delgado threesome, and given that Delgado's only made six appearances while Jakubauskas (2 BB/9) and Kelley (12/1 K/BB) have impressed, it's the latter two that seem like the favorites. Which would be great news for both, albeit for different reasons - Kelley would be thrilled to make the team ahead of schedule, whereas Jakubauskas would be thrilled to make the team at all.
If Morrow were to begin the season in AAA, the Mariners would rather obviously elect to keep Delgado on the roster, as he's both somewhat interesting and out of options.
But here's where it gets messy. Morrow, if demoted, would only be gone for a couple weeks. And while Tyler Johnson isn't yet ready and Cesar Jimenez is on the DL, they're also on course to be good to go before long. Which means that, come mid- or late-April, we're probably going to see some movement. I have to imagine that Johnson will join the team as quickly as possible, since Wakamatsu's going to want a lefty specialist. And then there's Chad Cordero...it's all going to put pressure on pretty much all these guys to succeed early on so as not to find themselves on the chopping block.
A lot of these arms are going to be excited to make the Mariners out of ST, but in the grand scheme of things, it'll only be a small victory. Earning a job is one thing, but keeping it is quite another in the face of further competition. Nobody get too comfortable.
(Especially you, Miguel. For a couple reasons.)
0 recs | 38 comments
I feel we should just release Batista outright
JI - April 1, 2009
I'm leaning that way too
What’s the harm? I’d rather see Delgado.
Jeff Sullivan - April 1, 2009
I concur
OlSalty - April 1, 2009
Well...
Like I said, it can’t be that hard to find a freely available arm or two down the line for depth. Batista’s absolute upside is that of an average reliever. I think it’s best, all things equal, to put the org’s past mistakes behind them whenever possible.
JI - April 1, 2009
Yeah honestly I think there are better options on the team already
The costs are already sunk, if it makes the team better to have someone else pitching there’s no good reason to hang onto him.
OlSalty - April 1, 2009
Unless the FO thinks we can trade him.
Slurvey - April 1, 2009
What you you possibly get in return that would be worthwhile?
JI - April 1, 2009
A delicious can of Sprite?
BrianL - April 1, 2009
Not in this economy
OlSalty - April 1, 2009
Shasta then?
Big K?
A Plus?
Faygo?
James F'n X - April 1, 2009
Safeway Select MAYBE
OlSalty - April 1, 2009
Is it chilled?
JI - April 1, 2009
No, but I believe the Marlins were willing to throw in one of those red plastic picnic cups filled with ice.
BrianL - April 1, 2009
But... but ....
Gas said he had the best era of all the Mariner pitchers!
msb - April 1, 2009
And.... the last roster spots are being filled. Five days of waiting remain.
Regular season, where art thou?
Ezzra - April 1, 2009
I guess they have to play in Las Vegas for whatever reason.
Fin - April 1, 2009
I hate seven man bullpens.
Sec 108 - April 1, 2009
"Especially you, Miguel"
Bless you and all your family, Jeff Sullivan.
section331 - April 1, 2009
Correctly if I'm wrong, but aren't those all righties?
Shouldn’t we at least have one lefty in the bullpen? Jimenez and Johnson should be fine when they become available, but that’s gonna be a bit. We have 3 lefty starters to offset, but I feel like teams are gonna overload us with lefties late in games (or past the 5th if Bedard’s pitching). That’s gonna suck.
Ezzra - April 1, 2009
Wak said he's prepared to start the season without a lefty in the pen.
BrettJMiller - April 1, 2009
That has to be fluff
I don’t care how awesome Wak is; no manager can handle not having a lefty in the pen. Frankly I can’t handle the thought of not having a lefty in the pen no matter what numbers you throw at me
Corco - April 1, 2009
The Angels we're highly successful despite having no lefty
JI - April 1, 2009
I'm sure mathematically it's fine
But a bullpen with no lefty is one of the things that the baseball traditionalist deep down inside me just can’t accept
Corco - April 1, 2009
Wak is counting on Tyler Johnson and/or Cesar Jimenez to help out when they're ready.
It’s temporary.
ThundaPC - April 1, 2009
I feel like there has to be a trade before the season starts
This team just doesn’t seem built correctly to exist
Corco - April 1, 2009
Until GMZ sat in with Dave on the radio today, I didn't realize the Rule 5 guys had to clear waivers.
Then there’s 72 hours of negotiating with the original team with player trades, and then they finally get to buy them back for $25K. That’s kind of an interesting deal. Anybody know of a link to players on waivers, or is that info kept behind closed doors?
Kermit. - April 1, 2009
That's how we managed to keep RA Dickey last season after choosing not to keep him on the 25-man.
BrianL - April 1, 2009
And boy were people pissed at Jason last year for saying he was being sent through waivers...
PositivePaul - April 1, 2009
Since Kelley's a rookie...
I would think they’d hold him in Tacoma until May to delay his free agency clock. Zduriencik seems like the type to maximize a team’s control over a young player.
jb3 - April 1, 2009
If he's ready he's ready though
If they feel he’s going to be good enough to be an effective major league pitcher they are better off having him pitch in the MLB then wasting his arm in the minors (if he comes to Seattle, pitches 2 good innings and blows his arm out we at least got two good innings out of him, but if he goes tot Tacoma, pitches 2 good innings, and blows his arm out, then we get nothing out of it)
Corco - April 1, 2009
It's not that important to maximize relievers team control because relievers are so volatile
their shelf life just isn’t as long as a position player or a starting pitcher, and it’s certainly less than six years on average
seattlebruin - April 1, 2009
How valuable is a LOOGY actually?
How much does it actually help a team to have a LHP in the bullpen?
Edgar for Pres - April 1, 2009
Probably not that much
particularly when you’re talking about being without a lefty for less than a month.
Jeff Sullivan - April 1, 2009
And here comes LaRue
to say that Corcoran isn’t a lock
Matthew - April 2, 2009
Well that's interesting
Jeff Sullivan - April 2, 2009
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