Griffey, Sweeney, Carp, Halman, Wilson, Mangini, Nelson, Everidge … for $5mil it seems like he is a good? quality? serviceable? affordable? option given the state of this team.
But I can see other reasonable risks that will probably only cost a few million more on one year deals
Berkman, Vlad, Ordonez to name a few. Not sure if any of them would sign here, and they have the same concerns as Branyan (but have also been significantly more successful).
Yeah, it is a good way to get young guys at-bats, but ...
the supposed top ten DH’s coming into the year:
1. Vlad Guerrero
2. Jason Kubel
3. David Ortiz
4. Nick Johnson
5. Hideki Matsui
6. Jose Guillen
7. Luke Scott
8. Jack Cust
9.Brett Wallace
10. Travis Hafner
Jason Kubel is the youngest among them … he is 28 years old. It’s not a young guy position and it doesn’t appear that any AL teams what to put a young guy in that position, nor do they want to.
Well of course a lot of the top ten DH's are going to be old
There are a bunch of old, defensively-challenged guys who can still provide offense for competing teams. Doesn’t mean the Mariners can’t put a young guy there, and plenty of teams have put young guys there in the past. What the rest of the league generally does should have no bearing on what we do. Also, Brett Wallace is 24.
That being said, I don’t know exactly who Jeff is thinking of when he says “get young guys at-bats.” Tui? Halman? I suppose it might be the smart thing to do later in the season if we’re not competing, but given that there is no one who is really pushing for those DH at-bats, I’d rather stick Branyan/random FA there at the beginning of the year to see if we surprisingly compete. If not, trade him or cut him and stick someone young there.
If Felix really deserves the Cy Young, which I believe he is a solid candidate for, can’t we look at other measurements? Ones that we know are more indicative of achievements.
One of the first results for the google search for this was an article about Felix. =(
Anyways, quote from the article.
No starting pitcher has ever been given the Cy Young with less than 15 victories (Fernando Valenzuela won his in the strike shortened 1981 season with 13 victories). No Cy Young Award has been given to a starting pitcher with a sub .500 record. Furthermore, no starting pitcher has even been a winner with a .500 record.
I think its going to Price unless something crazy happens. It is a shame that Felix would have to watch a less accomplished pitcher win it before him. Felix may have gotten more run support batting for himself instead of a DH. Wak should have invoked the home team rules during those starts…
They gave it to Greinke over Felix last year which was exactly right. If they give it to Felix over Lee it would be on account of innings pitched, which is important after all. Lee missed a month and Felix has been going deep into his starts at almost the same rate. It’s going to be interesting, since the three best pitchers all have low win totals. Liriano has an advantage on account of pitching for a contender all season but again, Greinke’s award and Felix’ second place last year suggests that it doesn’t count for as much as the MVP.
I’d guess Sabathia, Price, Lee, Felix are the front four, with maybes on Cahill, Wilson, Lester and Weaver. Obviously Liriano would be included in this group if we were using better statistics, but most sportswriters won’t use these as a primary means of evaluation. Right now, through the lens of a sportswriter, I’d guess they’re ranked:
Could not tell where it landed at all. And of course they didn’t show it again or give the distance. It’s too bad the game went to shit after that though.
My favorite part of that Branyan blast was Swisher just standing there.
Good lord that was annihilated.
Goose - August 21, 2010
So do you guys think we resign Branyan or not this offseason?
scooter4 - August 21, 2010
He's signed a two year deal with Cleveland
We’ve got him for next year.
dba - August 21, 2010
One year+5 mil option
So we don’t, necessarily. But we may exercise the option, or we may decline and then resign him.
Fuckmikereilly - August 21, 2010
I may be wrong but I believe it is a mutual option
He does seem to like it here, so he may choose to exercise it after all. If he does, I’m all for keeping him on at that cost.
Bearskin Rugburn - August 21, 2010
He hasn't really been great this season.
And he’s old. But I have hope that he wouldn’t be a black hole at DH, which would be a first in a long time.
Fuckmikereilly - August 21, 2010
He's pretty much the same this year as last
except his K rate and BABIP are both down a bit. Last year he had a 129 wRC+, this year its 122.
Bearskin Rugburn - August 21, 2010
He seems to be better than say ...
Griffey, Sweeney, Carp, Halman, Wilson, Mangini, Nelson, Everidge … for $5mil it seems like he is a good? quality? serviceable? affordable? option given the state of this team.
HitKing69 - August 21, 2010
His back's a pretty major concern though.
Eyeball Kid - August 21, 2010
From my GM seat at home in front of the TV
I think it’s worth the risk if he makes it through the season unscathed.
HitKing69 - August 21, 2010
But I can see other reasonable risks that will probably only cost a few million more on one year deals
Berkman, Vlad, Ordonez to name a few. Not sure if any of them would sign here, and they have the same concerns as Branyan (but have also been significantly more successful).
Fuckmikereilly - August 21, 2010
I like Branyan, but I see no reason to pay him $5m on next year's team.
Then again, I wasn’t the biggest fan of trading for him, either.
The DH spot is another way to get young guys at-bats next year.
Jeff Nye - August 21, 2010
Yeah, it is a good way to get young guys at-bats, but ...
the supposed top ten DH’s coming into the year:
1. Vlad Guerrero
2. Jason Kubel
3. David Ortiz
4. Nick Johnson
5. Hideki Matsui
6. Jose Guillen
7. Luke Scott
8. Jack Cust
9.Brett Wallace
10. Travis Hafner
Jason Kubel is the youngest among them … he is 28 years old. It’s not a young guy position and it doesn’t appear that any AL teams what to put a young guy in that position, nor do they want to.
HitKing69 - August 21, 2010
What are you trying to say with this?
Edgar for Pres - August 21, 2010
Seriously?
HitKing69 - August 22, 2010
No honestly I think I missed your point
You can’t have old guys play DH?
Edgar for Pres - August 23, 2010
Well of course a lot of the top ten DH's are going to be old
There are a bunch of old, defensively-challenged guys who can still provide offense for competing teams. Doesn’t mean the Mariners can’t put a young guy there, and plenty of teams have put young guys there in the past. What the rest of the league generally does should have no bearing on what we do. Also, Brett Wallace is 24.
That being said, I don’t know exactly who Jeff is thinking of when he says “get young guys at-bats.” Tui? Halman? I suppose it might be the smart thing to do later in the season if we’re not competing, but given that there is no one who is really pushing for those DH at-bats, I’d rather stick Branyan/random FA there at the beginning of the year to see if we surprisingly compete. If not, trade him or cut him and stick someone young there.
Fuckmikereilly - August 22, 2010
I love Branyan
Does anyone have a gif or video of where the ball actually landed? MLB.com’s highlight doesn’t show it
bamfor - August 21, 2010
This should be it. 3rd video on the list.
bomdal - August 21, 2010
Shoot I suck.
Here’s the url: http://web.yesnetwork.com/media/video.jsp
bomdal - August 21, 2010
Branyan's the only guy to hit that cafe and now the only guy to hit the upper deck
I’ve been refreshing Hittracker since the game ended because I can’t wait to see the true distance. That was just fucking monstrous.
Eyeball Kid - August 21, 2010
Your one of a kind Professor.
scooter4 - August 21, 2010
I think he's gotta beat Hamilton for the longest HR this year.
Fuckmikereilly - August 21, 2010
That's great, the NY announcer "... Branyan has as much power as anyone." POW!
Kermit. - August 21, 2010
That was Happy Gilmore with a hole in one
not pretty form for a practice swing at the first tee
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2t9-DIKDGGA – 45 seconds in, if you never saw it)
Jerikantilles - August 21, 2010
Only 440ftf? That stadium is fucking stupid.
Eyeball Kid - August 22, 2010
And just for clarification it's not 3rd anymore.
It’s titled “Russell Branyan hits a mammoth homer in the first” if someone can’t find it
bomdal - August 21, 2010
Here's a direct link, I believe.
http://web.yesnetwork.com/media/video.jsp?affiliateId=facebook_share&content_id=11205979
joof - August 21, 2010
Russel Branyan has 6 Home Runs in 10 games at Yankee Stadium.
Which would be on pace to hit 49 Homeruns at Yankee Stadium if he played half his games there.
joof - August 21, 2010
And he doesn't even get to play against the Mariners
HitKing69 - August 21, 2010
Felix's fading Cy Young chances just got a whole lot better the last two days.
Cliff’s ERA shoots to 3.09 after Lester got lit up yesterday.
Fuckmikereilly - August 21, 2010
If Lee won it would be as much our award as Texas'
Cliff Lee says: I wish I was still in Seattle!
OceanBird - August 21, 2010
I'm pretty sure it would just be Cliff Lee's actually
Bearskin Rugburn - August 22, 2010
What about Liriano?
Eyeball Kid - August 21, 2010
His ERA is in the mid threes.
joof - August 21, 2010
In fact, the only AL starter with an ERA below Felix's is Clay Bucholz.
joof - August 21, 2010
I thought ERA didn't matter
or isn’t a true indicator of success … I swear I learned that here
HitKing69 - August 21, 2010
Right. But sportswriters don't think like this and they're the ones who vote for Cy Young.
Fuckmikereilly - August 21, 2010
It isn't. But Sportswriters are stupid and use it anyways.
joof - August 21, 2010
But we aren't sportswriters
If Felix really deserves the Cy Young, which I believe he is a solid candidate for, can’t we look at other measurements? Ones that we know are more indicative of achievements.
HitKing69 - August 21, 2010
I think they are trying to predict who wins the Cy
not who deserves it. There is usually a difference.
Edgar for Pres - August 21, 2010
Pretty much this.
joof - August 21, 2010
Though Felix has the third lowest FIP in the AL as well, at 3.02.
Cliff Lee has a 2.24, and Liriano has a 2.32. I wonder how much the difference in Innings pitched will affect people who vote for the reward.
joof - August 21, 2010
It is hard to make a case to give Felix the Cy Young over Cliff Lee
Edgar for Pres - August 21, 2010
Based on advanced stats or traditional?
Traditionally it’s pretty damn easy. His ERA is over half a run lower.
Fuckmikereilly - August 21, 2010
Has there ever been a pitcher to win the Cy Young with a losing record (W-L)?
Edgar for Pres - August 21, 2010
One of the first results for the google search for this was an article about Felix. =(
Anyways, quote from the article.
joof - August 21, 2010
How many starts does Felix have until the end of the season
Is it possible or realistically possible that he could get around 15 wins if we keep on winning his starts?
C-Nage - August 21, 2010
I will be surprised if he has more than 12
I think its going to Price unless something crazy happens. It is a shame that Felix would have to watch a less accomplished pitcher win it before him. Felix may have gotten more run support batting for himself instead of a DH. Wak should have invoked the home team rules during those starts…
hcoguy - August 21, 2010 via mobile
About 8.
joof - August 21, 2010
You can't use Google for national/international searches
The search looks at your IP and tailors results to the location . Do the same search in Texas/NY/Paris, and the results will be different everytime.
Sirbunt - August 22, 2010
Greinke had 13 last year I believe
Bearskin Rugburn - August 22, 2010
Holy shit how did he get all the way to 16?
Bearskin Rugburn - August 22, 2010
I thought the same exact thing and actually made this comment but for some reason it didn't appear.
Kirk - August 22, 2010
There we go
That’s what I’m talking about
HitKing69 - August 21, 2010
Sportswriters aren't that stupid
They gave it to Greinke over Felix last year which was exactly right. If they give it to Felix over Lee it would be on account of innings pitched, which is important after all. Lee missed a month and Felix has been going deep into his starts at almost the same rate. It’s going to be interesting, since the three best pitchers all have low win totals. Liriano has an advantage on account of pitching for a contender all season but again, Greinke’s award and Felix’ second place last year suggests that it doesn’t count for as much as the MVP.
Bearskin Rugburn - August 22, 2010
I don't think Buchholz really has a shot.
Too few innings and strikeouts
I’d guess Sabathia, Price, Lee, Felix are the front four, with maybes on Cahill, Wilson, Lester and Weaver. Obviously Liriano would be included in this group if we were using better statistics, but most sportswriters won’t use these as a primary means of evaluation. Right now, through the lens of a sportswriter, I’d guess they’re ranked:
1. Price
2. Sabathia
3. Lee
4. Felix
Fuckmikereilly - August 21, 2010
Did you guys know Felix has thrown the most pitches in the majors this year?
Edgar for Pres - August 21, 2010
Once again, life isn't fair.
TrustBaseball - August 21, 2010
So yeah, that Branyan home run in person.
Could not tell where it landed at all. And of course they didn’t show it again or give the distance. It’s too bad the game went to shit after that though.
Mariner John - August 22, 2010
That HR was amazing, Branyan can be so entertaining to watch sometimes. There is something facinating about moonshots.
EnglishMariner - August 22, 2010
You must Login with your SB Nation account and be a member of Lookout Landing to post a comment.