SonicBOOM sez,

How great to visit the site this afternoon, and find all you guys joining in and commenting like it was... 2017? And, like the M's were in a pennant race?! Now, our excitement is all about competing in 2020, or 2021.  But the good (corollary) news is, we have some milb players to get excited about. 

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ChicagoMariner sez,

So I woke up this morning, read this article (SSI IS always my first stop), checked the Ms score (sigh), and then the mariner minors twitter feed. Kelenik 2 for 5 with a double...

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Keep visiting guys!  Just as you checked in Boom, I checked out for several days.  Sorry 'bout dat.  But when we check back in here in a day or two, we'll be back to writing.  Just saying hi so you keep checking in.

I enjoy the "chat boards" under each article tremendously; it sounds funny but it's a significant part of my life.  In 40 years I've never seen the Mariners more unwatchable, have you?, but the chat boards here are as fresh as, um, 2017.  There are very real "virtual friends" that populate the site.  Because of that I'll never stop writing here, as long as I can help it.  I presumed to guess that you might be interested in that information?

So, don't forget to stop by each morning for a few seconds to check the site.  Pretty pleazy.  Meanwhile here's a wicker-basket thread, in case anyone has a miscellaneous news snip, or an opinion, he wants to post for us.

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MEANWHILE

Here's a baseball snippet:

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MIKE LEAKE

Brent Stecker has an article up on the latest rumor vapor swirling around the M's:

According to Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times, Leake starting on Wednesday wasn’t even a sure thing as MLB sources told Divish that Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto had been trying to finalizing a trade as late as Tuesday night that would have sent Leake to Arizona. That obviously didn’t materialize, but with Leake’s recent performance it could end up helping the Mariners’ cause as they look for the right return for Leake in a trade.

... Leake is just one of a long list of established players the Mariners are reportedly looking to trade, according to a report last weekend by MLB Network insider Jon Heyman.

Stecker also points out Jon Heyman's tweet:

Mariners are deep in sell mode. “Trying to trade everyone,” as one rival put it. Beyond Bruce, also talking about Encarnacion, Healy, Gordon, Beckham, Leake, etc.

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With respect to trades of guys like Jay Bruce and Leake, Dr. D is assuming that it isn't too worthwhile to worry about what the M's are getting back?  They took Bruce on, with his $14M salary this year and next, to offset Robinson Cano's salary.  The Mets weren't going to give us Kelenic and Justin Dunn for Diaz and then eat Cano's contract also.  So, when Bruce re-established some value and could be sent out in any salary dump, that's the jackpot for Jerry Dipoto.  We're guessing at this point that Leake's situation will be similar.

What WILL be interesting will be the pitcher who replaces Leake.  Sheffield hasn't torn up the PCL but would still be fun to watch. Dunn *has* been tearing up AA.

Live long and prosper,

Jeff