.
This particular Greg Johns column is pretty good, you ask me. Johns does a nice job generally, but this mailbox had a handful of to-the-point questions. One with respect to the rotation:
.
Do the Mariners stick with the five or six guys they have for the rotation, or do they look to upgrade this winter?
-- Derek B., Norman, Okla.
I know GM Jerry Dipoto feels pretty good about having six returning starters in Felix Hernandez, Hisashi Iwakuma, James Paxton, Taijuan Walker, Ariel Miranda and Nathan Karns. And he's also pretty high on prospects Andrew Moore and Ryan Yarbrough, who both had big years for Double-A Jackson. So given the free-agent-pitching crop is thin this year, it's very unlikely Seattle will try to outbid other teams that will be overspending due to the shortage of quality veterans on the market.
.
Which reminded me of something I'd completely forgotten. That going in to March 2016, Dipoto was practically giddy over the accidental haul of Miley + Iwakuma with Taijuan 4 and then two high-K young SP's competing for the 6 slot.
And so if you liked that rotation, and you shoulda :- ) then you've got no problem with this one coming up.
(1) In James-speak, Felix will figure out a path of least resistance. It says here that the timing will be just about perfect in 2017 for Felix to jell into his career transition, that of an impact dink-and-dunk Jered-type pitcher with an un-scary fatball.
(2) The delta between Felix 2015 and 16 is nothing compared to what we got in Paxton now. Player-pairs? I'll trade you 2015 Felix and [Anthony Varvaro] for Chris Sale and 2017 Felix, no worries no hurries.
(3) I realize that most SSI denizens are frustrated with Nate Karns' lack of results in a couple of dozen Mariner starts. But doubt Dr. D at your peril. If Nate Karns is available at #22 SP in the AL on draft day, he is a BABVAn, baby. Pitchers require patience.
....
Dipoto's pre-winter remarks have been to the effect that he's happy with his run suppression, and needs to add to his offense. That will cause you to blink a bit, but ... in some respects it's good news. It's always fun to add offense, and you've got it from the GM's desk its ownself that the M's ERA+ underperformed some in 2016.
SSI is not unfamiliar with contrariarian views its ownself. It takes guts to look at a 107 offense, a 102 defense, and go ... NNnnnaahhhh, the defense is fine.
Enjoy,
Jeff
I mean that in a good way, not being smarmy here. I am legitimately curious to see if what you see in Karns ever verifies. I see a pitcher desperately in need of a reliable third pitch for when his curve isn't breaking right or he's bouncing it too much.
Didn't you ever sort spreadsheets for the Yankee$? You never hit the K/9 filter?
The other A.L. 9+ strikeout youngsters you don't care for include, whom? [fill in blank] ... alternatively ... is there some other such 2nd-year 9+ K pitcher you wished to acquire for me, that would be more convenient than simply building a bit on the KKKarns we know?
;- ) Ya, I amuse you and everybody else. That's my shtick. At about 6-1, 2.79 next year the laughter will taper off.
However, since as you quoted above " the free agent pitching crop is thin this year", and one thing Jerry did not seem to miss on last year was finding scrap heap pitchers to put into the rotation (LeBlanc, Martin, Weiland, and etc..), coupled with Dipoto's confidence in the kids in the high farm (Moore, Blackburn and Yarbrough), and Jerry loves to trade... and Jerry has yet to make his signature move....
That all leads me to believe a big trade is coming, and it will involve one or two of the young MLB level pitchers.
How about Walker, Yarbrough, Seth, Vincent and Caminero for Jordan Zimmerman, JD Martinez, Mark Lowe and a prospect? If this is done with little or no cash coming back from Detroit, the M's may be able to give up less. That makes the rotation even stronger, and gets you a full time right handed OF... and per Mather, he expects to be spending more than $150M this year.
#Mariners make it official. Valencia coming to Seattle for RH Paul Blackburn. Valencia can play 1B, 3B or corner OF spots.
So the M's get a 32 year old orange for one year for just over $5 mil (F/A 2018).
Ain't no mo Dae Ho, a likeable sort, and we don't even know if the Orange won his clubhouse fight with Billy Butler.
But, then, there is the age factor.
Valencia is only 32 so the youth movement continues.
And out the showroom door goes Blackburn, who was obtained in the Vogswagen deal with the Cubs.
It also suggests Napoli is now not an option.
And I wonder if the blaring budget Blue Jays are close to a deal for Pearce and the bucks scared the M's off?
But, then there is the youth movement ... Pearce was 33.
I don't know about the FIP's and FUP's on Valencia, but there is your hitter in and pitcher out, Tacoma Drizzle.
zoom
I know this is a pipe dream, but one pitcher who might be available is Chris Sale. It would take a ton to get him, but he still has three years at around $6 mil a year, left on his current contract, if I'm not mistaken. (Which I often am. :/) Too much of a pipe dream? I can visualize him slipping in between Felix and Kuma, or do I dare add ahead of Felix?