IceX sez,
The Mariners need to play carefully with depth. If you can get someone in MIF for Saunders, that can be a coup, but you can also shoot yourself in the foot bad as well (o, hai Asdrubal Cabrera). Not that Cabrera was traded for depth, but he was traded from what the team, at one time (for right or wrong ignored), considered a position of depth.
I don't expect Z to Bavasi something up, but behind Ackley and Saunders, the depth gets thinner in terms of impact prospects. Sometimes it might be better for the team to consider moving players around instead of actually moving them off the team (Ackley DID play 1B in College & not all players die from moving around the diamond).
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Speaking of Bavasi'ing things up, Ice's CF-to-1B strategy was the New Freshness that Bill Bavasi used to solve the same problemo in 1996-1997.
Faced with four young impact OF's in Garret Anderson, Tim Salmon, Jim Edmonds, and Darin Erstad -- two of them excellent defensive CF's, no less --
Bavasi signed them all up to value contracts and moved one of the CF's (Erstad) to 1B. Erstad then became, in the eyes of many, a superlative defensive 1B and the Angels had a bat/glove positional core that cemented their ballclub for years.
I guess you're as smart as Bavasi, 'cause that wouldn't really have occurred to me. :- )
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If you like Saunders as well as (say) Cool Papa Bell does, if you think he's going to hit .300/.370/.550, then I guess you'd Bavasi those four OF's. What a set of two-way, bat/glove players you'd have if both Saunders and Ackley panned out.
The general principle is golden. I mean, if in 1996 -- after the 91-loss season with the young blue-chippers coming up -- Bill Bavasi had traded Tim Salmon or Garret Anderson for a random meatball second baseman or DH, he'd have missed out on the 1997 - 1998 resurgence in which those four guys were carrying his team.
Anyway, it's a great point: if you think you have four impact players at the same positions, the first thought oughta be to shuffle the positions a little, rather than give one away for an Alcides Escobar who's going to OPS+ 78 with a flashy glove ;- )
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As we all know, there's no clear-the-lanes imperative for 2010 and probably not for 2011 either. Ackley would be way ahead of schedule if he arrived late in 2010, and a jobshare in 2011 would coincide nicely with the second year of a Russell Branyan contract.
Supposing that Ackley landed with a huge splash in 2H 2010, and went into 2011 as an established hotshot, and that Saunders started that .300/.370/.525 gig that posters talk about ... then at the earliest, Capt Jack would have a decision to make next winter.
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If Saunders, Ackley, Gutierrez and Ichiro serve as the M's version of Erstad-GA-Edmonds-Salmon, I have a hunch the blog-o-sphere wouldn't care for my calling the M's CF-CF-1B situation The Bavasi Triangle. But in the North-Pole version of the Carribbean triangle, Icebreaking ships are critical. :- )
Cheers,
Dr D
Ya, but trading for a guy like Seth Smith adds that LF (who could possibly turn into an OF/DH when Ackley comes around) and you have more depth in the lower minors as well.
If Ackleys timeline is going to be quick than Saunders is going to have to hit in a hurry, or else hes getting Balentien'ed. I'd rather just cash him in now than watch his value plummet.
But the issue is that it takes two to tango. If Z can do it, more power to him.
If all you can get is Ronny Cedeno...
Especially, what you think a win-win offer would be...
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Point well taken again on the Balentien situation, flushing a guy with less than a full season, but I think they're very well disposed towards Saunders...
I think the other key is that Saunders' is pretty much built for the park. Sometimes, you have to just bite the bullet and take the lumps before the results.
Saunders is the new Chris Snelling. Just not loved as much.
I like the grim iron determination to get better, offered by both players.
Snelling was probably the best pure hitter I've seen in the M's minors other than Edgar. A special talent, a guy who could fall out of bed and hit top-level pitching at 20 (which was why Lou promoted him at that age).
... we notice that he has about 250 total pro AB's the last three years, at ages 25-26-27. I hope some day his body holds together.
In the sense of being guys who had absolutely no fear of top-level competition, I can see the comp...
By the time Ackley makes the bigs in 2011-12, Ichiro may be done. Likewise, even if the team likes Saunders, he may be in Tacoma in 2010 if Jack obtains a big LF bat. So by 2011-12, the OF may be just right with Saunders, Gut, and Ack.
about not assuming anything 2-3 years out, is good as gold...
Little asterisk there: if Ichiro's done in 2011, the M's are going to be a little disappointed, since they're paying him $17M in 2011 and 2012. :- )
I think Ichiro, like Rickey, is thinking more along the lines of 2021 than 2011...
Things happen in life that change your plans: relationships, children, etc. Physically, Ichiro may be fully capable of continuing to play at a high level until 2021, but he could also decide to walk away when he feels he's left a big enough mark. Or when something else becomes more important.
By the way, what's going on with my login here? My posts are now listed as "anonymous". I thought it was something I was doing, but it appears to be on your end.
Watcher
Question for yer here, bro' ...
I was thinking Mark Lowe really. The Rockies don't have any holes in the lineup and are loaded in the OF. 2B maybe, but Barmes is doing just fine. They are set at SP as well.
Lowe+C level spec for Smith seems to make some sense. A Carlos Gonzalez-Dexter Fowler-Hawpe outfield seems to be what Col is looking for and Spilborghs could take over as the 4th outfielder for them.
Monster power (hittracker), quick bat, patient, good hitting peripherals, lefty line-drive hitter, very good D in a corner. Hes the perfect Safeco guy and a potential breakout player.
Some might be scared off of the Home/Away splits, but his splits were actually the opposite last year and his power translates everywhere. I don't see him as a Cirillo-type Colorado hitter.
But it's also the first time in a while the Organization has fallen in love with one of its own products, at least in terms of position players.
Seth Smith now with an 860 OPS and unlucky BABIP keeping from being in the mid 900s.
At this point with 11 HRs and with him starting to get consistent PT, the window on buying low for Seth Smith is probably officially closed. The Rockies likely view Hawpe as the man out now.
My #1 unvalued sleeper hitter (Seth Smith) and pitcher (Colby Lewis) both went nuts this year. Seriously I'll advise for season ticks. :-)