=== Mike Morse for Ryan Langerhans ===

This trade had a cute little backstory:  the biggest blog in Seattle had written up a specific request that the Mariners trade for Langerhans -- and written it up mere days before Zduriencik actually made the deal for Langerhans.

SB Nation headlined a story, asking whether the M's had in fact responded to the blog-o-sphere's request.  :- )

Actually, the truth later came out that Zduriencik had been making minor offers on Langerhans for some time, and that the Nationals finally caved in a few days after the local 'net article. 

It wouldn't at all shock me if the M's team gathered data and suggestions from Churchill, Cameron, Sullivan and their peers, though actually I doubt it was the case this time.  In a June 24 chat, Z was asked about Langerhans and he replied tersely, "good suggestion" -- which caused SSI to assume that a set of negotiations was possibly wrapping up at the time.

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The argument for Langerhans was that he was a free +1.0 to +1.5 win player. 

When Zduriencik in fact acquired him, the blog-o-sphere went delirious with joy.  Here, at last, was a GM who saw the game the way the blogs saw it...

The mania over Capt Jack reached apoplectic proportions after the Langerhans move.  :- )  What goes up must come down, and unfortunately the hero-to-zero perception has been unfair to Zduriencik.  He's as great now, as he was when he landed Gutierrez.

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As we said at the time, and many times since, we felt that people were badly misconstruing Zduriencik from the start, when they were reading him as Paul DePodesta v.2.0.

We figured that Zduriencik traded for Langerhans simply because he was a quality 4th OF who hit lefty, and the M's could use one at the time.

Can a pennant be won by scrounging lots of +1.0 players for $427,000 contracts?  As you know, SSI has never seen this as the key to real pennant building (neither has Capt. Jack). 

We've got nothing against adding bit parts where they fit in well.  Billy Beane does that.  But you've always got to be aware that when you put 30-year-old fringe players on your roster, you are blocking developmental guys, who might later be +3.0 win players...

+1.0 win players simply are not miracle finds.  It's a GM's job to find or to develop them, at every bench spot.

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Part 2

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