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He rox :- )
Couldn't agree more. With Branyan in the lineup, tuning in will be less of a chore.
Branyan - Is an awesome move
As a baseball fan and particularly a fan for the last 30+ yrs of the Seattle Mariners, I want my team to win. It's not about helping the M's going to make it to the playoffs this year - we all know that is a very slim possibility.
I'm estatic that Z is still looking to improve the club, and ensure the players understand that winning is expected of them as management is continuing to do their part to place a winning product on the field. Possibly by winning a few more games this year management will prevent a poisoned atmosphere from settling into the clubhouse circa 2008 - hopefully Wak and Z won't feel the need to bring back Sweeney for a third year. I appreciate everything Sweeney brings to the table and even his current performance level is okay but he just can't be relied on due to his physical limitations
A quick look at the trade - the M's gave up nothing of consequence and by bringing Branyan back he is not blocking any hot prospects within the system. So this is a short term fix without any forseeable long term adverse consequences. My enjoyment level when I tune into an M's game just went up and as a fan what more can I ask for at this point in the season. I could never as a fan, hope that the M's continue to loose so that their draft status improves - that just doesn't work for me.
Go M's, keep on winning. I'm still hoping they break the .500 mark. Hey at least that's something to build on for next year. Z is right, do not let a culture of failure become accepted within the organization, at the MLB level it's about winning even if the possiblity of competing for a playoff spot is unrealistic.
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I'm not buying the idea that this is going to convince any player that the front office is still trying to win. You get basically a half-time player (admittedly, one still with some pop left) who is not going to change this team much. You give up a player with an interesting upside. You're not going to get much after this year from Branyan so it is probably a rent a player type of situation. You're not going to get anything for Kotchman (who should have been gone, anyway) so I suppose you keep him (I'm in Minnesota for a day or two more and haven't seen what the corresponding roster move looks like). Branyan WAS a nice player...but he's a player at the end of a career with a terribly tricky back. Heck, he might bet less than 40 games in for the m's the rest of the way. That's at least as likely as him getting 55+ in. So...Unless you think Branyan is going to pull a Manny and pack this team up a huge hill into the playoffs this year....I don't get it.
I wonder if this move was player initiated. I wonder of a Cliff Lee wandered in and said, "if you want to have any chance at keeping me, show me you want to win today."
But I doubt it. Lee knows the process.
I hope it works out. But unless this team makes a huge run AND Carrera flames out, then this was a desperate move. Very little has changed in evaluating Branyan since the spring. Healthy, he can hit. Can he stay healthy? The answer there is no! if you DH him fulltime then Bradley plays left fulltime and Saunders sits most of the time.
Perhaps there is another move to go with this one. Perhaps...
Without it, I give this one two thumbs down.
moe
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Can the M's tell when Branyan is healthy and when it's time to put him on the DL? I hope so after last year. Before the 2009 All Star break he was Superman. After it, he became Kotchman, but with power. As long as he is healthy, he is power and respectable avg at a bargain. The deal has improved our chances of winning. Can't wait for the game today.
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Hey Moe,
Looking at the two minor leaguers we gave up both Carrera and Diaz may have some interesting skill sets (but they should they are playing pro ball), however they definitely are not a couple players the M's are building around.
Is Branyan a player the M's are planning on building around, no. He is here this year and maybe next. But he is an upgrade to either first or DH. I don't expect to see him carry the M's to the pennant this year, but when he comes to bat my excitement level and also my expectation level just went up 10 fold. As a fan, I ultimately want to be entertained and not just hope in futility. Also Branyan is not necessarily blocking any hot prospects down on the farm so what's their not to like.
No if Diaz or Carrera end up becoming perennial All Stars does that necessarily make this trade a bad deal. No. What we should do is tip our collective hats to them for developing the talents far past their expected level of performance. On paper this trade upgrades the club without any real negative impact either short or long term.
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Sorry Doc...and everyone else who likes this deal...but Zeke Carrera is the reason we could afford to trade our other CF prospect for Cliff Lee...now we have no insurance for Gutierrez and Branyan can't stay healthy enough to merit this move. And oh BTW, we're FIFTEEN GAMES OUT OF THE WEST!!!...what the heck is the point??
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Hello Matt,
Carrera played CF, but was he ever being groomed as a starter? All I ever saw written about him is that he had potential to be a 4th outfielder type - I had never heard any raving reviews concerning his defensive ability nor any incredible physical attributes that have him stand out above anyone else. For example his speed is good but his SB totals are not anything that pop out at you. Is arm from the reports I've heard is just okay. His power potential is neglible.
So other than the fact he can play a serviceable outfield and can put his bat on the ball just enough so as not to embarrass himself what really makes him a prospect. We might as well bring Willie B back and throw him out in CF on an emergency basis is this is the type of player we are looking to man CF.
If by an unfortunate occurance Franklin goes down and we need someone to man CF for a few months we have several players currently on the roster who have shown that they are more than capable: Saunders, Ichiro, Figgins, Langerhans. In fact there is a guy we drafted out of Purdue last year and now is playing for West Tenn. His physical stature is very similar to Carrera's and whose performance level so far compares very favorable to Carrera's. So if there is a need to replace Carrera in the system, we found him already - Brandon Haveman.
Risk aversion is not inherently a bad thing. However, if the fear of failure causes you never to utilize your capital in order improve and grow as an entity, well then we are left to wallow in mediocrity. Resources will always be scarce and there are only so many humans in the world who can excel in MLB. So if all we give up are a couple of minor leaguers whose current performance level isn't telling anyone that they are ready to step on the field of play today; by all means bring in a player, such as Branyan, who recently has demonstrated a skill set that the M's are in dire need have. The M's need to sell tickets. If I were an owner I want to have a product I can take pride in and I want to make a profit - making money is a good thing. If I can bring a player in who can sell tickets now and will hopefully have a residual affect for next year why not do it.
I have nothing against Carrera and Diaz and hopefully they can have long product major league careers - but where they stand now in the pecking order of prosects within our system I just don't see them as major contributors to a winning M's ball club, nor do I see them as a reason a fan would buy a ticket and come to a ball game.
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Personally, as Zeke's adopt-a-player dad - I've been watching him closely for the last year. What I see is -- a poor man's Jeremy Reed. Nice glove - decent speed - (but subpar in base-stealing). Ho-hum average, zero power, and barely adequate patience, (inadequate if you're thinking leadoff hitter).
He's still young enough that development is possible - (hence somebody else thinks he has some value). But, honestly, his primary skill? He doesn't strike out. After Yuni and Lopez, you'd think Ms fans would run screaming into the night at the thought of another one - (which is why I think most Ms fans aren't feeling the pain over losing Zeke).
You know who has been sharing CF with Zeke in Tacoma? Halman. The forgotten, (because he didn't dominate out the game) UBER-prospect from about 18 months ago. What are their batting line comps at Tacoma THIS season?
Zeke Carrera - .268/.339/.315 (.654) 9 of 14 in SB -- (243 PAs)
Greg Halman - .235/.319/.547 (.866) 5 of 6 in SB -- (191 PAs)
Halman still fans too much. He's still not ready for the majors. But, he's carrying an OPS *TWO HUNDRED* points higher than Zeke. How could Zeke (a year older) be considered a reasonable backup for Gutz and Halman not?
Zeke doesn't just lack power. He WISHES he could climb up to the point where he could claim to be equal in power to Willie Bloomquist. His minor league ISO is less than 90. It'd be about 70 if not for the dozen triples he had in St. Lucie in 2008, (which I think was a Met experiment to try and make him a power hitter.
Could he pan out? Sure. He's only 23. But, he's certainly not showing anything at AAA *this year* to suggest it's going to be an easy transition. His .857 at West Tenn was driven largely by a .337 BA. So, he's shown "enough" signs (along the way) that he's got some value. But, with his ISO down to 47 this year, I think the question of whether he's got enough for the next level is VERY legit - (since the question of whether he's got enough for his current level of AAA is reasonable).
Honestly, my thought is - the club has filled its quota of OBP-only hitters with Figgins and Ichiro. They cannot afford a third mono-dimensional hitter. Gutz brings some speed, some power ... Zeke isn't a backup to Gutz any more than I am.
Honestly, I don't see that Seattle gave up anything of value to the Ms.
I think Branyan likely moves into the DH slot for 2011 - and Z tries to bring in a good 1B to add to the mix for 2011. At the moment, Bradley has been a collosal failure offensively. Saunders still has work to do - but looks like he's moving forward instead of back. And I'm thinking Branyan might be just the kind of big bat to add to the lineup that might actually help Bradley turn things around -- because if Bradley doesn't hit .800 in the second half, the 1B/DH situation for 2011 looks as bad or worse than the 2010 situation (if Z doesn't make this trade at this time).
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Mucho Kudos Sandy -
Great post.
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Ok, here's the Branyan deal. He's a first half player, then he flames out. When the All-Star Game comes about he becomes a Fort Pinto at 80K miles: Pieces fall off, oil spurts, chassis rusts.
Over his career Branyan has 1700ish 1st Half PA's. Hes a .244-.344-.513 type of guy. 108 OPS. During the 2nd half of a season he as 1300ish PA's. He's a .224.-318.-462-90 OPS type of guy. baiscally he becomes Kotchman during the 2nd half. And you're gonig to pay him $5M to DH?
Last year was really his first time over 400 PA's. Look what happened in the 2nd half.
Zeke does half a skill set that doesn't mash...but he's 23 yrs old and has an upside. Branyan will be 35 next year...and only has a downside.
I'm glad somebody in one of the threads above mentioned Choo. This smells like that.
Heck, if we need a 1B bat it seems like we have our #1 minor league guy who played a whole bunch of 1B in the NCAA.
I hate this move. And I doubt it puts people in the seats. I think Z has had a hard time getting this team into a contending position. The Rent-a-Lee acquisition was terrific (I hope we can rent to own) and the Figgins move was a good one, even with his struggling bat this year. Hoever the Kotchman move was a botched one. Probably the best part of that deal was in NOT signing Branyan to more than one year.....and now it appears that good decision will be botched, too. Jury is still out on the Bradley move. But i will give him credit for a level of citizenship ( since the meltdown) and good behavior that I didn't think he had in him. I liked the jack Wilson acquire in the spring. I like the Josh Wilson acquire a lot more than that right now.
Last year's team won more than it should have and Z was lauded as a genius (the Guti move, for example). this year we win less than we should and we see Z as a guy who makes mistakes. In this case ,I think a big one.
Go Team.....But this aging and oil spurting Ford Pinto isn't moving us forward. My 2 cents.
moe