USA Today Roto Foldout Chart
do they still make those draft-day centerfolds?

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M's 5, ORCs 8

Just offhand kibitzes without the detail descriptions.  Don't quote me.  And we assume this won't get to twenty lines, since Scribner was half of the yellow legal pad, but the tables pre-set as far of the number of rows you get.

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# Event Offhand Remark
1-9 O.D. lineup 2-3-4 hitters were beastly.  Blowers:  they'll apply a lot of pressure 1st inning.  James:  1st inning is your only set inning.  Dr. D:  a star #2 hitter = pressure 1st inning
SS Segura 1B, SB Comically short swing zzzzinged up the middle.  EZ stolen base.  Spoken of as a "given" to be a star
SP3 Smyly hit by AAA Looked like he was throwing BP to get it over with
1b Vogelbach play Showcase grab of a forehand right down the line deep behind 1B
SS Segura charge play Showcase defense, charged a 2-hopper, crossarm ffffling looked sweet
UT Motter in there now Credit to JeDi's layering we get a fun player.  In theory would help Gamel make the team
1b Vogelbach hitting Keeps an Olerud zone on 3-2 pitches (called strike threes part of the deal).  Landed a "cricket shot" down the 3b line for a double.  Pure hitter
MAN Looks better every day.  BETTER
C Zuumball tight zone Cut the low-away and hi-in corners out of consideration.  It's helping
SU Zych Could be on Opening Day roster
SB's Wishhiker Pointed out M's are 21-1 in SB's with Maniger, Dyson, Leonydas, Motter, Heredia, Segura.  Maniger looked like 20 SB guy today
SU Altivilla Needs his own thread.  Looks like Sugar Lite with the blizzard of strikes "Here It Is, Hit It"
MAN makeup "Old Soul" reminds you of Russell Wilson
SP6 Heston blasted Looks fine on his A game.  B game is not good enough to scuffle with.  5 rockets in the second over even Dyson's, Leonydas' heads = stock fall
CF Leonydas swings You guys remember Bruce Bochte?  Hands-twitchy, fell over plate every take.  Dr. D approves of the experiment
6-9 Bottom of order Fun collateral damage in this game with "C the Z" flares around the ballpark
DL O'Malley Best wishes.  Sometimes this assures the "bad luck bear" gets extra chances
Jedi Challenge Game Threw a bulls-eye   LINK  https://twitter.com/TNT_Mariners/status/844332136706433024
CL Allowed WBC Great investment for October.  Final's at 6 PM
MGR Likes Diaz 50 saves, eh :- )  See quotes below

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Greg Johns asked Servais about Diaz' end zone dancing at the WBC:

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"I don't expect the emotion you're seeing now all the time. If he gets 50 saves this year, are we going to see that 50 times? Probably not," Servais said. "I hope there are some three-run saves in there, too. But we saw some of that last year, with the bases loaded in Anaheim and [Kyle] Seager makes the great play down the line.

"I like players to show emotion. I don't think that's a bad thing at all. If the guys in the other dugout have an issue with it, that's their issue. It's how the game should be played."

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My kinda skipper,

Dr D

Blog: 

Comments

1

I think we were wrong to assume Segura was going to be somewhere between 2016 version and 2015 version.  He looks like 2016 Segura...the D'Backs announcers called him "Jean Jean the Hitting Machine".

The 3-4-5 Mariners were dynamic and scored a ton of runs with bad to mediocre two hole hitters.  The 2017 Mariners have the burner hitting first and then ALL THE STARZ all the way through slot #6...where Maniger sits.

And oh Maniger...can steal you a base, hits doubles all over the place, fliners, liners, and flyballs far more than grounders...comes with a solid eye...what the heck is not to love?

2

Not just the new shiny toys either. All respect to Seth Smith, Seager looks ready to take the 'beloved dad' place in M's fans hearts - steady and trustworthy, there in the background making sure you've got what you need when the time comes. Felix and Cano look ready to lead the charges, and for once it feels like Zunino actually *has* a little seasoning (instead of simply being in need of more). Excited as I am about Diaz, too (can I root for USA blow-out tonight... leave Diaz with the previous game high, uninjured and hungry for more?), I really want to see Zych pitch. (Okay fine, Pax and Smyly too.)

Start the season already.

3

Plus Zunino and the V formation come in after #6 somewhere.  There will be production.  That's why I said "Ha!" and "that would be teamwide failure" when projections on Fangraphs were showing them as the 12th best offense or so.  I've seen worse rankings as well.

This one I see little need to argue with,  although he does say Maniger (as well as 'Bach) has no superstar potential.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2688229-power-ranking-mlbs-best-offen...

4

I don't think Vogelbach will be a superstar...but Maniger could well be.

5

Everything that has been happening with that dude, I am just plain not ready to limit his ceiling that far.

6

Have the potential, Maniger has more margin for error there due to speed and defense.  If Vogelbach reaches the Olerud or even approaches the Ortiz level he's a star at least.  Maybe not superstar, necessarily.  That's pretty much years of Ortiz production.

Zunino could still be that as well.

7
Nathan H's picture

I can think of four position players in the AL West who I'd rather have than what we have (non Trout edition):

  1. Altuve over Cano (just barely)
  2. Correa over Segura (Segura being securely second place vs. other ALW SSs)
  3. Mazara over Dyson (Dyson, surprisingly, second place vs. other ALW LFs)
  4. Springer over Martin

In a vaccum I'd rather have Zunino than:

  • LuCroy (barely. More age/control/cost considerations than performance so this one's debateable)
  • Maldonado
  • McCann
  • Vogt

I'd rather have Vogelbach than:

  • Valbuena (Ugh. Really, Angels?)
  • Gurriel (Though I do generally love Cubans)
  • Napoli (Again, age/control/cost considerations)
  • Alonso (changed his swing this year. Watch out)

To shorten this up:

  • Cano's a star
  • Seager's a star
  • Segura's a star and will prove it this year
  • Dyson is a necessary role-player (speedy lead-off hitter)
  • Martin is a necessary role-player (World-class CF defense) with a new approach to hitting this year; no longer swinging out of his shoes but *gasp* actually trying to HIT.
  • Maniger IS hype
  • Cruz is an Ohio-Class submarine amongst vintage U-boats

Who would you want to replace? It's nearly the perfect 9.

8

I think he has an Option remaining, as he wasn't sent down in '14 after coming up. 

Do you DL him now or wait until the season opens in 12 days?  I would imagine an emergency appendectomy requires a couple of weeks of light work time.  Maybe not.

Or you don't DL him and just designate him to Tacoma, assuming he's ready to play when their season opens. 

Or you trade him.

Motter just got the ticket to Safeco to start the season, although he may have had the inside track anyway.  With O'malley out for a bit (assuming he can' answer the Opening Day bell), the the only remaining non-pitcher roster question is who will be OF #4.

Go team.

9

I believe without question O'Malley goes on DL, but whether it is 10 day or 60 is probably the only question... very doubtful on the 60 day DL, but if Dipoto MUST create a spot...

It will be interesting to see how Dipoto deals with Powell coming off the suspended list and going onto the 40 man roster around game 10 for M's. Having someone going onto the 60 day DL would be one way versus DFA'ing someone... but knowing Dipoto, this just gives him another reason to make a trade.

10

10 day and trade seems most ikely.  Anything involving a trade always seems most likely anymore.

2-4 weeks seems to be standard MLB recovery time from Appendectomy.  Matt Holliday was back in only 9 days after an emergency appendectomy in April of 2011.

11

Now that it looks very srongly like Segura is going to be 2016 Segura or darned close, and now that the train has moved down the station from "maybe he'll work out" to "the hype is strong" to "the hype is likely real" on Maniger...I'll go so far as to say that this club has at least the potential to score > 850 runs and run 110+ OPS+ figures all year.

14

...I fear that, if this club has a huge year in 2017, he'll make the mistake of taking that to mean that defense and pitching were the key...after all, he made significant moves to address both in the offseason and hey...we got better.

If you look back at Mariner history, the teams we've had that succeeded at Safeco Field have, with the exception of the 2009 Mariners, all hit well.  I think in a pitcher's park, you should try to field cheap, solid pitching, good outfield D, but most importantly...an above normal offense that plays well for the park.

15

You can see 1 of the acquisitions as a defensive play but even Dyson has offensive contributions that are being raved, not merely discussed.  Maniger is definitely not just defense and Segura was definitely not brought here for his.  It's not a one aspect defensive unit, but blending speed and athleticism with the ability to get on base.  None of the guys on the team are 1 dimensional.  There's no reason that I see to fear those types of players being acquired next year under Dipoto.

Maybe it's past GM trauma? 

17

All of Zunino, 'Bach, Maniger, O'Neill, etc. are in line to be those replacements.  The best way to replace those types of stars is through your farm.  Next best is picking the diamonds from anothers.

There will be choices on that front and I'm with you in the hoping.  I guess the likelihood Dipoto would ink either the Cano or even Cruz contract does not seem high.  He's doing just fine acquiring talent in other ways though.

20
Dipoto says Vogelbach needs time to work on things in AAA. but sees him on similar situation to Zunino/Paxton last year.
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So we're saving money by pushing him and O'Neill out to the same May-ish timeframe when they'll "suddenly" be ready for at least platoon duty, which will conveniently save us a year of arb.  We'll see how the 1B job goes until then.
21

Dipoto felt that Vogelbach's last 10 games of struggles determined the decision. Said they are using the same plan as Zunino and Paxton

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Again, it's okay - but how much of a chance did he really have to make the 25?  Maybe DiPoto is less about that than some others have been, but money is money.  Also:

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Shawn O'Malley likely needs 10-14 days until he can be full go after appendectomy, which means Taylor Motter clearly will be utility role.

22

Danny Valencia will be everyday 1B with Vogelbach sent down. He hasn't hit well this spring, but "has proven track record," notes Servais.

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What did Vogelbach have to do in order to make the team out of Spring Training, thus scrubbing the extra club-controlled year they can get for a mere 6 or 8 weeks in the minors? Valencia should be fine - now it's on O'Neill and Vogelbach to start strong.

23

...but I've been worried about Vogelbach all spring.  His at bats don't look very good to me. Valencia isn't hitting either but he has a major league track record. One could understand the team giving that more credence

24

...all the scenarios about carrying two Utility guys make a lot more sense. We were wondering if both Gamel and Heredia would get the shaft - counterproductive to the idea of telling them to compete, seeing it go well, then giving neither fighter the laurel wreath. If we can get Motter to cover for Vogelbach - whatever the justification - the 2xUtil scenario fits a lot better.

I have questions about this. GMoney's concerns among them. That said, if Motter is hitting well enough to force a continued Utility competition, and the team figures they have a side gain from delaying Vogelbach, who hasn't definitively seized his job and run with it... maybe it's a benefit in the end.

25

...it absolutely makes sense to leave Vogelbach off the team if he's not in a groove.  He's dead weight since he can only meat-handedly play first base.  I'd rather carry both Gamel and Heredia (and Motter and Ruiz) than get stuck with a slow, hook-handed "slugger" who hits a blizzard of ground balls and is currently not hitting well.

26

a few weeks less that potentially adds months instead.  I'd like to think that if a player was productive and affordable they'd sign extensions and re-sign throughout their career but that is just not the norm anymore.  Legitimately, Vogue has things to work on.  Whether he could work them all out in MLB at this point?  We'll never really know now.  I was surprised by his K rate this spring, in fact O'Neill and Vogelbach led the team. 

Hopefully him and O'Neill, Povse and Moore, Vieira and Pagan all start out strong.  Hopefully Cishek, Zych, Simmons and O'Malley all do in their returns too.

27

That's what this says.  Heredia and Gamel are running solid K/BB ratios.  Incredibly...so is Motter (he has no strong history of doing that).  Why should Dr. Strangeglove get a roster spot when he's got team-leading K rates and hasn't hit the ball in the air more than a handful of times all spring.  THUMBS DOWN. This sends a powerful message throughout the organization.  Get your K/BB ratios in line and either work long counts or hit your pitch...or you're out of here.  WE MEAN IT.

I'd rather see Heredia and Gamel get shots together.

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