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...and if he gets it, the road trip goes to 4-1 and a series win against the Cubbies would be precisely the statement you'd need to go add a left fielder. So...let's hope for that.
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As relievers, Drew Storen and Joaquin Benoit would be a push to me in a rotisserie league. You're making a bigger deal, and the other guy says "if you'll give me Benoit for Storen it's a deal?" then bing-da-boom, you're done. In either direction.
You do have the fact that Storen has lost 1 or 2 MPH this year, but that's less important than Benoit struggling because he's 39. So, for me, Storen is a sensible return PLUS ...
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Diaz might be Diaz, but three bad games for a rookie can still create some pretty nervy pressure. Benoit's a big man, and I think it's a plus not to have him glaring across the locker room when Diaz has a setback. The move is important in terms of throwing the starting gates open for Diaz.
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There are times when "change of scenery" is a flat cliche, and times when you put real hope in it. Both Storen and Benoit, there's no real obstacle to their getting on a streak. There's nothing wrong with Storen's results this year except that he's got a 17.6% homer per fly rate. "Change of scenery" also includes change of coaches, taking some pressure off, getting back to enjoying baseball, etc.
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Storen has a fun "whipsaw" philsophy that Jeff Sullivan explained here. It's worth the trip for the .gifs alone. Storen has got a signature slider, and he deliberately sets it up to fly the first 50% of the way on the same trajectory as his fastball.
In this video you can see Storen throw a couple of "slider-like" fastballs, see how the trajectory would create a called ball if the pitch were a slider.
LO: His arm is going and he can't command the ball the way he used to. Hence the mistakes.
MID: He gains back some 1.6 HR ground and reverts to 'major asset'. I mean, there's a reason when a setup man pulls down $8M per.
HIGH: He gets back to the 2011-15 form and is a front-line setup guy behind Diaz.
In any case, this was the kind of bullpen add that we were going to have to settle for. Let's not give up Seager, Diaz, Felix and Starbucks for a big name reliever.
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Implications for July 31? Not many, beyond the Trade Jerry suspicions. Like Benae, he'll buy, and sell, and get gain, based on his own confidence in player evaluation.
Miley next?,
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Season-to-date playoff odds have the Mariners at 32.5%. Been a good road trip. Big streak of easy games coming up shortly. Real good week to follow baseball.
BABVA,
Jeff
Comments
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Per mlbtraderumors, that LF may be Jay Bruce pushing Aoki out. I'm still hoping for Eaton.
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If the loss of velocity is a mechanical flaw... Mel Jr., waits and crew have been pretty good at spotting those and correcting them, and the Toronto has not.
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The guy is 33 innings away (all this year) from when he was last a pretty good pitcher......it is unlikely it has disappeaared.
And I like the Kuma-like mini-pause/pose on the back leg.
Ww've gone 6-2 since I said I thought 6-2 was the point when you had to figure we were staying in and not selling.....
A win today would be gret fun!
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Absolute plus plus for DePoet.
Storen was an All Star, no less, and what do the Nationals do?
They buy Palpabon and bring up a rookie and say here, Storen, how you gonna handle this.
While no one has accused the Nationals front office of being any better than the Washington Nationals who were the foil for the Harlem Globetrotters for years, they have fumbled handling players for the past five years ... and, before that, they were just a lousy team.
Could Harper and Strassberg be even better?
Yep, in my book.
Anyway, management did not destroy his arm, they destroyed his ego and self worth.
Toronto fans didn't like him because he didn't start fast, and they gave up Dexter Fowler, a very popular player and leadoff guy, for Storen.
Osuna, for good reason, took over the closer role and Storen wasn't even the top set up guy, that went to a guy in his late 30's who is now joined by the elderly Benoit.
My guess is Andy McKay is already huddling with him and the M's will soon be drooling on the Drew.
Yep, it means they don't have to get into the Miller or other high end closer.
They can leave Cishek and Diaz where they are, or move them around.
The M's just increased their flexibiity and it cost them nothing.
At this point, he is a rental guy whose cost was an ineffective Benoit, and not some decent prospect.
And, if the fairy tale works out, they've got flexibility to not name Diaz closer if they don't think he is ready until next year.
Then, they might resign Storen or let him walk.
It could be they have pulled this guy from the scrap heap, not unlike other bullpen arms.
Don't be surprised if he is a cream puff from the used car lot of baseball.
zoom
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We can count on 'DePoet' with Servais to give the big hugs and put the smile back on Storen's face?
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The team was great before Felix hurt his leg stomping around during a rally. It was mediocre while he was gone, and now it looks great again. The playoff odds are one thing, but 1. The Mariners are only 6 games out, and 2. Texas has been treading water, and 3. All the other AL teams are in the exact same boat as the Mariners. There are 64 games left to play, and 7 games separate the nine AL teams with winning records. Five of those teams are going to the post season. Four of them are going home. No team in first place is feeling secure in its position.
For example, based on the Fangraphs standings, Boston has an 83 percent chance at the post season, Baltimore and Toronto has a 70 percent chance and New York has a 10 percent chance. New York has 52 wins, and Boston has 55. I'm not sure why Fangraphs likes Boston 13 percent better than the division leader, Baltimore. But the point is, that Boston does not have an 83 percent chance at the post season, and New York does not really have a 10 percent chance. The two are one series away from each other. Big streaks are coming as is the way of baseball, and if your team is on a down streak, your Fangraphs playoff probability cannot save you.
That said, the Mariners 30 percent odds sound about right, for the lower half of the contenders.