.
One cubicle to the left, you have The Counselor's golfclap following DiPoto's putt that hit the "Stabilization" cup dead center. Dr. D golfclaps the Counselor's golfclap:
James was the first to point out, "Most of a player's value is in being average."
...
The Mariners had 25 (!!) different players combine for -9.1 WAR last year. -5.2 hitting and -3.9 pitching. Replace those 25 guys with 'worthless' 0.0 players and the M's go from 76 wins to 85 wins without doing anything else.
The following players' 2015 WAR totals are at far right. Can you believe TWENTY-FIVE of these dudes! That kind of Child's Play Chucky-Doll carousel is Stars & Scrubs, but it's Stars & Scrubs gone horribly wrong.
Dr. D has been moaning and groaning about the "Look Ma, I'm General Managing" nature of DiPoto's statements. Especially aghast is Dr. D at the idea of Roenis Elias as a 'bit part' throwin, but this was confirmed by none other than Beane Jr. his ownself.
The moaning and groaning aside, this strategy of "raise the floor around the Stars" is extremely sound. Not only is there 9+ WAR to be had, just by phasing out the Beimels and Weekses, but that is the EASIEST way to improve a team. The fruit hangs low when all you seek is a +0.5 WAR player.
Also, as Mojician has reminded us, DiPoto is positively twitching to swap out his #18-25 roster slots a second and a third time through, if they dare to fail him his vision.
....
A cheery thought indeed that Anthony Bass need only be an 0.0 WAR reliever and that Nori Aoki need only be an 0.0 WAR replacement for Ackley, Weeks and Bloomquist's combined -2.0 WAR. But supposing that DiPoto's choices actually waka-waka-chomp the Power Pill and go chasing the little scared ghosts of the AL West? Hey, we ain't saying it can't work.
Enjoy,
Jeff
Memorable performances for people like Bloomy and Weeks in so few games.
But wasn't 'raising the floor' what Ruggiano, Weeks, etc., was all about?
I guess it comes down to who can predict the 'floor' guys best.
And God help us if Dip isn't good at this when it comes to building a bullpen.
We do need to keep in mind that the difference between the current DiPoto reimagining and the original "Blengino" reimagining (Figgins, Jack Wilson, Kotchman, 513 runs) is Cano, Cruz and Seager bolted and welded into the middle of the lineup.
Check out the middle spots:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/SEA/2009-batting-orders.shtml
Ghost of Junior, depressed Beltre, desperation experiments (Sweeney-Branyan-Hall), Jose Lopez ...
http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/SEA/2015-batting-orders.shtml
Seager 158 games in starting lineup; Cano 155 games; Cruz 152 games.
Outside of Iwakuma, we are very much dealing with the scrubs.
That the 2009 plan in Seattle was merely abandoned before it had a chance to work.
Not saying a "run prevention model" is bankrupt on its face, but you're definitely on to something here Spec.
But he will fix his mistakes come season time.
There are a lot of players who tank when they come to Seattle. DiPoto has zero tolerance for tanking. Those guys will get a very short hook. In other words, no more Mike Zunino floundering into a black hole situations. DiPoto would have tried three or four catchers in 2015. Zduriencik got a good catcher in 2015, Wellington Castillo, but then flipped him immediately for Mark Trumbo, without ever fixing the catcher problem. Would DiPoto have signed someone better than Castillo? probably not. But he wouldn't pretend that there wasn't a problem either.
DiPoto sees the GM job as plugging holes. The most seaworthy boat wins. Zduriencik sees it as amassing the best talent. The most talented boat wins. JeDi's strategy is more sound.
If nothing else, the constant trades should make for some interesting reading at SSI.