And that's what the face-to-face meets are for.

Do you think if YOU went to lunch with Zduriencik in a fancy restaurant, that over the course of two hours, he could convince you that the Mariners are going to be contending, 2012 or 2013?  You personally.  How do you think you'd feel, after that lunch?

That's where Z discloses to you where the payroll is going.  You remember his remarks about the owners now loosening the purse strings?  That's what he tells you, the 'net rat.  What does he tell Fielder?

That's where he discloses to you the pushes for Gio Gonzalez (and comparables), for Cuddyer / Willingham (and comparables), the pitching, all of the cards that are (a) up his sleeve and (b) on the table. Yes, Scott Boras is accustomed to hearing those strategies-in-waiting and he is accustomed to keeping it farrrrr away from the press.  What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.

Prince Fielder has worked with Jack Zduriencik before.  It is at this point, precisely - do you buy Seattle's shtick or do you not - that Zduriencik's political capital with Fielder becomes a key factor in the ballgame.

...........

In fact, I'd be inclined to suspect that that's what the problem is, here, that Fielder hasn't been to Seattle for 10 days to hear the shtick from Zduriencik.  If there's a problem at all.  

 ...............

It is true both as a general rule, and in this specific case, that a 91-loss Texas team has to convince an ARod that "we're just a couple of pieces away."  It's not real hard to do that!  The zeroes on the wire transfer are verrrrry exciting.

Some M's fans are convinced that the 2012-13 M's are buried already.  Jack Zduriencik, meanwhile, is adding LOOGY's and big-time backup catchers.  Our SSI insta-poll will not be relevant.  Prince Fielder will have to decide who's right:  'net rat 'realists' or Jack Zduriencik. 

.

=== I looooov eeeet ===

Benihana links us up to Logan Morrison's tweet, "Just heard from my boy that Prince to Seattle is a done deal"

Which, to 95% of Seattle fans, is worth exactly one wry smile.

............

But for Dec. 22, about six hours' worth, I do enjoy the tweet, because very often when a deal is impending, the first spark-or-smoke comes in a manner similar to this one.  IF Fielder had siiiigggghhhhhed and said, OK, let's fly out to Seattle and see what they got, then I could see the reports starting this way.

If I had nothing else to do, I'd go review Morrison's last 100 tweets to get a feel for the guy's style.

Cheers,

Dr D