Add new comment

Hey, I'm a friend of the fish -- I suggested him as a possible acquisition before the Putz trade materialized.  But, what if the choice isn't about Branyan at all?
What if the reason you keep Branyan at first is because you, (meaning Z and W) already "know" that Carp isn't yet ready for the full-time gig?  What if, (God forbid), they are actually considering the possible negative ramifications of simply handing the 20-something the 1B gig?  What if, (and I know this is completely new thinking to most Mariner fans), the club has a PLAN for how to best develop their young talent?  What if the club understands there is a big flaw somewhere in Carp's game that they are working on fixing? 
The previous regime was all about sink-or-swim development (sic).  So, the masses have gotten used to the concept of calling a guy up - shoving him into a position full-time, watching him fail - and then blaming the failure on lack of talent, (and talent assessment). 
Of course, every player is different.  The development path for Pujols or Chipper Jones is NOT the same as Chase Utley or Jimmy Rollins or Raul Ibanez.  Some guys are great immediately.  Some make steady improvement and finally plateau.  Others start quickly, then struggle, then rebound, then explode. 
The focus is firmly on Branyan - can he play defense.  The ASSUMPTION is that Carp can simply step in and thrive.  Sure Carp has looked really great in his THIRTEEN (13) plate appearances.  This is good news.  But it doesn't necessarily mean he's ready for a full-time, (or even a full-time platoonee) gig. 
Then again, Sweeney is a proven commodity at first base, (proven to be fragile), so why not just put HIM in as the full-time 1B?  Why isn't anyone making THAT suggestion? 
I suspect it is because the expectation of Sweeney's performance as a full-time 1B is such that nobody even wants to ponder that move. 
I, for one, am happy to see the club showing patience and restraint in their treatment of prospects.  The sense I get is that there IS a plan, and that they aren't simply dumping whatever the plan might be based on every random hiccup. 
For years, I've watched a club that showed some skill at developing talent.  When I first began looking at Seattle, I saw evidence everywhere I looked that the club was making moves that (in my eyes) were CLEARLY detrimental to the development of their prospects.  Today, I am seeing signs of intelligence in the player development process.  Of course, I have no way of knowing what the real motivators are.  Maybe they are just petrified of Branyan's glove (or arm), at third base.  Or, maybe it's not about Branyan at all.