The Rumor
I received a tip today from a friend of the site about a potential payroll-moving trade by Jack Zduriencik, and in following up on it, there might be something to it - or at least there may have been at some point.
What I dug up/have been told is that the M's are working on a trade that would rid themselves of either Jarrod Washburn, Miguel Batista, or even Carlos Silva to an AL Central team.
But Brandon Morrow and either Wladimir Balentien or Jeff Clement - or both - might have to be part of the trade, at least as far as I can gather.
Returning would be a young corner outfielder with solid defensive skills and one strong offensive season under his belt, and minor league prospects - at least one pitcher.
Normally, you wouldn't criticize based on a rumor. But does ANYbody feel that this trade would be uncharacterically illogical for the home nine? :- ) It does put the Washburn fiasco into sharp relief.
We have been told, through club sources including those sourced through Baker, that the Mariners HAD Washburn's money gone. And that Chuck Armstrong jumped in as Virtual GM, saying he thought the M's could get an extra prospect beyond what they were (absurdly) offered at the time.
So assuming you cancel out Clement against the outfielder, this trade rumor has the MARINERS GIVING UP BRANDON MORROW IN ORDER TO ERASE CHUCK ARMSTRONG'S VETO.
Hearken unto me, ye rebels :- )...
At this point the fault isn't Chuck Armstrong's. At this point the fault is his supervisor's.
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Again with the "strong defensive skills" coming in as ... um ... Brandon Morrow, Jeff Clement and/or Wlad Balentien go out.
I know nobody asked me, but if anybody did, you're talking about #3 and #5 overall draft picks here. That is what is being de-prioritized against glovework, in this rumor. (Certainly you can get "strong offensive seasons" WITHOUT gloves, without coughing up young ML-ready stars like these.)
The phrase "mortgaging your future" gets tossed around a lot, and I hate it. But "MORROW CLEMENT WLAD," this time it applies.
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=== Round Up the Usual Suspects, Dept. ===
Strong OF defensive skills with one strong offensive season, from the AL Central, would accurately describe three players:
1. Denard Span is an exciting player with a fine eye ratio, some gap power and excellent speed. He could evolve into a Brett Butler or even a Carl Crawford type at the high side. Lefthanded and a nice fit for Safeco, and he hits grounders like Ichiro.
Don't undersell Span. He's liable to be a star in the American League for quite a few years. You could reasonably see Jeff Clement for him straight up (not that I'm saying I'd do it).
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2 Carlos Quentin - Interestingly, UZR sells his defense muuuuuuuccccchhhhh longer than his actual RF's do (which is to say, he didn't catch many balls, but supposedly he had even fewer he could have caught). His SX's were 70 and 80 the last few years. Obviously, I'm squeamish about an OF with modest speed and modest actual-balls-caught who UZR sells as a plus glove. But then, you don't win pennants with gloves in the corners anyway.
"Strong" isn't the way to describe his 2008 hitting. Manny Ramirez would have been fine with his season -- even in 1998.
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3. Matthew Joyce is an intriguing young lefty hitter with 160 (Prince Fielder, David Ortiz) PX's. He is another guy who didn't actually catch a lot of balls, and who does not have a high SX, but who is liked by Fangraphs' UZR metric. Since UZR is the preferred metric for Blengino, it could easily be that Joyce is a perp who fits the description.
Shandler advises his readers to be ready for Joyce to hit 30 homers in the AL *this* year.
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If you're talking about LEGITIMATE defense here, you're talking about Denard Span. I like the kid a lot. Just not enough to give up a $1M 97-mph TOR starter for him.
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I would not apply the above description to Delmon Young, who had a 90 OPS+ two years ago and a 102 OPS+ last year. His fangraphs D looks poor, so we can assume Young is not in consideration.
The description certainly does not apply to Ben Francisco. Though at this point, that wouldn't shock me, if they liked his defense. I'm not saying they do.
Mariner Central pointed out that the description could fit Shin-Soo Choo. ROTFL!
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It's just a rumor, obviously. In order to get something as good as Span or Joyce, much less Quentin, you have to give up something good.
Clement straight-up for Span or Joyce? I wouldn't like it, but accept the rationality. Clement and Morrow for the RH Quentin, plus $$$$ ? I wouldn't like that either, but again accept the rationality.
Right now, I'll hope for better than that. :- ) If anything in fact is in the works at all.
Good stuff Jason,
Dr D