General Jack Z. has had a mixed bag this year.  At least in terms of the troops he sent to hit the beach.

In his favor, he went out and got Cruz, Smith, Ruggiano and Weeks.  The Weeks signing was pretty redundant in light of getting Ruggiano, however.  I think we almost all agree that he complicated that issue by releasing the wrong guy, once he did release one.

Cruz and Smith have been huge signings, as both have been VG-Ex bats. Where would we be without them?  Ruggiano was a decent bat, as well.  Weeks, not so much. 

Z acquired Happ, as well.  Goodness knows that was a great move.

So if you think about the signing of Weeks as a pretty cheap afterthought (and he was), then Z has hit 3 HR's (Cruz--a salami, in fact--Smith and Happ), a 2B (Rugi) and then appears to have popped up or K'ed on the Weeks signing.  And then K'ed again on keeping Weeks. 

But then Z got us Trumbo for little more than bits and pieces.  That has to be a really good move.  We will give that a HR, no worse than a 3B.  Smoak and Saunders went away.  Those were good moves.

In all that light, Z's performance looks pretty good guys.

But then you have to factor in that he also bet, heavily, on both Ackley and Morrison.  There was always a likely 50% failure rate on those two bets.  That has happened.  Actually you could argue that there has been a 75+% failure rate on those two bets.  If you minus one hot week (April 29th to May 5th), Morrison (even with his current 11-game hitting streak) has been a .203-.278-.265 bat.  That's at a bat-first position, mind you.  He's basically been Brendan Ryan for the vast bulk of the season.  He had 3 of his 4 2B's and 3 of his 6 HR's in one week.  Other than that....bupkis!  We're 1/3 of the way through the season and our 1B, playing every day, has 14 RBI.  Zoooooom!  Morrison's .481 OPS vL is essentially identical to his .491 vL in '13.  I told you guys his lefty-ripping in '14 was unsustainable. 

Z's quinella bet on Ackley-Morrison has been a huge failure.  Getting Trumbo, who will play everyday, mitigates it some....as Morrison SHOULD sit vs. LHP.  Should, mind you.  He may not.

But all that brings us right back to a place where we have a LF vL platoon-partner of Rickie Weeks.   Oh gooody!!!  Bad Jack!  Bad Jack! 

Austin Jackson has been hot over the last 10 days.  But because he doesn't walk and he CAN'T mash, his OPS has only been .718 over that time....all the while running a .424 BABIP.  That .718 is unsustainable without BB's or mash.

However, I will not hold that against General Jack right now.  Jackson was last year's failure. 

Jack was great in getting Cruz, Smith and Happ.  He was decent in getting Ruggiano, a guy who did what you wanted him to do.  Weeks has so far been less than decent.  I won't count getting him against Jack, but I will count keeping him in that column.

Trumbo was a great get.

Betting on Ackley and Morrison, or betting so heavily on them, has been an epic type failure.  Jack goes to his room without supper for those moves.

But, all in all, I can't call for his head on a plate.  Well, at least when it comes to the guys he went to battle with in '15.

Bloomquist has been a #25 guy, basically giving us what every #25 guy does.  I would now let him go as a player, however.  He's not going to help us to the promised land in '15.  Get us a bat that can play LF vs. LHP, Jack.

Guti comes to mind.  Or Romero.  

Let Bloomquist go upstairs to coaching/consulting/managing (hint) land; bring in one of those Tacoma bat guys to storm the vs. lefties beach. 

Then get rid of Weeks and bring in O'Malley to be our new Bloomie.  O'Malley is pretty good vs. LHP and pretty versatile, too.  That's considering, of course, that we aren't calling up Taylor to share SS with Miller, which I think i would do.   But O'Malley as #25 is just ducky with me.  Remember all the Expendable Security Guards that James T. Kirk had on the Starship Enterprise?  O'Mally can play that role better than Bloomie right now.

Looking only at '15, Jack gets a "B" grade, no worse.  You can win wars with "B" generals.

As to the performance of the guy leading our troops across the beach, I will leave that one for you guys to decide.

But sometimes a squad needs a new captain.  I won't say that sometimes a squad needs a new sarge.  That brings up bad flashbacks.

Go team.....

Moe