Since the M’s won’t be doing any celebrating in October this year, the trade deadline becomes the last exciting thing for Mariners’ baseball as they continue on their non-playoff baseball ways.
When the Mariners are in this position, they have tended to be sellers on the market come the trade deadline, in an effort to try to get the young prospects to continue the rebuilding process. Normally, I would support this 100%. This is the first year where I want to see the Mariners stand pat.
Why you ask? I think the reason is simple – Jack is no longer managing the Mariners and their talent with the best interest of the team at heart. He is managing to try to save his neck, and with the call-up of Zunino and Franklin it just goes to show that he is willing to do anything to try to save the franchise at this point.
With that in mind, I don’t trust him to make the moves when shipping off someone like a Kendrys Morales or Hisashi Iwakuma, as I have lost faith in his ability to bring quality talent back.
These are the two guys where the Mariners should be getting some phone calls. Iwakuma is looking like one of the best pitchers in the AL this year, and he is signed for peanuts for the next couple of seasons. His contract is a bargain, and should help net higher upside prospects for a team looking to make a run. Morales on the other hand is only one a one year deal, a sort of rent-a-bat, but he hits for average and pop, which would be good for a contending team needing a stick.
Jack Z in my opinion is becoming a lame duck in office. I would rather see what a different GM might do with the pieces in place instead of dealing with one last blunder from Jack coming to this trade deadline. I don’t want to see another Fister trade. Nobody wants to see that again.
Jack – just stand pat. Please.
