Taking a Pass on the Prince

Trust me, he is not ripping this off in exchange for a Mariners jersey.

It really isn’t a secret that the Seattle Mariners need someone in the middle of the lineup that can pound out hits, or even better, out of the yard.  The offense, to put in nicely, has been completely anemic these last two years.  While the pitching has been great (and the M’s gave some of that up for another potential hitter last week), the Mariners can’t win baseball games when they can’t score at all.

You can fear Brendan Ryan’s handlebars, but his bat isn’t one that strikes fear in opposing pitchers.  I think an argument can be made that there wasn’t a single hitter in the lineup last year that made someone like C.J. Wilson shake in his boots.  I would even go as far to say that Rick Ankiel, Cardinals circa 2001 could have handled this lineup.

The reason Ankiel would go 1-2-3 on the M’s roster is because the players that did have “power” had completely horrible plate discipline.  Olivo might be able to drive the ball out of the yard, but his problem is that he would give a bouncing ball a hearty cut to pull to left, or one that was thrown directly at him.  Smart pitchers used his aggression against him as they would throw eephus pitches that were destined for the batters box for left-handed hitters.

Most would think that signing Prince Fielder here in Seattle would solve the power issue.  A legitimate, middle order bat that can put them off the Hit-It-Here Cafe I am sure with regularity.  However, there are a few problems with this in my opinion.  I am not going to go all stats on you, as you can get much better insight on USS Mariner or Lookout Landing for the full statistical rundown.  These are my scars as a fan.

• Remember the last big National League sluggers that the Mariners signed?  I do!  Richie Sexson and Adrian Beltre.  Sexson’s first year was the best, and then became a progressive train wreck after that.  Adrian, while a great defensive third baseman (and worth the cash when you break out his defensive value along with the stick) – he was signed to be a slugger.  He was never a slugger here.  He needed a few more degrees cranked up on the heater as he showed in Texas to start launching balls out of the yard.
• Seattle now has two 1B/DH types.  Now granted, none of them have the pedigree of a Prince – but if he was to come here, he has no positional flexibility.  He will either be on 1B (where he isn’t brutal, but he isn’t great) or DH.  This either puts Smoak in the DH/1B platoon and forces Montero behind the plate.  Montero according to the world isn’t a good catcher.   Montero, at this time is also penciling in for the same place as a 1B/DH.  Unless there are more moves in the queue (which you never know with Jack Z) – I doubt he moves the centerpiece of the Lee trade (Smoak) after one year.  Smoak’s trade value is shot.  He is only valuable here now.
• I believe that teams will simply pitch around Prince in this current lineup as it is constructed.  Explain to me why you would pitch anything remotely near the plate to him when you get to face anyone else in the M’s lineup after him?  The Mariners need to bring in a few more hitters to actually build a lineup.  I don’t think you can do that with a guy who can hit them to the moon surrounded by guys who can only hit them back to the pitcher.
• Has anyone actually asked Prince if he would even want to sign here?  Why would one of the games most prolific hitters come to a place where notoriously hitters come to die?  I don’t care how short the porch in right is – there is something about the Mariners uniforms that suck the power out of their own players.  Perhaps it is the home whites?  I suggest that the M’s switch to their road greys for home games.
• He is in the prime of his career.  He wants to hit dingers.  Not launch less home runs in this corner of the country where nobody sees him.  He can do that in Milwaukee.

Would I be happy if he did become a member of the Mariners?  Of course.  Is it realistic?  No.