Joe Urbon

by Jeff Sullivan on Dec 24, 2005 9:20 AM PST in Seattle Mariners News, Regular

Are you familiar with that name?

Because maybe you shouldn't be.

Urbon represents Scott Hatteberg, Kaz Ishii, and Shigetoshi Hasegawa (presumably among others), and according to John Hickey, the Mariners are showing some level of interest in two of his clients.

Although neither addition would be that big of a deal in the grand scheme of things, given that Hatteberg would be a bench bat and Ishii probably rotation depth hidden in the back of the bullpen, these guys are the definition of replaceable talent, Hatteberg a first baseman who can't hit and Ishii a flyball pitcher who doesn't throw strikes. They'll also be 36 and 32 years old, respectively, going into next season, so it's not like their career arcs are on the way up.

That said, both Hatteberg and Ishii are lefties, so you had to know the M's would come calling. Pursuit of the former will probably intensify if Greg Dobbs gets claimed off waivers and deteriorate if he doesn't, since they'd be competing for the same job, while Ishii...well, I can't really explain that one. Maybe they just want him for the first few months of the season, as his career pre-ASB FIP is in the low-4's, as opposed to the low-6's in the second half. But that's a reach. Ishii sucks and the Mariners only appear to have marginal interest in adding him to the staff, so with luck, we'll never have to talk about him again.

Enjoy your Saturdays. Go Seahawks.

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Kaz Ishii

Apparently has signed to pitch with the Nippon Ham Fighters in Japan (see towards the bottom of this page).

So I doubt the M's even have a prayer with Ishii. And weren't we laughing at and loathing the prospect of Hatteberg in an M's uniform a few months ago? Man, Bavasi, what's happened?

by Gomez on Dec 24, 2005 9:36 AM PST reply actions

Well, sort of

Ishii hasn't actually signed with either, but Yakult and Nippon Ham are both going after him. I'm not sure whether he wants to go back to Japan or not, but I think it'd be a good idea (he'd have a lot of popularity for having played in MLB, be pitching against slightly easier competition, and for the teams, they get an MLB pitcher who doesn't actually count against their foreigner limits on the roster). And of course I personally hope he signs with the Fighters, but I'm biased.

Marinerds - a different daily dose of baseblog.

by Deanna on Dec 24, 2005 12:49 PM PST up reply actions

Ah, good to know

MLB4U is a mite misinformed then.

It would probably be best for Kaz Ishii. He really struggles here, but in NPB he would likely have a better rep. Here he's more of a borderline #5 starter.

by Gomez on Dec 24, 2005 1:07 PM PST up reply actions

Ehhh

It's just preliminary talks, meaning something like this:

Bavasi: "Hey Joe, we might be interested in Hatteberg as our backup guy. Let me know if you don't find him a starting job somewhere and then we'll see."

Why not? If I were a GM, I'd be making as many phone calls as possible, trying to keep all my options open and because often times you figure out what other GMs are doing through player agents.

Also, they have to print SOMETHING everyday so A) be happy it wasn't another stupid Reed rumor, B) it likely doesn't mean anything, it's just space filler.

by Matthew on Dec 24, 2005 10:50 AM PST reply actions

Cheap Starters

If the M's are going to look for cheap pitching, I think they should look at Ramon Ortiz.

He was absolutely brutal last year in Cincinati, but moving to Safeco would be just the thing for him. His biggest issue is HRs, so Safeco would help him a lot.

He should be cheap and could be a nice #5 pitcher. He could also be a nice trade chip at the deadline.

by Jerry on Dec 24, 2005 4:20 PM PST reply actions

I think that are FAR better options out there to

take fliers on. Ortiz, at his best, is a BOR starter. People like Kim, Kevin Brown, Gil Meche at least have potential to be MOR/TOR starters. Those are the guys you take shots on. The Matt Thornton's who "if he just lowers his walks" becomes good-great. Not the Brett Tomko's "well, maybe he wont suck"

by Matthew on Dec 24, 2005 4:56 PM PST up reply actions

Gil Meche IS Brett Tomko.

They both have good fastballs, poor control, and very unimpressive careers.

by eponymous coward on Dec 25, 2005 10:28 AM PST up reply actions

I think...

too much egg nog and hot totties over the holiday season have lowered too many standards. Ishii? Hatteberg? Good God!

"the dumbest player I've ever met." --Larry Bowa, on Vincente Padilla

by AgentProvocateur @ Lookout Landing on Dec 26, 2005 10:21 AM PST reply actions

No lowered standards here

Bad idea. Bad idea. Hopefully, a now-sober Bavasi will leak to the press that the Ishii/Hatteberg idea was just a "joke".

Or hopefully one of those NPB teams will throw mad money at Ishii and get him off the table pronto.

by Gomez on Dec 26, 2005 11:32 AM PST up reply actions

While other teams...

are throwing around names like Tejada, Millwood, Ramirez etc., etc., we are throwing around names like Ishii and Hatteberg. Talk about a lump of coal in your stocking.

"the dumbest player I've ever met." --Larry Bowa, on Vincente Padilla

by AgentProvocateur @ Lookout Landing on Dec 26, 2005 12:40 PM PST up reply actions

I wouldn't worry too much...

...about Ishii coming to the M's.

The Japanese papers I've read have quoted him as saying that he wants to go to either an MLB team or NPB team that will guarantee him a place in the starting rotation.

I doubt if any MLB team is that stupid.

by Tokyo Sam on Dec 27, 2005 6:16 AM PST up reply actions