It's Officially Official

by Jeff Sullivan on Dec 7, 2006 9:23 AM PST in Seattle Mariners News, Regular

Rafael Soriano never had a physical, but John Schuerholz is probably so ecstatic that he doesn't even care. If I had to guess, I'd say that the Braves just went over all of Soriano's information generated by his stay in the hospital a couple months ago, since he would've had a pretty exhaustive examination at the time and nothing would've changed between then and now. So whatever.

I am sad.

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Not one mention of other players involved...

I think this was a true one-for-one swap and Bavasi is in hiding. Let's see how long it takes before the M's officially announce it. I bet Bavasi will skip a presser.

by manyoso on Dec 7, 2006 9:24 AM PST reply actions

So....

Do the Braves have pictures of Bavasi in sheep illustrated? Once again....WHY?

I killed a 12 pack just to watch it die...

by Dollar97 on Dec 7, 2006 9:26 AM PST reply actions

Dumb,

by anotherjeff on Dec 7, 2006 9:27 AM PST reply actions

Hickey announces it is official too...

ye who click here

by manyoso on Dec 7, 2006 9:28 AM PST reply actions

"Happy Halloween"

by ThundaPC on Dec 7, 2006 9:28 AM PST reply actions

From the trade phone call:

Bavasi: Hey, Theo...so, what do you think of our closer-to-be Rafael Soriano? Any chance you could give us Ramirez in return?

Schuerholz: Bill...uh, this is John Schuerholz. I think you meant to call the Red Sox.

Bavasi: You didn't answer my question, Theo. How 'bout a Soriano-Ramirez trade?

Schuerholz: Bill...ummm...[idea dawns] Yeah, Bill, I think a Soriano-Ramirez trade would work really well. You know, we've been looking at unloading Horacio...uhh...I mean Ramirez for a while now. Can I fax you the paperwork?

Bavasi: Sure thing, Theo. Lemme consult with Mike here for a second. [inaudible mumbling] Okay, I think we have a done deal. Mike said he'd play Ramirez as much as he could, even if that means turning him into a DH.

Schuerholz: [snickers]Hey, Bill, looks like we got ourselves a deal. [cackles madly]

Bavasi: Great! I've always loved doing business with the Boston Red Sox. Take down those Yankees, will ya?

Schuerholz: [barely containing his glee]Yeah, um, I'm make sure and do that! Pleasure doing business with you! [hangs up phone] Stupid git.

We're doomed!!!

by Phil Hatzenbuehler on Dec 7, 2006 9:32 AM PST reply actions

This sucks

Seattle PI - Mariners GM Bill Bavasi didn't say much about Barry Zito, but he did say that if the club signed the former Cy Young Award winner, they wouldn't be able to make any of the other moves it believes it has to make to be competitive in 2007. "We could be in there," Bavasi said. "But then we'd have to decide to forgo some other things." "If Zito wants to take a while, it would preclude us from doing other things (while waiting)," Bavasi said. "We don't want to miss out on other things we could do, then come back and miss out on Zito, too."

So instead you go out and sign #5 starter instead of a #1 or 2? GREAT IDEA

by tkballer22 on Dec 7, 2006 9:35 AM PST reply actions

Sounds like somebody lost the magic 8 ball

I killed a 12 pack just to watch it die...

by Dollar97 on Dec 7, 2006 9:37 AM PST up reply actions

Well, Bill . . .

Trading one of the best set-up man in the game for Whoracio Ramirez doesn't make the team competitive in 2007 either.

by JoeyJoJoJuniorShabadoo on Dec 7, 2006 9:48 AM PST up reply actions

Do you suppose

Bavasi will go to the next USSM feed?

We're doomed!!!

by Phil Hatzenbuehler on Dec 7, 2006 9:48 AM PST reply actions

Do you think...

...he'll be invited?

Iceberg, right ahead!

by PositivePaul on Dec 7, 2006 9:52 AM PST up reply actions

Nice

This is the only upside I can come up with in this sequence of event.

by Jerry on Dec 7, 2006 11:47 AM PST up reply actions

I think the next feed

will just be a mass suicide :P

by Gomez on Dec 7, 2006 11:03 AM PST up reply actions

Heh, USSM feed ---> USSM hunger strike

by Alex B on Dec 7, 2006 11:10 AM PST up reply actions

It'll save DMZ the trouble

of having to buy food.

by Gomez on Dec 7, 2006 11:14 AM PST up reply actions

On the Bright Side

With Soriano gone from the pen, and Lowe on the shelf until who knows when, things are setting up perfectly for more high leverage innings for......

JULIO MATEO!

by MfaninAlaska on Dec 7, 2006 9:57 AM PST reply actions

THANKS

Because I didn't have enough awful thoughts after last night.

by Gomez on Dec 7, 2006 11:01 AM PST up reply actions

ROFL....

I clicked the atlanta link and the first thing I hear is "HAPPY HALLOWEEN!"

by PLU Tim on Dec 7, 2006 9:57 AM PST reply actions

So....

Not only did the M's just deal one of the best relief pitchers in baseball for Bobby Livingston, they may have opened the door to send LaRoche to LAAoAoAoAoA.

This was a total panic move. Even those of us who have given Bavasi the BoD for a long time can't take it anymore.

by PLU Tim on Dec 7, 2006 10:13 AM PST reply actions

What a shitastic offseason this has been

Can we have a graph showing our optimism through this all? From Daisuke to Horacio....been pretty rough.

"The list of Mariners I'd go gay for seems to be growing by the day."

"You gonna start hitting on Gomez at the next LL night?"

by Christian on Dec 7, 2006 10:34 AM PST reply actions

Prophetic

Sigh

Written, Friday, 1 Dec

Note of caution

about this time last year we thought he was having a pretty good offseason then too. Remember, Johjima, trade for Carvajal, release of Franklin, tender of Meche.

by Matthew on Dec 7, 2006 10:36 AM PST up reply actions

So

Is it all over? No more trades or Free agents?

by InSpokane on Dec 7, 2006 10:52 AM PST reply actions

The Good News

At least we know Hargrove will be fired by about April 15th when we are 0-11.

by Geeves72 on Dec 7, 2006 11:01 AM PST reply actions

come on, at least 1-10

Felix will have a good start.

by basebliman on Dec 7, 2006 3:43 PM PST up reply actions

Is it too early to fire up the

community projections on Whore?

"The list of Mariners I'd go gay for seems to be growing by the day."

"You gonna start hitting on Gomez at the next LL night?"

by Christian on Dec 7, 2006 11:44 AM PST reply actions

Come February

USSM and LL are going to do joint Community Projections.

So, yeah.

by Jeff Sullivan on Dec 7, 2006 11:45 AM PST up reply actions

M's official winter meetings roundup:....

Now on the M's official site:

"Winter Meetings Mission Accomplished"

Can you believe that bullshit?

That is insulting.

Fuck this team.

by Jerry on Dec 7, 2006 11:46 AM PST reply actions

That's assuming

the mission was assuring last place next season.

by Gomez on Dec 7, 2006 11:48 AM PST up reply actions

Heh.

"It's one of the more miserable Winter Meetings I've ever been to. I think it's the lack of activity and the volcanic market." -- Bavasi.

No, I don't think that's what it was, Bill.

by Jeff Sullivan on Dec 7, 2006 11:48 AM PST up reply actions

Suprisingly....

I am way more pissed off about this than I was about Washburn or passing up Andrew Miller.

That is amazing.

This is a new low for me. I woke up pissed off this morning, and I am more surly now.

by Jerry on Dec 7, 2006 11:55 AM PST up reply actions

You're not kidding

Everything in my life is going amazingly apart from baseball, and I'm still so pissed off I'm not fun to talk to.

by Graham MacAree on Dec 7, 2006 1:10 PM PST up reply actions

I actually find this . . .

pretty humorous. I can just imagine Bavasi flown onto an aircraft carrier with a giant "Mission Accomplished" banner in the background, being cheered on by the whole front office as he walks among them pumping his fist in vicory.

by DCMariner on Dec 7, 2006 11:58 AM PST up reply actions

Oh man, that's just asking for this:

Aici zace un om despre care nu se ştie prea mult.

by Goose on Dec 7, 2006 12:03 PM PST up reply actions

Winner!!!!

Needs to be the new LookoutLanding banner.

Iceberg, right ahead!

by PositivePaul on Dec 7, 2006 12:11 PM PST up reply actions

Forgot something

Aici zace un om despre care nu se ştie prea mult.

by Goose on Dec 7, 2006 12:21 PM PST up reply actions

Seriously, Jeff...

You gotta change the LookoutLanding logo, for, like,even 5 minutes. It would help ease the suffering just a little...

Iceberg, right ahead!

by PositivePaul on Dec 7, 2006 12:33 PM PST up reply actions

Close enough.

Heh. Wasn't that artwork just stolen?

All the more fitting...

Iceberg, right ahead!

by PositivePaul on Dec 7, 2006 12:58 PM PST up reply actions

Put an angle's pin on his collar

Make it complete.

by Peen on Dec 7, 2006 12:55 PM PST up reply actions

Heh.

I could mention another type of pin, but I'd be accused, then, of closing the thread by instigating Godwin's Law...

Iceberg, right ahead!

by PositivePaul on Dec 7, 2006 3:45 PM PST up reply actions

Did you see

The pulled the "Mission Accomplished" from the web page.

by InSpokane on Dec 7, 2006 1:50 PM PST up reply actions

And replaced it with the much better:

Mariners' tally: Big bat, starting duo

by Trent on Dec 7, 2006 1:55 PM PST up reply actions

Starting duo?

Man, Tacoma's gonna be stacked...

by Graham MacAree on Dec 7, 2006 1:58 PM PST up reply actions

He's made the whole

rotaion worse. I did not think there was a way to do it, but he did.

by InSpokane on Dec 7, 2006 12:02 PM PST reply actions

Where's the Bavasi Magic Card?

When played, owner must give one card from hand to opponent and pick random card from opponents discard pile or trashcan.

by Jed C on Dec 7, 2006 12:14 PM PST reply actions

Overheard conversation last night

JS: So Bill how is everything coming?

BB: Well John, I've been told I'll be canned if I don't turn around this team, and on top of that everything I'm touching right now goes to shit.

JS: Did you think about what I told you the other day?

BB: Nah, I can't do that.

JS: Look, there is nothing left, you want Matsuzaka you get told now by your owner. You want Manny, the Red Sox ask for the moon. You want Schmidt or Zito, but won't spend the bucks on Zito and while you were dicking around with the Red Sox on Manny Schmidt signed with the Dodgers. Its pretty obvious you won't have a job next year.

BB: Yeah, its looking that way. Kicks the dirt dejectedly

JS: So I tell you what, you give me Soriano, and I'll give you a job next year.

BB: You know that's not such a bad idea. We need to make it believable, the M's need Starting Pitching, got anyone in AAA?

JS: We'll make it a little more believable I'll give you my scrub number 5 pitcher.

BB: All right!

by Replacement Level Poster on Dec 7, 2006 12:25 PM PST reply actions

One more thing...

...so much for Schuerholz' reputation for helping make both teams better in trades.

Iceberg, right ahead!

by PositivePaul on Dec 7, 2006 12:35 PM PST reply actions

Evidently

The Phillies are considering trading Lieber for bullpen help..... someone shut off Bavasi's phone access or we'll end up sending them Sherrill for Lieber.

by MfaninAlaska on Dec 7, 2006 12:48 PM PST reply actions

Won't happen

Gillick will just coax the tattered remains of Jeff Nelson out of retirement.

by Gomez on Dec 7, 2006 1:12 PM PST up reply actions

Check this:

Bavasi got played...

by tait644 on Dec 7, 2006 1:22 PM PST reply actions

LOL

the new poll is awesome!

you should of added "I think you mean Thompson:

WIN IT FOR RAFFY!!!

by MFAN on Dec 7, 2006 1:25 PM PST reply actions

2 more things

according to MLB.com Raffy is going to "set-up" Wickman. I doubt that will last very long.

and second, now I have to change my sig...this sucks.

WIN IT FOR RAFFY!!!

by MFAN on Dec 7, 2006 1:30 PM PST reply actions

Am I the only one

who doesn't see this move as automatic #1 pick in the draft?

Willie Bloomquist and Mike Hargrove suck. Horacio Ramirez doesn't suck but is way worse than Soriano.

by Mariner John on Dec 7, 2006 3:28 PM PST reply actions

I'm pretty sure the Royals and the Pirates

still have that locked up.

Regardless of how much this sucks, we still aren't even on their level of suck.

And really. I still don't see any reason why the 2007 ballclub won't be a .500 team. It's just not going to compete for anything. It's not like we're gonna go back to losing close to 100 games again just because of this trade.

Aici zace un om despre care nu se ştie prea mult.

by Goose on Dec 7, 2006 4:49 PM PST up reply actions

Exactly

I know it's a god awful deal but the reactions have been like this brings us back to the '80s.

Willie Bloomquist and Mike Hargrove suck. Horacio Ramirez doesn't suck but is way worse than Soriano.

by Mariner John on Dec 7, 2006 6:06 PM PST up reply actions

It's not going to destroy the franchise

but it almost guarantees that we won't contend next year, which means:

Attendance will be way down.
Ichiro will leave.
No one else will want to come here.
Bavasi and Hargrove will be gone, and the idiots who hired them will still be around to hire another pair of inept yes-men.

by Rollo Tomasi on Dec 7, 2006 6:09 PM PST up reply actions

"No one else will want to come here."

Didn't that just happen this offseason?

Willie Bloomquist and Mike Hargrove suck. Horacio Ramirez doesn't suck but is way worse than Soriano.

by Mariner John on Dec 7, 2006 6:12 PM PST up reply actions

Hard to say for sure

but as things stand now, it's going to be getting much worse.

by Rollo Tomasi on Dec 7, 2006 6:15 PM PST up reply actions

It's not the individual trade that's the problem

that's where people like Doc over at DOV are missing the point. It's the larger picture. The Ms just punted their most valuable trade piece. The trade itself doesn't hurt the team but it doesn't help it and they now have no ammo left (besides money) to improve the team.

So no, this one trade doesn't effect 2007's expected w-L record, BUT, by preventing the Ms from actually pulling off a trade that helps the team, it DOES negatively effect the good case W-L record.

by Matthew on Dec 7, 2006 6:12 PM PST up reply actions

Not to mention

the signal that, a year later, the front office still can't evaluate pitchers very well at all.

by Jeff Sullivan on Dec 7, 2006 6:21 PM PST up reply actions

Well I'm fairly well convinced now

that 60% of the time they are always able to correctly identify which arm a pitcher throws with

by Matthew on Dec 7, 2006 6:23 PM PST up reply actions

60% of the time it works every time

Willie Bloomquist and Mike Hargrove suck. Horacio Ramirez doesn't suck but is way worse than Soriano.

by Mariner John on Dec 7, 2006 6:50 PM PST up reply actions

Kind of stings the nostrils...

by marc w on Dec 9, 2006 7:26 PM PST up reply actions

More of a bad omen

It is important to put this all in perspective. It is not like Soriano is the key to our success, and that Ramirez will be worthless.

The thing that scares the shit out of me is that it pretty clearly demonstrates that Bavasi is a moron. He is not a good GM. This was a horrible trade.

Before, my impression of Bavasi was that he was a mediocre GM. I didn't worry too much about him making a huge mega-error.

Now, my impression of him went way down. He is a geniunely bad GM. He is the type of GM who might, perhaps, sign Barry Zito for 7 years, 125 million or something. Maybe he would even backload it, just to screw his successor.

If he is stupid enough to do that, what's next?

by Jerry on Dec 7, 2006 7:53 PM PST up reply actions

Analogy

I feel like I just got into a car with someone, and a minute later realized that they were totally wasted.

by Jerry on Dec 7, 2006 7:54 PM PST up reply actions

And when you reach over to try and take the wheel

they pull out a knife and saw off your hands.

by Jeff Sullivan on Dec 7, 2006 7:55 PM PST up reply actions

and then.....

...they pill a cup full of chew spit and bong water in your lap.

And, the next morning, they post big, celebratory announcements on their official website about how the whole thing went exactly as they planned.

by Jerry on Dec 7, 2006 8:00 PM PST up reply actions

So GMs are judged by their worst move?

Willie Bloomquist and Mike Hargrove suck. Horacio Ramirez doesn't suck but is way worse than Soriano.

by Mariner John on Dec 7, 2006 8:32 PM PST up reply actions

Pretty much, yeah...

In part, definitely.

If a GM has several excellent trades and one bad one, that is much different.

But Bavasi has a tendency to make bad moves pretty regularly: Spiezio, Aurillia, the Guillen trade, Everett, Washburn, the Soriano trade....

That is a bad track record. I would add Sexson's contract to that list.

You could also add Beltre, although I loved that deal at the time.

The man is not good at his job.

I really hope that he isn't with the club next offseason. A mid-season firing would be even better. Get someone else in here before the trade deadline. The sooner the better.

by Jerry on Dec 7, 2006 8:38 PM PST up reply actions

It's not like he had that much to work with though

Willie Bloomquist and Mike Hargrove suck. Horacio Ramirez doesn't suck but is way worse than Soriano.

by Mariner John on Dec 7, 2006 8:55 PM PST up reply actions

</defense>

Willie Bloomquist and Mike Hargrove suck. Horacio Ramirez doesn't suck but is way worse than Soriano.

by Mariner John on Dec 7, 2006 8:55 PM PST up reply actions

If that's the case

than it means his margin for error was that much smaller, so he needed to make every trade count. The problem is that Bavasi has failed to do this time and time again. The Soriano trade is just the lastest in a series of trades by the M's in which the return was lower than it really should've been.

by ningwers on Dec 8, 2006 4:25 PM PST up reply actions

Actually

Before the Soriano trade, I was a fan of every Bavasi trade after the Guillen debacle.

Actually, that trade was worse in every way. I'm still pissed off about it.

by Graham MacAree on Dec 8, 2006 4:26 PM PST up reply actions

Uh

wasn't the Guillen already in place when he came in?

by Scruffy Lefty on Dec 7, 2006 11:25 PM PST up reply actions

You are only as strong

as your weakest link.

by Gomez on Dec 8, 2006 7:39 AM PST up reply actions

That's an interesting question.

I don't know if we should really judge GM's by any of their moves. It's the underlying thought process behind all of them that's more telling, and with Bavasi, it's clear that he favors aggressive hitters and has no idea how to properly evaluate a pitcher. That's problematic at the best of times.

by Jeff Sullivan on Dec 8, 2006 7:45 AM PST up reply actions

I'd go even further

and say that around this time of year, GMs are just judged by their last moves :)

Marinerds - a different daily dose of baseblog.

by Deanna on Dec 8, 2006 10:47 AM PST up reply actions

Good point, Matthew

Ramirez isn't necessarily going to make the team worse with his play (unless he really is a Pineiro redux). The problem is that this trade's opportunity cost is so much larger than the benefit the M's are going to get out of it.

by ningwers on Dec 8, 2006 4:30 PM PST up reply actions