Spreading Some Holiday Cheer

by Jeff Sullivan on Dec 23, 2007 4:09 PM PST in Seattle Mariners News, Regular

Unless something happens with the team, I don't think I'm going to be around much until later in the week, so in light of the whole Silva thing, here's a look at all the 2008 Mariner bullpen candidates to lift your spirits.

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JJ Putz (totally awesome)
George Sherrill (.553 OPS against)
Sean Green (3.23 GB/FB)
EOF (.482 OPS against vs. lefties)
RRS (9.8 K/9)
Brandon Morrow (9.4 K/9) (he shouldn't be in the bullpen but whatever)
Mark Lowe (dominant fastball/slider/changeup combo when healthy)
Kam Mickolio (9.2 K/9 between AA/AAA, 95+ fastball)
RA Dickey (knuckleball weeeeeeeee)
Sean White (good fastball, tons of grounders when he's going well)
Jon Huber (Sean Green + command - a few grounders)
Random Veteran/Horacio Ramirez (mop-up)

This bullpen rocks.

Have a great time doing whatever it is you do these next few days.

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Comments

And the best part:

total cost? less than Danys Baez makes.

by Matthew on Dec 23, 2007 4:18 PM PST reply actions

Trade with the Rays

DRays Bay reports that the team is still looking for a utility infielder and lefty reliever. Considering the strength of our pen, is a Bloomquist/Sherrill trade worth it for one of their young starters? Would they take it?

by csiems on Dec 23, 2007 4:53 PM PST reply actions

We should just have a 14 man bullpen

and drop the 5th stater. Use 4 bullpen guys doing 2 IP a piece instead.

by Edgar for Pres on Dec 23, 2007 5:35 PM PST reply actions

What's the practicality ...

of a four-man rotation combined with an eight-man bullpen?

Aside from the lowering of pitch counts for the starters to around 90 per game, it's seemingly not an altogether implausible idea.

The likelihood of any team implementing that plan is next to nil, though, so there's no use really thinking about it.

by AK1984 on Dec 24, 2007 4:00 AM PST up reply actions

I was more thinking

a regular 5 man rotation and the fifth day you just use the bullpen entirely.

by Edgar for Pres on Dec 24, 2007 1:12 PM PST up reply actions

if horam is actually demoted to mopup

i'll be surprised.

by Last Fan Of Jose Lopez on Dec 23, 2007 5:41 PM PST reply actions

Where else would he go?

The only other thing they can do with him is DFA, which they're doubtful to do since it would make them look foolish at this point... The M's can't be disillusioning themselves that he is anything but the worst pitcher in that bullpen if they get their 2nd SP, and if they don't you have to imagine they like Morrow over him for the 5-hole after his winter league performance and the sudden "don't want to trade him" banner going up.

"People ask me what I do in winter when there's no baseball. I'll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring." ~Rogers Hornsby

by thejew4u on Dec 24, 2007 11:44 AM PST up reply actions

Hell of a Bullpen

Now if the M's would just do something about the rotation, we'd be talking.

ScoutingBook: Top Baseball Prospects, Closers and more.

by scoutingbook on Dec 23, 2007 8:05 PM PST reply actions

I checked out your

Top Baseball Prospects link and, unless I missed something, the only Mariner on the 180 prospect list was Aumont. No love for at least Butler or Tillman?

by Last Fan Of Jose Lopez on Dec 23, 2007 8:35 PM PST up reply actions

*Should be "Mariner Pitcher" instead of

Mariner

by Last Fan Of Jose Lopez on Dec 23, 2007 8:36 PM PST up reply actions

I didnt realize

Reitsma and Rhodes are our setup men.

by Slica on Dec 24, 2007 1:27 AM PST up reply actions

Setup

Ha, good catch, Slica. That closer page does NOT get updated enough in the offseason. :)

ScoutingBook: Top Baseball Prospects, Closers and more.

by scoutingbook on Dec 28, 2007 8:16 AM PST up reply actions

Butler and Tillman

Butler's in there, but you're right, he didn't crack the top 180 (189 last week, 187 today). If he has a good spring, he'll probably be on a slow rise all year, and if he shows improvement again, he'll be a top pitching prospect in 2009, I'd guess.

That list favors soon-contributors, though, and the consensus at the moment is that Butler's a couple years away from helping out much. Tillman's down in somewhere in the mid-200's right now, I think (didn't check), but damn, he's got some lightning. If he stays on the starter track he'll be something.

On the upside, Seattle's got a boatload of position prospects, one of the nicest looking selections.

ScoutingBook: Top Baseball Prospects, Closers and more.

by scoutingbook on Dec 28, 2007 8:33 AM PST up reply actions

Ranking Butler over Tillman

should be an indication that your ranking system is broken.

by Graham MacAree on Dec 28, 2007 8:39 AM PST up reply actions

Personally I had Butman and Tilller

ranked about the same.

Wait... I think my ranking system is broken.

I overvalue prospects

by Thingray on Dec 28, 2007 9:44 AM PST up reply actions

Year younger, higher level, less injuries

Unfavourable league, unfavourable home park...

I think Tillman's winning here.

by Graham MacAree on Dec 28, 2007 9:53 AM PST up reply actions

Butler had an injury excuse for his struggles

while Tillman struggled cold turkey (though he rebounded well in difficult climes).

Not that the ranking isn't arbitrary, but I wouldn't put Tillman far ahead of Butler in terms of where both are at currently. Tillman has more upside, sure, but in the present they're facing roughly similar climbs.

by Gomez on Dec 28, 2007 12:53 PM PST up reply actions

He's not far ahead

But he's definitely ahead.

by Graham MacAree on Dec 28, 2007 12:58 PM PST up reply actions

I agree with that

by Gomez on Dec 28, 2007 1:29 PM PST up reply actions

I agree. I was attempting humor and failed.

I overvalue prospects

by Thingray on Dec 29, 2007 4:36 PM PST up reply actions

I've recently forgotten...

Why are we so afraid of the Angels again?

I'm serious.

by Patrick517 on Dec 24, 2007 2:48 PM PST reply actions

Because Bartolo Colon

is junk to them... and we're desperately hoping to sign him as our new #2 starter.

by johnbai on Dec 24, 2007 2:58 PM PST up reply actions

Because they're better than us?

These pretzels....are making me thirsty!

by Goose on Dec 24, 2007 5:25 PM PST up reply actions

Vlad scares the crap out of me

by Edgar for Pres on Dec 24, 2007 5:49 PM PST up reply actions

I'm not sure who's afraid of the Angels

But I certainly want them to go down. The only possible fear I can have is that for the next few years no one in the AL West will be as good as they are.

by ThundaPC on Dec 24, 2007 7:43 PM PST up reply actions

Sorry...

The title has me a little cheery...

Batista>>>Escobar!!!

We're gonna smear them boys!

by Patrick517 on Dec 24, 2007 8:25 PM PST up reply actions

Something to read

Here's a nice PI article from a different writer than usual. I don't agree with 100% of it but its a nice change of pace article I enjoyed.

by Edgar for Pres on Dec 25, 2007 9:58 PM PST reply actions

Heh

Rededicated to punctuality, you show up at 7:55 on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

But on Friday, a farm truck collides with a gas tanker, the freeway gets covered by flammable fruit, and you're 30 minutes late.

When you get to work, your boss is waiting with a pink slip.

"Hey, I was early four days this week!"

"Yeah," she says, "but you were 30 minutes late today. Your average arrival time was 8:10."

Actually, it's 8:02. Raw numbers can be a lot more misleading when they're wrong.

by Jeff Sullivan on Dec 25, 2007 11:13 PM PST up reply actions

Hey he's a writer

not a mathematician. I guess editors can't do math either.

by Edgar for Pres on Dec 26, 2007 11:59 AM PST up reply actions

I feel that pain.

I have a boss who is exactly like that. Never notices all the day you are early, and stay late, but be a few minutes late because of bad traffic or something, and you get read the riot act.

I overvalue prospects

by Thingray on Dec 26, 2007 12:10 PM PST up reply actions

His math there is whack

but this is mostly true:

The 2007 Mariners didn't get outscored because Ramirez and Weaver were getting shelled.
They got outscored because their starting first baseman hit .205, their designated hitter had six home runs and their left fielder led the league in watching balls drop in front of him.
A championship baseball team should do at least one thing well -- 10 out of the past 11 AL champions were among the top three in the league in either runs scored or runs allowed.
Yet the Mariners are continuing on the path of mediocrity.

by Gomez on Dec 26, 2007 2:35 PM PST up reply actions

<strikethrough>mostly</strikethrough>

Jose Vidro (DH - Ms) was arrested today in an Idaho Bathroom for having a wide stance and sucking.

by CapSea on Dec 26, 2007 3:19 PM PST up reply actions

Huh, that was interesting

You rarely see articles written from generally the correct perspective, though he overvalues Torii Hunter a little too much. Also, the Pythag seemed not worth mentioning, since he basically proved his point without it. Still, nice to read.

Jose Vidro (DH - Ms) was arrested today in an Idaho Bathroom for having a wide stance and sucking.

by CapSea on Dec 26, 2007 12:23 AM PST up reply actions