Raul + Ears + WFB are now Free Agents

by Faux on Oct 30, 2008 8:20 PM PDT

Hello future draft picks and getting rid of the chaff. Raul Ibanez, WFB, and Cairo are all filed. Let's hope they go on to prosperous(that's not the word) happy(that's not it either) who the fuck cares careers somewhere else.

Excerpt from MLB.com story:

Raul Ibanez, one of the Mariners' most reliable run producers during the past four seasons, filed for free agency Thursday.

Longtime Mariners utility player Willie Bloomquist and veteran infielder Miguel Cairo were also among the 65 Major League players that filed on the first day of the filing window, which lasts until Nov. 13.

I think this might be the best news since we didn't hire a retread GM. Now let's see him not bring any of the three back in. It doesn't look so good from that standpoint:

When new general manager Jack Zduriencik was asked during his introductory press conference if he wanted to bring Ibanez back next season, the GM said he needed to talk to other baseball operations people in the organization before making a decision.

C'mon Zoidberg, time to bring in some new talent.

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Our team is better already!

by Fogel on Oct 30, 2008 8:31 PM PDT 0 recs

I'm not celebrating yet, but for fuck's sake if the non-extension isn't a good sign, I don't know what is.

It's hard to convince people to let you eat them if you're an asshole. - Thingray

by Faux on Oct 30, 2008 8:31 PM PDT 0 recs

Yahoo!

by royalcurve on Oct 30, 2008 8:31 PM PDT 0 recs

Quit it, you sound like Microsoft.

Screw you, Mariners. I'm back in football's loving arms. *edit: well, shit. This isn't going well.

by kevin_ess on Oct 31, 2008 7:32 AM PDT up 0 recs

I'll drink to this!

I know that you're thinking about making a Woodburn joke. Know that I will pummel you if you do.

I miss you, ATQ.

by WoodburnDave on Oct 30, 2008 8:45 PM PDT 0 recs

Re: Your sig -

I grew up in Newberg and Hell’s Burrito and that area. You’ll hear no complaints about Woodburn from me.

It's hard to convince people to let you eat them if you're an asshole. - Thingray

by Faux on Oct 30, 2008 8:47 PM PDT up 0 recs

Graduated from Linfield..fuck you both ;)

I fucking hate you Mariners

by kentroyals5 on Oct 30, 2008 10:55 PM PDT up 0 recs

My little sister plays Softball at Linfield.

Of course, she was getting offers from Division 1 teams that could give her money, but choose Linfield for some insane reason.

54!

by joof on Oct 30, 2008 10:59 PM PDT up 0 recs

They have a crazy good softball team..won the championship a couple years ago (for whatever they call our division now)

I fucking hate you Mariners

by kentroyals5 on Oct 30, 2008 11:03 PM PDT up 0 recs

I know. They lost last year though in my sisters Freshman year.

From what I hear, they don’t know whether to play her at Catcher, Shortstop, or third Base, since apparently, she plays each of those positions the best on the team.

54!

by joof on Oct 30, 2008 11:22 PM PDT up 0 recs

How's your managerial career at McDonald's working out for you?

That’s seriously what half of the Linfield graduates I know do.

It's hard to convince people to let you eat them if you're an asshole. - Thingray

by Faux on Oct 30, 2008 11:00 PM PDT up 0 recs

Work in financial planning..doing ok...and the managerial careers at McDonald's stem from the atheletes.

Linfield had some great athletes but it is Linfield. So while some of them dominated the league, it’s still a shitty division of college athletics. For instance, the starting QB a few years back was the QB at Utah that broke his wrist which gave Alex Smith the reigns at Utah. Had a great career at Linfield but got drafted in the 7th round by San Diego a couple years back and became..well…Alex Smith.

I fucking hate you Mariners

by kentroyals5 on Oct 30, 2008 11:07 PM PDT up 0 recs

As I was heading for the computer, my only thought was "wonder if there's any late breaking news with the M's".

See how the free agent market treats them. Hope they find green pastures!

by dpseadv on Oct 30, 2008 8:54 PM PDT 0 recs

Fantastic

Somehow I was worried we would retain one or all of them, I guess the Bavasi era has made me paranoid as hell. I hate not being able to take no-brainer moves like these for granted anymore, maybe with some decently competent people running the team that will change.

by OlSalty on Oct 30, 2008 9:34 PM PDT 0 recs

Even if the M's wanted Raul back, Raul doesn't want to come back, does he?

by Gomez on Oct 30, 2008 9:42 PM PDT 0 recs

Seems unlikely

by JI on Oct 30, 2008 10:01 PM PDT up 0 recs

If the M's pay him enough

Raul will do whatever the fuck the M’s want him to do. We all have our price.

by Edgar for Pres on Oct 30, 2008 10:36 PM PDT up 0 recs

They can always get into a bidding war with other teams and eventually bring them back.

by JI on Oct 30, 2008 10:01 PM PDT 0 recs

This will be the best part!

by Robert on Oct 30, 2008 10:10 PM PDT up 0 recs

Im with you.

Low expectations lead to less disappointments.

I have succumbed to the thought that our lives will be miserable, so I feel we should try to limit how much misery we consume. : )

by Slica on Oct 30, 2008 10:19 PM PDT up 0 recs

Edit...

They can always get into a bidding war with ~~other teams~~ themselves and eventually bring them back.

It's hard to convince people to let you eat them if you're an asshole. - Thingray

by Faux on Oct 30, 2008 10:53 PM PDT up 0 recs

This is far more likely

by SethGrandpa on Oct 30, 2008 11:51 PM PDT up 0 recs

We're not guarenteed the draft picks yet.

Seattle still has to offer arbitration and Raul has to decline. I’m assuming that hasn’t gone down yet. Either way, it’s a step in the right direction.

by JonBBT on Oct 31, 2008 12:57 AM PDT 0 recs

I thought that applying for free agency meant he had no more ties to the M's,

and thus was past the arb stage.

You’d think if there was a good faith agreement that there were going to be extension/arb talks, he would have held off on FA until those didn’t go anywhere?

It's hard to convince people to let you eat them if you're an asshole. - Thingray

by Faux on Oct 31, 2008 5:32 AM PDT up 0 recs

Nope.

Arbitration and free agency filing are two separate process that are basically unrelated. The team the players were last on has first dibs – through the arbitration process – and if the player accepts arbitration, he’s staying with that team. If they reject arbitration, then they truly become a free agent and the team gets whatever compensation the player is worth (and only Raul would bring back compensation in the form of a draft pick or two) from whatever team signs that player.

This signature space for rent.

by PositivePaul on Oct 31, 2008 7:45 AM PDT up 0 recs

Aha.

That makes less sense, I think. Why not have it more streamlined and have an arb, then the FA? Oh well.

That’s what I get for hoping.

It's hard to convince people to let you eat them if you're an asshole. - Thingray

by Faux on Oct 31, 2008 8:00 AM PDT up 0 recs

This.

I bet we don’t offer arbitration and don’t get the draft picks. But we should offer arbitration and risk re-signing Raul to be our DH.

by Wilder. on Oct 31, 2008 1:59 PM PDT up 0 recs

Bill Bavasi doesn't work here anymore.

There’s no reason to think that Zduriencik and his team won’t see the obvious advantage in offering arbitration. We can’t be cursed.

by Teej on Oct 31, 2008 5:07 PM PDT up 0 recs

Speaking of free agents...

by eponymous_coward on Oct 31, 2008 7:29 AM PDT 0 recs

I'd hire him as a PR man and hitting coach.

Have him teach Clement his swing.

It's hard to convince people to let you eat them if you're an asshole. - Thingray

by Faux on Oct 31, 2008 8:01 AM PDT up 0 recs

Here's the thing;

Are we punting? Fine. Fuck it. Let the idiots get their jollies. He’s not going to block anyone talented, so whatever. Are we trying to win? Fuck that guy.

J.K.L.

by acblue on Nov 1, 2008 1:38 AM PDT up 0 recs

Er...

There are people you can every year by scouring the Rule 5 draft, minor league free agents, players blocked by other players, whatever, who are reasonably talented enough to contribute for a few years relatively cheap if they work out.

In that light, Griffey DOES block these players. Really, if it’s a choice between Brad Nelson and Ken Griffey, well, Junior, it’s been nice to know you, maybe we’ll try and do a August 31 trade for you so you can have the reunion tour in Seattle if we’re out of the race.

by eponymous_coward on Nov 1, 2008 10:33 AM PDT up 0 recs