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Russell Branyan, Seattle Mariner

Tiny by Jeff on in Good News

Just last night I was working on a story about Russ Branyan, but I saved it as a draft because I had to leave home before I could finish. Here's what I had marked down:

  • is a pretty good bet to put up a wOBA* around at least .345-.360
  • would provide the left-handed power that Raul's departure will take away
  • can DH
  • can play first base
  • can play third base, albeit not particularly well, which would give the front office time to figure things out in the event that they trade Beltre
  • is no stranger to the bench and likely wouldn't have a problem with platooning or getting irregular playing time
  • has never cost more than $1.25m in a single season and signed on with the Brewers last year as a minor league free agent
  • wouldn't be hard to dump if things don't work out

Branyan may not stick around to be a part of the future (he turns 33 in two weeks), but he is literally the perfect stopgap, and the sort of player Bavasi probably never would've given a second look. As first ML acquisitions go, I'm not sure Zduriencik could've done much better, all things considered.

More later. For now, be happy. This is a move with no downside.

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The sort of player Bavasi wouldn't have given a second look.

In fact, when given a chance to give Branyan a second look, Bavasi rejected the idea.

At the USSM gathering before the 2006 season, following the Carl Everett signing, Dave asked Bavasi – point blank – why he didn’t look at a better, younger, cheaper alternative like Russ Branyan (or Hee Choi or Carlos Pena).

Bavasi responded by talking about experience in specific roles.

I like using semi-colons; they make me feel smart.

by Llewdor on Dec 3, 2008 11:13 AM PST   0 recs

Wait, no, that was in response to the Vidro signing, wasn't it?

Crap.

I like using semi-colons; they make me feel smart.

by Llewdor on Dec 3, 2008 11:14 AM PST to parent up   0 recs

But we traded for Vidro.

My memory is cheese.

I like using semi-colons; they make me feel smart.

by Llewdor on Dec 3, 2008 11:14 AM PST to parent up   0 recs

WIN-WIN.

I like it.

Man do I love midgets.

by Thingray on Dec 3, 2008 11:14 AM PST   0 recs

Rotoworld approves
According to the Seattle Times, the Mariners are set to announce the signing of free agent Russell Branyan.
A fine first move for Jack Zduriencik. Branyan isn’t going to be the Mariners’ long-term answer anywhere, but he is a better option at first or DH than anyone else currently on the roster and he remains an option at third in the event of an Adrian Beltre trade. The Mariners won’t necessarily pencil him in as a regular, but the odds seem pretty good that he’ll get a chance to start against righties.

by Goose on Dec 3, 2008 11:17 AM PST   0 recs

FUCK YEAH MOTHERFUCKERS

THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE’VE MADE A MOVE LIKE THIS IN A ABOUT 7 YEARS WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Furcal

by JI on Dec 3, 2008 11:17 AM PST   0 recs

.

Yes, yes I do!

This signature space for rent.

by PositivePaul on Dec 3, 2008 11:32 AM PST to parent up   0 recs

I had hope after the opening day home run.

Whoops.

"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett http://mvn.com/marinersminors/

by JY on Dec 3, 2008 1:41 PM PST to parent up   0 recs

It's worth pointing out, of course

that Branyan’s the sort of player who could fall off a cliff overnight. But then, who cares? He’s not going to cost anything. He’s like a better Brad Wilkerson.

by Jeff on Dec 3, 2008 11:18 AM PST   0 recs

good process good process good process good process

I am really happy in case it wasn’t apparent.

by acblue on Dec 3, 2008 12:33 PM PST to parent up   0 recs

Very pleased.

Can’t put it much better than Jeff. This a perfect freely-available-one-year-stopgap signing.

by Teej on Dec 3, 2008 11:18 AM PST   0 recs

Almost exclusivly against right handers.

My guess is that is what he’ll be doing here.

by Goose on Dec 3, 2008 11:21 AM PST to parent up   0 recs

Yeah, I'd expect a platoon

but there are like ten guys in my office who could bat against lefties without too much trouble, so plugging that hole wouldn’t be tough if that’s the direction we go.

by Jeff on Dec 3, 2008 11:23 AM PST to parent up   0 recs

I wish I fully understood why the righty/lefty matchup works the way it does.

Having never played baseball competitively, I just don’t quite get it. Obviously in slow pitch softball it means nothing.

Man do I love midgets.

by Thingray on Dec 3, 2008 11:32 AM PST to parent up   0 recs

I'm trying to picture this in my head...

So a lefty can hide the ball behind his body, head, etc for longer when you bat from the right side, therefore making it harder to accurately judge the pitch?

Man do I love midgets.

by Thingray on Dec 3, 2008 11:39 AM PST to parent up   0 recs

Wait, I did that backwards.

A righty can hide the ball from a righty, correct?

Man do I love midgets.

by Thingray on Dec 3, 2008 11:43 AM PST to parent up   0 recs

Huh.

Wouldn’t a lefty’s pitches tend to move “away” from you also, rather than towards you as a right handed batter?

Man do I love midgets.

by Thingray on Dec 3, 2008 11:48 AM PST to parent up   0 recs

Yeah. A pitch coming from a same handed pitcher is more apt to tail away from the batter.

To where the opposite handed pitcher is more apt to tail into the batter.

by Goose on Dec 3, 2008 11:47 AM PST to parent up   0 recs

Wait, you're right.

I shouldn’t try to picture this in my head and do accounting at the same time.

Man do I love midgets.

by Thingray on Dec 3, 2008 11:49 AM PST to parent up   0 recs

When you bat from the right side it's easier to judge a pitch from a lefty.

Not sure exactly why this is, but I remember in the two or so at bats against a lefty during my illustrious little league career (I’m right-handed), it felt dramatically easier to see the ball. It might have something to do with the fact that a lefty releases the ball from a point roughly in front of the opposite batters box, instead of in front of your own, making it easier to see the ball. Not sure if there’s a real scientific explanation.

by FlaskInSafeco on Dec 3, 2008 11:46 AM PST to parent up   0 recs

It's more about the path of the ball

an opposite handed pitcher will have almost all of his pitches (excluding screwballs, knuckleballs and changeups) run towards the batter, which essentially speeds up the hitter’s bat through the strike zone and keeps from having to reach at breaking balls away.

by seattlebruin on Dec 3, 2008 12:46 PM PST to parent up   0 recs

Yeah

Pitches from RHPs tend to float more from the POV of LHBs and vice versa, which helps hitting greatly.

by Gomez on Dec 3, 2008 11:51 AM PST to parent up   0 recs

The release point of the ball is generally on the other side of home plate from the hitter.

That helps the hitter in three ways:

1. The natural break of the ball is toward the hitter instead of away from the hitter. It’s easier to track and make contact with a ball breaking in over the plate instead of across the plate and away.

2. With the pitch coming in from the other side of the plate the hitter gets a more oblique view of the delivery and the movement of the ball. That makes the pitch easier to track.

3. Facing a same-handed pitcher, after delivery the ball is often heading straight for the batter before it starts breaking. That means that in addition to trying to pick up the spin and flight of the ball, the batter must also be consider whether or not he needs to get out of the way of the pitch.

by Steve Nelson on Dec 3, 2008 11:48 AM PST to parent up   0 recs

A good changeup has a reverse break

That’s why it’s often a good pitch to use against opposite-handed hitters.

by Steve Nelson on Dec 3, 2008 12:03 PM PST to parent up   0 recs

That makes even more sense.

I think I get it now.

Man do I love midgets.

by Thingray on Dec 3, 2008 12:14 PM PST to parent up   0 recs

So.

His first move as GM was somewhat questionable — firing Fontaine. His first player signing shows that he’s got some idea of what he’s doing…

I approve of this signing 100%.

This signature space for rent.

by PositivePaul on Dec 3, 2008 11:34 AM PST   0 recs

I don't normally like to indulge in this, but the first comment on Baker's story made me laugh.
Sounds like an interesting move. Hopefully they will put him at third so we don’t take playing time away from LaHair.

by Teej on Dec 3, 2008 11:35 AM PST   0 recs

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

This signature space for rent.

by PositivePaul on Dec 3, 2008 11:36 AM PST to parent up   0 recs

Oh man..

I almost laughed out loud at that one, and I was on the phone with a client at the time!

Man do I love midgets.

by Thingray on Dec 3, 2008 11:40 AM PST to parent up   0 recs

I also like the implication that it would be best to get Adrian Beltre off the field.

Whatever it takes to get LaHair’s bat in there.

(I’m hoping against hope that the commenter is assuming Beltre is gone.)

by Teej on Dec 3, 2008 11:42 AM PST to parent up   0 recs

Woah

that is funny

by JMKaustin on Dec 3, 2008 12:54 PM PST to parent up   0 recs

Oh Logie.

(This is Logie, right?)

by BrianL on Dec 3, 2008 1:06 PM PST to parent up   0 recs

The other thing I see in the Branyan signing

Is that Zduriencik doesn’t seem overly obsessed with the downside of a hitter striking out. The last two years, the Mariners have been nearly last in hitter strikeouts, but it hasn’t made them a good offense. It probably also means that Zduriencik isn’t all that worried about situational hitting, either. (I could also be extrapolating too much from one signing, too…)

by ubelmann on Dec 3, 2008 11:39 AM PST   0 recs

Which made it all the more surprising they ever signed Sexson.

I like using semi-colons; they make me feel smart.

by Llewdor on Dec 3, 2008 1:03 PM PST to parent up   0 recs

I think this is pretty much a eh type move

similar to Wilkerson, Broussard and other bit players that have been here the last couple years. No downside as he’s easy to jettison if/when he totally sucks, but he’s not going to make much of an overall impact on the offense.

Midnight Baseball - No Lights - Only in Alaska!

by MfaninAlaska on Dec 3, 2008 11:49 AM PST   0 recs

Branyan can actually hit the shit out of the baseball though

Wilkerson had been sucking for a few years, and Broussard (no offense Jeff) just wasn’t that great

Determined, Jonesing Commentor | Proud proprietor of Washingtonhighways.org

by I'm NOT Corco on Dec 3, 2008 12:32 PM PST to parent up   0 recs

Broussard was acquired for something of value.

Wilkerson maybe, but I think the thought process that went into signing him was way worse.

by acblue on Dec 3, 2008 12:43 PM PST to parent up   0 recs

Broussard cost Choo and Wilkerson was broken down/took steroids

It’s the same general idea, but Branyan’s the best of the three.

by Jeff on Dec 3, 2008 1:25 PM PST to parent up   0 recs

Last sentence in Baker article

"This is one of the nigger raw power bats out there — period,’’ he said.(Emphasis mine)

I hope thats a typo thats fixed soon…

by Scrupio on Dec 3, 2008 11:50 AM PST   0 recs

Whoa...

Man do I love midgets.

by Thingray on Dec 3, 2008 11:52 AM PST to parent up   0 recs

Here's your consolation prize (2nd comment)
Baker: “Yes, I saw it and fixed it. Thank you. That’s what happens when you’re trying to listen on the phone, write and download photos simultaneously.”

by ThundaPC on Dec 3, 2008 12:02 PM PST to parent up   0 recs

The "N" and "B" keys are right next to each other.

Just unfortunate that it ends up being that word when you make a mistake.

Man do I love midgets.

by Thingray on Dec 3, 2008 12:15 PM PST to parent up   0 recs

Ergonomic keyboards are the work of the devil.

I already know how to type. Why should I have to learn again?

Ergonomic keyboards are part of a conspiracy to make us all type using exactly the same technique.

I like using semi-colons; they make me feel smart.

by Llewdor on Dec 3, 2008 4:46 PM PST to parent up   0 recs