James Jones called up, Danny Farquhar called down

Hit it, Shannon:

So official move is Jones recalled from AAA Tacoma, Farquhar optioned to AAA.

— Shannon Drayer (@shannondrayer) June 15, 2015

James Jones was always, always going to be on the 2015 Mariners at some point. I confess it exists within the boundaries of possibility that if you were a Mariner fan watching the 2014 Kansas City Royals in the postseason you didn't watch Jarrod Dyson reincarnate Cool Papa Bell with every Tron-like stolen base and think about James Jones doing the same for this year's Mariners. But if you didn't I do not understand you. You're still beautiful, just strange.

James Jones was going to be a Mariner this year and he was going to be the secret weapon. After Dustin Ackley drew a walk off Anibal Sanchez in the ALDS in a tie game in the 8th it was going to be Jones who stole 2nd and then came around to score the go ahead run when Cano scorched that line drive to right. Safeco would thunder and rumble, Rodney would close it out, those big foam arrows people started bringing in August would fly en masse, like a nerf Braveheart, from the 300 section. Somewhere, somehow Dave would know. We'd cry.

Instead, no. The Mariners DFA's Rickie Weeks, because he was bad. They are yo-yo'ing Danny Farquhar up and down I-5, because he's been bad. The Mariners are calling up James Jones: Fast, likable, not all that good baseball player.

Jones spent 1/2 a season in 2014 slugging .311 and playing sub-par centerfield defense. His numbers in Tacoma this year (.264/.338/.362) look to make him a good fit with this year's outfield. What James Jones can do, and does do quite well, is steal bases. Last year Jones stole 27 bases while only being caught once. This year he's at a much more normal, although still good 15/4 ratio in AAA. The Mariners like to run, for some reason, and Jones is the organization's best chance to use speed as a game changer on the base paths.

The value of a stolen base is nominal and thus so is the value of a "designated base-stealer", particularly when the bronze "First Base!" achievement is so often left locked for team's hitters. However Jones will at least bring a skill that this underperforming group has rarely shown. Let's hope they have need to use it.

Jones, for his part, seems eager to re-join the club: