Saturday, December 24, 2005
is ishii is the new shiggy?
so, i've calmed down a little about the mariners. i don't think we are sunk yet. we still have a chance to blow it, but so far we aren't completely dead. if we don't trade jeremy reed, we are in ok shape. i can deal with the fact that millwood is going to sign with someone else for a number more similar to washburn's than aj burnett's as long as it doesn't cost us reed. i can deal with the carl everett signing (especially now that we have matt lawton) as long as it doesn't cost us reed.
the matt lawton signing was decent. it is for the league minimum $400k, with incentives to $1.6M or something like that. the unfortunate part is, he looks similar to carl everett. 34, hit .250 last year. diminishing left handed power. the difference is matt lawton still has some speed, and used to have some defense. his power has started to disappear and he had less than carl everett to begin with, but he gets on base more often. he and everett combined make an ok signing as long as one of them is a bench player. if they are both starting, we are in trouble, especially if we trade reed and stick matt lawton in center. because he hasn't played center regularly since 2000, and his defense on the corners is already suspect at best. i would rather not have to put the pressure of centerfield on ichiro. because if we trade reed that is our only option, and he's not going to have any help at all out there. with reed and center and ichiro in right, the right center gap is a dead zone.
it will be wierd having a bench with real major leaguers on it again. we haven't had one of those in a while. if we sign scott hatteberg as another lefty off the bench, we will have TWO!
it is still kind of depressing that i have to look to the bench to get excited, but it is something.
so, i've calmed down a little about the mariners. i don't think we are sunk yet. we still have a chance to blow it, but so far we aren't completely dead. if we don't trade jeremy reed, we are in ok shape. i can deal with the fact that millwood is going to sign with someone else for a number more similar to washburn's than aj burnett's as long as it doesn't cost us reed. i can deal with the carl everett signing (especially now that we have matt lawton) as long as it doesn't cost us reed.
the matt lawton signing was decent. it is for the league minimum $400k, with incentives to $1.6M or something like that. the unfortunate part is, he looks similar to carl everett. 34, hit .250 last year. diminishing left handed power. the difference is matt lawton still has some speed, and used to have some defense. his power has started to disappear and he had less than carl everett to begin with, but he gets on base more often. he and everett combined make an ok signing as long as one of them is a bench player. if they are both starting, we are in trouble, especially if we trade reed and stick matt lawton in center. because he hasn't played center regularly since 2000, and his defense on the corners is already suspect at best. i would rather not have to put the pressure of centerfield on ichiro. because if we trade reed that is our only option, and he's not going to have any help at all out there. with reed and center and ichiro in right, the right center gap is a dead zone.
it will be wierd having a bench with real major leaguers on it again. we haven't had one of those in a while. if we sign scott hatteberg as another lefty off the bench, we will have TWO!
it is still kind of depressing that i have to look to the bench to get excited, but it is something.
