Mariner Update

On Monday November 27 the Mariners announced that they had signed a minor league contract with right handed pitcher Iwakuma who was out most of last year. He wouldn’t be included on the forty man roster going into spring training. If he makes the opening roster likely he will be the fifth starter and I am sure we are rooting him on that he will be healthy and pitch close to what we know he is capable of.

I haven’t heard any more about the possibility of signing free agent outfield Jon Jay since it was reported before Thanksgiving. The Mariners do have other options for an additional outfielder. If they sign Japanese player Ohtani either he or Nelson Cruz will play some in the outfield. Though Ohtani main purpose will be to pitch him and the Mariners feel he can hit in the major leagues as well and plan to use him as a two way player whether that is in the outfield or at designated hitter when he isn’t pitching.  

Ian Miller was named this past season with the Ken Griffey Jr Award as the best hitter in the Mariners minor league system. He started the season in AA however played a lot in AAA for Tacoma. He hit for a combined .307 batting average. Whether he is ready for the major leagues or not this spring training will tell. No one was put on the forty man roster to protect against the Rule 5 and Miller is eligible to be taken in the that draft however every player taken has to play a full season in the majors for the team taken or be returned back to the team he was taken. Of course the two teams could make arrangement where the player could go to the minors with the team that them. It doesn’t happen often though. So the Mariners could lose him however he is another player like Gamel, Heredia and Haniger who can play solid defense and has speed as well. Though the odds are against Miller we wouldn’t know what will happen with him. The Mariners do have hold over at utility player Taylor Motter who could find his spot as the fourth outfielder since the Mariners now have Andrew Romine they picked up from the Detroit Tigers. He can find himself in the mix as well. Motter is shown as the third left fielder on the depth chart. Both of them are shown on the depth chart in the infield positions too. If the Mariners decide to keep both most likely you will see Motter playing shortstop when needed well as left field and first base. Romine on the other hand in right field, second, third and possibly first base. Guillermo Heredia right now is shown as the centerfielder along with backup at left field and right field. This can change if the Mariners sign Jon Jay because he likely will be the center fielder.

We will still have to see where the Mariners may sign or trade for a backup catcher. Right now they have two catchers they actually picked up from the Atlanta Braves who have mostly triple A experience. Without really knowing how Mike Zunino will do I would like to see them pick up a veteran major league catcher. I am sure that both Dipoto and Servais are thinking in the back of their minds what if Zunino starts off the season like he did in 2017 hitting and this time doesn’t recover. He goes out and has a so so season. We all hope this doesn’t happen but it is a possibility. 

It will be interesting to see what happens in the free agent market along with trades for the next month or so.  I will keep up with my analysist on at least a weekly basis or when something happens during the hot stove season. Go M’s.

Huskies Dominate Cougs in Apple Cup

Once again the Washington Huskies beat the Washington State Cougars in easy fashion 41-14. The score doesn’t actually indicate how one sided the game actually was. The Huskies led the game 24-0 at half time and it could have been a bigger lead than that. The Cougars scored both touchdowns in the fourth quarter when it looked like the Huskies would shut them down.

This game reminded me of the Super Bowl between the Seahawks and the Denver Broncos. The Huskies shut down the mighty Cougars passing attack in the same way the Seahawks took care of Payton Manning.

Most of the evening Luke Falk had a hard time when trying to pass the ball; he threw two interceptions in the first half along with being sacked four times. Things didn’t get any better for him in the second half either.

The Huskies lost receiver/punt returner Dante Pettis in the first quarter to an ankle injury and then lost backup running back Coleman to another leg injury. Both of them are expected to play in whatever bowl game the Huskies end up going to. With both of them out running back Myles Gaskin did most of the work scoring four touchdowns and running for almost two hundred yards in the game.

The Huskies defense especially with the defensive line and the secondary did such an outstanding job. Often Falk had some time but none of the receivers were opened so eventually the line was able to sack him. This all shows what might have been if the Huskies had not lost to Arizona State earlier in the season. They also lost to Stanford a couple weeks ago however the Arizona State game was the big one to lose. Anyway it has been a good season winning now ten games and sure beats losing all the games or winning only a few.

In the NFL the Seattle Seahawks won the road against the San Francisco 49ers. Not always easy for them on the road however we are talking about the 49ers. Again the Seahawks started out slow however picked it up in the second half. Russell Wilson was the man to get the offense going while the defense played a solid game. The final score was 24-13 however the 49ers didn’t score their touchdown until the last play of the game. The game was still up for either team until the fourth quarter. The Seahawks had a lead of 14-6 going into the final quarter.

The rushing game was again a sore spot for the Seahawks they only gained 90 yards on 30 attempts for an average of three yards per carry. The passing game had a total of thirty-four attempts so it was nearly fifty-fifty running and throwing the ball. A lot of that happened to do with rain at the game. The 49ers only had three more plays than the Seahawks in the game so that part was pretty even. It was nice to see the secondary play a solid game on their second time without Richard Sherman and Kam Chancellor. Next week will be the challenge facing the Philadelphia Eagles in Seattle. The Eagles are having a pretty good season and should be favored in the game. Have more details later in the week. So go Hawks.

Mariners After Thanksgiving

The Seattle Mariners made three transactions before Thanksgiving and I expect that they will be making more now before Christmas.

The primary transaction was picking up Ryon Healy first baseman from the Oakland A’s for reliever Emilio Pagan and a minor league infielder. This fulfills the first base position without spending a lot of money and getting a power hitter as well.

Now the Mariners are now putting a lot of effort into going after pitcher and hitter Shohei Ohtani. He posted himself to be available to all major league baseball clubs and according to general manager Jerry Dipoto they are going to put full effort to bring him to the Mariners. The thing about the posting of Ohtani is that he is a bargain for all clubs compared to what he would have been if he had waited a couple more years. At his age and experience the rate to sign him is a $3 million signing bonus. The Mariners and Dipoto are putting on a selling point on the history that they have with the Japanese players they have had over the years including Ichiro and Iwakuma who the Mariners have given him an offer to come back to them. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Mariners will have Iwakuma give him a talk on the organization of the Mariners. According to Dipoto they have put out a video showing the city of Seattle and how they have relations with Japan along with citizens who live in and around Seattle who are Japanese.

I am sure the Mariners have a backup plan when it comes to getting a picture of his stature if he signs elsewhere. Of course the cost of money will be more for the backup plan than for Ohtani. Dipoto says if Ohtani does sign with the Mariners that when he isn’t pitching he will likely be the designated hitter on some of the days he isn’t pitching. They would look at Nelson Cruz playing in the outfield on those days.

There is talk that the Mariners maybe signing free agent outfielder Jon Jay who recently played for the Chicago Cubs and had a batting average of .296 in 2017. Also he isn’t known for having power so he would be looked at providing veteran leadership at 32 years old and playing solid defense. He is left handed hitter so he and Guillermo Heredia could be platooning in center field however since Ben Gamel is left handed hitter as well playing in left field Heredia will likely play some in left field as well. At this point Heredia is looking to be the fourth outfielder for the Mariners. If Ohtani is signed than his playing time will be cut down.

It will be interesting to find out who the Mariners are targeting as a starting pitcher besides Ohtani. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Mariners go after someone who can be in the top three starters or another one that would be slated as the fifth starter. One thing we know is that this could be the most interesting hot stove season we have seen in Seattle.

 

Seahawks Fall Short

The Seattle Seahawks eleven game winning streak on Monday Night Football came to an end on November 20 losing to the Atlanta Falcons 34-31 where Blair Walsh missed a tying field goal.

The Falcons dominated the game for the most part despite the final score. The Falcons were able to pass the ball consistently against the Seahawks in a manner we are not used to seeing because of the absence of cornerback Richard Sherman and safety Kam Chancellor being hurt in their last game and out for the season.

The Seahawks also lost rookie cornerback Shaquille Griffin who was playing opposite of Jeremy Lane in for Richard Sherman early in the game. Byron Maxwell former Seahawk and member legion of boom that was signed early in the week took over at Sherman’s position and then Lane was moved back to his more familiar spot in place of Griffin. Justin Coleman who has played a lot in passing downs continued to do that as well.

Mike Davis who was on the practice squad and then activated this week played well for a while before he was injured in the third quarter. At that point Eddie Lacey and J.D. McKissic played the rest of the way though they played a little action before Davis was hurt. McKissic came in primarily on third downs though he was shown on early downs as well.

There were some mistakes made in the game for instance at the end of the first half the Seahawks decided to make a fake field goal that was botched and the Falcons played well against. The down alone if the Seahawks had gone for the field goal could have had the score tied.

In general Russell Wilson had a good game completing 26 passes on 42 passes for 258 yards however he had an interception and a fumble that went for a touchdown. Tyler Lockett had kick-off returns that helped the Seahawks stay in the game. The Seahawks though fumbled after the first one that could have helped the Seahawks tie the Falcons at 14-14.

For the Seahawks to stay in the race for the playoffs they need to stop making errors both offensively and defensively. We do hope that the defensive backs will be able to play better against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. Go Seahawks!!

 

 

Huskies Win the Final Seconds

I have to admit that I stopped watching the Washington Huskies late in the fourth quarter when they went for a fourth down and didn’t make first down or score. The Huskies were down 30-23 at the time with around six minutes remaining. It was one of those games that was close throughout and I thought it was important for them to win especially going into the Apple Cup against the Cougars next Saturday.

I thought it was getting late and so I was ready to go off to bed. I couldn’t believe on line after checking emails and other things to see on social media that the Huskies had won 33-30. I thought I can’t believe it though I am happy for them. I felt bad for Utah because they played a pretty good game most of the way. Their offense did an outstanding job against the Huskies defense which has been the best in the country. I was frustrated because the defensive backs of the Huskies were giving up a lot of deep passes though the defense was stopping the run most of the time. The Huskies though have had injuries to their secondary so it was understandable they were having trouble as well. The Huskies earlier lost one of their defensive players to targeting as well. He was thrown out of the game well as getting a penalty.

I thought that Jake Browning in general was having a pretty good game though he should have thrown some passes away instead of being sacked. This is especially true just before going on fourth down that made me turn off the game. The Huskies running attack continued to be pretty good throughout the game that allowed the passing to go well.

This game was probably a good one for the Huskies to be in to prepare against the Cougars. I expect that this game will be a tight and tough game to play as well. Again the Huskies running game will need to be successful to keep the Cougars offense off the field. The secondary will need to play a better game against the Cougars than against Utah. The positive side to it they know Luke Faulk pretty well.

Stanford won their game against California on Saturday so they can win the Pac-12 north division outright however the Cougars do have a chance. Though I am Husky fan and I hope they do win it will be nice if the Cougars can find a good bowl game to be in just like the Huskies.

Football Friday

It is another weekend coming up for football in the state of Washington. The Washington State Cougars though have a bye this week before facing the Huskies in Seattle next week in the Apple Cup. Last Saturday they played Utah who they beat 33-25. Luke Faulk had a big game throwing for more than 400 yards however he threw 69 passes in the game. I can’t see him doing that against the Huskies though. He may lose his arm if he continues throwing those many passes.

This Saturday night the Huskies will play at home against Utah. I am sure that Chris Peterson will have them ready after losing to Stanford last Friday night in Palo Alto 30-22. The Huskies had a lead of 14-10 at half time. Stanford though out played them in three of the four quarters. The Cardinal didn’t score any points in the first quarter however scored ten in each of the next three quarters. This game put the Huskies out of contention for the National Championship Series unless a miracle happens. The Huskies will need to win these two final games.

The Huskies playing the Cougars I am sure will be looking at establishing the run in the first quarter so that Faulk won’t be able to throw the ball so much. I know that the Huskies will be ready to play the Cougars well as Utah. This will be an important Apple Cup since the Cougars can win the Pac-12 North Division with beating the Huskies. For the first time in a while the Huskies can be spoilers well as wanting to play in a big time bowl game even if it isn’t for the national championship.

In the NFL the Seattle Seahawks will be taking on the Atlanta Falcons on Monday Night football. The Seahawks beat the Cardinals in Arizona last Thursday night Nov. 9 22-16. It was a tough game for both teams since they lost players through the game. The Seahawks lost Richard Sherman for the season and likely Kam Chancellor will be out this Monday night. At this point no one knows how long Chancellor will be out for. In the good news Earl Thomas will be returning to the starting lineup however how affective will he be and the loss of Sherman and Chancellor will be tough on them. It will be interesting how the defense will play against the Falcons. It is anyone’s guess the outcome in the game. The positive side is the Seahawks will be playing at home and they have the best record on Monday night football of any team. Whatever the case I am sure we will be entertained. For the Seahawks to win they will need to keep the hands out of the Falcons. Normally we would say for the Seahawks to run the ball but they haven’t been able to do that all season long so instead I would like them throwing a lot of short passes that will feel like running the ball. Eddie Lacy is not expected to play and the Seahawks will start Thomas Rawls but they did activate Mike Davis who was on the practice squad. He led the Seahawks in rushing during pre-season so the Seahawks are hoping that he will be able to run in a manner that the other running backs haven’t been able to do. J.D. McKissic is expected to be the third down back since C.J. Prosise is out and on injured reserve. It is really sad that Prosise is injured more often so he can’t play because he probably is the Seahawks best runner and certainly the best receiver out of the backfield. For the Seahawks to be successful the rest of the way and especially to make it to the Super Bowl one of the running backs will have to step forward. If it doesn’t happen the chances making the playoffs could be in question well as having success. We would have to see Russell Wilson throw is magic wand or maybe it is football to have any chance.

We wish both the Huskies and Seahawks well this weekend. We want to see some good football for sure. Something to do before next weekend; go teams.  

Mariners Make Splash

I was wondering if the Mariners were going to make a splash during the GM meeting that were held this week Monday thru Wednesday.

On Tuesday they announced that they had filled the vacancy of assistant coach with the signing of Jimmy Brower. It wasn’t what I was expecting because Brower was minor pitching coordinator for the Chicago Cubs. I thought they would be signing a hitting coach in this spot however they decided that pitching is a priority which it is for sure. They still have to get a bullpen coach and Cabrera who was in that position the second half of the season after Mike Hampton resigned. Cabrera will still be on staff just not as bullpen coach. So you see the Mariners will have four coaches that will deal with the pitching. Scott Brosius who was Edgar Martinez assistant hitting coach is now the third base coach. I am sure part of his duties will still deal with helping the hitters.

On Wednesday the Mariners made a splash trading reliever Emilio Pagan and a minor league infielder to the Oakland A’s for power hitting first baseman Ryon Healy. I see this as a pretty good pickup though I hate to lose Pagan in the process. I am sure the Mariners feel that they can replace him in the bullpen. Of course like Healy he was a rookie in 2017. Healy brings the Mariners a power hitter that will help them out and is only twenty-five years old and the Mariners will have control of him for the next five years. He can play third base as well if the Mariners need to rest Kyle Seager or he gets hurt for a period of time. I don’t see Healy playing much at third though he played about half of his games in 2017 at third base. Most likely whoever goes in for Seager when he needs the rest will be the utility player.

According to general manager Jerry Dipoto that Healy is considered the everyday first baseman so other words there will be no platooning. When he needs a rest this will likely come from the utility player as well; with the acquiring of Healy the chances are good that Daniel Vogelbach likely will be traded. He is seen more as a designated hitter than a first baseman since his defense is somewhat suspect though he has been working on it. He likely be traded to a team in the American League to be used as a dh and part-time first baseman.

With the acquiring of Healy this means that Yonder Alonso will not be returning to the Mariners and the same most likely goes for Danny Valencia. The reason Valencia would return be to play in the outfield and an occasion at first or third base. To sign Valencia who is a free agent the Mariners would have to make him a regular in either left or right field. So this would mean that Ben Gamel and Guillermo Heredia would be platooning most likely in left field with Mitch Haniger in center field. We would see Heredia playing on occasion in center field as well.

With the acquisition of Healy this means that the Mariners don’t necessarily have to go for an outfielder that has power though it would be nice at the same time. Like Gamel, Haniger and Heredia the Mariners would feel right about getting someone that has speed and can play defense. Also getting Healy this means that the Mariners are free to spend money on the starting pitching. With Alonso being gone along with Iwakuma and Gallardo options being declined the Mariners have plenty of money to pick up a high quality starter well as another starter. With Paxton, Felix Hernandez and Mike Leake it is hard to know whether they are thinking of getting two starters. This would depend on how much depth that Dipoto wants to go with beyond what they already have. Good job Dipoto we look forward to see what is next on the horizon.  Go M’s.

Baseball GM Meeting Start Monday

The major league baseball teams are in Orlando Florida three days for general manager meeting. One guarantee we know is that Seattle Mariners general manager will be busy talking with other teams about making trades along with agents of the players that are free agents.

Whether the Mariners will pull off a trade in these three days or not we do know that action will take place where a trade or more will happen over the remaining month of November and going into December.

The needs of the Mariners will be getting a first baseman, an outfielder, backup catcher and starting pitching. The Mariners could snap up a relief pitcher as well along with adding depth with players who could start next season at Tacoma.

The free agency route could be the Mariners picking up a first baseman and backup catcher. They could go that route as well getting an outfielder and at least one starting pitcher though the likelihood the Mariners will look to get both through a trade.

There has been talk about the Mariners getting outfield Jay Bruce through free agency however most believe he would be too costly for the Mariners to sign. Personally the money it would be to sign Bruce I would give to a starting pitcher instead whether it is in free agency or picking up in a trade.

Though the Mariners can use another outfielder to go along with Ben Gamel, Mitch Haniger and Guillermo Heredia whether he is a starting outfielder or a fourth outfielder would all depend how much the Mariners have to dish out in money or in players.

I am sure that Dipoto has been speaking with Yonder Alonso and his agent about signing a multiyear contract however the cost will decide whether they will sign him or not. They could go with another first baseman that doesn’t cost as much. I did discuss that in a previous post so I won’t go any further there.

The Mariners did pick up two minor league catchers with little major league experience but I am sure they will see what might be out there that could be better however I wouldn’t be surprised if they stick with those two or pick up another catcher with triple A experience ad ready to make the jump to the majors. Next year will continue be development in the career of Mike Zunino. The Mariners are hoping that he will be able to hit like he did most of the time from June on of last season. If he goes backwards to where he was last April the Mariners may have to look elsewhere for picking up a regular catcher.

The Mariners will be looking to get a starting pitcher that will go with James Paxton, Felix Hernandez and Mike Leake. It would be nice to pick up a pitcher in the likes of Drew Smyly they did last year. At this point though he is on the 40 man roster Smyly will likely not be ready to start the season in the Mariners rotation. He might not be ready to pitch until after the all-star break if then.

James Paxton and Felix are both prone to injuries so at least one or even two starting pitchers would be where the Mariners will need to go. In fact I believe the Mariners may have to trade Paxton to pick up a couple high quality pitchers though they may not match him exactly. They could be both third and fourth starters instead of an ace. Paxton still has the potential to be an ace pitcher but the injuries he has suffered puts in question whether the Mariners can rely on him and the question goes for Felix as well. The next few days we will see what tricks and surprises that Dipoto has up his sleeves. Go M’s.  

Seahawks and Cardinals Play Thursday

It is one of those Thursday night games once again. It is a short week so hopefully that means the Seahawks can forget the game against the Redskins on Sunday. This is a needed game for the Hawks otherwise they will be further back of the Rams. If the Seahawks want to make the Super Bowl it will be important that they win this game.

Russell Wilson will need to play a better game. Now that the second half of the season is about to start the Seahawks should do good since they always seem to do better when November comes around.

The offensive line with newly acquired Duane Brown will need to do a better job than last week. This is on both the running and passing game. The receivers were absent against the Redskins most of the time on Sunday. Wilson and the receivers can’t let the fourth quarter be where they shine each week. Having any success in the playoffs the Seahawks have to be more consistent both running and passing the ball.

Speaking of running the ball the Hawks were a little bit better against the Redskins however Thomas Rawls needs to run the ball now than he has so far this season especially with Eddie Lacy out of the game. C.J. Prosise is expected back this week so he should help out in the backfield along with J.D. McKissic. Depending on how Rawls does we could see more of Prosise and McKissic on other downs besides third. A tackle like Matt Tobin or a third tight end might see action as well.

On the defense right now not sure whether Earl Thomas will be back or not. Seahawks again shows how important he is when it comes to crunch time in the fourth quarter. Even if he isn’t able to play the whole game it would be nice to see him in when things are critical. It would be nice if Sheldon Richardson be back as well since he missed Sunday’s game.  I am sure we will know Wednesday afternoon. Also it will be interesting to see who will step up and make some big plays on Thursday. Go Hawks.

Free Agency Begins

On Monday teams had a chance to sign their own free agents until 2 pm on qualifying offers on a one year contract of $17.4 million only nine were offered in the whole major leagues. None of the seven Mariner free agents were offered these contracts. Out of the nine who were offered most of them likely won’t accept because they will want to look at getting a multiyear contract from either their team or one of the other teams in the majors.

Now that free agency is on it will be interesting to see how long until Seattle Mariner general manager Jerry Dipoto will sign a player. The need will be at first base, the outfield, backup catcher and pitching.

Yonder Alonso said that he was interested in returning to the Mariners and I wouldn’t be surprised if he and Dipoto have already spoken about a multiyear contract. Most likely it would be a 2yr contract with an option for a third.

Iwakuma might be the only sure return as a free agent however the Mariners will likely sign him to a minor league contract with incentives if he makes the club. Another free agent Jarrod Dyson could return however there is talk he might go to the National League and the Pittsburgh Pirates. Don’t have any idea where Danny Valencia will land and whether he or the Mariners are interested for his return. He could be that outfielder that the Mariners may want along with some playing time at first and third base. A lot will depend on what he is asking for and what the market looks like.

It is hard to know how strong Dipoto will look on the free agent market for a pitcher. He may look to sign a reliever and possibly a starter depending what the market shows. Most likely a starting pitcher the Mariners will want be found when he will do some trading. I am sure he has discussed with several teams and something could come down in the next couple weeks or so. Whatever the case we know that likely we will be surprised. So here we go free agency who and when the first signing will happen. Go M’s.

Seahawks Beat at Home by Washington

It was another one of those tough games for the Seahawks at home against the Washington Redskins. I wouldn’t say it was a great offensive game like last Sunday against the Texans. Both teams defense played well for most of the game.

The game ended because the Redskins were able to score a late touchdown against the Seahawks with little time for them to be able to score themselves. This time the score ended 17-14.

Place kicker Blair Walsh missed three field goals in the first half. If he had made at least one of them they would have tied or made two they would have won. We could blame Walsh for the loss and I would not be surprised if the Seahawks bring in at least one field kicker to try out this week however the blame could go around.

First thing is that the Redskins played a very competitive game against the Seahawks. Throughout the game it was pretty tight. The Redskins defense was good especially in the red zone where the Seahawks have had trouble all season so you could blame the offense for that along with some penalties by the line. The defense who played outstanding throughout the first three quarters for the Seahawks didn’t do well in the fourth quarter especially against the Redskins on their final drive. The Seahawks were able to let the Redskins receivers get by them for long gains and then there was the final catch where the receiver caught the ball within the one yard line. The Seahawks probably should have allowed them to score there so that they had at least some extra time on the clock to help score themselves.

I wonder how much affect there was for the Seahawks without Earl Thomas not playing on Sunday. Most of the game they played well as I mentioned but the last drive might have been prevented a touchdown if Thomas had been in the game. Of course we will never know for sure.

The running game was better this week than last week though the Redskins were able to do a good job against it though the primary defense was the job they did against the receivers. Often the Seahawks receivers were not open. I am sure other teams will watch on how the Redskins play the pass on them. Eddie Lacy who started the game had to end up leaving in the third quarter because of an injury so Thomas Rawls did most of the running after that. I expect with one week under his belt Duane Brown should do even a better job next week in the Seahawks running game. The pass protection wasn’t as good as the week before since the Redskins were able get to Russell Wilson where he had to run some out of the pocket. In fact it was the next to last play that was very critical where he went down to the ground while trying to pass the ball. It was ruled a down play with four seconds left and then Russell had to throw a Hell Mary into the end zone where the ball went to the ground for the Redskins victory.

The Seahawks next game is on Thursday night against the Arizona Cardinals. We will preview that game before Thursday. Go Hawks.

 

Ducks Drown in Seattle

The Oregon Ducks traveled to Seattle to take on the Washington Huskies Saturday night. The Ducks and Huskies have the strongest rivalry in the Northwest though the Beavers consider the Ducks their rivalry while the Cougars consider the Huskies theirs.

Primarily the Ducks have usually been the best team in Oregon though they have had rocky times where the Beavers have been the better team and that goes for the Huskies and the Cougars as well.

The Ducks dominated the Huskies for quite a few years beating them twelve years in a row after the Huskies were the team for quite a few years. Now the Huskies are at the top of the North division once again behind the coaching of Chris Peterson who came over from Boise State. Next week the Huskies take on Stanford in a tough match after they lost to the Cougars Saturday afternoon.

The Huskies now have been the Ducks two years in a row after such a drought. In 2016 the Huskies routed the Ducks 70-21 and then Saturday beat them not nearly as bad but still was an easy win 38-3. The Ducks actually scored first with the field goal and then the Huskies couldn’t be stopped after that. The Huskies had a 14-3 lead at half time and then they scored their first two times in the second half to take the game going away.

Punt return and wide receiver Dante Pettis scored his 9^th punt return for a touchdown on Saturday. He now has the record for the most punt returns for a touchdown as a NCAA record. He scored a touchdown on a pass from Browning as well.

The Huskies dominated the Ducks on the ground. They ran the ball 39 times out of their 58 plays. Myles Gaskin let the Huskies rushing attack with 123 yards on seventeen carries and a touchdown. If you have any chance to beat the Huskies you have to stop them from running the ball. It sets up their passing game as well.

The Washington State Cougars had a tough outing as expected against the Stanford Cardinal winning by a field goal 24-21. The Cardinal had the lead 21-17 going midway in the fourth quarter when Cougar quarterback Luke Falk led them on a 94 yard drive ending with a touchdown at 6:56 mark left in the game. So the Cougar defense had to keep things up so the Cardinal couldn’t score a touchdown or tie the game with a field goal. Falk actually broke the passage yardage by a quarterback in the Pac-12. Also the Cougars end their season at Martin Stadium in Pullman Washington with a perfect record of 7-0. Depending how things go the rest of the way the Cougars and Huskies could be playing for the Pac 12 north division title in the Apple Cup. The winner likely will face the south division title winner for the Pac 12 championship.

In the NFL the Seattle Seahawks take on the Washington Redskins in Seattle Sunday afternoon. The Seahawks will have newly acquired Duane Brown playing at left tackle. Eddie Lacy is expected to start at running back for the Seattle and take most of the carries.  Thomas Rawls struggle last week so the Seahawks decided to give Lacy the chance to run the ball well with the help of Brown.

When it comes to injuries the Seahawks will be without free safety Earl Thomas. Whatever the case the Seahawks seem to struggle without Thomas in the lineup; the way the game went last week the Seahawks shouldn’t give up so many points. If the Seahawks do give up more than thirty points against the Redskins Russell Wilson and offense will have to do their magic wand once again. So best to the Seahawks today; go Hawks!!

Talk of Free Agency

 When it comes to free agency the home teams have a chance to sign their own for five days so the Mariners have that chance.

According to mlbtraderumors.com two of the Mariners seven free agents will sign elsewhere and they have two others that will sign with them. They say that Yonder Alonso will sign a two year contract with the Los Angeles Angels and Jarrod Dyson will sign a two year contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Alonso will likely be the everyday first baseman with the Angles while Dyson will do the same as he did with the Mariners this last season where he will platoon in centerfield.

So this means that the Mariners will have to go for another first baseman and get another outfielder to replace Dyson. The first baseman rumored come to the Mariners is long time New York Met Lucas Duda. He didn’t have a very good batting average just over two hundred however did hit thirty home runs for the season. In July the Mets traded him to Tampa Bay figuring he would not return. He is expected to sign a one year contract so it won’t be a big deal if he doesn’t work out.  He is a left handed bat so likely it means that the Mariners will let go of or trade Daniel Vogelbach who hits left handed as well. The Mariners could be platooning at first base again with either utility hold over Taylor Motter or Andrew Romine the Mariners picked up on waivers from the Detroit Tigers on Thursday. Romine has played over a hundred games a season so he is accustomed to be a super utility player sort of in the line of former Mariner Mark McLemore. He doesn’t have a high average or much power but can play all nine positions on the field. So he could be the fourth outfielder on the Mariners along with being the emergency catcher. Besides Duda if the Mariners don’t pick up another position player both Romine and Motter could make the roster. Romine is a switch hitter so that helps in his favor to make the roster and he is a veteran utility player the Mariners can use. Knowing Dipoto it will probably not be the last of any moves he makes regarding the infield and outfield.

Another move that mlbtraderumors.com has it that the Mariners will sign veteran right handed reliever Pat Neshek who started the season with the Philadelphia Phillies and was their representative on the All-Star team. He then was traded to the Colorado Rockies. His delivery is a lot like former Mariner Steve Cishek. He would sign a two year contract with the Mariners. In this case he could be used in the setup role in the seventh or eighth inning along with Nick Vincent and Dave Phelps. It would certainly add depth to the Mariners’ bullpen.

There is no talk of any top free agent starting pitchers coming to the Mariners so likely they will have to find it in a trade or two. Since the Mariners have made multiplayer trades in the last two years in November would not surprise me if they pick up a starter this month. I would say it would probably not be a top three starter like the caliber of Paxton, Hernandez and Leake but we could be surprised as well.

The Mariners did put on Drew Smyly on the active roster however I would be surprised if he were ready when the season began though it would be nice for sure. It would be like adding another top three tier pitcher. Whatever the case I wouldn’t be surprised if Erasmo Ramirez would be sent to the bullpen as the long reliever and spot starter. 

Andrew Moore at this point is the most likely to be the fifth starter though Ariel Miranda could hold that spot once again in 2018. If not the Mariners could be going with three lefties in the bullpen however any of three could be involved in any trade that the Mariners make as well. We will see won’t we? November will be an interesting month for sure. Go M’s.

Welcome to Hot Stove League

I am sure everyone had a good time watching the World Series regardless who you were rooting for. It was nice to go seven games however Wednesday night’s final game wasn’t as exciting as most of the other games with the Astros getting out to  a fast lead. Of course if you were rooting for the Astros or liked strong pitching that happened throughout the game for the Astros and then the Dodgers pitching like Clayton Kershaw who came in for Darvish had a solid outing as well but the Dodgers couldn’t come through.

Now it is time to relax and take some time off from baseball except to check in on the Hot Stove League. We know that Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto will be busy as he always is during this time of the year. 

The Mariners have seven free agents including Yovani Gallardo and Iwakuma whose options were declined. The Mariners will be looking at free agency possibly for first base since Yonder Alonso and Danny Valencia are both free agents. Alonso would like to resign with the Mariners and I believe the Mariners want the same thing. Valencia it is hard to say though he could come back at first base or the outfield or both. Dyson is a free agent however it is hard to know whether the Mariners want him back though could be good in his role like last season.

We will look and see what the Mariners will go after with starting pitching. Dipoto will not say anything in that direction until it happens I believe. Though it isn’t as important because of what they have currently in the bullpen I am sure the Mariners will look at some possible relievers as well. Backup catcher is another they will look at seeing what is out there though they could go with what they have. The last spot would be looking to improve the outfield though Ben Gamel, Guillermo Heredia and Mitch Haniger are a good tandem that should improve over another season. The Mariners could go after either a right handed or left handed outfielder since Heredia could platoon with Gamel in left or play a lot in center field. There is thought that Haniger could move to center field as well but I am not sure whether that is a good idea. This would depend whether Dyson returns or another outfielder comes in. We will see and I am sure Dipoto will pull something off before Thanksgiving. Go M’s.

Look at Mariner Pitching

This off-season the Seattle Mariners need to restructure their pitching especially in the starting rotation.

Watching the World Series I noticed that not only do they need help at starting pitching they may need help in the bullpen as well. The Houston Astros and the Los Angeles have had good if not outstanding pitching in the playoffs well as the World Series however the bullpens been struggling at times.

The problem with the bullpen for both the Astros and Dodgers is using the same guys over and over again. An example is that former Mariner Brandon Morrow was used in four straight games. He was outstanding in the first three but was hit hard in the fourth game. It was an important game however the Dodgers should have gone in another direction. I am sure part of the problem is not having top relievers throughout the bullpen. The Astros bullpen has struggled throughout the playoffs as well. Most likely the winner of the World Series will be the one with the most success of the bullpen.

When it comes to the playoffs especially the World Series only four starters at the most likely are in the rotation so the fifth guy will be put in the rotation. Most likely he isn’t used to relieving all season unless he was a long man at some point. Even if he does have success in the playoffs it will knock someone else out of the bullpen.

Looking at the Mariners starting rotation at this point of the off-season for 2018 the top three not in any specific order will be James Paxton, Felix Hernandez and Mike Leake. The fourth starter could be Erasmo Ramirez. He is a guy who has experience both starting and relieving. So if the Mariners make the playoffs he could be valuable in the bullpen even though he might start all season because he has had the experience doing so. I am not saying he will be great at it however he is doing something that he has done before.

So what I see is that the Mariners need not only add at least one top starter if not two during the off-season whether by free agency or by trade they need to add to the bullpen as well. In my opinion the relievers they have that likely will start the season with them like Nick Vincent, Dave Phelps and closer Edwin Diaz won’t cut it. I am not sure whether the Mariners should go out and get a top notch reliever at this point because it is not a priority at this time however if they look to be one of the teams to make the playoffs in July I would say go get another top reliever because they will need one at that point.

I am sure everyone has an idea who they would like the Mariners to go after however the question is how much it will cost to get a top tier starting pitcher. I believe we will know shortly after the World Series is over or before Thanksgiving. Jerry Dipoto has made most of his big transactions in November. Go M’s.