WSU Wins Alamo Bowl

The Washington State Cougars won their 11th game of the season the first for the school's football program. They beat Iowa State in a close game in San Antonio, Texas 28-26.

As you can guess the game could have gone either way. The Cougars did have a 21-10 half-time score. So Iowa State had to fight back in the second half hoping to win.  The difference though was turnovers especially in the fourth quarter when Marcus Strong intercepted a pass that looked like a sure touchdown but he was charged a penalty for taunting so the Cougars had to make a touchdown the old fashion way. This put the Cougars up 28-20. The Cyclones didn't give up at that point getting a touchdown but unable to convert to tie the game making the score 28-26.

Quarterback Gardner Minshew for the Cougars was player of the game. He had no interceptions in the game which helped to seal the game for them. He passed the ball 49 times and completing 35 of them for 299 yards and two touchdowns. Quite the feat when you figure the Cougars only ran the ball 17 times for a miserable 28 yards. Junior receiver Dezmon Patmon had 6 receptions for 76 yards and a touchdown. Minshew threw the ball to nine different receivers in the game including running backs James Williams and Max Borgi. The only other receiver to get a touchdown was Renard Bell which had the only one catch.

The Pac-12 had done poorly, to say the least in the past year going 1-11 before this game. On Tuesday, the Washington Huskies go against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Rose Bowl. We hope they can get the victory in this one.

Nelson Cruz Signs With Minnesota

Former Mariner's free agent Nelson Cruz signed a one-year contract on Thursday, December 27 with the Minnesota Twins. The contract is for $14 million plus an option for 2020 as well. I am sure all Mariner fans will miss Cruz. On social media, he thanked the Mariners ownership, management, players and fans for his four years in Seattle. I am sure we all thank Cruz for his time in Seattle as well. 

The Mariners I am sure felt it was time to move on from Cruz along with the other players they traded away or released. They now have Edwin Encarnacion as the designated hitter. In 2019 the Mariners will pay him $16 million then have a buyout of $5 million for 2020. It seems to me the money is about the same so why not bring back Cruz? The answer to that could take place soon or during the season. 

The Mariners may decide to trade Encarnacion before the season begins for some prospects though they may have to pay part of his salary as well. This happens then the Mariners likely won't have an everyday designated hitter. We could see Jay Bruce who they picked up from the Mets in the trade for Robinson Cano and Edwin Diaz be at designated hitter well as left field. The Mariners may use Daniel Vogelbach as the DH against right-handed pitchers.  Several different options when facing a left-handed pitcher. They could use one of their regulars at DH to rest them in the field on occasion as well. This is true especially if they have some nagging injuries. 

I hope they do trade Encarnacion so they can use the money saved to help bring in a starting pitcher and or relief pitcher. I have mentioned before I don't really like full-time DH's though Cruz and Edgar Martinez were exceptions to the rule. 

Daniel Vogelbach could be considered a DH only player, however, he can play some first base though he has to work on his range. I want players though they may be at DH three or times a week can still play in the field. This would allow a team to add another player to the roster instead of having a player who can only DH. 

I am sure Dipoto and his staff are working at adding more depth to the pitching staff. The Mariners certainly need another experienced reliever and an experienced starter would help to go a long way as well to improve the team. The Mariners are now about six weeks away from training camp starting so filling out the rest of the roster will be important. Next time on the Mariners I will list who the Mariners have far as pitching goes on the 40-man roster. I hope we have an addition or two by then. 

Looking Toward the New Year

First of all, I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and holiday season. Now we look toward the New Year and what is in store for us and our favorite teams in Washington state.

The Washington State Cougars football team will end the year playing in the Alamo Bowl. I am sure most Cougar fans are disappointed they are not playing in a bigger bowl since they had a great season. The Cougars men's basketball team will end the year playing Santa Clara and look forward to Pac-12 season which begins early January. Of course, we can't forget the women team either.  We hope 2019 will be a successful year for the Cougars too.

The Seattle Seahawks will end the season against the Arizona Cardinals at home then look forward to the playoffs in January. We all hope the Seahawks will go far in the playoffs. 

University of Washington Huskies football team play in the Big Daddy bowl game of all on New Year's Day against Ohio State. We all hope this will be an upset against the Buckeyes.  A good way to start off the new year. Later in the evening, the men's basketball team will play against Cal State Fullerton to end the non-league season. We all hope this help lead the Huskies to a successful Pac-12 season where they will make their way into the NCAA tournament in March. We hope the same success for the women's team as well.

We wish the best for the Seattle Mariners for 2019. Now having a lot of new players along with a new name of T-Mobile Park. General Manager Jerry Dipoto has had a busy off-season so far trading off big-name players like Mike Zunino, Edwin Diaz, Robinson Cano, Alex Colome, and Jean Segura. I am sure I have forgotten a few big-name players. One player Dipoto received in the Segura trade in Carlos Santana he traded to the Cleveland Indians.  Now we hope for a few more trades or signings to bolster up the club. We a different looking infield with Kyle Seager at third base, Dee Gordon at second, and Ryon Healy along with a different shortstop. Of course, Gordon could end up moving over to shortstop. The outfield field only has Mitch Haniger returning. We see what happens. 

We will see what news goes forward this week before the new year. 

Seahawks Pass and Run To the Playoffs

I am sure many of us didn't expect the Seahawks go to the playoffs this season with all the changes happening during the off-season. I hope something works the same way for the Mariners!

The Seahawks will finish the season second place in the NFC West behind the Los Angeles Rams. The Seahawks have a record of 9-6 and could win 10 games if they beat Arizona Cardinals next Sunday. The chances are pretty good they well, however, we do know difficult to beat another team in the same division twice in the same season. They haven't played the Cardinals for some time, unlike the 49ers they did two weeks apart.

The Seahawks made it an exciting ending to the game. Russell Wilson threw two exciting throws to Doug Baldwin and Lockett late in the game. Personally, I would have run the ball instead to keep the clock running near the end of the game. The coaches though knew what Wilson and the receivers were capable of. 

Both tight ends Ed Dickson and Nick Vannett each caught a touchdown in the game. The third touchdown Wilson threw was to Doug Baldwin in the third quarter. Dickson's touchdown took place in the fourth quarter after the Seahawks were able to keep the ball after Sebastian Janikowski missed a field goal however a roughing the kicker happened. Janikowski did continue field goal kicking though he didn't look that good walking around. Punter Michael Dickson did a couple dropkicks after scores. Right after the Ed Dickson touchdown, Janikowski did the kickoff but the returner put the Chiefs in a good position to score a field goal then they tried an on-side kick which went out of bounds. Vannett was set to field the ball if necessary. I would have had Michael Dickson though kick off once again.  Janikowski missed a field goal early on in the game too. I believe the Seahawks should go out and find themselves another kicker since Janikowski didn't look right and performing poorly as well. 

The Seahawks had the ball ten more minutes in the game then the chiefs primarily because of the running game. Russell Wilson threw the ball 29 times completing 18 for 271 yards, however, the key was rushing the ball 43 times for 210 yards.  Chris Carson led the Seahawks rushing attack with 27 carries for 116 and two touchdowns. He had the first and last touchdowns of the game. 

The game was close and in doubt most of the way with the Seahawks winning 38-31. Against a team like the Chiefs, it was a success story for sure. 

Next week the Seahawks I am sure will run the ball again. I wouldn't be surprised if Wilson, Baldwin, Lockett, and Carson will play limited action to be ready for the playoffs. It was nice to see K.J. Wright back in at linebacker as well. 

So have a Merry Seahawk Christmas the 12th man. Go Hawks!

Merry Christmas to All and Good Mariners Season in 2019

I want to wish every everyone a wonderful Christmas right off the bat. 

I wonder whether Jerry Dipoto will make another trade or signing before Christmas Eve.

It would be nice if Santa Claus can bring the Mariners a starting pitcher or a closer. A starter who can be a number one or two would be great. I am sure there are those who think why do the Mariners need a closer if they don't win a lot of games this coming season. Who knows they could surprise us. 

The Mariners could win more games than we think in 2019. If they can break even in division play and do a better job beating teams in inter-league play could be around 80 to 84 wins. 

I don't expect the Angels and the Rangers to be much better than last season. The A's may not win as many games as last season. I expect the Astros to be about the same. The American league east the Red Sox and Yankees should be about the same if not better. The Toronto Blue Jays probably won't be as good so the Mariners can beat them at home that would be nice. The Tampa Bay Rays might win the same amount of games at 90 and the Orioles a little better.

In the American League Central, I don't expect the Cleveland Indians will be as good as last year and the Mariners did fine against them last season. I don't think the rest of the central will be much better either. So the Mariners might be better than we think. 

It is hard to know of course at this time how many games the Mariners will win but they may surprise us. They had an awesome first half but reality set in after the all-star break.  This was even with four all-star players and Mitch Haniger is the only one will be back. Also, Robinson Cano missed half the season and he isn't returning either.  A lot will come down to the starting pitching along with the bullpen. Outside of Alex Colome and Edwin Diaz, the rest of the bullpen didn't do that well.  Whatever the bullpen turns out to be we may see a better one. I know this would be a surprise too.  We just hope whomever the closer is he won't blow too many games. The importance is the setup men will be able to keep the lead up to the closer. 

Anyway a toast right now for the coming 2019. Once again Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.  

Mariners Sign a Lefty and a Trade In-Hand

On Thursday the Mariners signed left-handed relief specialist Zach Rosscup to a one-year contract.  Rosscup has been injured most of the last year two years. 

The Mariners had only lefty in the bullpen in Roenis Elias, and he is considered more of a long reliever. Elias could be the fifth starter in the rotation as well. GM Jerry Dipoto was looking to pick up a lefty specialist. I wouldn't be surprised if the Mariners will keep looking for another lefty with more success. Signing Rosscup to a one-year contract isn't a big risk if things don't work out with him.

The Mariners announced just minutes ago they had traded outfielder Ben Gamel along with a minor league pitcher to the Milwaukee Brewers for outfielder Domingo Santana. This should be good for Gamel who had become the Mariners fourth outfielder with the trades the Mariners had made over the off-season. Jay Bruce another left-handed hitter was considered the starter in left field so Gamel wouldn't have played a lot except an occasional start or pinch hitting. 

Santana now can be used platooning with Bruce in left field. He is listed as a right fielder so he could play there as well moving Mitch Haniger to center field to give center fielder Mallix Smith a day off. Santana had off-year in 2018 hitting .265 in 85 games. He had a .328 on-base percentage. In 2017 he had an outstanding season hitting 30 home runs along with 85 runs batted in. He is only 26 years so he will be under team control for two more years so it isn't a high-risk situation for the Mariners. 

Going to Milwaukee Brewers will be a good thing for Gamel. The Brewers were stacked with right-handed hitting outfielders so picking up Gamel will give him more playing time. Not only will he have a chance to possibly platoon with Milwaukee he can be used as a left-handed hitting pinch hitter. 

Being stacked with right-handed hitting outfielders is the reason the Brewers were willing to trade Santana to the Mariners. Dipoto is hoping Santana can rebound from the poor 2018 season he had. Even if he doesn't hit 30 home runs next season if he can get around 15 home runs batting around .270 in a platoon situation than be a successful trade for the Mariners. 

Ben Gamel was popular in Seattle even though he played part-time for the Mariners. I know we will miss seeing him but with the Mariners making all these changes to the roster, not a big surprise either. We wish Gamel the very best in Milwaukee. 

Now T-Mobile Park

Not really anyone's surprise the Seattle Mariners are now playing in T-Mobile Park. The Mariners made the announcement today, December 19 they have signed a 25-year agreement for the naming rights.

I am sure some of us will continue calling it Safeco Field for a while. T-Mobile may be a cell phone carrier but the name sounds like a place people will go to stay in their RV's with park at the end of the name, 

Now, this agreement has taken place it is now time to see who Jerry Dipoto will sign or trade for the next six or seven weeks before spring training begins. Recently they have signed a few minor leaguers who probably will be invited to spring training but not someone we can say wow too. These have been players who will add depth in case of injuries but anyone not expected really to be on the roster when the season begins. At least the Mariners are making changes to the AAA roster as well. 

I don't expect any trades like they have made already unless they plan to move Edwin Encarnacion or Jay Bruce for some other major league player and prospects. Otherwords, reduce salaries. Dipoto may look at doing so during the trading deadline in July as well. We will see, won't we? 

Seahawks Can't Make Playoffs Yet

I am sure most of us thought the Seahawks would win Sunday afternoon in Santa Clara and move to the playoffs. They hadn't lost to the 49ers since 2013 so why any different? It wasn't the case this time.

The Seahawks did make the 49ers go all the way to overtime to beat them. In overtime, it looked like the Seahawks would march down and score at least a field to win. Of course, on a field goal, the 49ers would have had the opportunity to tie or win the game themselves. On a touchdown, the Seahawks would have won the game. The game ends if the team who wins the toss and decides to go for it scores a touchdown. Since the Seahawks were unable to do so the 49ers had the opportunity to do so which they did.

I am sure we all thought Russell Wilson would do his magic tricks during overtime since it didn't happen in the fourth quarter. The Seahawks had opportunities to score or in position to do so. Running back J.D. McKissic caught a long pass however the offensive line was caught for holding. It wasn't the only time on the drive they were caught for holding. Russell Wilson wasn't able to make any moves after the penalties and the Seahawks had to punt the ball. Punter Michael Dickson as usual hit a great punt however the Seahawks were unable to take advantage of it. So when the 49ers got into position to kick a field goal they did so on third down to win the game 26-23.

The Seahawks did get a good game out of the running game once again with Chris Carson running for 119 yards on 22 carriers with a touchdown early on in the fourth quarter. Mike Davis had 21 yards on 5 carriers. So another good day running the ball.

The Seahawks had Doug Baldwin back this week and he helped out getting two touchdowns along with some other key catches in the game. The first touchdown was the Seahawks first score in the first quarter however the kick failed. The problem the 49ers returned the kickoff after the touchdown for a score to make it 7-6. The 49ers scored another touchdown in the second quarter before Baldwin score his second touchdown in the second quarter. The 490ers kicked another field goal before the half was over to be up 17-14.

The question I had was why the Seahawks didn't go for a two-point conversion in either the second touchdown or the Carson touchdown in the 4th quarter. Had they made the two-point conversion they would have won the game in regulation. The same goes if Janikowski had made the kick on the first touchdown. Whatever the case the Seahawks lost the game.

The Seahawks now come home to play next Sunday night against the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs lost their game on Thursday night so they will want to win the game badly along with the Seahawks. Even if the Seahawks win the game there is no guarantee they will clinch a playoff spot next week either. May come down to the final game against the Arizona Cardinals the following week. 

Now time not to relax and see what happens. I am sure many thought the Seahawks may not make the playoffs this season after the turnovers of players after last season however the guys are making every effort to do so. Go Hawks!

What Is Next For Mariners

Now that Jerry Dipoto returns home to Seattle after being in the hospital and the winter meetings we could see some more moves for the Mariners. 

There is a possibility the Mariners could trade Edwin Encarnacion or Jay Bruce or both. A lot will depend on what other teams want to give in young players and other veterans. 

The Mariners are still shopping for a veteran shortstop along with some pitching whether starters or relief pitchers. They could sign either one in free agency when the prices go down during January. At least one starter would be nice and they need to go after a few relief pitchers. Also, the Mariners will probably sign another catcher to compete for the backup catcher.  

Next week at least one move will probably be made if not several. Dipoto will need to rest this weekend over getting out of the hospital but he may not either.

In other local news, the UW Huskies go to New Jersey to take on #15 ranked Virginia Tech Hokies today Saturday. This will be another big game for the Huskies to get ready for Pac-12 schedule starting on January 5 at home against the Washington State Cougars. Between the Hokies and the Cougars, the Huskies will play Sacremento State on Dec 21 then take a holiday break then take on California State University Fullerton on New Year's night. Those games will be at home for the Huskies too.

Seattle Seahawks will be playing Sunday night Dec 16 on the road at Santa Clara to take on the 49ers for the second time in three weeks. The Seahawks can clinch a playoff spot if they win. 

Winter Meetings Coming to Close for Mariners

Jerry Dipoto and the Seattle Mariners haven't done much this week at the Winter Meetings. On Wednesday he had a cold so he let his management team do the job. 

The Mariners did make a few minor moves but certainly nothing like he did before meetings. I don't think many expected to make a big splash. I am sure he talked to a few teams about trades and free agents as well. The Mariners won't sign any high priced free agents however with Dipoto he could make a surprise move.

Dipoto is interested in Japanese free agent pitcher Yusei Kikuchi. This would be something to sign him with needing another starting pitcher plus the fact the Mariners will start the season against the Oakland A's in March 2019 in Japan. Signing Kikuchi would make things big back home for him too. Of course, there are other teams interested in him as well.

An interesting move at the beginning of the winter meetings was the Mariners picking up Kaleb Cowart off of waivers from the Los Angeles Angels. Jerry Dipoto said the Mariners would make him into a two-way player. In his pro career, he has played primarily played the infield. When he was drafted by the Angels in 2010 they talked about making him into a pitcher but he wanted to play every day. He isn't a good hitter batting below .200 in his career but plays good defense and his fastball does reach the mid 90's. So if he makes the Mariner could see him do both.

During this writing, Jerry Dipoto made a trade with the Cleveland Indians sending Carlos Santana who they had acquired in the trade with the Phillies for Jean Segura. The Mariners acquire designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion and a competitive balance Round B pick in 2019 which is the 77th overall pick. The Mariners could move Encarnacion along as well. Dipoto made this trade while being in the hospital. He is expected to be released Thursday and head home to Seattle. 

In the Rule 5 draft, the Mariners took righthanded pitcher Brandon Brennan from the Colorado Rockies organization. Last year he pitched for double-A Birmingham and triple-A Charlotte of the Chicago White Sox organization. Recently the Rockies had signed him to a minor league contract.

Stay tuned to what Dipoto and the Mariners will do further. 

Seahawks Win Again On Monday Night Football

I wouldn't call it the most exciting game on record Monday night between the Seattle Seahawks and the Minnesota Vikings. The Seahawks did win the game 21-7, however, the score didn't really indicate how the game really worked out.

The Seahawks were leading 3-0 on a field goal going into the fourth quarter. The Seahawks actually had a chance to score at least a field goal if not a touchdown just before the end of the first half. Russell Wilson was looking to throw the ball but was being rushed so badly he threw an errant pass a Viking defender intercepted. The pass could have gone the other way for a Viking touchdown but the defender went down instead. Wilson should have the thrown into the ground which may go for intentional grounding instead of the interception. The Viking ran the clock out. 

The third quarter wasn't very eventful with neither team scoring. You could call it an outstanding defensive game or terrible offense on both parts. Likely it was the combination of both. The Seahawks though ran the ball pretty well getting into Viking territory several times while the Vikings didn't have the same results until late into the game.

The Seahawks were able to run the ball for 214 yards on 42 carries. The Seahawks were led by Chris Carson having 90 yards on 22 carriers. Russell Wilson was next with 61 yards on 7 carriers. He had an important carry in the fourth quarter going for 40 yards. The Vikings defenders were faked out big time on the play by Wilson. Rashaad Penny had a good night as well. He had 44 yards on 8 carriers. He looked like he could have carried the ball more but Carson was having a good night.

Russell Wilson besides the interception didn't have a good night throwing the ball. He had 10 catches completed on 20 attempts for 72 yards. Tyler Lockett had five of the catches Wilson completed going for 42 yards. Lineman George Fant playing a lot as the second tight end on running plays actually caught the first pass of his career 9 yards. It wasn't pretty but effective.

The scoring in the fourth quarter the Seahawks had a field goal by Janikowski early on to make it 6-0 so the Vikings still had the chance to win until the last three minutes of the game.  Chris Carson had a 2-yard touchdown run with 2:53 remaining in the game than Tyler Lockett had a two-point conversion to make it 14-0. This happened after Bobby Wagner blocked a Viking field goal attempt.  This looked like it clinched the game for the Seahawks. 

The scoring wasn't over because of Justin Coleman 29 yard fumble return for a touchdown at the 2:35 mark left in the game. The fumble was caused by a hit on quarterback Kirk Cousins by Bobby Wagner. This meant now the game was over. All the Seahawks wanted to do was shut out the Vikings the rest of the way, however, the Viking scored a touchdown on a pass by Cousins to running back Dalvin Cook for six yards at the 1:10 mark. The Seahawks then took the knee twice to run out the clock.

The Seahawks now have a record of 8-5 which should get them into the playoffs. Next Sunday they go to Santa Clara to take on the 49ers once again after beating them last week. The following week at home they play the tough Kansas City Chiefs. They will finish the season at home against the Arizona Cardinals. The Seahawks should win the games against the 69ers and Cardinals. Even if they lose to the Chiefs the Seahawks they will have a final record of 10-6. This is better than any of us really expected on the season. Making the playoffs anything can happen and who knows where the Seahawks land.

The news came out on Tuesday morning offensive coordinator John DeFilippo was fired because of his play calling. Quarterback coach Kevin Stefanski will take over the play calling the rest of the way. Although the Seahawks defense had an outstanding game Viking head coach Mike Zimmer wasn't pleased by DeFilippo play calling. Whether it was his fault or the way Cousins executed the offense he was the fall guy. 

Seahawks take on the Vikings

The Seattle Seahawks this week take on the Minnesota Vikings at home. The game this week takes place on Monday night where the Seahawks have the best record than any other team in the NFL. 

The Seahawks are 21-9 all-time on Monday night while at home they are 15-5. This shows the network and the NFL like having the Seahawks at home when they play on Monday night.

The biggest win far as margin for the Seahawks on Monday night was when they beat the Philadelphia Eagles in 2005 42-0. The defense had a good night scoring three touchdowns in the game. This game took place in Philadelphia and both teams had to deal with snow but it didn't stop the Seahawks at all.

There is a good possibility rain will happen during this game Monday night so should give the Seahawks a good edge in this game as well. The Seahawks have a record of 7-5 going into this game while the Vikings are 6-5-1. This means the game is important for both teams to make the playoffs.

The Seahawks will need to win this game because they go to Santa Clara to take on the 49ers night Sunday. Though the Seahawks beat the 49ers last week it is never easy for teams to play on Sunday after a Monday night game. I expect though the Seahawks should still win that game as well.

Major League Baseball Winter Meetings

Jerry Dipoto and his staff will be in Las Vegas, Nevada for major league baseball winter meetings beginning on Monday. 

The Mariners are not expected to make any big splash in regards to trades like they have recently in the trades of  Mike Zunino, Guillermo Heredia, James Paxton, Robinson Cano, Edwin Diaz, Alex Colome, Jean Segura, Juan Nicasio and James Pazos.

The Mariners 40-man roster certainly looks different than the one I looked at over a month ago. Outside of Paxton the starting rotation right now looks like Marco Gonzales, Mike Leake, Wade LeBlanc and Felix Hernandez. The fifth starter could be  Justus Sheffield and or Erik Swanson they picked up in the Paxton trade. Sheffield and Swanson could both start in Tacoma at triple-A however likely be the rotation by the all-star break.

Jerry Dipoto will look add to the bullpen with the departures of Colome, Diaz, Nicasio and James Pazos. Only Dan Altavilla and Chasen Bradford pitched in more than 20 games out of the bullpen for the Mariners last season. Most of Altavilla's relief pitching happened early on in the season having to go on the disabled list because of an injury to his right elbow. Bradford had early success with the Mariners however with so much work of those in the bullpen he spent some time in Tacoma as well.

With the departure of James Pazos the Mariners only have one left handed reliever in the bullpen in Roinas Elias. He has been used primarily in long relief though I am sure he could get in some action as a left handed specialist however Dipoto will look for someone who has experience in that area. Dipoto would have looked for a left handed specialist anyway because the Mariners poor performances in that area last season and needed to upgrade anyway.

The Mariners will have to look to see if they can find a closer on the market. I am sure there are fans who think the Mariners will be so bad they don't really need a closer. Right now the only three real possible closers on the 40-man roster right now to close would be Dan Altavilla because he throws the ball hard, Matt Festa throws hard as well and was the closer in double A most of last season. 

The third member of the group would be Shawn Armstrong who closed for the Tacoma Rainier's most of last season. Armstrong had success in September when promoted after the triple A season. He primarily came out as the first reliever out of the bullpen. In 14 games he had a record of 0-1 with an era of 1.23 with 15 strike outs and one save. 

Altavilla, Festa, and Armstrong would all be best served as setup men in the bullpen though they could each try their hand at it if Dipoto isn't able to get a closer. However, with Dipoto I am sure he will find someone.

Other candidates the Mariners will have at this time in the setup roles as righthanders  include Anthony Swarzak the veteran pitcher they picked up in the Robinson Cano and Edwin Diaz trade from the New York Mets. He missed most of last season with a sore oblique though he did find a way to pitch in 29 games His time on the mound wasn't great since he had an era of 6.15. He had four saves so the Mariners could use him to in the role of closer if they don't find a way to move him on.

The Mariners have only Sam Tuivailala for the bullpen with really much major league experience besides the ones already mentioned. The Mariners picked him at the end of July before the trading deadline from the St. Louis Cardinals. However, he was injured in a run down in early August and missed the rest of the season. He may not be ready to go at the beginning of the season though.

Besides adding pitching the Mariners will likely go out and find another catcher to add to the roster. They have only two on the 40-man roster with David Freitas who was the backup catcher to Mike Zunino for much of the season and Omar Narvaez they picked up in the trade for Alex Colome from the Chicago White Sox.

Narvaez is expected to be the Mariners starting catcher. He isn't the defensive catcher Zunino is and doesn't have nearly the power in the bat either. He does hit for a better average along with on base percentage. Narvaez bats left handed so likely the Mariners will go out and pick up a right handed hitting catcher or go with Freitas who bats right handed as well. So likely Freitas or whomever they pick up will catch once or twice a week and start against a tough left handed starter. 

Narvaez batted .275 with an on-base percentage of .366. Although he doesn't have a lot of home run power he did have nine home runs along with 14 doubles. He walked 38 times and struck out 65 times in 98 games. 

When it comes to the regular every day lineup the Mariners may not make any more moves unless they want to lower more payroll by trading Jay Bruce who they picked up in the Robinson Cano and Edwin Diaz trade or Carlos Santana in the Jean Segura trade. Also they could trade second baseman Dee Gordon or third baseman Kyle Seager. Those two most likely wouldn't happen unless someone offers something real good.

The Mariners may have to go out and pick up a second baseman or shortstop if J.P. Crawford isn't ready to play everyday at shortstop they picked him up in the Jean Segura trade. Dee Gordon could move over to short if a second baseman is picked up instead of a shortstop. 

The Mariners could look to pick up a veteran utility player who primarily play shortstop. Near the end of last season they picked up Kristopher Negron from the Arizona Diamondbacks who played most of last season in triple A. The Mariners were impressed by him however he doesn't have much major league experience so likely would only play sparingly. 

So this coming week will be interesting to see so is added onto the roster. The Mariners right now have 35 players on the 40-man roster so five players can be added without any additional changes needed. This would be for any free agent signees whether for the starting rotation, bullpen, catcher, infield or outfield.  Go M's .  

Seattle Seahawks, Mariners and UW Huskies

The Seattle Seahawks beat the San Francisco 49ers as expected on Sunday at Century Link Field 43-16. It was a win everyone expected. This win allowed to have Richard Sherman keep pretty quiet. 

If you look at the stats with the 49ers passing for over 400 yards and Russell Wilson passing only 17 times completing 11 with 4 touchdowns  for 185 yards.  You would have thought the 49ers would have won the game. The Seahawks were able to recover several turnovers including a 98 yard interception by Bobby Wagner for a touchdown.  Even if the interception hadn't occurred the Seahawks would have won the game anyway. 

The Seahawks had another good game running the back with Chris Carson going for 69 yards plus Rashaad Penny following up with 65. Penny had a 20 yard touchdown in the 3rd quarter included. It is nice to see having two good running backs going for the Seahawks plus Mike Davis as well though he ran the ball only four times. He has been able to run for a hundred yards on occasions as well. 

The Seahawks are now 7-5 with four games remaining on the schedule on the season. They have a good opportunity to make the playoffs. Next game will be this coming Monday Night against the Minnesota Vikings at home. The following week at San Francisco then remaining two games will be at Century Link field as well. They play the Kansas City Chiefs and then end the season against the Arizona Cardinals. The Seahawks should be able to go at least 2-2 in those games. A 9-7 record may get them into the playoffs though winning 3 out of 4 will make sure they get in. The playoff race is tight at this point.

The 49ers two touchdowns were by former Husky Dante Pettis. It was good to see his success against the Seahawks especially with Seattle winning. 

The Seattle Mariners made two big trades this week sending Robinson Cano and Edwin Diaz to the New York Mets. Also Jean Segura was sent to the Philadelphia Phillies. That trade I didn't understand as well not getting any prospects in return. It shows the Mariners really wanted to get rid of Segura most likely how his relationship was in the clubhouse especially as reported with Dee Gordon. More trades may come forth in the next few weeks though Dipoto sure wouldn't be as big as the ones so far on the off-season.

The Washington Huskies football team beat Utah Utes in the Pac-12 Championship game last Friday and now will go against Ohio State in the Rose Bowl.

The Huskies men's basketball team have a big game tonight  (Wednesday) against state rival and #1 ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs in Spokane. On Sunday they will be back home to take on Seattle University. Going into this game the Huskies are 6-2.

Best to all the teams here in the state of Washington. Of course I can't forget the NHL awarded Seattle a franchise and they will play in the Pacific Division. Is expected to start playing in the 2020-21 season. Renovation of the Key Arena is expected to start immediately. Now we will have to see what they call the new team.

Cano and Diaz Dealt to the Mets

How many are surprised that Robinson Cano and Edwin Diaz are being traded to the New York Mets.  I know I certainly am. I am sure Jerry Dipoto tried with the Yankees first but they decided they didn't want him back for the price it would likely cost them.

I am sure Cano packed his bags for his contract for veteran players while Diaz went for the prospects. At this point I am sure without Paxton, Zunino and Cano moving Diaz made sense as well.

We will have to see whether the Mariners will make some other trades as well. There is talk about Jean Segura going to the Philadelphia Phillies after the trade to the San Diego Padres didn't work out which I am glad for because it wasn't a very good trade for sure.

I heard a national writer say sending Diaz to the Atlanta Braves would have been the best deal however they decided not to give up their top prospects. 

For  the short term this likely hurt the Mariners but help them for long term. Dipoto decided the team needed changes to compete with the Astros and A's for several years instead of adding bandages to the situation. 

Jay Bruce acquired in the trade will likely be the dh and on occasion play in the outfield unless Dipoto decides to trade him elsewhere.

Right now the starting line up is Ryon Healy at first base, Dee Gordon at second base, Jean Segura at shortstop, Kyle Seager at third base, Ben Gamel in left, Mallex in center, Mitch Haniger in right field, newly acquired Omar Narvaez at catcher and Bruce at dh. 

We will look at the pitching staff coming up later. 

Huskies Off To The Roses

Huskies #1 Bryon Murphy

The Washington Huskies won the Pac-12 Championship Friday night in Santa Clara California. A great way to the end the month of November for sure. We have to wait until we see who they will be playing against in the Rose Bowl.

The game was a defense one all the way along. Either  the Huskies or the Utah Utes could have won the game. What helped the Huskies was having the ball 20 more minutes than the Utes. 

Although they didn't score any offensive touchdowns they did get an interception by MVP of the game Bryon Murphy which turned into a touchdown. It bounced off the kneecap of the receiver. Sometimes it does take luck to win a football that is so close. 

The Utes could have won the game as easy as the Huskies. The Huskies had a 3-0 game at half-time and the Utes tied the game in the 3rd quarter before Murphy's touchdown.

One of the few times the Huskies went for a field goal which looked going into almost a sure thing however often college kickers miss those too however the Utes blocked the kick to keep it at a one score deficit. The field goal would have probably sewn up the game though.

I am sure there are plenty of fans that are not for either team would prefer someone else like the Cougars or the Ducks go to the Rose Bowl because of offense which in these days is understandable. This game it is hard to tell whether it was a lot about defense or the offense was not good either. Since the score ended 10-3 it is hard to know for sure. 

I am sure glad the Huskies are going. It has been a long time since they were last playing in the Rose Bowl was 2000.

Since the Rose Bowl is now a month away it is time to turn to watching the Huskies Men's basketball team. Right now they are 5-2. They play UC Santa Barbara on Sunday then coming up on Wednesday they take on state rival and number one ranked Gonzaga. It would be nice to see an upset with the Huskies winning. Whatever the case this will be a good game for the Huskies to get in against a top team. 

Anyway we congratulate the football team and let's go in the Rose Bowl. Go Huskies!