Who Should Be At Shortstop For Mariners!

This last season the shortstop position was mostly handled by Ketel Marte who played for his second season on the Mariners and for the first full season. Like what happens often a player does struggle in his second season in the major leagues however the big question going into 2017 can the Mariners afford him to have another off-season?

Actually the answer more is for his fielding than his hitting. He plays at one of the three most important positions on the field. Those are the three that they call up the middle. Catcher, shortstop and centerfield; the Mariners are pretty good defensively at catcher in Mike Zunino and Jesus Sucre along with Leonys Martin in centerfield however Marte is not the shortstop need at this time. He starts 2017 at the age of 23 so he actually still has time to become a very good shortstop. The Mariners can handle his hitting because it was decent but in both seasons his fielding percentages were .960 and .959. If you look at Zach Cozart who the Mariners tried to trade for at the trading deadline his fielding percentage was .980. The problem with Marte’s fielding had to do with making the routine plays. He had no problem making some spectacular play however at times he would throw the ball away. A great example of that was at the end of the season when he threw the ball away in two crucial games down the stretch. You could say that the Mariners may have made the playoffs if those plays had not happened. In both games the opposition scored four unearned runs in the inning that he threw the ball away. We don’t know whether they would have won the games or not but the chances would have been pretty good. In both cases the Mariners were ahead.

Right now the place the Mariners are going they need to go with a veteran shortstop whether it is Zach Cozart who I am sure they will try to acquire once again or go for someone else. Ketel Marte most likely will be sent down to play next season in triple A primarily to work on his defense. He has showed that he can hit in the major leagues but he has to show that he can play shortstop in the major leagues. In my opinion his future position is more to be second base; if that is the case than the Mariners likely will look to trade him since Robinson Cano is a fixture at second base and there is no one better than him.

As far as Cozart goes he has a one year contract remaining on his contract. Not sure whether the Mariners are looking to sign him to an extension or let him leave after one season. At the start of last season besides Marte they had Chris Taylor and Luis Sardinas on their 40 ma roster however they traded both them away. Among the Mariners top minor league prospects Drew Jackson a fifth round draft pick in 2015 is considered the Mariners number three prospect. Right now don’t know whether he will be ready to play in 2018 if Marte is not ready to go. Also they have Tyler Smith who played a lot of shortstop in Tacoma last year but not sure whether the Mariners consider him to be someone to play for them as a regular anytime soon. I am sure that Dipoto will look into acquiring Cozart during the off-season along with some other shortstops that could be available. It would be difficult to keep Marte at shortstop for another season unless he works a lot during the off-season and sees a lot of improvement in his fielding. So right now it is see what happens at short. Go M’s.

Seahawks/Falcons Offense Vs Defense

The Seattle Seahawks take on the Atlanta Falcons in the biggest game of the young season for both teams. The Seahawks have a 3-1 record while the Falcons are 4-1.

The Seahawks winning this game would give them a wider margin in first place over the Los Angeles Rams and the Arizona Cardinals. The Falcons have the number one offense in the NFL while the Seahawks have the number one defense. The main matchup will be between receiver Julio Jones and cornerback Richard Sherman. Likely Jones will make some plays but will Sherman be able to stop him on the big plays. The way I would stop Jones would be within the five yards of the line of scrimmage. I would take a lineman or linebacker near the line to do so just in case Jones got past them and Sherman would be in better position to guard him. The rule on how the cornerbacks can play gives the advantage to Jones. It will be important that Sherman be on him close as possible without causing a penalty. Also it would be good if Sherman can get a couple interceptions as well.  I would look at Earl Thomas come over to help out as well.

With the bye week over Russell Wilson should be healthier than he was when he played against the New York Jets who he threw for over three hundred yards against. This will be another key to the game is that the Seahawks are able to keep the ball long as possible. So the Seahawks will have to depend on the running game with Christine Michael being the primary back. Also Jimmy Graham making catches on third down along with Doug Baldwin. At this point not sure how much Tyler Lockett will play because of his injury. He could be in the game primarily as the punt returner. Paul Richardson could turn out to be the primary speed man in this game.

On the defensive side another key would be the pass rush with Michael Bennett and Cliff Avril going after quarterback Matt Ryan. This game could come down to a touchdown or field goal late in the fourth quarter. This would depend a lot on how much the defense has to be on the field and who has the ball last in the game. Both Ryan and Wilson are great at coming back to win games in the fourth quarter. I am not sure of the score however it likely be a tight game. The Seahawks playing a game of defense and the offense playing well to along with being at Century Link Field this could be a blow out as well. Go Hawks!

Look at First Base For Mariners

                                     
                                          Daniel Vogelbach

I am sure we will see soon what Jerry Dipoto will be doing for trades coming up in the off-season. I am sure he has talked over with a few other ball clubs and has discussed with his management team whether first base is a priority or he may be looking more at shortstop and the outfield.

Looking at his history I expect at least one trade if not more will happen during October. He will look at more transactions in November. Free agency won’t happen until after the World Series though I am sure the Mariner staff is discussing that to.

At first base Daniel Vogelbach the Mariners got in mid-July from the Chicago Cubs for pitcher Mike Montgomery. He played out in Triple A for the Tacoma Rainiers before being called up in September when the roster expanded. The Mariners feel that he is ready to play regular in the major leagues since he has hit pretty good in all the levels of the minor leagues. He is a left handed hitter so the Mariners may look at platooning him at first base so they would look at bringing in a right handed hitter. Adam Lind and Dae-Ho Lee are both free agents. Lind will not be back and Lee could if his asking price is OK. The Mariners will look at a right handed hitter that could play every day if things don’t work out and Vogelbach isn’t ready for the major leagues.

I have heard that the Mariners could be interest in Steve Pearce who played last year for the Baltimore Orioles and is a free agent. He batted .288 in 85 games with thirteen home runs. His batting average was higher than Lee and so was his on-base percentage. What would make him interested to the Mariners is that he could play either left or right field along with second and third base. So he gives more flexibility in the lineup for the Mariners. Although he has been in the major leagues for several years could he be a regular at first base if necessary.

Another choice in house could be Mike Freeman and Stefan Romero who both can play multiple positions as well. D.J. Peterson a former first round draft pick ended his season in Tacoma early because of an injury. Hard to know whether Dipoto thinks he is ready or should spend another year in Tacoma. The thing about Romero is he has been in the Mariners system for several years so Dipoto may think his days are done here. He could be an added piece in any trade the Mariners make. Other words he would be a throw in. It may do him a world of good to go elsewhere.

Next time I will look at the shortstop position since it is the only other infield position that is in question.

 

Seahawks and the Bye Week

I know some of you had withdrawals because the Seahawks did not play on Sunday. I enjoyed the fact that I could take a weekend off from the NFL even though the weather was not good. Of course I had college football on Saturday watching the Huskies beat up on the Oregon Ducks to end a 12 year drought. It was nice to hear about the Cougars beating the Stanford Cardinal. Right now they are both at the top of the Pac-12 north division race. We all hope it comes down to the Apple Cup on Black Friday.

With the week off we hope to see a healthier Russell Wilson against the Atlanta Falcons next Sunday. Also the other players that may have some little dings feel much better. Another thing about the bye week you were able to save your voice too. Remember still got twelve games to go in the regular season plus the playoffs and the Super Bowl. The 12^th man has to be healthy too.

So now you can get back to all Seahawk news all the time. Oh yes throw in some Husky and Cougar news as well. This could be the best football season around in a few. Look forward to see the defense on the field as well as the offense. Like to see more long passes to Tyler Lockett and Paul Richardson along with medium passes to Doug Baldwin and Jermaine Kearse; of course we can’t forget seeing Jimmy Graham going for a high ball. We can’t forget about the running game as well though Marshawn is in the past. We hope to see an improved offensive line as well. The most important thing though it is Seahawk football. Go Team!

Top Dawgs Back in Seattle

The Seattle Seahawks have been the team in Seattle over the last decade however the Washington Huskies are now looking to take the reigns once again.  

Late Saturday afternoon the Huskies went to Eugene, Oregon and destroyed the Oregon Ducks ending the twelve year losing streaking. The final score was 70-21 with Jake Browning throwing for six touchdowns and running for two more. John Ross who I thought would do a great job if the Huskies were to win made three of the touchdowns that Browning through.

Running back Myles Gaskin ran for  197 on sixteen carries for a career high for him including a 65 yard touchdown in the first quarter that put the Huskies up 21-7. Receiver Dante Pettis scored a couple touchdowns as well. He lost a touchdown on a punt return when the Huskies were penalized for a hit on the back. He had a total of eight catches for one hundred thirty-four yards.

The playing of Jake Browning was so excellent that he reminded me of Russell Wilson though he is taller. Browning is a true sophomore who started last year for Huskies. This year Coach Peterson has let Browning loose after keeping him doing basic plays last year. Browning continues to play he did in this game the best of the season the Huskies will go undefeated going into the national championship series.

The other Pac-12 team in the state of Washington the Cougars did a number themselves this week beating the Stanford Cardinal 42-16. The Cougars beat Oregon last week so both Cougars and Huskies dominated both Oregon and Stanford. Right now the best college football is being played in Washington. This continues for more than a month the Apple Cup being played on Black Friday after Thanksgiving will be something special. This could be the best game ever in this long rivalry series. What made this game against the Cardinal is that Cougars played wonderful defense which is not what they known for. The Cougars forced three turnovers by the Cardinal along with Christian McCaffrey having only 83 all-purpose yards. He had to leave the game in the second half as well. Before last week’s game against the Huskies McCaffrey was one of the favorites for the Heisman Trophy. Unless he turns things around it could be over. Now quarterbacks Luke Falk of the Cougars and Browning of the Huskies could be in the running for the Heisman. Next year was being considered the year more than this year when both teams could compete for a title. Both are on schedule ahead. Right now the Husky and Cougar fans should enjoy the ride. Go teams!

The Big Three

You are a Mariner fan likely you know who the big three are. So I will let you know Robinson Cano, Nelson Cruz and Kyle Seager. Also they are right in the middle of the batting order three through five. All three had really good years that included one of the best years that Cano has had. Truly good since 2015 the first half of the season was terrible and we found out it was because of injuries. He started out having an outstanding season and it continue throughout 2016. Nelson Cruz had another good consistent year. He especially was good in September when the Mariners were trying to get into the playoffs. Kyle Seager started out poorly in April batting under .200 however did hit five home runs like he accomplished every month of the season ending with a total of 30. He did have a good defensive season though it was not like gold glove like in 2014. Most of his errors had to do with not making the play. He always has a good time making throws to first base. Next season for the Mariners to make it into the playoffs Seager will need to have a higher batting average.

I expect that all three will have another really good season next season. I am not sure whether they will have the kind of year as in 2016 however if they are near the average of their careers than the Mariners will still be in good shape.

The key to the Mariners for 2017 is for the starting rotation to be healthy unlike they were in June and July. King Felix will have to healthy all season. James Paxton and TaiJuan Walker need to have the kind of years the Mariners are expecting. 2017 season could be a telling year for the two of them. Iwakuma maybe the most questionable though he had the best season in 2016. He isn’t getting any younger and he has to stay healthy as well. Ariel Maranda who the Mariners got from the Baltimore Orioles needs to pitch like he did in September. Also the Mariners need to have a healthy Nathan Karns for depth as well. I still believe the Mariners need to go out and get a proven top starter. He doesn’t have to be a number starter though it would be nice but a number two starter needs to be. The Mariners are probably at least  a year or two away from one of their minor league starting pitchers to emerge.

The Mariners will need to add another pitcher or two in the bullpen as well. A left handed reliever who has been successful like Charlie Furbush was would be nice. Furbush is not expected back until 2018 if he does at all. Edwin Diaz will be the closer with Steve Cishek being his primary setup man along with Nick Vincent and I like the job Evan Scribner did in September. The Cleveland Indian pitching Andrew Miller early in the game shows that a team should look at putting one of their top relievers in the game when the situation merits. It doesn’t matter whether it is the sixth, seventh or eighth inning. This where I would like to see Scribner or Vincent in the game when it is on the line before the ninth inning; another pitcher I would like back is Drew Storen however he is a free agent so he could go elsewhere. He showed to that he can be affective in the bullpen. Dan Altavilla the Mariners brought up at the end of August from Double A could be a key pitcher in the same type of situations. He could close when Diaz needs to have a rest.

Look forward to what Dipoto plans to do in approving the team. They know that they have to be more athletic especially in the outfield. Go M’s.

John Ross and Huskies Take on Ducks

The University Washington Huskies who are now 5^th ranked in the country take on the Oregon Ducks in Eugene, Oregon on Saturday. The Huskies are favored in double digits which is amazing since they haven’t beaten the Ducks in the last twelve years and they are playing on the road. The reason likely is that they beat Stanford 44-6. The Ducks continue having a good offense though not good as in some of the past years and they are not good on the defensive side of the ball. On the Huskies they have one of the best offenses in the Pac-12 along with the best defense in the conference. The Huskies end this drought regardless of by how many points they show that they are the best team in the conference. They have a record of 5-0 including 2-0 in the conference. No one really knew how good they really were until they beat up on Stanford who was considered the best team in the conference. They are probably still among the best however the Huskies could be the King on the top of the hill.

Jake Browning has broken out as one of the best quarterbacks in the Pac-12 as a sophomore so he and the Huskies have two more years to be outstanding. Under the coaching of Chris Peterson the Huskies could go on a long run like they did under Don James.

The key player for the Huskies on the offense side of the ball against the Ducks is receiver/kickoff returner John Ross. He missed last season because of an injury however he is back as good as ever. He has twenty-one receptions for two hundred seventy-seven yards and six touchdowns. Also he has one kickoff return for a touchdown as well. He could break loose for at least one touchdown receiving and another on a kickoff. The Ducks will need to know where he is at all times. Another player who could make the difference is another wide receiver who runs back punts in Dante Pettis. He could put the Huskies in good field position on his punt returns especially with the working of the Huskies defense. He could catch a pass for a touchdown as well.

The Huskies running game improved last week against Stanford. So if running backs Myles Gaskin and Lavon Coleman both run near a hundred yards each against the Ducks this will be money in the bank to. It will not only allow the Huskies to score but to keep the Ducks offense off the field too. Winning this game will keep the Huskies going toward playing the conference championship game and into the national championship series. The important thing right now is to play one game at a time. This is what Coach Peterson is good at having the team focus on the game that is coming up and not looking ahead.

The other interesting game will be the Washington State Cougars against Stanford. The question will Stanford be able to rebound after the big loss against the Huskies and can the Cougars win three games straight.  Good luck to the Cougars along with the Huskies. Go teams!