Dispoto Signed Friday

It was announced today that the Mariners have signed general manager Jerry Dipoto to multi-year extension. A press conference will happen Friday afternoon to go into details. I am sure most are not surprised because Dipoto in two and half years has done much as expected when he came to the team two and half years ago. He has turned the Mariners into a team this season who is second in the American League West behind the Houston Astros by a game and a half along with having the fourth best record in the major leagues. The Mariners stay on course they will make the playoffs for the first time in seventeen years.

 

The next thing for the Mariners to announce is an extension for manager Scott Servais. That may occur in the next few days well. What could happen though the Mariners could make another trade before that announced. Also another announced would be to sign designated hitter Nelson Cruz to an extension. It makes sense that Dipoto would be signed to an extension before either Servais or Cruz. He is the guy who would do those signings.

 

It is so nice that the new regime of the Mariners are doing so much to make the Mariners into a winning ball club. Dipoto next work will be to improve the farm system that has been considered the worst in the major leagues. Recently the Mariners have had high draft picks getting hurt during their early development. We just hope this won't happen to any of the top picks of this year's draft. Improving the farm system will help Dipoto make more trades that he has been unable to make because he doesn't have the pieces to make them. We hope in the next couple years this will be apple to happen along with bring up young players that can go along with the young nucleus the Mariners have traded for like Jean Segura, Mitch Haniger, Ben Gamel and Marco Gonzales to name a few. Go M's.  

Mariners Take Series

 

After the eighth game winning ended on Wednesday the question would be can the Mariners win the series against the Angels and the answer was yes. The Mariners seem to be a better team when they are down and not expected to succeed.

 

A few hours before game time we learned that Mike Zunino hurt his ankle in Wednesday's game. Not sure whether it happened when he walked or got a hit in the game. We did see that he ran slowly home in the ninth inning when he was tagged out. I am sure none of us thought of it. Shortly before Thursday's game Zunino was put on the disabled list and David Freitas was brought up from Tacoma.  Chris Herrmann who started Wednesday's game started again on Thursday Night. I expect that he will get the bulk of the catching duties while Zunino is out. I am sure he will catch against righties while Freitas will catch against lefties. Zunino is expected to be out until the Sunday before the All-Star game when he is eligible to come off the disabled list. Wouldn't surprise me if the Mariners don't activate him until after the all-star break. They may send him down for a rehab assignment as well since his hitting has been off prior to his injury. He did get a walk and a single in the last game however he had been struggling at the plate in the last thirty games batting under one hundred.

 

The Mariners scored first in the bottom of the third however the Angels came back to tie 1-1 in the top of the fourth. The Mariners scored in the bottom of the fifth inning to take a 2-1 lead. The game looked like it could go either way though as we know the Mariners have done well in one run games however in the seventh inning catcher Chris Herrmann hit a solo home run and then Guillermo Heredia who wasn't in the original lineup but started when Mitch Haniger was scratched because of an injury hit a double and then scored on a hit by Dee Gordon to make it 4-1 which turned out to be the final score.

 

Marco Gonzales who struggled with his control was able to make it through six innings walking only two batters and striking out seven batters. I believe he grew up more being able to get out of tight situations. He is now showing that he can go six innings or longer since the previous outing he pitched a complete game. James Pazos pitched the seventh inning followed by Colome and Diaz who recorded his thirty-four save of the season.  Right now it seems the Mariners might alternate the seventh and eighth innings between Pazos, Colome, Vincent and Nicasio. It would be nice to have Colome or Nicasio be used in the ninth inning as well. A lead like Thursday Night the Mariners could have used Colome or Nicasio instead. It would be nice to give Diaz some rest before the All-Star break.

 

Now the Mariners will be at home against the Colorado Rockies in interleague play. It will be success again if the Mariners win at least two out of the three games. A lot better if they can win the first two games however we will take what we can. The Mariners will have Felix Hernandez on Friday Night followed by James Paxton and Wade LeBlanc. Winning the series looks pretty good with that trio. Next week the Mariners will be on the road going against the Angels and the Rockies once again. That takes the Mariners into the All-Star Break. After the break they will be home against the Chicago White Sox for three games and then two against the San Francisco Giants. They will finish July by facing the Angels for three games in Los Angeles followed by the Houston Astros in Seattle.  Go M's. 

Eight Game Streak Over

 

Wednesday Afternoon in front of a large Independence Day crowd the Seattle Mariners winning streak came to an end of eight games. The Angels scored a single run in the top of the second inning that included catcher's interference with Japanese sensation Ohtani then the Mariners scored two in the bottom of the same inning  with solo home runs by Kyle Seager and Ryon Healy. It was the only time that the Mariners lead in the game.

 

The Angels took the lead for good scoring two runs in fourth inning then another in the fifth and a two-run homer in the sixth inning. Mike Leake who had been pitching well the last several games left the game without any outs in the fifth inning so he gave up nine hits along with four runs with three being earned. Nick Rumbelow who came in for Leake gave up the two-runner homer. He pitched two innings for the Mariners. The Mariners scored again in the bottom of the sixth to make the score 6-3. Both teams scored a run in the eighth inning to make the final 7-4. The Mariners did have opportunity to score more runs having the bases loaded twice but were not able to deliver either time.

 

I figure it is hard to keep going after winning eight games in a row. I am sure everyone is hoping that the Mariners will start another win streak. Thursday night Marco Gonzales goes for his ninth win. In his last outing he was able to pitch a complete game against the Kansas City Royals. He only gave up one run in the top of the ninth inning in a 4-1 victory.

 

News came out that lefty Ariel Miranda who had one start this season early on was released so he could pursue pitching in Japan. I am sure he saw the writing on the wall. I hope that we will see him again in the major leagues. Erasmo Ramirez is expected to go on a rehab assignment soon. When he is ready he probably will find his way into the Mariners bullpen however he could become the sixth starter in the second half of the season. Both Dipoto and Servais have mentioned that a sixth starter is most likely going to happen especially when Marco Gonzales and Wade LeBlanc reach one hundred and fifty innings. The Mariners could have other candidates but Ramirez is a good option if he is able to stay healthy. At least we know he is capable to pitch in relief well as a starter.

 

We may see more of Gamel, Haniger and Span in the starting lineup depending on who is starting for the other team since Guillermo Heredia has been struggling at the plate. I am sure that Heredia will start against all lefties however he may get some days off against right handers depending who it is. The Mariners may sacrifice some defense earlier in the game if the runs seem to be limited. How much Zunino will play depends on his hitting as well and how Chris Herrmann does at the plate. Wednesday morning Zunino was working on his hitting and did have a hit and walk in two plate appearances when he pitched hit later in the game for Herrmann. Likely Zunino will see more duties than Heredia but this could happen. The Mariners could be shopping for another catcher as well.

 

I am sure before the end of the month we will probably see a trade that could involve getting a pitcher whether it is a starter or reliever. Who that will be is anyone's guess at this point. It will be good to have Cano back in the middle of August though he won't be eligible for the playoffs. At times the Mariners are missing his offense output. At this point it is hard to say how it will work out. Dee Gordon could return to center field until the last couple weeks in September. Go M's.

 



Eight Wins in a Row

The Seattle Mariners started a series Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Angels going for their eighth win in a row and they do so 4-1 behind the pitching of Wade LeBlanc who now is 4-0.

 

Earlier in the day LeBlanc signed a contract extension that goes through 2019 with options on the side of the Mariners for the next three years after that. At the end of spring training LeBlanc signed a minor league contract with the Mariners after being let go by the New York Yankees. Wouldn't it be ironic if he beats the Yankees in the playoffs. I am not sure if I have ever heard of a player signing an extension during the season where  they started out on a minor league contract. It is really good for LeBlanc since he has done a good job for the Mariners and he is rewarded for his efforts.

 

The Mariner's scored three runs in the first inning when Jean Segura hit a double then Mitch Haniger and Nelson Cruz both walked. Segura and Haniger both scored on a single by Kyle Seager that went into left-center. Cruz scored on a wild pitch that Ryon Healy struck out on but reached first base as well. That score kept up until the fourth inning when Andrelton Simmons hit a home run for the Angels. It was only one of three hits that LeBlanc gave up. Nelson Cruz sealed the victory when he hit a solo home run in the bottom of the eighth. LeBlanc went seven innings giving up the three hits and one run along with one walk and four strike outs. Alex Colome pitched the eighth inning  where he struggled once again giving up a single and a walk however he got out of it without yielding a run. Edwin Diaz pitched the ninth striking out one and getting his thirty-third save.

 

Mike Leake will go for his ninth win Wednesday night followed by Marco Gonzales who will do so as well. There is a possibility that the Mariners could have four starters with ten victories by the All-Star break in a couple weeks.  Felix Hernandez will pitch the first game in the weekend series against the Colorado Rockies on Friday followed by James Paxton and Wade LeBlanc. The Mariners then will go on the road to play both the Angels and Rockies once again. Go M's. 

Mariners 2018 Half Season Report Card Part 2

Now my look at the position players for the Mariners during first half season; the catching position is first and my grade is a B. Mike Zunino has been playing great defense by the showing of the starting rotation. His hitting has been low par though he has hit twelve home runs but driving in runs he has only twenty-nine. Also he continues striking out a lot having eighty-four in one hundred ninety-seven at bats. The three players who have been his back up during the season haven’t done any better and they don’t have the power he does possess. Chris Herrmann who is his current backup has only fourteen at bats so can’t really judge his performance. I hope that he is able to get into more games especially if Zunino continues to struggle at the plate. In his last seven games Zunino is batting below one hundred. Hopefully he will be able to relax and rest during the upcoming all-star break. Chris Herrmann can play first base and the outfield as well if necessary.

Speaking of first base Ryon Healy has been a good surprise. Last year he hit twenty-five home runs for the Oakland A’s; right now he has sixteen for the Mariners. His batting average is .252 which is twenty points below last year’s but with a good second half he could bring that up though the power along with driving in runs what is important. The biggest surprise has been his defense. He has done a better job than most expected especially stretching out on throws to him by the other infielders. I give him a grade of B plus at this point.

Now looking at second base position for the Mariners which is interesting to say the least; Robinson Cano started the season playing almost every day until he fractured his right hand in May and then a couple days later was suspended 80 games for PED. He is currently rehabbing in Seattle to be ready to be reactivated on August 14. At the time of his injury he was batting .287 and his on base percentage was almost one hundred points higher because he was taking a lot of walks. Dee Gordon who moved to play second base when Cano went down has been playing stellar defense. He played second base with the Miami Marlins however the Mariners converted him to center field when they for him last December. He currently is batting .280 and leads the major leagues in stolen bases with twenty-one. He has struggled at the plate since returning from the disabled list because of a toe fracture at the end of May. Although he isn’t hitting as well he still has been dangerous on the base paths. Recently he scored from first base on a hit. Rest during the all-star break should help him out as well. When Cano returns in mid-August it is hard to know right now how much he will play at second base. He isn’t eligible for the playoffs so the Mariners will have to use Gordon the last couple weeks of September to be ready to go. Right now the coaching staff has no idea how much Cano will play. There is suggestions that Cano play some first base to give Healy some rest and dh as well to help give Cruz rest as well. Although he hasn’t played third base he does have experience at the position but the Mariners would have to give him opportunity to take grounders there. The purpose would be to give Seager some rest and allow Cano playing time. Of course we have no  idea how Cano will do at first base though being a good fielder he should do fine at first base as well. Gordon could be the super utility player when Cano returns. I give the position a grade of B plus.

Kyle Seager continues to be the everyday third baseman for the Mariners. He hasn’t had a good batting average this year so far being at .232. His power continues though where he has fifteen home runs and he has driven in forty-nine runs so he could still hit thirty home runs for the season and drive in or near one hundred runs. The value of Seager this year is he looks like he has been playing the best defense of his career including the year he won the gold glove. It is hard to calculate but he has looked like he has saved a lot of runs with his glove. Since his batting is below average I give him a grade of B because of his defense.

Jean Segura at shortstop has been doing a great job both hitting and fielding. His fielding hasn’t been stellar at times but still solid and he is number two hitter in the American League with an average of .335. He is second on the Mariners in stolen bases with fourteen and has driven in forty-five runs which is pretty good for a guy who has batted second in the limit most of the season or lead-off when Gordon was on the disabled list. Also he has had multiple hits in more than thirty games which lead the league. He has been one of the leader’s on the ball club as well. He should be playing in the All-Star game though he doesn’t have enough votes to start. I give him a solid A.

Now looking at the outfield; Ben Gamel who started the season on the disabled list is batting .300. Before he was activated Ichiro and Guillermo Heredia were sharing left field. Ichiro I would give an incomplete since he was deactivated a short time after Gamel returned. He isn’t officially retired so he could come back to play in spring training for the Mariners next year. The Mariners are starting next season in Japan and can have twenty-eight players activated instead of twenty-five so Ichiro will likely be activated for those two games. After that unless he is ready to go he will probably be deactivated but no one knows right now whether he would retire then. Gamel right now shares left field with Denard Span who they acquired on May 25 along with reliever Alex Colome from the Tampa Bay Rays has been hitting .292 in twenty-seven games. So those two have been a very good duo and Gamel has been playing a little right field when the have given Guillermo Heredia a day off in center field and Mitch Haniger has moved over. Haniger has had a day off as well during this time as well. Give left field a solid B especially with Gamel and Span playing.

Center Field belonged to Dee Gordon until Robinson Cano was injured then suspended and Gordon returned to his old position. Gordon was playing a solid center field before going back to second base. Guillermo Heredia who is the Mariners best defensive outfielder has been playing well there since becoming the regular center fielder in mid-May. His offense has been inconsistent batting .230 after being around three hundred when he was playing part time. When Cano returns in mid-August it will be hard to know how much Heredia will play since Gordon will play some center field once again. I like Heredia in center field not only for his defense but he is willing to take walks, do the little things like bunting and is in the middle of many Mariner rallies. We will have to see whether he will be an everyday player in the future. He is only in his second season in the major leagues so can’t answer that at this point. I give a grade of B plus in center field.

Right Field belongs Mitch Haniger who has played almost every game there except a few in center field. He not only has been a force at the plate he has thrown out several runs from right field. He is second on the Mariners in home runs with seventeen and leads them in runs batted in with sixty-two and has a batting average of .272. If he has a down fall he has struck out eighty times which is second to Mike Zunino. He does look like a super star in the making. He could be there in a couple years if not before. I give him a grade of A.

The last position is designated hitter. Nelson Cruz has been the primary designated hitter only not playing when he was on the disabled list. Dan Vogelbach was the dh early on along with playing first base. Looking at his defense he is more likely to be a designated hitter in the future but with the Mariners that is not likely. Though he did hit a few home runs he did struggle at the plate. He has been hitting very well at triple A so right now he is more than a triple A player but not a major league player. Cruz is batting .273 with twenty-one home runs. If he can stay healthy the rest of the season he could hit forty home runs once again. In the last thirty games Cruz has batted .345 with thirteen of his twenty-one home runs. That is sold effort for sure. I give him a grade of A minus. If he had been healthy all season than he would have an A or A plus.

The Mariners continue what they have done all season they should easily be over the ninety game winning mark and make the playoffs. It will be nice to see what the report card at the end of the season. As we hope for the Mariners will make the way into the playoffs and into the World Series for the first time. Go M’s.

2018 Seattle Mariners Report Card Just Past the Half Way Mark

The Seattle Mariners are past the halfway mark of the 2018 with a record of 54-31. They are a half-game behind the Houston Astros who were swept by  Tampa Bay Rays over the weekend like the Mariners did to the Kansas City Royals.

So now I am doing my report card for the halfway mark though they have played eighty-five games. The Mariners being twenty-three games above five hundred which I expect is a surprise to everyone I have to give the team a grade of A at this point. I now will give a breakdown of each position along with the pitching.

I start off with the starting pitching. I do have to give them a grade of an A for no other reason is that four of the five starters have eight victories on the season. That could leave the Mariners with the four having ten wins at the all-star break. If one of the four is on the all-star team it would be James Paxton. On Sunday when Paxton shutout the Kansas City Royals pitching eight innings now  has a record of 8-2 with an era of 3.39. Mike Leake will have to follow up with being the number two pitcher so far on the season with a record of 8-4 with an era of 4.01. He did struggle for a short period however has been outstanding as of late. Marco Gonzales who has to be the third rated pitcher on the staff has to be biggest surprise as well. In his last outing he went the distance and gave up only one run which happened in the ninth inning. Wade LeBlanc who started the season in the bullpen has to be the second surprise now having started eleven games has a record of 3-0 with an era of 3.38. He could continue to be a key in the rotation in the second half of the season. The most disappointing has to be Felix Hernandez who used to be the ace of the team. His injuries the last couple years have moved him down to be either the fourth or fifth starter. He does have eight wins to go along with six losses isn’t bad for someone with an era of 5.11. His biggest issue has been pitching in the first inning. For example in his last outing on Saturday the Royals scored three runs in the first inning fortunately the Mariners also scored three runs in the first inning. It has been his biggest trouble all season long.

The Mariners are looking to extend the rotation to six starters in the second half to keep the starters in good shape. James Paxton who currently has pitched one hundred, eleven and two-thirds innings likely will continue pitching every five days depending on who the team is facing along with how successful they continue to win. Mike Leake will probably do the same though he is second in innings pitched to Paxton. As of late he has been pitching effortlessly. Gonzales, LeBlanc and Felix are the three that will be affected with adding another pitcher in the rotation. The pitcher could be Roenis Elias who the Mariners reacquired from the Boston Red Sox in late April and was recalled on June 1 or the other possibility would be someone the Mariners acquire before the trading deadline.

Now a look at the bullpen for the Mariners; this will be harder to judge because of who has pitched in the bullpen. Overall I have to give the bullpen a B. I have to begin with closer Edwin Diaz after Sunday’s game has thirty-two saves in thirty-five opportunities with an era of 2.45. In forty-four innings he has seventy-one strike outs compared to thirteen walks. Also he has only given up twelve hits with two of them being home runs. I have to say you can’t be more spectacular than that and should be on the All-Star team. I would have to give him a grade of A plus.

James Pazos has to be the second best pitcher in the bullpen having a record of 2-1 with an era of 1.84 in thirty-four games. He has walked only four batters and struck out twenty-seven. I give him a grade of A. He took over the number one lefty specialist in the bullpen when the Mariners released Marc Rzepczynski on June 6. He had an era of 9.39 in eighteen games walking nine batters. He gave up thirteen hits as well over seven and two-thirds innings. His role was to get the tough left handed hitter of the opposing team which he wasn’t doing well. I give him a grade of D minus and I am sure that general manager is looking for another lefty to go with Pazos. Elias can be used in that role to if necessary though the Mariners are using him as a long reliever primarily at this point.

The next pitcher I put in line because he probably is the biggest surprise in the bullpen is Chase Bradford. His role starting out was being the first reliever coming out of the bullpen but has pitched in some important times since. He has a record of 5-0 with an era of 2.81 pitching in twenty-eight games and going thirty-two innings. He has only given up seven walks and has struck out twenty-six batters. I give him a grade of A minus since he didn’t start the season with the Mariners. He was recalled from Tacoma on April 9.

Nick Vincent, Juan Nicasio and Alex Colome the Mariners acquired from Tampa Bay along with Denard Span have been a disappoint though they have had their moments as well. As a unit I would give them a grade of C plus. They pitch up to what they are capable of in the second half of the season they can land the Mariners in the playoffs. It is possible the Mariners could go after another reliever that will work with that trio. The other pitchers that have worked out of the Mariner bullpen I would give them a grade of C.

Next report I will look at the position players. Go M’s.

Seahawks News and More

 

Sunday the news came out that most Seahawks fans expected and that is  the retirement of Kam Chancellor who had a neck injury at the end of the season. Thanks Kam for giving us the 12th man eight exciting seasons.

 

 

This means now that the Seahawks defense will be looking even more different going into the 2018 season than last season. Bobby Wagner and K.J. Wright will be the backbone of the defense. At this point we have no idea whether Earl Thomas will return or not. He said that he would sit out for now without signing a new contract. He still has a year remaining on his current contract.  Frank Clark has one year remaining on his contract as well. Haven't heard anything from him what he plans to do or what the Seahawks are planning as well. One thing we do know for sure is that we will have to look at a guide to see who these new players are this season. We do know that some of the young players will be as familiar in a few years like the guys we have all come to know.

 

 

Today the Seattle Mariners shut out the Kansas City 1-0 behind the pitching of James Paxton who went eight innings and Edwin Diaz who nailed down another save. This now makes the Mariners a half game behind the Houston Astros who were beaten by the Tampa Bays 3-2. Just like the Mariners sweeping the Royals over the weekend the Rays did the same to the Astros. Those who doubted that the Mariners would be in the race for the American League West they are in it. The Mariners will have an off day on Monday than have a three game series against the Los Angeles Angels at Safeco Field. It would be nice if the Mariners could sweep the Angels again like last time they came to town. This would make the Mariners sweeping a third series in a row and win ten games in a row at the same time. The Astros will be facing at the Texas Rangers at the same time. Who knows the Mariners could be in first place once again after the Angels series.

 

 

With an off day on Monday I will be starting to write my report card for the first half of the season. Give you a heads up being twenty-three games above five hundred the team grade will be an A. I know that none of us including the Mariners themselves expected to be where they are at right now.  I will go through the rest of the grading position by position. Second base is interested with the suspension of Robinson Cano and Dee Gordon being moved back from center field. So the first half will have to include both positions for sure.

 

So until next time. We look forward to hear about Kam Chancellor's future and go Seahawks and Mariners. Oh yes training camp for the Seahawk will begin on July 26. Wouldn't it be nice if the Mariners have a solid lead in the American League West at the same time. Also would be nice to have a meaningful October for the Mariners along with the Seahawks for a change.