12-15-09 -- Seattle Mariners Hot Stove: The Jason Bay Sweepstakes

So far, second-year Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik has had a brilliant off-season, acquiring Chone Figgins and Cliff Lee. But there is still work to be done. The Mariners are returning a lineup in 2010 that boasts one lone 20+ homerun hitter. So, with the need for a top-shelf power bat clearly obvious Nick G Sports Banter explores the following question: Should the Mariners enter the Jason Bay Sweepstakes? Take a listen as Nick Giarrusso and Matt Hardin try to answer that very question.

Simply click on the title of this post and enjoy the debate.

Seattle Mariners Hot Stove: The Case For Bay

Take one look at the current Seattle Mariner’s roster and the need for a legitimate power bat becomes insanely apparent. The only player currently under contract who hit more than 20 home runs last season is Jose Lopez, with 25. Aside from that, the offense is pop-gun to say the least.

Enter: Jason Bay.

Not only is Bay the best power bat on the market, he’s one of the best power bats in the game. With four 30+ home run seasons to his credit Bay has shown the ability to hit for power in practically every situation. He hit well in the National League and the American League. He hit well in a pitcher’s park and a hitter’s park. He hit well for a last place team and a playoff team. The bottom line is that this guy is the difference-making, middle-of-the-lineup bat that the Mariners desperately crave. So what’s the downside?

Jason Bay critics will argue that his defense is below par and that he’ll probably be better suited as a DH in the foreseeable future. Oh, and let’s not forget he’s a right-handed hitter who would play half of his games in the righty death-trap that is SafeCo Field. All solid points, but I’d still sign Bay in a New York minute. Sure, his defense isn’t great, but if there’s ever a place for a sub-par fielder it’s in left. Plus, how much ground will Bay really need to cover with Franklin Gutierrez manning the left-field alley? As for the DH thing, I’d say this: Who cares? So what if Bay becomes a full-time DH at some point over the life of his contract? You’re paying for his bat, not his glove. If Bay keeps the seat warm for Dustin Ackley for a year or two, fine. If the M’s sign a better defensive left fielder, okay. If there’s ever a place that understands the value of a world-class DH isn’t it Seattle? Edgar Martinez carved out a hall-of-fame career as a DH, rarely stepping foot on the field. If the worst thing that happens is Bay becoming the new Edgar he’ll be worth every penny.

And what about playing in SafeCo Field? This argument makes me laugh. First, what are the Mariners supposed to do? Never even consider signing a big-name righty bat? Plus, it’s not like this rule about righties isn’t without exception. Remember the aforementioned Edgar Martinez? Or how about Alex Rodriguez, Brett Boone or Richie Sexson? All righties and all had great power years playing half their games at the dreaded Safe. And why are we forgetting about the other half of the games?!?! I’d love to have Jason Bay in places like The Ballpark at Arlington, Fenway Park and Yankee Stadium. Wouldn’t you?

I know it’s scary for a team to invest Bay-type dollars into a player with apparent shortcomings. This process would be much easier if every $20 million dollar player was a well refined, five-tool guy. But that’s simply not that case. Power is a rare commodity and commands huge dollars when up for auction on the open market. But all things considered, this market for Bay is pretty reasonable, especially when compared to what other power-bats of his ilk have recently signed for (see: Teixeira, Manny, A-Rod). He has his flaws, so his asking price is slightly reduced. This brings him right into the Mariners’ wheelhouse. And after all this, how can you forget that he’s from the Pacific Northwest (Trail, Canada to be exact) and has stated he would love to be a Mariner! Plus, he’s only 31 years old, just entering his prime as a power hitter. For all of the arguments that can be made against signing Jason Bay, I think there’s a pretty good one to be made in favor of it.

12-15-09 -- Seattle Mariners Hot Stove Podcast: A Look At First Base

First, Chone Figgins was plucked away from the division rival Angels. Then, there was the blockbuster acquisition of ace pitcher Cliff Lee. What's next on Jack Z's hit list? With Seattle's second-year GM likely to trun his attention towards securing a first basemen, Nick G Sports Banter expolores what options might be on his radar? Will Russel Branyan return to the fold? Who are the other guys on the Mariners' short list? Is a blockbuster trade in the works?

Take a listen as Nick Giarrusso and Matt Hardin try and answer the question: Who's at first? Simply click on the title of this post and the podcast will begin...enjoy!

Seattle Mariners Hot Stove: Who's At First?

The Winter Meetings have come and gone and the Seattle Mariners still have plenty of work to do. Not the least of which is filling a grand-canyon sized void at first base. This time last off-season, GM Jack Zduriencik addressed the very same hole by signing Russell Branyan to a one-year deal. And boy did that pay dividends, as Branyan was arguably the Mariners’ team MVP in 2009, blasting 31 homers en route to a career season. But with Branyan opting to test free agency, instead of re-upping for another year, the Mariners find themselves right back where they started—without a first baseman. Sure, Mike Carp and Jack Hannahan can play first in a pinch, but it’s fair to say that finding a more proven option is high on Jack Zduriencik’s list. Will the Moose return? Who else might the M’s be targeting? Or, does the second-year GM have a blockbuster in the works? Let’s take a look at some of the options Jack Zduriencik might have up his sleeve:

This conversation really needs to start with this preface: Every move the Mariners make this off-season will take Dustin Ackley’s future into consideration. The Mariners will not invest multiple years and huge dollars into players that will potentially block their major-league bound prospect. While there’s much speculation about what position Ackley will ultimately play at the major league level, there seems to be little doubt that he’ll end up with the big club sooner rather than later. In fact, many suspect that the North Carolina product could get a September call-up in 2010 and make the team outright in 2011.Wishful thinking, maybe? But Ackley seems to be that kind of a prospect. That said, GM Jack Zduriencik should be okay investing, if the right situation arises, long-term at first base. Yes, Ackley played first during his final year at UNC, but that was to save his arm following shoulder surgery. When Ackley finally trots out of the SafeCo dugout he’ll be heading towards either left field or second base, not first.

Without having to worry about blocking Ackley, Zduriencik is free to do what he pleases at first base. The quick fix would be to try and reacquire Russell Branyan. The fact that the two sides have failed to reach a deal makes sense. Branyan is coming off a solid year and is one of only two players hitting free agency off a 30+ homerun season, the other being Jason Bay. For the first-time in his career Branyan has some leverage in free agency and is trying to find a team willing to make a multi-year commitment. The M’s on the other hand saw Branyan’s back break down in September and are weary of being duped into an injury-riddled partnership with the Moose.

But don’t expect Jack Z to wait around for Branyan. Earlier this off-season the M’s were rumored to be talking with the Toronto Blue Jays about their first baseman, Lyle Overbay. That deal never materialized, but could always be a phone call away. According to reports from the Winter Meetings, Overbay is being heavily shopped by the cash-strapped Jays and his $8 million dollar salary is there for the taking. This could be a Jack Z’s number-one fall back plan.

The bland name that seems to continually pop up is Nick Johnson. At 31 years old, Johnson would become part of a first-base-by-committee approach, sharing time with Carp and/or Branyan. He’s solid defensively and has shown moderate pop when healthy. But therein lies the problem, Nick Johnson is never healthy. And the last thing the M’s need is an average, injury prone veteran. But, worst case scenario, the M’s could take a flier on Johnson’s affordable asking price and hope that he’s this year’s version of last year’s Russell Branyan.

Now for the guys I love: Carlos Delgado and Hank Blalock. Here are two names that haven’t been linked to Seattle, but that doesn’t mean Jack Z hasn’t taken a look. Right hip surgery ended Delgado’s 2009 season after only 26 games. Prior to that, Delgado was simply one of the best power hitters in big league history. He hit 38 homeruns in 2008, showing that there is more than enough pop left in his bat. Plus, he’s a lefty! With a resume of 11 30+ homerun seasons, a Delgado-type bat is exactly what the power-challenged Mariners need most. In fact, if I was Jack Z, he would be my #1 target. Entering 2010 at 37 years old, off a season lost to injury, Delgado might be the biggest risk-reward free agent on the market. He’ll command decent money, but is also likely to sign a one-year deal. With Seattle already looking at two injury-prone guys in Branyan and Johnson, why not pull a power-move and roll the dice with this Puerto Rican homer machine?

As for Blalock, in my opinion he’s the most under-the-radar free agent currently available. Nobody seems to be talking about him. Here’s another lefty that has four 20+ homerun seasons to his credit before his 30th birthday. He’d require a long-term deal, but he’s a pure slugger that would look very, very good in the middle of the Mariner’s lineup. And just like with Chone Figgins, you’d be plucking him directly away from a division foe.

And finally, there’s the shoot-for-the-moon option: Adrian Gonzalez. With only two years remaining on his contract with the San Diego Padres, Gonzalez trade talk has increasingly started to build momentum dating back to last season’s trade deadline. And the Mariners and Red Sox as the two teams most often tied to the Mexican first basemen. The asking price would be steep, probably something along the lines of Mark Lowe, Brandon Morrow, Triunfel and two other minor leaguers. But the M’s would make a deal of this nature in a second. Gonzalez is the type of player that would become your franchise centerpiece for years to come, but with a brand new GM down in San Diego, which has club control over Gonzalez through to 2011 season, the Pads are in no rush to trade their only good player.

Is the possibility of adding Gonzalez at some point over the next two seasons worth waiting for? Is Jack Z leave the door open for A-Gone and go the route of a one-year, stop gap? It all remains to be seen, as for the second time in his two years on the job Jack Zduriencik’s off-season could be defined by how he answers the following question: Who’s at first?

Catastrophe Avoided

For a fleeting moment it appeared over. Tripled digits illuminated from every scoreboard in the stadium. Heisman hopeful Colt McCoy sat stunned on the Cowboy Stadium turf. The Nebraska Cornhuskers started rushing the field, apparently as the new Big 12 champions. And Mack Brown couldn’t believe what he was watching. With one finger pointed towards the roof, signifying his hopeful plea that one second should remain on the clock, the Texas coach prayed for one final play to try and keep a perfect season intact.

Thankfully for the Texas Longhorns this moment was temporary. And one minuscule second was placed back on the clock. With order now restored, kicker Hunter Lawrence nailed a 46-yard field goal and BCS chaos was averted. Texas 13, Nebraska 12.

In the here and now, devastation was sidestepped, a perfect season was salvaged and the chance to become champions remained. But in the larger picture, so much more was avoided. Imagine for a moment that one second wasn’t returned to the play clock and the final score read: Nebraska 12, Texas 10. How would the final moments of this improbable game be remembered? The answer to that question is simple: The final seconds of the 2009 Big 12 championship game would forever be remembered as one of the most baffling and costly screw ups in the history of college football. Oh what a difference one second can make.

How we got to this point was pretty shocking in the first place. For Texas, the only thing that stood in the way of a spot alongside Alabama in the BCS Championship was this game. And the #22 Nebraska Cornhuskers weren’t supposed to provide much of test. At least that was the conventional wisdom. Then the game started and the coronation quickly morphed into a backyard brawl. And Nebraska DT Ndamukong Suh was the main reason why. With a performance that showed the world why he’s projected to be the number-one pick in next April’s NFL Draft, Suh was a monster, sacking Colt McCoy a Big 12 championship game record 3 ½ times. Nebraska kicked a go-ahead field goal with less than two minutes remaining in the game. And suddenly, Texas was 1:44 away from letting a perfect season slip away.

What happened next? Let’s take a look at one of the more baffling finishes you will ever see:

1:44 On The Clock

Nebraska kicks off following Alex Henery’s 42-yard go-ahead field goal giving the Cornhuskers a slim two point lead. But inexcusably the ball is kicked out of bounds. And just like that the Longhorns are already at their own 40 yard line.

1st & 10 at TEX 40: Colt McCoy drops back, scans the field and finds Jordan Shipley at the 50 yard line. Shipley darts for the sideline and is tackled at the Nebraska 43. But that’s not all. A flag flies in ...blatant horse collar...tack on 15 yards…and after one play the Longhorns are in field goal range.

1st & 10 at NEB 26: With one timeout still in their back pocket the Horns have plenty of options. But this was not what Mack Brown had in mind. Ndamukong Suh blew the play up from the snap of the ball, sacking Colt McCoy for a loss of 2. Tick, tock…tick tock.

:40 Seconds On The Clock

2ND & 12 at NEB 28: This is where things get downright scary if you’re a Longhorn fan. Following the Suh sack Texas appears in no rush. Honestly, looking back on it now, they seem like a pilotless plane. McCoy brings Texas to the line with :40 seconds remaining in the game. Mack Brown decides against using his final timeout. Colt McCoy decides against spiking the ball to stop the clock. Instead, McCoy takes the snap, rolls to his right, bounces off a blocked Suh, spins back towards his left and gets tackled for a one yard loss. Whew. National championship hanging in the balance and that’s the best you got. But wait, it gets worse.

:30 Seconds On The Clock

3rd & 13 at NEB 29: McCoy was tackled with exactly :30 seconds remaining on the game clock. At this point there should have been only two options:

A.) Get up to the line quickly and run a play. Brown and McCoy both know that Hunter Lawrence prefers to kick from the right hash. The ball was spotted on the left hash. Considering this would be the biggest kick of Lawrence’s life you would think the smart move would be to get the ball over to the right hash, call a timeout and try the field goal.

B.) Let the clock run down to under 3 seconds, call a timeout and trot Lawrence out for the game-winner from the left hash. This eliminates the possibility of a fumble, bad snap, ect and guarantees that you will absolutely have a shot at the game-winning kick.

With :25 seconds left in the game McCoy was up off the ground and the Texas players scattered around without direction. McCoy gazed, as if in a fog, back towards the Texas sideline. Whether or not McCoy suffered a concussion at some point during this sequence might never be known. Finally, the Longhorns are over the ball with :10 seconds remaining in the game. The ball is snapped with :07 seconds on the clock. No timeout. No spike. Texas is actually running a play!?!? It’s a designed roll-out to the right. Tick, tock. Ndamukong Suh explodes through the Texas line and is bearing down on the Heisman hopeful. With :04 seconds left McCoy throws a high archer out of bounds and is immediately drilled to the turf by Suh. Three, two, one and triple digits appear throughout the stadium.

0:01 Second On The Clock

4th & 13 at NEB 29: The previous play is reviewed and one second is placed back on the game clock. Nebraska fans will argue until the end of time that they got screwed here, but the right call was made. The rulebook states that the clock should stop once the ball hits something out of bounds. In this case that happened with one second still remaining in the game. Hate instant replay if you want, but the idea is to get it right, right? Despite their own stupidity and nearly epic end-of-game mismanagement, the Longhorns send Hunter Lawrence on to try a 46-yard field goal. Adding to the drama was the kick itself. Off the foot it seemed on a collision course with the left upright, but in the end it snuck inside the goalpost by less that a foot. Triple digits again appeared on the stadium scoreboard. But this time the final score read: Texas 13 Nebraska 12. Catastrophe avoided.