I agree letting Rojas go was a mistake. A superb fielder with offensive upside that needed patience, offseason work and excellent coaching. The most hopeful scenario I can envision is that Sasaki chooses Seattle and though I hate to say it, the Mariners trade well for El Piedra. Yet I'm not even sure that the Mariners are in the running for the Japanese phenom.
There's a lot off offseason to go, hopefully M's sign a lively bat(s?) not ready to collect Social Security, perhaps for Luis Castillo, before he ages out on the M's.
But I think the answer to the M's meager offseason is what they can't say: "we're into the Mitches for $30+mil and Stanton/owners refuse to leverage their way out of the mess like a 1st tier team."
Consig & fans, If I'm missing something, don't hesitate to correct me - I WANT to be wrong on above.
Another thing I can't understand either during or after '24 season is the undervaluation (and misuse?) of Josh Rojas. Please speak out if I'm missing stuff!
When you're the M's you don't release/replace 2+WAR with nothing, especially if you're not in market for Bregman et al. Rojas played a decent 3B. JP went DL, Rojas was a good leadoff.
JP came back from 2 fairly long DL stiints and was immediately reinserted as leadoff when Rojas was doing well??? WTF? I've followed championship teams - that's rarely the way they do it, no matter who you are, you come back in a low spot and bat back up. In a confidence game like baseball hitting, what's that say to Rojas to do well as leadoff and get dropped like a hot potato?
M's can't take hitting for granted - Rojas should have been leadoff 'til JP did as well or better - but JP stunk all year.
Is it possible M's released Rojas at his request? Even if M's offered Bregman, veteran players want to go where they can compete for championships (probably Turner too). Standing pat in '25, M's will be in the thick of what could be a 3-way battle for West division and come up short, as usual.
I'd love to be wrong, but nobody wants to talk Mitches sunk costs. Unless someone baptizes the Mitches in the fountain of youth (every day perhaps?), at best (if pitchers healthy) 2025's gonna be another good pitch, no hit, hope the rookies rake in '26 year. ;-/
The Mariners will incessantly talk about 30-yr old 1995 memories rather than focus on the present. This majority owner is terrible. https://www.si.com/mlb/mariners/news/seattle-mariners-are-one-of-five-teams-to-not-spend-even-one-dollar-this-offseason-in-free-agency
As I understand it, the Mariners do not have a majority owner.
I agree letting Rojas go was a mistake. A superb fielder with offensive upside that needed patience, offseason work and excellent coaching. The most hopeful scenario I can envision is that Sasaki chooses Seattle and though I hate to say it, the Mariners trade well for El Piedra. Yet I'm not even sure that the Mariners are in the running for the Japanese phenom.
There's a lot off offseason to go, hopefully M's sign a lively bat(s?) not ready to collect Social Security, perhaps for Luis Castillo, before he ages out on the M's.
But I think the answer to the M's meager offseason is what they can't say: "we're into the Mitches for $30+mil and Stanton/owners refuse to leverage their way out of the mess like a 1st tier team."
Consig & fans, If I'm missing something, don't hesitate to correct me - I WANT to be wrong on above.
Another thing I can't understand either during or after '24 season is the undervaluation (and misuse?) of Josh Rojas. Please speak out if I'm missing stuff!
When you're the M's you don't release/replace 2+WAR with nothing, especially if you're not in market for Bregman et al. Rojas played a decent 3B. JP went DL, Rojas was a good leadoff.
JP came back from 2 fairly long DL stiints and was immediately reinserted as leadoff when Rojas was doing well??? WTF? I've followed championship teams - that's rarely the way they do it, no matter who you are, you come back in a low spot and bat back up. In a confidence game like baseball hitting, what's that say to Rojas to do well as leadoff and get dropped like a hot potato?
M's can't take hitting for granted - Rojas should have been leadoff 'til JP did as well or better - but JP stunk all year.
Is it possible M's released Rojas at his request? Even if M's offered Bregman, veteran players want to go where they can compete for championships (probably Turner too). Standing pat in '25, M's will be in the thick of what could be a 3-way battle for West division and come up short, as usual.
I'd love to be wrong, but nobody wants to talk Mitches sunk costs. Unless someone baptizes the Mitches in the fountain of youth (every day perhaps?), at best (if pitchers healthy) 2025's gonna be another good pitch, no hit, hope the rookies rake in '26 year. ;-/
Thank you Mr. A for the insights.
Always thorough and always insightful. Thanks