[ad_1]
Is it time to rebuild in Seattle? This seems to be the case according to Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports, which has reported On Tuesday, the Mariners "are considering a full-fledged dismount this winter" and have "told the teams that they were ready to move anybody". Such a decision would put stars like James Paxton, Mitch Haniger, Jean Segura and Edwin Diaz on the trading market – but that would also mean another depressing addition to the list of league teams that decided to prefer losing on the cheap than to try to win.
In appearance, Seattle's decision to burn everything would be understandable. A match lost in the second half cost a place in the playoffs at Mariners. Despite 89 wins – the franchise record since 2003 – the playoffs are now 17 years old. Seattle is solidly ranked in the distant second group of contenders, with Tampa Bay, Minnesota and Los Angeles; as Passan says, the M's are in this terrible no man's land where they are good but not good enough. " Worse, they play in a division where they watch the powerful Astros and the 97 winners. -win A & # 39; s.
This does not mean that sailors can not compete. In good health, Paxton is one of the best baseball players in baseball. Haniger and Segura both come from All-Star campaigns, as did Diaz, who led the majors in backups. But that's about all they have. Nelson Cruz, who hit 37 homers last season, is 38 and a free agent. Robinson Canó is 36 years old and comes from a PED suspension. Felix Hernandez is 32 years old. Kyle Seager suffered an offensive disaster in 2018 and just turned 31 last week. Mike Zunino, Ryon Healy and Dee Gordon have all been barely average and the outside field behind Haniger is in disarray. The same goes for the rotation behind Paxton and the support, apart from Diaz, lacks impact arms. The farming system, on the other hand, is one of the worst in baseball, with years of bad drafts and several trades to strengthen the lineup of the major league.
• Why George Steinbrenner and this year's inductees are unlikely to make the Hall of Fame
The decision that was made by General Manager Jerry Dipoto is: go into an independent agency and make transactions to try to build around the core of Paxton, Haniger, Segura and Diaz; or are you treating these four for prospects and reservoir for the next few years? Option A is almost certainly more difficult, given that the Mariners already have $ 125.1 million in reserve for next season, of which about $ 100 million goes to Canó, Hernandez, Seager, Gordon and Mike Leake, and that no prospect is conceivable for them. Talent. From this point of view, a reconstruction may seem to be the only sensible course of action.
GM sailors Jerry Dipoto has never hesitated to trade players.
Stephen Brashear / Getty Images
But although a dismantling has a logical meaning, it would always be disappointing to see the Mariners simply give up. Baseball is already drowning in teams that are not looking to win – who decided to prefer playing for a dark future, rather than offering fans a fun and competitive season. Eight of the 15 LA teams last year finished below .500; five lost 95 games or more. The majority of these franchises are intentionally entered in 2018 with no intention of confronting them. Do we really want to see another team join this mix next season?
On top of that, even if the sailors decide to sell, who buys? All teams could use the likes of Paxton, Haniger or Diaz, but are there enough players willing to give up the required prospects – Passan notes that the return of these players "would need to be massive" for able to move to action? With more tankers than competitors, and with many competitors eager to go forward or reluctant to spend more, the buyer market is small. Paxton may not even be the best pitcher available: as ESPN's Buster Olney reports last week, the newly-hatched Indians at Central American League are ready to replace Corey Kluber and Carlos Carrasco. Dipoto can see that, if he actually makes his stars available, nobody is ready to pay the price he wants. (And you can forget all that is valuable in exchange for Canó, Gordon, Leake or any other expensive but declining veteran.)
• Ranking The 50 best free agents of 2018
Here is my counter-argument to the reconstruction: it would be better if the Mariners add to the list instead of destroying it. Seattle does not compare to the LA elite, but it's a small group and the rest of the league is not trying. Take advantage of this, and zag when everybody zigging (especially considering that if everyone tanke, it is impossible to tank effectively). It will not be easy and it will take a lot of money, but is not the victory supposed to be the goal of a baseball team? We have just seen the Red Sox win the World Series by investing in elite players to complete a young core. Should not this be the model to follow instead of copying the Astros and Cubs in the hope that you replicate their results rather than end up in the marsh where the Reds and Padres reside?
If the Mariners decide to make the tank, it will be considered a pragmatic business decision (that's what it is, a business call launched with dollars in mind) turned to the future. But it stinks for the Mariners fans, who will have to watch dreadful teams play the rope for who-knows-how many years to come, prolonging this drought again and again in the post-season. They deserve better than their franchise simply to give up. So, by the way, the rest of the baseball.
[ad_2]
Source link
