Mariners Mailbag. Lengthy discussion on Lindor and FA Spending

[bpj]

Great find Donn, that was an exciting read up until the mid-2021 part.

Thats essentially the exact same thing he had been saying about midseason 2020.

Doesn't matter. The team has proven they can win despite the efforts of Dipoto to play for the draft pick.

Even if all they do is add Walker back to the mix and make Graveman their closer, we're way better off than where we started 2020.

If we sign Walker I would dangle Sheffield this offseason.

We have enough kids coming up that cashing in on Sheffield while his value is at a peak wouldn't put us in a hole and there are only so many spots.

[Donn Beach]

its a question of interpreting what he had to say...with additions and steps taken forward they should win many more games next season

All part of a carefully scripted and calculated plan with one thing apparent coming out of the 2020 season. If the Mariners’ shortened season would have translated to a 71- to 73-win 162-game season, their play in the final 30 to 40 games that Dipoto pointed to earlier in the interview leave them believing that with additions and steps taken forward, they should win many more games next year.

[D-train]

that is a good point he makes about Cruz, that is the where the Mariners are at, offering more years...

When they signed Nelson Cruz, their best free-agent signing ever, the Mariners were the only team to offer a guaranteed fourth year at $14 million while other teams wanted to limit Cruz to three years.

I think the Weather thing is Way overblown. We have a roof. It isn't that cold in April. Its not cold in May or Sept. I can see the travel thing about but with internet on flights its not a big deal. Also Ground transportation and waiting at the AP is the same everywhere and isn't any different than the California teams. Playing for an org that hasn't made the playoffs in two decades might be an issue.

[D-train]

well that is pretty cynical, that was Dipoto's time frame wasn't it, compete in 2021, the team seems ready to do it

That was then, this is now.

Question: We’ve talked about supplementing the roster after the season. There’s been a lot of discussion about team finances going into next year, the predictions that nobody’s making any money and free agency will be filled with one-year deals. You’re not in a bad place comparatively because of lowered payroll and minimal committed dollars. Will you still be active?

Dipoto’s response:

“We were in a much different place. And that was part of our plan to create that kind of flexibility. Now you’ve got 30 teams who are all going through – this year is covered with losses for teams financially, that’s just the way the pandemic has driven the league or the result. And, you know, while we go into next year, not quite knowing what that’s going to look like, just like we are with the young players and the flexibility we have with the foundation we’re building, we do have some payroll flexibility, but we don’t yet know what that looks like. So at the end of the day, that is very much a wait and see. We don’t know what the industry will look like. We don’t know what our situation will look like until we get to that bridge.”

[bpj]

Yeah, sounds like it will be exactly the same situation as 2020 except we won't have the riffraff holding us back.

That is, assuming guys like Lopes, Gordon, Bishop and Mallex are discarded to the scrapheap where they belong.

[Hanjag]

actually he seems to have addressed it a couple of days ago. Yeah, on one hand they could claim they lost a year of development to COVID. But on the other he says he thinks they are a playoff team next season...

https://sports.mynorthwest.com/1183838/ ... stic-2021/

They lost a year of development w. Covid in the lower levels of their minor-league system. But most of the players who the M's figure on contending with (the next couple seasons) were pretty damn close and played on the taxi squad which hopefully means they didn't lose much. I'm looking at Jarred Kelenic, Cal Raleigh, Logan Gilbert, George Kirby and a couple MLB-close relievers.

Their other top minor-league prospects are still a couple years out which shouldn't effect the competitive window.

I don't think the M's contend in 2021 unless they spend some serious cash on at least one SP and a position player. It's still a very young ballclub and they'd need vets like Haniger and Seager to have monster years to do it over 162 if they don't spend.

That is actually pretty close to where I am at
If Haniger is back and healthy for 2021 I think we can roll out Dylan Moore-Marmelejos-Lopes as the third outfielder until Kelenic's serviuce window is up then the positions seem largely set
ss JP
2B Moore
CF Lewis
3B Seager
DH France
RF Haniger
LF Kelenic
1B WHite
C Murphy
Bench
Torrens C, Lopes, Marm or

[Hanjag]

Now the pitching
starters 6
1 Marco has a 3 ERA
2 Justus finished a a 120 ERA plus
3 Kik finished a a 3point 3 fip despite an ERA just over 5
4 Dunn had a 98 ERAplus but a fip in the 6s
5 after service Time Logan Gilbert should be in
6 I don't see anyone I expect to be ready that is deserving you could throw in LJay, Marg, etc Adding a legit Ace on top and rose colored vision?

BP
Gravemann
Andres Munoz ( Padres trade)
Yohan Ramirez
Ian Hamilton
Guilbeau
Delaplane
Warren
Have me pick next week and those names probably change

[AT Funchal-Madeira]

This is my early winter plan.... to trade off Seager (he overperformed this year), trade or release Hirano, Kikuchi, Gordon Fraley, Bishop, , send White, Lopes, and others to AAA for seasoning and insurance, go out and sign versatile switch hitter Didi Gregorious, away from the Phillies, bring back Walker from the Blue Jays, and steal free agent bullpen ace from the Athletics... I would go to war with this team....Depending on situation, I might delay bringing Kelenic up to insure another year of control. Most of the infielders can play multiple positions...Trammel, Kelenic, and Lewis can all play center..Haggerty, Marmalejos, and Moore can play multiple infield spots and outfield corners...Didi, France, and Moore can play second and infield corners... there's a lot of speed and versatility here.. Didi, Moore, and Crawford are all pitch count wreckers....Didi is very hard to strike out... so they are there to get on base, run up counts ,and loosen up the pitcher...

And to fullfill my wish list, I'd kick Scott Servais upstairs to oversee minor league development and try to bring David Bell over from Cincinatti to manage this young team.... he's outstanding, but I think he'll either stay with the Reds or eventually go to manage the Giants...

Rotation (seperated Gilbert and Margevicius to give bullpen rests)
Marco Gonzales
Justus Sheffield
Logan Gilbert
TaiJuan WalkerL\
Justin Dunn
Nick Margevicius

Bullpen
Lian Hendricks (Closer)
Kendall Gravemann
Andres Munoz ( Padres trade)
Yohan Ramirez
Joey Gerber
LJ Newsome
Anthony Misiewicz

Starting lineup
SS JP Crawford
2B Dylan Moore
RF Mitch Haniger
3B DiDi Gregorious
CF Kyle Lewis
LF Jared Kelenic
DH Ty France
1B Jose Marmalejos
C Murphy

Bench: Torrens, Trammell, Haggerty

Oh, one more thing.... this is an affordable PLAYOFF TEAM, leaves room for some big payrole expenditures, and it is definitely a contender, somewhere around ninety wins or more...