Who are the most pleasantly surprising and disappointing acquisitions in Mariner history?

[DavidGee24]

We talk about how this past offseason was the most disappointing in franchise history, but 1995/1996 might have been worse.

The way 97 ended though? I was driving home from a softball game when sports radio was breaking down the trades. We got three relievers, non of them very good, to give up Lowe, Veritek and Cruz Jr. I just never understood....it was almost like a middle finger. You fuckers want us to do something at the deadline...well here you go!

So, you know it was the excuse for only adding Al Martin later on. Or the year we added Joey Creek, or what ever his fucking name was. It's been just one fucking buffoon move after another.

I wonder what Lou Piniella thought about that. Did he think "YES! We got bullpen help!" or "Did we seriously just trade Cruz Jr. for those two?" I'm guessing Piniella was probably thrilled until about the third time around handing those guys the ball.

[Captain 97]

Solcumb shouldn't have been a surprising disappointment, he was already a terrible pitcher when we made that stupid trade for him.

His ERA was 5.79 when they acquired him
I don't see how this is not the stupidest trade ever made by anyone.

[HawkandMariner88]

Any of those 90s moves for sure. To think we could of kept Tino & Nelson (both of whom I loved) as well as Cruz Jr, Lowe, & Varitek. Also can't forget Big Papi too. Dave Hollins who? Paul Spoljaric, it's like we were obsessed with NY in the 90s. Seriously who didn't get traded or leave for NY.

[ddraig]

Bust - Justin Smoak

Surprise - Cal. Who woulda thunk 47 HR's with over 35 games to go?

[Donn Beach]

Add Russ Davis.

Chone Figgins

Amazing that we traded Tino Martinez and Jeff Nelson for Davis and Sterling Hitchcock. Hitchcock was nothing special even on a prospect level and even though Davis was well-regarded, but really, who in their right mind thought he'd make up for losing Tino? And how did our management not know that he had a hacked-up pizza pan for a glove? I get the feeling Tino was traded purely to save money.

And Figgins...Ichiro and he were supposed to be 1-2 on-base machines and we ended up getting Figged.

he was

[Hy Feiber]

Add Russ Davis.

Chone Figgins

Amazing that we traded Tino Martinez and Jeff Nelson for Davis and Sterling Hitchcock. Hitchcock was nothing special even on a prospect level and even though Davis was well-regarded, but really, who in their right mind thought he'd make up for losing Tino? And how did our management not know that he had a hacked-up pizza pan for a glove? I get the feeling Tino was traded purely to save money.

And Figgins...Ichiro and he were supposed to be 1-2 on-base machines and we ended up getting Figged.

The list of hyped up young Yankee chokers we acquired is endless.

Davis, Sheffield, Montero, who am I missing?

[bhofferb]

Considering that in early 2001 there were a lot of folks saying "He's too skinny and weak to play a full MLB season" and he ended up in the HOF, Ichiro has to be the most surprising.

As for worst, there are so many choices. I'd have to go with Figgins. Once he came to Seattle, every time he came to the plate he was glassy eyed like he just left his drink in the dugout. I would not be surprised at all if he had a drinking problem, at least while he was with the M's.

[Donn Beach]

Considering that in early 2001 there were a lot of folks saying "He's too skinny and weak to play a full MLB season" and he ended up in the HOF, Ichiro has to be the most surprising.

As for worst, there are so many choices. I'd have to go with Figgins. Once he came to Seattle, every time he came to the plate he was glassy eyed like he just left his drink in the dugout. I would not be surprised at all if he had a drinking problem, at least while he was with the M's.

that's a good point, he opened my eyes, I saw him basically as a DEI hire

[DavidGee24]

Bust - Justin Smoak

Surprise - Cal. Who woulda thunk 47 HR's with over 35 games to go?

Except that Cal wasn't an acquisition, although I don't know if any of us even thought he'd be a 30 home run hitter let alone 40+.

[seattlefan-daBronx]

Bust - Justin Smoak

Surprise - Cal. Who woulda thunk 47 HR's with over 35 games to go?

Except that Cal wasn't an acquisition, although I don't know if any of us even thought he'd be a 30 home run hitter let alone 40+.

OMG Justin Smoke and the kid catcher from the Yankees...Montero. Has to be one of our worst trades ever with the Yankees.