Jerry says he has meetings set-up

[bpj]

You guys can rosterbate to your hearts content, don't mind it a bit. It just runs against the statement dipoto made clarifying his roster next season, and it was made after news of Olson being available, dipoto said it at the winter meetings.

Notably, Ty France has been told he will be the Mariners' starting first baseman next season.

Good, then you guys can shut up and let us do it instead of being debbie downers trying to stifle it while the adults are trying to have a discussion.

Maybe instead of telling us what not to talk about next time you guys can save the time and post more about your baseball card collections.

[Donn Beach]

I never said not to talk about it and I don't think I'm being a Debbie downer at all. I can post about trading for Olson as much as you. There is an issue with what he said at the winter meetings, that's just a fact

[bpj]

I never said not to talk about it and I don't think I'm being a Debbie downer at all. I can post about trading for Olson as much as you. There is an issue with what he said at the winter meetings, that's just a fact

It (may be) a fact that he said it.

He probably tells his kids about Santa Claus too.

And who cares what France and Crawford got told. One phone call can change that.

"Hey Ty, we had the chance to acquire Olsen, and Manea, but need you to move over to third. You going to be ok with that (as if it matters)?"

"Olsen hitting behind me? Yes please."

[Donn Beach]

It's not a rumor, Dipoto stated he told France that
Sure he could un-tell him. But then why tell him in the first place. It could make a lot of sense to take advantage of Frances utility. It would have been interesting if dipoto had commented along those lines. Dipoto has made a lot of comments. Three being lines in the sand, no trading top prospects, jp at SS, France at first. I think he did it to make it clear what to expect. He didn't need to make things clear, he didn't have to say anything, but he felt the need to do it. Anything might happen, but I don't see the sense of stating what to expect if you really aren't committed to it. All that does is damage your credibility

[bpj]

It's not a rumor, Dipoto stated he told France that
Sure he could un-tell him. But then why tell him in the first place. It could make a lot of sense to take advantage of Frances utility. It would have been interesting if dipoto had commented along those lines. Dipoto has made a lot of comments. Three being lines in the sand, no trading top prospects, jp at SS, France at first. I think he did it to make it clear what to expect. He didn't need to make things clear, he didn't have to say anything, but he felt the need to do it. Anything might happen, but I don't see the sense of stating what to expect if you really aren't committed to it. All that does is damage your credibility

You don't have to try and channel Dipoto in every post you make. It's ok to have some originality and thought behind your posts besides, "Well I just don't think that's what Dipoto has in mind."

Bring something original to the table or at least let other people say their piece without molesting them with, "Well Jerry said..."

Maybe the only thing that will get Dipoto off his self-destructive paths- like the 6 man rotation, and not signing players last offseason when they could've been contenders- is fan upheaval instead of fan complacency.

You marys let them stay the course without calling them out on their BS. If there was fan uproar- as there should have been several times- Dipoto probably gets knocked off his soapbox full of stupidity a bit sooner when he's on the wrong path.

Seattle's a soft market. Full of people that wear scarves.

[Donn Beach]

Not channeling Dipoto, just reviewing the body of information he has supplied. None of it matters, everything can just change anyway? So why bother reading stuff on the web in the first place, might as well just sit and wait. You think it would be a great idea to trade for Olson, okay, probably is. Maybe Dipoto will, he sure would have a strange way of going about it

[D-train]

He doesn't say anything about not trading him, he said they would be a better team if Cano was on it. He didn't trade Cano to improve the team, he did it to begin a rebuild. I don't see any credibility issues there

He could trade for Olson, he hasn't said he won't. What he has said is France is the first baseman next season, and that was really only a few days ago. So the issue would come down to where would Olson play if France is the first baseman?

So this is about France moving to 3rd? So after announcing to the world he is the first basemen, he has to go to France and ask him to change positions. Yes ask, some here think Dipoto can play monarch and do whatever he feels like with players. That would be a losing proposition with as hostile a HR situation that is ML ball players and management.

For all the glee one might feel for acquiring Olson, it be a strange way to run a baseball club. Dipoto could be doing as much damage to the clubhouse through his lack of consistency as he might get adding Olson

Olson and France could split time at 1B/DH which would allow him to keep his word. France could also fill in at 2B/3B to give guys days off. That would allow him to keep his word and still trade for Olson.

[D-train]

Divish, meanwhile, reported some updates on the existing roster, which will help inform Seattle (and its fans) which free agents are worth pursuing. Notably, Ty France has been told he will be the Mariners' starting first baseman next season.

That, you don't tell a player that if you are not serious about. Don't tell me Dipoto can just change his mind. That would create credibility issues with the clubhouse. Careful consideration needs to go into decisions like that.

Why he felt the need to make that decision now AND make it public makes me serious doubt his competence. I doubt France had been laying awake all night with cold sweats wondering if he was going to play first or third where he has played 461 games as a pro.

[D-train]

Oakland had the right idea of playing Chapman at 3B, and a big bat Olson at 1B.

I think France wants to play everyday, not that he wants to box out a position at 1B.

The thing is that France will probably lose a few games as he gets HBP a lot. He hasn't, knock on wood, run into missing a lot of games yet. There's no backup plan if the first baseman (France) misses 4 weeks due to injuries. Now if Olson goes on the IL for say, 30 days they can put France there. There would be a dropoff at 3B, or 2B, but they can sort of offset that with a better defensive player. Last year the fallback st 1B was Bauers. This year it seems to be Torrens, who would be a big dropoff both offensively and defensively.

I mentioned on the podcast about concerns of France's OBP falling if his HBPs fall to normal levels. I was wrong. He has actually got hit less in the majors 3.7% than the minors 4.9%. btw France had 4.3 bWAR this past season.

[D-train]

It's not a rumor, Dipoto stated he told France that
Sure he could un-tell him. But then why tell him in the first place. It could make a lot of sense to take advantage of Frances utility. It would have been interesting if dipoto had commented along those lines. Dipoto has made a lot of comments. Three being lines in the sand, no trading top prospects, jp at SS, France at first. I think he did it to make it clear what to expect. He didn't need to make things clear, he didn't have to say anything, but he felt the need to do it. Anything might happen, but I don't see the sense of stating what to expect if you really aren't committed to it. All that does is damage your credibility

What JD should have said is that France is so valuable due to that versatility that he says he loves so much. He should have then said, "That allows us to fill any hole in the INF with the best bat available."

So he is going to embrace versatility at DH, the one position that he shouldn't and then lock France into 1B for literally no reason whatsoever.