Who are the most pleasantly surprising and disappointing acquisitions in Mariner history?
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Who are the most pleasantly surprising and disappointing acquisitions in Mariner history?
One of each preferrably, but no big deal if you add on.
For pleasantly surprising I'll go with Bret Boone. When we got him after the 2000 season he looked like he'd developed into a decent second baseman with some pop, but little did we know that at that time he'd gone on the juice and he just exploded in 2001.
Really, he should've been the AL MVP in 2001 instead of Ichiro. And not only that, but his defense improved to the point where he was a Gold Glover which I'm guessing wasn't PED-related.
For most disappointing I'll go with Kevin Mitchell. We got him two years after his huge NL MVP season in 1989 with the Giants and he still had 30-40 home run pop. So how many home runs did he hit in his one season with us? Nine, in 99 games. Playing in the Kingdome.
Like Adrian Beltre, he then went on to another team (the Reds) where for three years he hit even better than he did with the Giants. Now, unlike Beltre, we gave up a lot of young talent (Bill Swift, Mike Jackson and Dave Burba) for his sorry ass. Still pisses me off how we gave away so much young talent in the late '80s.
For pleasantly surprising I'll go with Bret Boone. When we got him after the 2000 season he looked like he'd developed into a decent second baseman with some pop, but little did we know that at that time he'd gone on the juice and he just exploded in 2001.
Really, he should've been the AL MVP in 2001 instead of Ichiro. And not only that, but his defense improved to the point where he was a Gold Glover which I'm guessing wasn't PED-related.
For most disappointing I'll go with Kevin Mitchell. We got him two years after his huge NL MVP season in 1989 with the Giants and he still had 30-40 home run pop. So how many home runs did he hit in his one season with us? Nine, in 99 games. Playing in the Kingdome.
Like Adrian Beltre, he then went on to another team (the Reds) where for three years he hit even better than he did with the Giants. Now, unlike Beltre, we gave up a lot of young talent (Bill Swift, Mike Jackson and Dave Burba) for his sorry ass. Still pisses me off how we gave away so much young talent in the late '80s.
- Sibelius Hindemith
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Re: Who are the most pleasantly surprising and disappointing acquisitions in Mariner history?
Jay Buhner for pleasantly surprising. How often do the Yankees trade a young player away that turns out to be any good, especially to the Mariners?
Jeff Cirillo for disappointing. Wasn't he a consistent .300+ hitter in Milwaukee?
Jeff Cirillo for disappointing. Wasn't he a consistent .300+ hitter in Milwaukee?
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Re: Who are the most pleasantly surprising and disappointing acquisitions in Mariner history?
Buhner looked like he'd be a good player but for some reason it took the organization a couple years to realize it. Thankfully at least we didn't see him the way the Yankees did. WHAT THE HELL DID YOU TRADE JAY BUHNER FOR?!?Sibelius Hindemith wrote: ↑Fri Aug 15, 2025 1:33 amJay Buhner for pleasantly surprising. How often do the Yankees trade a young player away that turns out to be any good, especially to the Mariners?
Jeff Cirillo for disappointing. Wasn't he a consistent .300+ hitter in Milwaukee?
Cirillo was a good hitter with Milwaukee and Colorado, and it's baffling because he wasn't a power hitter. He was a big singles and doubles guy who just stopped doing it after we got him, and then when he went back to Milwaukee he started to hit again.
Re: Who are the most pleasantly surprising and disappointing acquisitions in Mariner history?
Moyer has to be up there as a surprise.
Mitchell for sure, a bust.
He was advertised as part of the Seattle Sock Exchange, with Junior and Jay.
Mitchell for sure, a bust.
He was advertised as part of the Seattle Sock Exchange, with Junior and Jay.
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Re: Who are the most pleasantly surprising and disappointing acquisitions in Mariner history?
Surprising: Russell Branyan
Disappointing: Mike Morse in 2013
Disappointing: Mike Morse in 2013
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Re: Who are the most pleasantly surprising and disappointing acquisitions in Mariner history?
Great call on Moyer, probably even better than my pick. I don't think that anybody ever would have had Moyer winning even half the 145 games he won for us.
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Re: Who are the most pleasantly surprising and disappointing acquisitions in Mariner history?
Not much to add here. Beltre is probably my biggest dissapointment, but not necessarily for what he did when he came here. He'd only had one real good season in LA, and when he got here I just figured he got off the Roids. Then? He leaves and is an MVP everywhere else. It annoys the shit out of me how much he is celebrated here, like he wasn't a huge underachiever offensively or something.
Cirillo would have be be up there, but I'd say my very first one was Pete O'Brien. They should have sold beer at his batting average. Everyone needs a beer for under 2 bucks!
Branyan and Boone were surprises, and Moyer is probably the biggest one. But I still never expected what we got from the guys from Japan. Maybe Ichiro came here with expectations....but THOSE kind of expectations? I didn't expect what we got out of Johjima or Kazuhiro either. Not at the level that they performed.
Cirillo would have be be up there, but I'd say my very first one was Pete O'Brien. They should have sold beer at his batting average. Everyone needs a beer for under 2 bucks!
Branyan and Boone were surprises, and Moyer is probably the biggest one. But I still never expected what we got from the guys from Japan. Maybe Ichiro came here with expectations....but THOSE kind of expectations? I didn't expect what we got out of Johjima or Kazuhiro either. Not at the level that they performed.
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Re: Who are the most pleasantly surprising and disappointing acquisitions in Mariner history?
Beltre had a career .714 OPS at SafeCo and a .939 OPS at Rangers Park.Michael K. wrote: ↑Fri Aug 15, 2025 3:53 pmNot much to add here. Beltre is probably my biggest dissapointment, but not necessarily for what he did when he came here. He'd only had one real good season in LA, and when he got here I just figured he got off the Roids. Then? He leaves and is an MVP everywhere else. It annoys the shit out of me how much he is celebrated here, like he wasn't a huge underachiever offensively or something.
Cirillo would have be be up there, but I'd say my very first one was Pete O'Brien. They should have sold beer at his batting average. Everyone needs a beer for under 2 bucks!
Branyan and Boone were surprises, and Moyer is probably the biggest one. But I still never expected what we got from the guys from Japan. Maybe Ichiro came here with expectations....but THOSE kind of expectations? I didn't expect what we got out of Johjima or Kazuhiro either. Not at the level that they performed.
There's your difference. I don't think you can get away with having fringe pop as a righty at T-Mobile.
Re: Who are the most pleasantly surprising and disappointing acquisitions in Mariner history?
Try to get into the head of a hitter facing Randy and Moyer on consecutive nights.DavidGee24 wrote: ↑Fri Aug 15, 2025 6:43 amGreat call on Moyer, probably even better than my pick. I don't think that anybody ever would have had Moyer winning even half the 145 games he won for us.
I bet management had them pitching back to back on numerous occasions.
- seattlefan-daBronx
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Re: Who are the most pleasantly surprising and disappointing acquisitions in Mariner history?
Robbie FUcking Cano! Fits both of the those categories.
I watched Robbie for YEARS play second base for the Yankees and win World Championships.
Was so excited when we acquired him. Finally the Mariners get a winner and legit bat.
Then he proceed to shoot up the ass in D.R. not once but got caught TWICE by Major League Baseball.
Although I still think he was one of the greatest infielders hitting the other way I've ever seen....
FUCK YOU Robbie for screwing us and the end of your career if I might add.
I watched Robbie for YEARS play second base for the Yankees and win World Championships.
Was so excited when we acquired him. Finally the Mariners get a winner and legit bat.
Then he proceed to shoot up the ass in D.R. not once but got caught TWICE by Major League Baseball.
Although I still think he was one of the greatest infielders hitting the other way I've ever seen....
FUCK YOU Robbie for screwing us and the end of your career if I might add.
Pronouns: Kiss/My/Ass