Corey Brock Mailbag with my comments

[D-train]

A lot of pretty good stuff in here, though some seems like he is Shannon's sidekick on the M's payroll. I guess nobody asked why Bauers is still on the team. My comments in red.

By Corey Brock Aug 10, 2021 22
We’ve now passed the trade deadline, the team just returned from the road trip from hell — no, it wasn’t that bad — and now it’s time to settle in for the final 49 games of the regular season.

Did the Mariners do enough at the trade deadline to give themselves a fighting chance at the wild card? What awaits in the offseason? And what does the 2022 lineup potentially look like?

Sounds like a good time to dive into another Mariners mailbag. As always, thanks for the contributions. These are always a lot of fun. Let’s not waste any more time and get to it.

Still feel good about the bullpen/trade deadline? — Eric H.

I do, actually. I’m not going to let one week — good or bad — sway me from the fact that the Kendall Graveman deal, despite the poor optics and timing of it, was a good baseball deal. I thought adding Diego Castillo to shore up the bullpen was a good move as well, and I have to think he’ll be better moving forward. That said, I think there was more the team could have done to help itself for 2021 and 2022 — without digging into top-tier prospect talent. I’ll stop beating the drum for Arizona pitcher Merrill Kelly at some point, but I can’t imagine his asking price was that high. Oh, well. Could the Mariners have done more? Sure. Would it make a difference in the long run given the teams ahead of them for the wild card? I don’t know. Agree with most of this other than whoever Merrill Kelly is. 33 yo journeyman. Can't fathom his interest in him. Kris Bryant would have been my target but no they go with Bauers instead.

Do you think that Jerry Dipoto and Scott Servais have already had contracts extended past this year but the team just hasn’t announced it yet? — David L.

That’s funny, David. I’ve been thinking the same thing now for a while. I actually do think there’s a high probability this has happened already and it just has yet to be announced. Just a hunch. Maybe that happens this week now that the team is back home after a 10-game road trip. At this point, it doesn’t make any sense to go in another direction. If you’ve got the rebuild to the 5-yard line (if that’s indeed the case), no sense in calling on the backup tailback now to get you into the end zone, right? (I would have made a Kraken/hockey analogy here, but I don’t know enough about the sport.) Makes Dreyer seem like a hard hitting reporter here. Guessing this won't make a lot of forum brothers very happy.

Looking to this offseason, what moves do you see the Mariners making in a push to be a playoff contender in 2022? — Zackery R.

I can see adding a starting pitcher and a second baseman. What I can’t say is how they will accomplish both. Free agency? Possibly. Trades? That might make more sense. But if it’s trades, it’s going to mean dipping into that prospect pool to help augment the roster for 2022 (and beyond). And we know the Mariners already refused to do much of that at the trade deadline. Maybe that changes some? I like Marcus Semien a lot for second base. He’ll be a free agent. He also won’t be cheap. As for a starter, I like Anthony DeSclafani of the Giants, who will also be a free agent. The addition of Abraham Toro gives you a third baseman for 2022, and the catching and outfield situations are in a pretty good spot. It will be interesting to see what they do. Seems reasonable.

What, if anything, do the Mariners do to make life easier for their minor-league guys? Not the big bonus ones, but the guys that grind it out trying to live the dream? — Greg M.

This isn’t a tough question, but the answer might be a little complicated. If we’re talking about bettering them as players (and people), it’s quite a bit. The non-prospects get the same as the prospects of what the club has to offer in terms of instruction and the tools to become better players. I’ve written a lot about their high-performance camp and the work that takes place (not just during the camp, but year-round) and also the emphasis the Mariners have placed on better nutrition. Otherwise, I’ve yet to hear any complaints about the way the players are treated by the organization. Guessing the question was about quality of life and pay but he missed it

What are the chances the Mariners grab Kyle Seager’s brother, Corey, after the Dodgers acquired Trea Turner? — David H.

I don’t think it’s great, David. Seager is going to get paid somewhere, and honestly, I worry about his defense. The Mariners are in good hands at shortstop with J.P. Crawford, and I wouldn’t mess with that. I think there are better ways to allocate resources to improve the team.
Never heard complaints about Corey's D but agree he won't be a Mariner.

Any chance the Mariners will exercise their option to bring back Kyle Seager for 2022? My fear is they won’t because of the price tag. But the Mariners need veteran leaders to go with the young guys. There’s no better example of how players should go about their business than Seager. Plus, he’s still hitting with power and driving in runs. — John L.

John, you’re right. Batting average aside, Seager continues to be a productive player and certainly is highly regarded as a leader in that clubhouse. I think the team will move on from him, though. The option really isn’t unreasonable ($15 million), but I think they use that money elsewhere to improve the club. The addition of Toro likely means he’ll be the odds-on favorite to play third base in 2022 (and beyond). It’s been a great run for Seager in Seattle, and he’ll be a Mariners Hall of Famer. And he’s certainly shown he has plenty left in the tank. Agree with all of that.

Why should we trust that ownership will spend big this offseason? — Andrew C.

Well, you probably shouldn’t until they show that they will. The Mariners can certainly augment the 2022 roster with trades, but I have to think they’re going to have to dive into the free-agent market to some extent to get to a place to contend for a playoff spot next season. As I stated before, I think Anthony DeSclafani and Marcus Semien would make nice additions for 2022. Agree. I shall believe it when I see it.
Need someone to replace Anderson and think this AD guy looks pretty good as well. I won't cry if we sign Semien either though he would have to be a 2B since he hasn't played third since 2014.

I’m wondering about player development in the area of hitting. It seems that the Mariners do a good job developing pitchers (such as Logan Gilbert and Justin Dunn), but it seems many of the position players coming up are struggling to hit (Evan White, Jarred Kelenic, Cal Raleigh, for example), and guys we trade seem to go off (like Chris Taylor and others). Are other teams just better at developing hitting or what? — Matt S.

Though guys like Kelenic and Raleigh haven’t hit a bunch right out of the chute, that’s not entirely uncommon. Kelenic looks more comfortable this stint, and it will take Raleigh some time as well. White has about 300 plate appearances in the big leagues, so it’s probably a little too soon to pass judgment on him. The system certainly has had more arms than position players, so the scarcity of those may skew the view a little, but I think there are some good things going on with the hitting side at the big-league level and in the minors. The Chris Taylor thing — he made himself into a different hitter after leaving Seattle, so I don’t know if the Mariners get rightly dinged for not unlocking that here. Maybe they do a little? I hear what you’re saying, but I just haven’t seen enough of Kelenic and/or Raleigh to know what they’re going to be (and that applies to White to some extent as well). Good question. Lame answer.

How do you see the infield shaping up for 2022? Other than J.P. Crawford at shortstop, there seem to be a lot of questions marks. Does Evan White return as the starter? Do the Mariners run it back with some combination of France/Long/Seager/Toro, or do they dive into free agency to try and fill these holes? — Parker T.

Good question, Parker. I think White, once healthy, is going to have to hit to play. The glove is wonderful, but they need to see more from the bat. I don’t see Seager coming back (I explained this earlier), and I don’t know if/where Shed Long Jr. fits. I like Ty France, and I like Toro a lot. France’s best position is first base. Toro, for me, fits in at third base. They’re going to have to add a bat here, and I’ve already started my stumping for Marcus Semien because when given the opportunity, I can be very good at spending someone else’s money. White is Shite and Shed shouldn't be within 30 miles of next year's roster. Not sure why he is moving Toro back to 3B. Wouldn't leaving him at 2B and picking up Seager or some other 3B placeholder for Marte be better than signing Semien to a multi year major deal?

What are the Mariners planning with their glut of catchers (Tom Murphy, Luis Torrens and Cal Raleigh)? — Ryan E.

We’ve already seen the Mariners having Torrens take groundballs at third base, and we know he can play some first base. Maybe there’s a spot for him on the 2022 roster as a versatile bench player? I’d expect to see a lot of Raleigh next season and Murphy as well. Manager Scott Servais, a former big-league catcher, is rightfully hesitant about running a guy into the ground in a long season. Torrens might also be a chip on the trade market this offseason. Either way, it’s a nice “problem” to have. Agree with all of this. Torrens is nothing more than an emergency catcher at this point.

Do you reckon that Kyle Lewis will be shut down for the rest of the year? Any chance we see Taylor Trammell back in center field anytime soon? — Emily H.

I think September has always been the projected target for Lewis’ return. At some point, if his timeline is pushed further back, I could also see the Mariners shutting him down. I think it’s important for Kyle (in his mind) to get back on the field this season. The team won’t push it, though. In center field, I really like what Jarred Kelenic has done out there with Lewis out. Honestly, Kelenic can play all three spots well. As for Trammell, I do think we’ll see him back, but probably not until the rosters expand in September. I won't be surprised if we have seen the last of Lewis in 2021.

Jarred Kelenic and Dylan Moore continue to struggle at the plate while Abraham Toro is on a bit of a hot streak. How much of this can be attributed to the fact that Toro has allowed his beard to grow out while Jared and Dylan are cleanshaven? — Dak W.

I think it has everything to do with the beard, Dak. Also, and certainly no offense to the young Kelenic, but are we even sure he’s capable of growing a beard? I mean, he’s from Wisconsin, so it seems to me it would be pretty important to have that beard during the winter. Certainly worth monitoring. No comment.

[D-train]

So nobody is excited about the big JD and SS imminent extension announcement? lol

[ddraig]

One year. And if we don't make the playoffs, they are gone! Can't wait to hear what their excuse will be!

[AT Funchal-Madeira]

Any chance the Mariners will exercise their option to bring back Kyle Seager for 2022? My fear is they won’t because of the price tag. But the Mariners need veteran leaders to go with the young guys. There’s no better example of how players should go about their business than Seager. Plus, he’s still hitting with power and driving in runs. — John L.

Let's seperate the bullshit..... the M's could use a veteran leader in the field, but Seager isn't it..... He's no great example of how to go about business, he's slow, he's a hole in the lineup except the 25 times he gets ahold of one. He's a solid defender, but the M's need a run producing, power hitter who is a disrupter on the basepaths.... Just let him go...I do like Semien, I like Carlos Correa, or I might prefer trading a packI age to signing a free agent.... Cleveland's Jose Riviera might be a trade target... We need some quality.... one position and maybe one pitcher.... quality..

[Petert]

If Servais gets an extension, I'm going to loop a noose over the tree on my back lot.

[Donn Beach]

Agree about lewis, if he is ready to play you play him, waiting until next season be troubling

[Donn Beach]

Writeup on France, maybe the Mariners have a dilemma with who next seasons opening day first baseman is

https://www.lookoutlanding.com/platform ... -ty-france

[bpj]

Writeup on France, maybe the Mariners have a dilemma with who next seasons opening day first baseman is

https://www.lookoutlanding.com/platform ... -ty-france

Only problem is it takes a big bat to cut it at 1B.

[bpj]

Nothing says trying to win like Jake Bauers, pinch hitter.

[Donn Beach]

Seattle’s multi-positional contact expert is threatening the best first base season in Seattle since Russell Branyan in 2009 and, depending on your metric, to be the first first baseman to lead the M’s in fWAR since Richie Sexson in 2005

You rather White?