Poor Mike Zunino, likeable guy.

[Hy Feiber]

Down to .166, way above Valle’s .135 late in the year, but come on!

[Happy as hell]

Just goes to show, nice guys can’t hit.

[bpj]

Zunino's been accumulating WAR at a rate similar to Mallex Smith because there are no positions on the field where you get WAR tossed in your lap for having a pulse like CF and C.

.2 WAR in 59 games compared to Mallex's .4 in 88.

Maybe we should play the "but he has positive WAR!" game for Zunino like these guys try to do for Mallex Smith lol.

[DavidGee24]

Thw thing you have to remember about a positive WAR is that a lot of times it's not really positive. An average player over a full season will carry a WAR of about 1.7 so both those players are actually negative players.

[bpj]

Absolutely.

There is no good excuse for defending Mallex Smith at this point.

Kid's between replacement level and average, why waste a starting spot on him at a very important spot on the field.

[Sexymarinersfan]

Are you saying that Seattle didn't fix Mallex? Because I see a lead off hitter that can play LF and little bit of center and serve as a 4th OF going forward that can pinch run. He's not completely lost. I don't think he's helping his case in the battle between him and becoming a future core piece of the competitive window. Jury's still out though in my opinion.

[Dr Naysay]

Are you saying that Seattle didn't fix Mallex? Because I see a lead off hitter that can play LF and little bit of center and serve as a 4th OF going forward that can pinch run. He's not completely lost. I don't think he's helping his case in the battle between him and becoming a future core piece of the competitive window. Jury's still out though in my opinion.

How did Seattle "fix" him? Last season he had an OPS+ of 114 with a 3.4War, if anything they have broken him.

[Sexymarinersfan]

Do you not remember his demotion at the beginning of the year?

You're #'s comparison of Mallex from last season, has the basis most likely of a starting caliber future core piece to build around, which I do not think he is. This dude isn't playing on turf anymore. He was "horrible" to begin the season. When he came back, he was "fixed". To what degree, well...."tomato, tamato!" He's not gonna be the version you pointed out from last year however as I both think we can agree upon that.

[Bil522]

Zunino's been accumulating WAR at a rate similar to Mallex Smith because there are no positions on the field where you get WAR tossed in your lap for having a pulse like CF and C.

.2 WAR in 59 games compared to Mallex's .4 in 88.

Maybe we should play the "but he has positive WAR!" game for Zunino like these guys try to do for Mallex Smith lol.

Secretly you have fantasies about Mallex right? You rag on him every day like a jilted lover....or an ex-wife.

No one here thinks he is the end all be all, but he is not at the heart of what ails the M's. We have what... 6 other options for him in the minors??? BUT THEY ARE NOT READY so we play the hand we have. There is no need to keep harping on the fact that he sucks...he is what he is

[Dr Naysay]

Yeah I am not convinced they fixed him tbh and I don't think it's a stretch that the expectation was that at the very least he should be matching and exceeding his 2017 WAR number which he doesn't look like he will. However considering what we offloaded for him and the fact that we got Fraley too I'll take it.