To stand pat or not to stand pat, that is the Q

[GL_Storm]

I think Kirby should be optioned to the Tacoma and lightly used. Go sign the best SP we can find without selling our best prospects. We only have maybe 5 or six we need to protect, if a pitcher is hurt bring Kirby back up. In no way should we sign Soto for 500 million. We already have our star. Look at the angles and nationals. Both have the so called best players and they suck. It’s all about pitching. We have it and we are winning. There are guys like Torrens and Toro should be replaced. They are a drag on the team. Use our ability to take on salary to replace them with real MLB players.

I agree with a lot of this. But I would point out that if you make a trade for Soto in the next few weeks before the deadline, it isn't automatic that you sign him for the rest of his career. He might not be interested, preferring to max out in free agency. And YOU (meaning the Mariners) may not want to do that either just because you're looking at signing other guys like Julio, Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, etc. and spreading your money around more. But trading for Soto still makes sense because you would have him for this year and the next two, through his age 26 season. Nothing wrong with that. Having him in the lineup for 3 straight postseason runs could conceivably equal 3 straight world series appearances. Then some other team signs him for mega-dollars through age 38 or whatever, and they'll get a lot of good years, but they'll get his decline too.

[ice99]

First, it does not matter what other teams do or have done. That is not of consequence here. The goal is to not only make the postseason in 2022, and ideally do it by winning the AL West which the M's are by no means out of, but to also make the postseason in 23, 24, 25, 26 you get the picture. Every damn season. This team is just entering its contending window NOW. And that window is a MASSIVE one. Think the roll-up door at Boeing plant.

Thus, Ms FO has to be very careful about the kind of prospect and ML roster talent it yields to make upgrades.

Lastly, how the hell do you scoff at adding Hancock or Dollard?! I'll wager either of those arms is better than anything we'll find on the market, Castillo included.

Because relying on rookie pitchers to carry you through a playoff run is insane and nobody does that. Especially a rookie in Hancock who has only pitched 41 innings this year and 85 innings in his pro career. There's simply 0 chance he'll be an M in the 2nd half of this season.

Why on earth do you think the Astros went out and traded for Zach Grienke vs putting Corbin Martin (former top 100 prospect) into the rotation in 2019? Because they want veteran pitchers who have been there to carry the load... they actually traded Corbin Martin in the deal to get Grienke.

The Braves with Fried last year and Rays have done it a couple times. Nobody does that is wrong, they were successful as well

Yes, they can do it, now that they can go with more pitchers in Sept. They don't need 5 starters in the postseason either.

[seattlefan-daBronx]

Backup catching is a good idea.
I would like front line pitching, Castillo is my choice but I expect someone more like Quintana. He could do long relief and left handed reliever too.

Yes. More pitching please.
Down the stretch a guy gets hurt, can't go like Kirby...we got a veteren starter that can go six.
The goal is not to just make the playoffs but pull off the miracle.....a World Series Championship.
Pitching please.

[Captain 97]

I think Kirby should be optioned to the Tacoma and lightly used. Go sign the best SP we can find without selling our best prospects. We only have maybe 5 or six we need to protect, if a pitcher is hurt bring Kirby back up. In no way should we sign Soto for 500 million. We already have our star. Look at the angles and nationals. Both have the so called best players and they suck. It’s all about pitching. We have it and we are winning. There are guys like Torrens and Toro should be replaced. They are a drag on the team. Use our ability to take on salary to replace them with real MLB players.

I agree with a lot of this. But I would point out that if you make a trade for Soto in the next few weeks before the deadline, it isn't automatic that you sign him for the rest of his career. He might not be interested, preferring to max out in free agency. And YOU (meaning the Mariners) may not want to do that either just because you're looking at signing other guys like Julio, Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, etc. and spreading your money around more. But trading for Soto still makes sense because you would have him for this year and the next two, through his age 26 season. Nothing wrong with that. Having him in the lineup for 3 straight postseason runs could conceivably equal 3 straight world series appearances. Then some other team signs him for mega-dollars through age 38 or whatever, and they'll get a lot of good years, but they'll get his decline too.

This makes a lot of sense. When you consider that MLB players are usually in their prime around age 28, I feel like their best window is these next few years.

Starting next year you will have...
Cal and Gilbert at 26
Lewis at 27
Ty and JP and Flexen at 28
Winker, Castillo, Swanson, Borucki and Murfee at 29
Festa at 30
Robbie, Marco and Suarez at 31.

When we get to 2025 a good portion of these guys will be ready to cycle out and it will be time to work on the next wave building around Julio. It wouldn't be the worst thing to pick up Soto for a 2.5 year contract. If you an convince him to stay around great. If not you have him right in the middle of this prime window for the rest of your team. Plus he is going to be making a ton in arbitration by the end of his contract so if he leaves it will give you a lot of payroll flexibility and get you some draft compensation as well.

[seattlefan-daBronx]

I think Kirby should be optioned to the Tacoma and lightly used. Go sign the best SP we can find without selling our best prospects. We only have maybe 5 or six we need to protect, if a pitcher is hurt bring Kirby back up. In no way should we sign Soto for 500 million. We already have our star. Look at the angles and nationals. Both have the so called best players and they suck. It’s all about pitching. We have it and we are winning. There are guys like Torrens and Toro should be replaced. They are a drag on the team. Use our ability to take on salary to replace them with real MLB players.

I agree with a lot of this. But I would point out that if you make a trade for Soto in the next few weeks before the deadline, it isn't automatic that you sign him for the rest of his career. He might not be interested, preferring to max out in free agency. And YOU (meaning the Mariners) may not want to do that either just because you're looking at signing other guys like Julio, Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, etc. and spreading your money around more. But trading for Soto still makes sense because you would have him for this year and the next two, through his age 26 season. Nothing wrong with that. Having him in the lineup for 3 straight postseason runs could conceivably equal 3 straight world series appearances. Then some other team signs him for mega-dollars through age 38 or whatever, and they'll get a lot of good years, but they'll get his decline too.

This makes a lot of sense. When you consider that MLB players are usually in their prime around age 28, I feel like their best window is these next few years.

Starting next year you will have...
Cal and Gilbert at 26
Lewis at 27
Ty and JP and Flexen at 28
Winker, Castillo, Swanson, Borucki and Murfee at 29
Festa at 30
Robbie, Marco and Suarez at 31.

When we get to 2025 a good portion of these guys will be ready to cycle out and it will be time to work on the next wave building around Julio. It wouldn't be the worst thing to pick up Soto for a 2.5 year contract. If you an convince him to stay around great. If not you have him right in the middle of this prime window for the rest of your team. Plus he is going to be making a ton in arbitration by the end of his contract so if he leaves it will give you a lot of payroll flexibility and get you some draft compensation as well.

I'm starting to like this idea.
My question is....what do we have that the Nats must get???

[Pharmabro]

This what a Castillo trade might look like. Luis is an FA after 2023.

trade 1.JPG

I would pull Brash out of that deal and put in a few Stoudt, Macko, Deloach types.

[desbcoach]

I think Kirby should be optioned to the Tacoma and lightly used. Go sign the best SP we can find without selling our best prospects. We only have maybe 5 or six we need to protect, if a pitcher is hurt bring Kirby back up. In no way should we sign Soto for 500 million. We already have our star. Look at the angles and nationals. Both have the so called best players and they suck. It’s all about pitching. We have it and we are winning. There are guys like Torrens and Toro should be replaced. They are a drag on the team. Use our ability to take on salary to replace them with real MLB players.

I agree with a lot of this. But I would point out that if you make a trade for Soto in the next few weeks before the deadline, it isn't automatic that you sign him for the rest of his career. He might not be interested, preferring to max out in free agency. And YOU (meaning the Mariners) may not want to do that either just because you're looking at signing other guys like Julio, Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, etc. and spreading your money around more. But trading for Soto still makes sense because you would have him for this year and the next two, through his age 26 season. Nothing wrong with that. Having him in the lineup for 3 straight postseason runs could conceivably equal 3 straight world series appearances. Then some other team signs him for mega-dollars through age 38 or whatever, and they'll get a lot of good years, but they'll get his decline too.

This makes a lot of sense. When you consider that MLB players are usually in their prime around age 28, I feel like their best window is these next few years.

Starting next year you will have...
Cal and Gilbert at 26
Lewis at 27
Ty and JP and Flexen at 28
Winker, Castillo, Swanson, Borucki and Murfee at 29
Festa at 30
Robbie, Marco and Suarez at 31.

When we get to 2025 a good portion of these guys will be ready to cycle out and it will be time to work on the next wave building around Julio. It wouldn't be the worst thing to pick up Soto for a 2.5 year contract. If you an convince him to stay around great. If not you have him right in the middle of this prime window for the rest of your team. Plus he is going to be making a ton in arbitration by the end of his contract so if he leaves it will give you a lot of payroll flexibility and get you some draft compensation as well.

Draft compensation go away if they agree on international draft and they are getting close to that

[desbcoach]

Read a rumor this morning the Yankees want a corner OF and a reliever for Gallo. I figured they would take a used ball for him so they could dump the salary. I sure wouldn’t want him

[Vogelbomb]

Because relying on rookie pitchers to carry you through a playoff run is insane and nobody does that. Especially a rookie in Hancock who has only pitched 41 innings this year and 85 innings in his pro career. There's simply 0 chance he'll be an M in the 2nd half of this season.

Why on earth do you think the Astros went out and traded for Zach Grienke vs putting Corbin Martin (former top 100 prospect) into the rotation in 2019? Because they want veteran pitchers who have been there to carry the load... they actually traded Corbin Martin in the deal to get Grienke.

I don't not care what the Astros did. I don't care what the Braves did. I don't care what any team in the past has ever done! Jesus.

What does it matter how many innings Hancock has pitched in pro ball? Is he good enough to get outs in MLB or not? That's all that matters. And I'm sorry, but Hancock is coming up here in the next 10 months. He's not going to change much over that period of time.

And then there's Dollard. You can't say anything about Dollard not being ready. "Oh, but he's unproven at MLB level"

Yeah, so was Kirby.

[Vogelbomb]

Why would this team put Kirby in AAA?

My goodness, the MLB FO figures have really brainwashed you folks about this innings thing, haven't they? You really think that they are preventing them from injury moreso than if they packed on innings, eh? Weird how that didn't work out for Casey Mize and Chris Paddack.