Who had the best plan from the mariners podsters

[Donn Beach]

So here's Hollander on post Naylor signing goals

“We would like to add another bat to the club, at least one if we can do that,” Hollander said. “We’ve talked pretty openly about being interested in a reunion with Jorge Polanco and a reunion with Geno Suárez. You know, can we make that happen? That would be great if we could

“I think the need for pitching depth, specifically in the bullpen, is something that we want to accomplish over the course of the next several months,” Hollander said. “… I think we pushed our leverage relievers in particular pretty hard at the end of the season, and adding another guy to that mix would be really critical for us this offseason.”

So as I read that, they'd like to add another bat and signing either Polanco or Suarez would accomplish it. That to me doesn't sound very aggressive or they are terribly interested in uping the talent to any great degree from last season. Sounds to me a lot like their previous seasons terms of their incremental approach to roster building.

I think they can be less aggressive actually, as dipoto said, more selective. They have Naylor signed, that's taken the pressure off to get something done. The next move can be more opportunity driven. I could even see them deciding to go into the season as things stand currently if adding another bat seemed too expensive.

All I'm suggesting is Dipoto figures out a way to add than additional bat by moving Castillo and then adding a Gore type replacement, with the benefit being some future salary relief. I doubt such a deal brings hordes of pitchforks out on Royal Brougham Way looking to lynch Dipoto.

[D-train]

So here's Hollander on post Naylor signing goals

“We would like to add another bat to the club, at least one if we can do that,” Hollander said. “We’ve talked pretty openly about being interested in a reunion with Jorge Polanco and a reunion with Geno Suárez. You know, can we make that happen? That would be great if we could

“I think the need for pitching depth, specifically in the bullpen, is something that we want to accomplish over the course of the next several months,” Hollander said. “… I think we pushed our leverage relievers in particular pretty hard at the end of the season, and adding another guy to that mix would be really critical for us this offseason.”

So as I read that, they'd like to add another bat and signing either Polanco or Suarez would accomplish it. That to me doesn't sound very aggressive or they are terribly interested in uping the talent to any great degree from last season. Sounds to me a lot like their previous seasons terms of their incremental approach to roster building.

I think they can be less aggressive actually, as dipoto said, more selective. They have Naylor signed, that's taken the pressure off to get something done. The next move can be more opportunity driven. I could even see them deciding to go into the season as things stand currently if adding another bat seemed too expensive.

All I'm suggesting is Dipoto figures out a way to add than additional bat by moving Castillo and then adding a Gore type replacement, with the benefit being some future salary relief. I doubt such a deal brings hordes of pitchforks out on Royal Brougham Way looking to lynch Dipoto.

Doh! How did he forget to mention that they need to trade Castillo and or Randy to create payroll flexibility and extend the window???? They have plenty of payroll flexibility right now to EASILY do what they said. They will have another $33M at least coming off the books with JP and Randy and Robles next off season to give them more flexibility for the 2027 season.

Seems you need to brush up on you googling skills bro!

Screenshot 2025-11-26 050536.png (106.67 KiB) Viewed 79 times

[Donn Beach]

Where did I say they need to? I am saying I think Castillo is a piece Dipoto would like to move this off season. I think he'd be interested in trying to work him into a deal. He probably won't get moved, it depend on opportunity. I already said he isn't giving him away.

He wants to add a bat, that's the thing. He's got like, maybe half a dozen possibilities. It's not a linear deal. The Naylor chip fell and it's opened the door to these others. They have made it known Polanco is one, interesting it's also Suarez supposedly. There they have the leverage of who wants to sign first, pick up the money I guess.

I'm saying I'll bet dipoto is working on the possibility of trading Castillo for a bat as well. If neither Suarez or polanco pick up the money maybe he turns to the Castillo deal. I'll go ahead and bet on it. I'll bet Castillo gets traded

[D-train]

Be thankful you don't gamble for a living. That's like reading that Sam darnold and jsn are both out for the next Rams game and you're going to bet on the Seahawks to win. Of course it's possible but it's completely ignoring the probabilities and facts at hand.

[Donn Beach]

Be thankful you don't gamble for a living. That's like reading that Sam darnold and jsn are both out for the next Rams game and you're going to bet on the Seahawks to win. Of course it's possible but it's completely ignoring the probabilities and facts at hand.

It's a long shot I've already said that, any sort of attempt at trying to actually predict what the FO might do would be a long shot. Like I said before it's predicated on them not getting polanco signed to begin with . And now it seems Suarez as well. And looking it over, the pundit stuff on likely trade candidates, seems like an abundance of pitching. It could be pretty hard to move him. I don't see any obvious scenarios. I'm banking on dipotos creativity.

So at this point, it's about polanco and Suarez. One or the other? Both? Neither? I guess that be a pretty realistic plan just focused on those two. And then adding some relievers. I guess if they did actually sign both Suarez and polanco that would be adding wins in terms of last seasons opening day lineup. So we happy with that?

[D-train]

Might sign Polanco they aren't signing Geno but I don't know what that has anything to do with Trading castillo. Jerry literally said we do not need to trade salaries to create payroll flexibility because we already have it. So why would he do that does he hate Castillo?

[Michael K.]

Where has he changed the narrative? And what does Naylor have to do with it? He apologized for his poor communication of his strategy but I don't remember him rejecting it. Terms of Naylor, Dipoto wants to build competitive teams. But look at Dipotos entire body of work, when has ever really made a significant increase in talent over an off season? Go back to the first phase of attempting to make the playoffs. He took a. 500 team and after a hundred trades had created a. 500 team out of it. He's always worked at things incrementally

Signing Naylor, and his comments after IS changing the Narrative. That isn't draft/trade/develop. Naylor was a FA, and he could have easily sat back on this bullshit draft/trade/develop philosophy, told the world that Naylor was too expensive and they have to plan for the future. That is what he has done every off season, and not doing that is changing the narrative.

I am just going by what I view is his history and his comments, I don't see anything that changes things really. If anything seems to me his approach has been validated. Look at what he said this off season news conference, it was their intention was to focus on their FAs and adding prospects to the roster. You yourself have commented the plan will be Naylor, Polanco, Williamson and Young. I'm saying, the one thing I feel I can safely bet he's thinking about other than the Naylor and Polanco is moving that contract. I think it fits his MO.
I'm not criticizing him for it, I'm just looking at the evidence as I see it. He very well could be correct to focus on the length of the window. It could be they are in the WS three seasons from now instead of beginning a decline.

Polanco and Naylor are not the type of FAs they have signed in the past. I don't see how you don't see that. Again, if he was not changing his philosophy? Naylor would have been too expensive.

His credibility, what's his concern? He's going to get canned? Hes not listening to fans. The GM that listens to the fans ends up sitting with the fans. What happened last season? That wasn't enough screaming? Who's got the I told you so smirk on his face?. He's not tearing the team apart. Again, he's going to be able to claim its better. But at the same time I'm expecting there to be complaining about it. He's completely confident in his process. Whatever the complaints might be he's going to say, wait and see.

What happened last off season? They were not only not winning the division, but barely hanging on to the WC before he made two splash moves. They didn't trade away Gravy, they didn't sit back and sign one bullpen arm, this was even bigger than trading for Castillo. They added not one but two middle of the order bats that were having very good seasons. NOt a bargain basement guy they hoped would revert to form. Do you think if his bullshit off season plan had worked out they would have gone and done that?

You can make an arguement for a dramatic move and maybe he will pull some off. In terms of what he's thinking we haven't been here before so who knows. But in terms of how he's always operated as far as I can tell I'd expect another season of incremental tinkering to add talent and a focus on the overall window

Adding Naylor wasn't incremental tinkering. Sorry, that is the point you are missing. If he does nothing else? I think he looks like an idiot for even adding Naylor. There has to be something else he is working on. I realize Naylor was here, but he was a Free Agent. This is a very different move for THIS Front Office. It wasn't a trade, it wasn't a bargain basement retread, it was a guy that was in demand on the open market.

The one argument I would make is this, being 2 innings from the World Series didn't hurt. I think we lost out on potential FAs in the past because no one wanted to come here....so Jerry masked the real flaw by saying their plan isn't to spend that way, defer salary for signing their own, draft, develop and trade....54%, yada yada. It might have been him covering up the fact that this was an organization looked at as one that doesn't care about winning, so why go there? Trading for Geno and Josh might have changed that narrative.

[XpertDBA]

I always enjoy reading Michael K's posts. Always cuts right to the point and dismantles stupid arguments when needed.

Thanks for your thoughtful posts Michael.

[D-train]

I always enjoy reading Michael K's posts. Always cuts right to the point and dismantles stupid arguments when needed.

Thanks for your thoughtful posts Michael.

[Donn Beach]

Where has he changed the narrative? And what does Naylor have to do with it? He apologized for his poor communication of his strategy but I don't remember him rejecting it. Terms of Naylor, Dipoto wants to build competitive teams. But look at Dipotos entire body of work, when has ever really made a significant increase in talent over an off season? Go back to the first phase of attempting to make the playoffs. He took a. 500 team and after a hundred trades had created a. 500 team out of it. He's always worked at things incrementally

Signing Naylor, and his comments after IS changing the Narrative. That isn't draft/trade/develop. Naylor was a FA, and he could have easily sat back on this bullshit draft/trade/develop philosophy, told the world that Naylor was too expensive and they have to plan for the future. That is what he has done every off season, and not doing that is changing the narrative.

I am just going by what I view is his history and his comments, I don't see anything that changes things really. If anything seems to me his approach has been validated. Look at what he said this off season news conference, it was their intention was to focus on their FAs and adding prospects to the roster. You yourself have commented the plan will be Naylor, Polanco, Williamson and Young. I'm saying, the one thing I feel I can safely bet he's thinking about other than the Naylor and Polanco is moving that contract. I think it fits his MO.
I'm not criticizing him for it, I'm just looking at the evidence as I see it. He very well could be correct to focus on the length of the window. It could be they are in the WS three seasons from now instead of beginning a decline.

Polanco and Naylor are not the type of FAs they have signed in the past. I don't see how you don't see that. Again, if he was not changing his philosophy? Naylor would have been too expensive.

His credibility, what's his concern? He's going to get canned? Hes not listening to fans. The GM that listens to the fans ends up sitting with the fans. What happened last season? That wasn't enough screaming? Who's got the I told you so smirk on his face?. He's not tearing the team apart. Again, he's going to be able to claim its better. But at the same time I'm expecting there to be complaining about it. He's completely confident in his process. Whatever the complaints might be he's going to say, wait and see.

What happened last off season? They were not only not winning the division, but barely hanging on to the WC before he made two splash moves. They didn't trade away Gravy, they didn't sit back and sign one bullpen arm, this was even bigger than trading for Castillo. They added not one but two middle of the order bats that were having very good seasons. NOt a bargain basement guy they hoped would revert to form. Do you think if his bullshit off season plan had worked out they would have gone and done that?

You can make an arguement for a dramatic move and maybe he will pull some off. In terms of what he's thinking we haven't been here before so who knows. But in terms of how he's always operated as far as I can tell I'd expect another season of incremental tinkering to add talent and a focus on the overall window

Adding Naylor wasn't incremental tinkering. Sorry, that is the point you are missing. If he does nothing else? I think he looks like an idiot for even adding Naylor. There has to be something else he is working on. I realize Naylor was here, but he was a Free Agent. This is a very different move for THIS Front Office. It wasn't a trade, it wasn't a bargain basement retread, it was a guy that was in demand on the open market.

The one argument I would make is this, being 2 innings from the World Series didn't hurt. I think we lost out on potential FAs in the past because no one wanted to come here....so Jerry masked the real flaw by saying their plan isn't to spend that way, defer salary for signing their own, draft, develop and trade....54%, yada yada. It might have been him covering up the fact that this was an organization looked at as one that doesn't care about winning, so why go there? Trading for Geno and Josh might have changed that narrative.

Glad to see you are on board Michael, you have been a bit pessimistic