Breaking we just got Donovan!

[Big_Maple]

Some luck with health in our excellent starting rotation and good enough bullpen, and WE – COULD – JUST – BE – THE – TEAM to lose to the Dodgers in the World Series. Life is good.

Hahahahaha. Yes. Indeed.

I think the Donovan trade was a steal - one of Jerry's better deals. I was worried that we would be entering the season weaker than we ended the year last season. But locking in Naylor was huge, and then trading for Donovan at the last minute really did the trick.

He is defensively an upgrade over Polanco, and he has a more consistent bat. He an elite contact hitter with excellent discipline, boasting one of the lowest strikeout rates in MLB (only 13.0% in 2025). He is under team control for 2 seasons, and he can hold down a number of positions while the kids figure out the infield. He hasn't hit his full stride due to injuries the last few years, so if he can stay healthy, I think we are going to have a young, and very talented infield with Donovan being a headliner. The top of our order is stacked, and the bottom half will sort itself out. Our rotation is amazing with a couple of young arms developing in the minors ready to step in in the next few years when we lose a few starters to free agency. And I am curious to see what we do next year at SS with JP set to hit free agency.

Things are finally looking up for us. I'd be OK with losing to the Dodgers in the WS as long as we made it to the WS.

Take us to the promised land!

[Sibelius Hindemith]

So if the Mariners now have two JP Patches does that mean the left side of the infield is a clown show?

[Michael K.]

I think offensively? We have some work to do to be better than what we had to finish last season. But we are light years better then what we had to start last season.

The Pitching staff could be the difference. If Woo continues on the path he was on? If Miller is bouncing back the way we hear? If GIlbert can be what he was before he seemed to kind of lose it last year? Add in Gilbert and Castillo? Have a bounce back from our staff and we can afford to hope that Robles has a big of a bounce back and Cole Young grows as a hitter.

[Big_Maple]

I think offensively? We have some work to do to be better than what we had to finish last season. But we are light years better then what we had to start last season.

The Pitching staff could be the difference. If Woo continues on the path he was on? If Miller is bouncing back the way we hear? If GIlbert can be what he was before he seemed to kind of lose it last year? Add in Gilbert and Castillo? Have a bounce back from our staff and we can afford to hope that Robles has a big of a bounce back and Cole Young grows as a hitter.

I also think that a significant game changer could be JRod. He has been good to great the last 4 seasons, but he just doesn't seem to have fully stepped into the superstar role we know he is capable of. He always starts slow and then surges at the All-Star break. If he can come out of the gates strong and sustain it all season long, I can see him being a serious contender for AL MVP, and definitely the dude who can change the tenor of an entire season.

[Michael K.]

I also think that a significant game changer could be JRod. He has been good to great the last 4 seasons, but he just doesn't seem to have fully stepped into the superstar role we know he is capable of. He always starts slow and then surges at the All-Star break. If he can come out of the gates strong and sustain it all season long, I can see him being a serious contender for AL MVP, and definitely the dude who can change the tenor of an entire season.

I'd love to think otherwise, but he will be Clark Kent until the All Star Break and Superman after. It's who he is.

[Sibelius Hindemith]

Anyway, has anyone bothered to look at Donovan's ballpark splits?

I did. Really small sample size at T-mobile he was 0-4 with 2 K's in one game in 2023. Kirby was the starter. He grounded out, Popped out and Struck out against Kirby and then Topa struck him out again.

Looking at the NL marine layer parks, he actually has hit quite well. .308/438/.577 at petco and .419/.471/.710 at Oracle. Over 1.000 OPS in both stadiums.

Are either Petco or Oracle close to being as pitcher friendly a park as T-mobile has been?

[Sibelius Hindemith]

SoB targeted Donovan at the very beginning of the off season. Thought it was an interesting idea then and here we are, kinda full circle. So if leadoff gets credit for the Milton Bradley trade SoB gets credit for Donovan

I had us trading JC for Donovan in my Off season plan. I wish we would have also done the second part and we would have a full time RF of the future.



Screenshot 2026-02-03 073604.png

Do you still have access to that trade evaluator? I'd be curious how it scores a straight-up trade of Donovan for what the Ms gave up and Williamson for what TB gave St.L.

[D-train]

Some luck with health in our excellent starting rotation and good enough bullpen, and WE – COULD – JUST – BE – THE – TEAM to lose to the Dodgers in the World Series. Life is good.

Hahahahaha. Yes. Indeed.

I think the Donovan trade was a steal - one of Jerry's better deals. I was worried that we would be entering the season weaker than we ended the year last season. But locking in Naylor was huge, and then trading for Donovan at the last minute really did the trick.

He is defensively an upgrade over Polanco, and he has a more consistent bat. He an elite contact hitter with excellent discipline, boasting one of the lowest strikeout rates in MLB (only 13.0% in 2025). He is under team control for 2 seasons, and he can hold down a number of positions while the kids figure out the infield. He hasn't hit his full stride due to injuries the last few years, so if he can stay healthy, I think we are going to have a young, and very talented infield with Donovan being a headliner. The top of our order is stacked, and the bottom half will sort itself out. Our rotation is amazing with a couple of young arms developing in the minors ready to step in in the next few years when we lose a few starters to free agency. And I am curious to see what we do next year at SS with JP set to hit free agency.

Things are finally looking up for us. I'd be OK with losing to the Dodgers in the WS as long as we made it to the WS.

Take us to the promised land!

Unless he flops and maybe even if he does it will be Emerson at SS in 2027..

[D-train]

I also think that a significant game changer could be JRod. He has been good to great the last 4 seasons, but he just doesn't seem to have fully stepped into the superstar role we know he is capable of. He always starts slow and then surges at the All-Star break. If he can come out of the gates strong and sustain it all season long, I can see him being a serious contender for AL MVP, and definitely the dude who can change the tenor of an entire season.

I'd love to think otherwise, but he will be Clark Kent until the All Star Break and Superman after. It's who he is.

That is who he has been but not what he has to be his entire career. Maybe he can crush that accurate narrative like Sam Darnold did.

[D-train]

Anyway, has anyone bothered to look at Donovan's ballpark splits?

I did. Really small sample size at T-mobile he was 0-4 with 2 K's in one game in 2023. Kirby was the starter. He grounded out, Popped out and Struck out against Kirby and then Topa struck him out again.

Looking at the NL marine layer parks, he actually has hit quite well. .308/438/.577 at petco and .419/.471/.710 at Oracle. Over 1.000 OPS in both stadiums.

Are either Petco or Oracle close to being as pitcher friendly a park as T-mobile has been?

Yes, Oracle is 5th toughest to hit and Petco is 2nd toughest to hit.