The rebuilding Mariners have largely stayed away from making noteworthy acquisitions this offseason. To this point, starter Kendall Graveman and reliever Carl Edwards Jr. – two low-cost signings – have been their most recognizable pickups of the winter. It’s possible that will change soon, however, with general manager Jerry Dipoto planning to further address the team’s starting staff and bullpen imminently. Dipoto said Thursday afternoon that the Mariners could make signings within 48 to 72 hours or by sometime next week, Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times reports.
It’s unclear whom the Mariners are targeting, but with most high-quality arms off the free-agent market, any signing is likely to be of the buy-low variety. While Mariners rumors have been scarce since the offseason began, the team did show interest in Jimmy Nelson before he signed a cheap pact with the Dodgers. The M’s have also been in on Taijuan Walker, an ex-top prospect and former starter of theirs who remains available after two seasons ruined by arm problems. As inexpensive hurlers with some upside whose careers have been derailed by injuries over the past couple years, Graveman, Nelson and Walker are all cut from the same cloth.
In the Mariners’ non-contending position, it seems logical to vie for lottery tickets on the open market, perhaps in hopes the pitchers they land will rebuild their stock and wind up as in-season trade chips. Speculatively, Matt Harvey and Shelby Miller stand out as other free-agent starters who might interest the club. Regardless, the M’s rotation could use the help. Among their starters, only Marco Gonzales looks like a strong bet to put up above-average production in 2020.
Questions also abound in Seattle’s bullpen, a unit that had a hard time keeping runs off the board last season and hasn’t welcomed many new faces since then. The bullpen market – where someone like Collin McHugh may be a fit (again, just my speculation) – contains far more options than the starting class, so the Mariners could be deciding among a host of different relievers right now.
Lmao the mariners go looking for starting oitching when theres no one else left on the market! This franchise is a absolute joke. We have suffered long enough but evadently dipoto doesnt give a rip
I didn’t even know Seattle still had a team
You are so creative…hahahahahahaha!!!!
Maybe Nova, on Wsox last year?
Nova signed with the Tigers a week or two ago.
“…they have uniforms and everything…”
The Mariners are clearly the worst team in that division at this point. There’s really no point in going out and adding long term contracts this offseason. Really not going to do much good. Reevaluate next season after the prospects come up.
Taijuan Walker can come back. Maybe an Aaron Sanchez or Colin McHugh also.
They know they’re not going to compete, so you might as well try for some lightning in a bottle to trade at the deadline.
ive been a mariners fan since the beginning and all i have to say to people like you is, find a different team they dont need you,
GO Ms
You are either ignorant or being sarcastic. Not sure which it is.
I’m sure DiPoto is a decent guy, but for the last 4 years, I’ve been trying to figure out what the Mariners were thinking when they hired him. I’m a diehard Angel fan, and after seeing how the Angel farm system fell apart under his watch, I was shocked when the Mariners hired him immediately after he left the Angel organization.
I’d be more excited about the mariners future than the angels future. Mike trouts career is being wasted.
It wouldn’t be a Mariners post without an ignorant Angels fan that has no idea what they’re talking about hating on Dipoto because their team still hasn’t done anything since he left them.
True that!!
Kid, I wasn’t implying that my team is better than yours. Fact is, the Angels and Mariners both have a lot of work to do. The reason for my post is that less than a year after DiPoto left, Keith Law from ESPN said the Angels had the worst farm system he’d ever seen. You can Google it. He said it in February 2016.
If DiPoto gets the Mariners to the WS, then I congratulate him. Maybe he’s grown as a GM in the last 4 years. What makes me skeptical, though, is that DiPoto had to trade a lot of his MLB talent (Paxton, Cano, etc.) to get the farm system to look the way it does right now. Am I wrong about that? You would know better than me since you follow the Mariners closer than me.
Either way, maybe he can make this current group of prospects work. We’ll see.
Keith Law was wrong. The worst farm system was his Toronto Blue Jays the day he left the franchise. Law’s work in Toronto was abysmal. He is not a credible authoritarian on farm systems, scouting or assessing prospects.
wakejeff, Dipoto got out of Cano’s contract and turned it into 2 top 100 prospects that includes one of the top OF prospects in baseball. That right there itself might go down as his best move. Cano still has like 5 years of his contract and is currently an average MLB 2B. When Dipoto took over the M’s, they were the worst farm system in baseball and had a ton of very bad contracts on the team which had already hit its ceiling as an upper 80’s win team. Mariners have needed to rebuild for so many years but just kept trying to go out there and try to make playoffs by trading away any prospect they had for veteren 1B\OF. Dipoto really hasn’t traded any prospect of significance for the M’s, got out of a lot of bad money, and now has a highly regarded farm system. I like what he’s done and am at least excited to see multiple prospects come up through the system.
Their best prospect according to BA was acquired via IFA. Spell Dipoto right and then we can talk more.
Trading Marte not looking as great right now
Can’t judge him by one deal only.
You’re incredibly under informed, Sonny42. Why the hell would the Mariners go after top level free agent pitching when they’re still rebuilding? C’mon dude, have some common sense.
Dipoto is looking for those ultra cheap pickups. Ironic, because you win with pitching. Oh, sure, a team like the Twins can bash brother there way to the playoffs, but in a short playoff series? Pitching wins…..
I don’t think Jerry DiPoto or anyone in the organization thinks they’re winning a championship this season……
What should’ve they have done, Jorge? Sign Keuchel for 54 million bucks? Ryu for 80? Maybe took a shot at Gerrit Cole for 400 million?
Dipoto clearly set expectations among the fans previously that this was NOT a rebuild, but just a short 1-2 year step back, and that his team of young veterans buttressed by a wave of talented prospects would be making the team respectable by mid-2020. 950AM happily played back that audio clip earlier today.
As you say, no one thinks they’re winning a championship now, but Dipoto himself set those expectations for 2020 in the past.
No one thought they’d be competing for anything in 2020 but I do think they expect to be much improved in 2021. I’d also expect they will explore adding to the ML roster next offseason when they have a ton of $$
Dipoto said 2021 and beyond.
Suspect? He’s literally been quoted as saying they’re going to spend hard next year. This year is to see who they can rely on next year and who they have to find a big money free agent to fill in for instead.
2021 and beyond plus he is relying heavily on our prospects in the minors Gilbert and kirby
I think DiPoto has them on the right path now. The farm has never been stronger and there’s a couple young major leaguers to build around. I’m not certain I’d fully trust him to not fight his urge to spin the wheel on trades moving forward. But I guess we’ll see. His stated window might’ve stupid to say but I think the org is in an exponentially better spot right now.
Trying to speed this thing up would be idiotic in my mind. If I were an M’s fan—I’d forget he ever said it wasn’t a rebuild and just embrace what it is.
I’m a life long fan and am realistic enough to say this is the worst franchise in professional sports. Longest playoff drought in professional sports and are doing nothing to change it. It’s insulting.
You’ve watched the team your entire life. But now are at a point where you only check in on them when convenient. Sure, you’re a fan but you have no idea what’s actually going on anymore. You’re blaming the last 40 years on a GM who won 89 games with a broken roster and has built one of the games farms in one year. The GM and owner have been very transparent about this being a rebuild process. The fans like you are what are insulting to those of us who actually care to understand what is going on and not be stuck in our ways. And please, go be a fan of the Cleveland Browns.
There’s plenty of room on the Cleveland Browns’ bandwagon… who make the Seattle Mariners FO look intelligent and stable.
If you were truly a fan you’d realize your last line is absurd. I’d also say there are several franchises that are far worse even if they haven’t had the playoff drought of the Ms.
Yep, we often (and fairly) designate playoff teams as competent organizations with good management. By and large that’s the case. Every so often we get teams that make the playoffs that are lumped with those types of organizations when in reality the success isn’t substantial (one-year wonders) and they’re closer to middle of the pack than the cream of the crop.
As fun as it can be to poke fun at Seattle’s drought, it hasn’t been for lack of trying nor have they not followed a plan. I don’t know if Dipoto is the one to break through to the playoffs, but I’d take their current situation over Miami, Detroit, Kansas City, Pittsburgh, and Baltimore.
American sports you mean, right? Because there are a lot of worse professional teams around the world.
It’s called a rebuild. You don’t sign top tier pitching until you have the young guys coming along. You tread water. Remember the Astros tanking for years and years? THAT was an embarrassment. This is a rebuild.
From Aberdeen Washington Rick?
Subscribe to MLB Trade rumors on YouTube should still be the top headline
Taijuan Walker or Aaron Sanchez would be my top two choices considering they are rebuilding. Both are young enough to keep around if they perform.
Walker must be seeking a decent chunk of money in 2020, or some kind of multi year contract. He’s been the best SP on the market IMO for a bit, better talent wise than Keuchel for sure. I can see him getting 8-10m for 2020, but man.. is his agent really trying to push it into getting more than 1y guaranteed just coming back from TJ??
Walker is not better than Keuchel also nobody wants to sign him
The D-Backs wouldn’t give him $5m and released him, so he really shouldn’t be looking for more than that unless it’s a multi year deal
This team sucks
Theo needs to go to Seattle , get that joker Dipoto out of there . He never takes his job seriously , he treats his teams like a 12 year old playing MLB the show , weird trades , horrible free agent signings . Send him to Houston to deconstruct the Astros
Most stupid idea i have ever seen
Moronic post
Atrocious take by an uninformed “fan”. Do people seriously believe dipoto doesn’t have a plan? That’s ridiculous
Walker,Cashner and Vargas and call it a day
I was just thinking Vargas, too. Big Sexy still wants to pitch, too, and make the four decade club.
Yes I’m aware , but watch nothing will happen ,Kelenic will just play out like Haniger ,and they’ll be talkin bout tradin him too in a few years for more prospects
Why would you think that? Haniger was 25 when he was called up and kelenic will most likely be 21.
Educate yourself, dude. You’re embarrassing yourself
Walker , Vargas and Cashner is a stupid idea , why so they can all go 8-14 with their 4.59 eras ? It’s time the Mariners start acting like a real team , tear it ALL down and try for real because with that roster and farm they’re aren’t doing anything in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 24, 25 26 27 ——— literally this whole decade, they’re just gonna be that mundane team that has other teams win pennants in the opposing clubhouse in September
Mariners have a top ten farm now, little buddy. You must’ve missed all the guys they’ve added. Take it easy.
Don’t bother with him. Most of the comments here are made by the same person on multiple accounts, and this is one of them.
Just like in 2013! But this time it will be different right…..
Well considering it’s a completely different set of presidents and GM, yeah it definitely
Could be. It’s not a for sure, but what we were trying before was clearly not working.
Taijuan Walker did not show sufficient maturity his first go-round with the M’s. Add the injury factor in and a multi-year deal seems unlikely. The M’s are in a rebuild, they know winning is highly unlikely and patient progress is what’s needed. Dipoto looks to be making decent long term moves despite all the haters. He & the M’s can’t rush it. And now Haniger looks to be injured yet again. In the short term there is just no there there. All that said, I like Walker and hope he signs with Seattle. Recent reports on his life choices & work ethic are very positive… unlike say… Felix.
playoff drought, slayoff stout, idc i still watch almost everyone of their games on tv, and only that because i live to far away to watch them live. just like the seahawks when they were a really bad team for years. look at them now almost always in the playoffs and the mariners will be also soon, all you disbelievers go root for another team and when the mariners are 1 of the best teams in baseball, dont jump on the bandwagon
It it wasnt for Dipoto Cano would still be on this team rotting away. To get out from under all that money and bring the Farm system from the worst to a Top 5 ranking in just a year and a half. Wow! So glad you whiners aren’t running the ship.
Just make sure when the bandwagon gets rolling again y’all aren’t hopping on this time around. We don’t need you when this franchise gets turned around.
It it wasnt for Dipoto Cano would still be on this team rotting away. To get out from under all that money and bring the Farm system from the worst to a Top 5 ranking in just a year and a half. Wow! So glad you whiners aren’t running the ship.
Just make sure when the bandwagon gets rolling again y’all aren’t hopping on this time around. We don’t need you when this franchise gets turned around.
You can say that again…
I imagine being a player for the Mariners is extremely depressing, sort of like a dead end job
Getting paid millions still
If only you could impart such wisdom on us more often…oh wait
Mariners need to get all they can by trading Haniger, Seager, Smith and Gordon .. None of those guys will be worth much when their youth comes around..
Sign Aaron Sanchez so you lock him up to team with Macro, Sheffield, Dunn, Gilbert, kikuchi…
Then your outfield coming up ya got Kelenic, Rodriguez, with Lewis out there, Crawford SS, Long 2nd, white coming up at 1st…
So move Haniger to find your future 3rd baseman, and use Gordon, Mallex, seager to add depth cause those guys aren’t worth much anyways
Doesnt look that bad really
Who would trade for Haniger with his injury history, and it just got worse today. If he gets back relatively soon with no setbacks or delays, maybe he can be moved at the deadline, though he’d have to play a lot better than he did last year when he was briefly healthy.
Seager won’t be traded with his contract unless he agrees to amend his player option if traded.
Smith isn’t worth a dime on the market right now. Keep him and see what he can do this year since we aren’t winning anything anyway and management knows it.
We’d probably have to eat all of Gordon’s contract just to dump him for a lottery ticket player, which they may well do,. I think he’s the likeliest to go out of all of these.
Those guys you listed don’t have much value given their contracts or performance—aside from Haniger. But even trading Haniger would be selling at a low point. The most marketable asset they have on the ML team is Marco Gonzales. They have him for four more years so you could certainly keep him around and have him in the staff when the prospects are ready. So there’s really not much for DiPoto to do right now.
There are a few categories of fans:
1. Realistic – “Good, bad or ugly, I always love my team!”
2. Too positive – “60 wins, but we’re the best!”
3. Too negative – “We lost game seven of the World Series! We suck!”
4. Fair weather – “Good? OK.” or “Bad? meh.”
5. Idiot – “I know everything and I’m always right and everyone else is always wrong!”
Fan #5 will always jump around between a #1-4 fan based on whatever idiocities are in their mind at any given moment.
1783hot…blah, you are the classic example of the #3 and #5 combo. WE DON’T NEED YOU!
How many chances does trader Jerry get to rebuild this thing?
He’s on his first chance still? So probably one. If the team name isn’t competitive by the end of 21 he’s probably gone.
whoever gets McHugh will get a deal id say.
Walker and McHugh both make sense. I’ve been suggesting this for a while. They want a veteran for the ‘pen who could possibly work in a swing-role. That’s McHugh. They want a young starter who could possibly move forward with the team as they come out of the rebuild. That’s Walker.
Sometimes teams don’t get what they want, but it seems clear that those two fit the profile of what Jerry has suggested they’re looking for.
I’m more excited about the AA roster. Kelenic and Julio will be in the middle of the Mariners lineup for years. Gilbert is going to be an ace too.
With the Houson 2017-19 cheating scandal I truly feel Houston players will need to jump ship to restart their careers elsewhere to attempt to gain credibility back now. I see the Houston franchise in dire straits in a few years when FA’s start jumping ship. They do have. a great Farm system still, but they will need their ‘core players’ to keep this going, and now all these Houston all-stars will be tainted as long as they are in Houston. Just my thoughts, but if that is the case AL-West will have a new leader in 2021-22. Seattle will be in a great position 2021 & beyond. Dipoto will need to pony up next offseason and splurge on an ACE SP in order to take the pressure off of the SP prospects coming up in 2021. I also don’t see Seager being moved, and us running with Seager at 3B until his contract runs out after 2022. 3B in our Farm is the only Farm weakness we have at the present. 3B Sheldon we picked up in Round 5 last year impressed this year, but I’m not sure he will end up being the caliber prospect like we have in our upcoming OF’s (Kelenic, Julio Lewis. )So I see Dipoto attempting to pickup the best 3B prospect in the 2020 draft & doing what he did last year and selecting mostly all pitching in most of the rounds again.
Seattle deserves better. Ownership treats it like a small market club which it’s not.
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My argument is for many of the teams and not just Seattle, but the binary approach of either “win now or rebuild” is hurting the game. Fans shouldnt have to watch 3-4 seasons of sub-MLB performance to hope one day the team blossoms into a contender. It worked for the Astros and the Cubs, but now look at the clubs. They’re full of talent that they cant afford.
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The model to emulate is Oakland which seems to have a contender every year. Build AND contend on the fly. Tampa is now executing this beautifully. The scary part is the Yankees are doing it and paying out $400M contracts at the same time.
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The “how” to do this is sometimes tricky, and sometimes not obvious to fans, but it was more obvious this offseason when Cleveland traded a Cy Young winner and shopping their all world SS and yet still are one of the favorites for their division.
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I hope more clubs see that fans grow tired of the binary approach and that Oakland and Tampa Bay are great examples of utilizing funds and internal resources efficiently can produce a consistently competitive program.
Dipoto tried winning now, and it didn’t work. They contended up to a point, but never made the playoffs. So he went for the rebuild. I guess we’ll see if it works.
How many of you non Mariner fans and guys like 173 who cares what his handle is he is clueless. Back to my point the Mariner’s have new ownership. The team was sold what 3 years ago maybe 4. Nintendo America no longer runs the team. They ran it like s business. Winning wasn’t top priority making a profit was.
Lou left because they wouldn’t get him a pitcher at the deadline. It had been that way for a few years. When we won 116 games Lou wanted a couple payers he knew the team was built to win a season not the playoffs. They didn’t have another pitcher for the second game.
Back to my original thought. We should be grateful to Nintendo and the owner that bought the team. He kept it in Seattle. He also hung onto it too long. He wouldn’t fly was afraid to. He didn’t make the trip across Japan when we played there. I think at first he was excited to have a team but after awhile it was a way to keep NES America a float. It was just another business.
The new ownership has done nothing but instill the idea they will spend money but the right way. They aren’t going to sign a big name FA unless it makes sense. They are building the team the right way. Trade all of your big contract guys for controllable young players. Wait until you are ready to compete and know your holes. Then sign guys to fill them.
They have never been anything but above board on this. Angel fans and your hating on Dipoto has just started. You have the best player in the game rotting as you go nowhere. After your GM is gone you will move off Dipoto and he will be the worst.
I am overly optimistic about the team but I choose that over pessimism. There is more talent in this org than I ever remember. I am willing to wait a year or two until all the talent gets up and we see who was over hyped. Then Jerry can trade or sign FAs to fill in the holes. My hopes and dreams is this will work to perfection but there are injuries etc that happen.
The brightest side to this is we have the financial freedom to sign many of these guys long term if they pan out.
This is probably too long so my last statement is pretend like your old boss got transferred he was an A hole. You met the new boss and liked their attitude right away and now have more fun than you can remember at work. They are still filtering through the old bosses friends which will take awhile. You are willing to wait because you’re new boss is so great. Do that with this new ownership. They are filtering through bad signings and contracts to make room for the young kids.