Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto discussed the uncertainty surrounding key outfielder Mitch Haniger, as MLB.com’s Greg Johns reports. Haniger recently underwent a core muscle procedure.
That surgery came as quite a disappointment. Haniger missed a big chunk of the 2019 season owing to an exceedingly unfortunate injury to a sensitive area. He struggled thereafter to get back to full speed, but the hope had been that an offseason of rest would allow for a complete recovery.
Dipoto had said that Haniger was likely to require a six to eight week recovery period. But it now seems the Seattle GM is walking back any expectations for a clear timeline.
While he emphasized that the belief remains that the recent procedure “was successful,” Dipoto says the club won’t count on Haniger to return any particular point.
“We’re just fingers crossed,” says Dipoto. “We have no expectation on his timeline until we actually see him live [at Spring Training]. We’re not going to push him. Mitch will return at his own pace. Whether that is some time around Opening Day or sometime around the middle of the season, I have no idea.”
It isn’t clear whether some change in the outlook prompted Dipoto’s comments. Regardless, it’s a rough situation for player and team. Haniger, who is a .267/.348/.480 hitter through 1,499 career plate appearances, is (when at full health) one of the M’s most valuable players. He’s set to earn just north of $3MM this year through arbitration and remains under team control through 2022.
Sounds like DiPoto is a little butt hurt that he didn’t get to trade The Hanimal at his highest value.
There is no capital p in Dipoto and I am sure he is not butt hurt.
Butt hurt is the saying of 3rd graders ….
I’m a 3rd grader and I’m butt hurt by that comment.
MLBTR army taking up the far left side of Foolish Baseball’s crotchety old man curve these days.
remember when Seattle could’ve traded him for value last offseason but decided to “build” around him instead?
No. He was valuable but the market wasn’t there. They would not have gotten good value at that time.
There were a few teams interested most notably the Braves if I remember correctly
Yes but scuttlebutt was that they were not offering top prospects, hence “no market” comments.
If only the Braves were interested then you could say there was no market.
AA and enough “ready” prospects to play a game combined with a need for a COF of the future – and Trader Jerry could have found something he liked. Instead, AA gave Kakes a couple of million to be a clubhouse presence and post middling numbers. The market might not have been there, but the interest definitely was.
hindsight is 20/20, but man would it have been better if they dealt him after the 2018 season.
If you’re not getting what you feel is “fair vaule” back in a trade when they are at their highest “peak value”, is it wise to sit or take a below market offer for said player?
Let’s say you’re GM. And all offers were below what you felt was fair? Would you still have traded him for below market? Or try and get a better deal later on? Just curious.
Fair-market value and an overpay is different. Trader Jerry wanted a signature trade to hang his hat on. No one is trading the farm for 1 great year and years of control…because this stuff happens.
Lol RunDMC, are you suggesting the Kelenic and Dunn deal for an expensive, aging Cano and a closer isn’t a “signature deal”?
Ben- You raise an interesting question or debate. In the case of Mitch Haniger there were a few other factors involved leading up to the 2018/19 offseason, the point where Dipoto would certainly get ‘peak’ value. I remember reading a lot of articles that connected Haniger to a lot of teams at the end of 2018 season. A Mitch Haniger trade at the time of his peak value would’ve been a very unpopular move. Easy to say it was the right thing to do now. A trade in Oct of 2018 would feel very different. Ask a Boston Red Sox fan how they feel about the Mookie Betts trade and whether they received a return below market value?
Is there any reason why its shameful to mention his ruptured testes?
“Can we please call it a Tallywacker!?”
It wasn’t his Tallywacker that was ruptured ala Johnny Knoxville.
Never seen Porky’s?
Yes but…TW is penis and testes are the testicles.
His boys…
Sketch artist?
It was the beans and not the frank
So did he get a prosthetic testes? Side note evidently the make them for cats and dogs too. They are called Neuticles. So the won’t have to be embarrassed around their furry friends.
To quote Vizionaire- “dipdip!”
So Haniger will require more than 6-8 weeks to recover from core muscle surgery. I challenged the 6-8 weeks when it was first mentioned. Can I get an apology for the asswipe who said I didn’t know what I was talking about unless I was a doctor (which I am not)? Recovery from core muscle surgery takes months, not weeks. He might not be himself all season, or maybe he gets up to speed by August. Not 6-8 weeks. Even Dipoto admits it could be mid-season.
Congrats on your cookie. I bet that one tastes good.
Hey, take’em when you can get them.
Isn’t 8 weeks a couple months?
I think he’ll be out until about the all-star game. Core muscle surgery takes a while to recover from. You don’t wanna rush that. Otherwise you risk reinjury and then he’d be out all year. Let Braden Bishop and Jake Fraley run with it. They’re ready. Jerry this is your fault. You said we are gonna be a second half team this year. Now Haniger is probably going to be out for 3-4 months. You built the team around Haniger soooo… Might not be so bad if Fraley and Bishop stay healthy. Kelenic can belt his way onto the scene before anticipated to cover any outfielders on the injury list
A rupture testicle is just a nasty, terrible injury.. Can’t imagine what Mitch has endured thus far. Hope for a speedy recovery.
No 2020 baseball for Haniger. By the way, how did he ruptured his cajones?
Foul hit, I believe. Don’t want to see video.
Should of traded him last year. Like I said
“Hey! It’s Yasiel Puig. I heard you had a job opening.”
Should have sold high on him when the hype reached it’s crescendo.
He’ll never hit for power again..
Damn Dipoto! His ineptitude alone is egregious, then he goes and bumbles a tenuous situation with a guy whom is injury proned and has not had a full season as of yet. If Dipoopoo fails to get Puig and just hodge podge the beginning of the season, it’s gonna spell certain doom for Seattle. Hey ownership, get rid of the dead weight!
Prediction: Puig signs with the Red Sox soon. Red Sox now have 3 LH hitters in the OF and need a RH hitter to help balance it out.
Dipoto is the best GM the Mariners have had since Gillick and built the worst farm in baseball into a top 5 farm. Get outta here with that idiocy.
For real. You can tell who has absolutely zero info all by the comments.
You’re telling me that the rebuilding Mariners are going to get off to a tough start? Wow, I’m shocked.
Oh please. He’s not perfect, but far from as incompetent as you say.
‘Core surgery’ can be used to cover a wide range of procedures. When someone gets a sports hernia for instance, they call that core surgery, so this could very well be a follow up surgery to his testicle (which I believe they tried to repair and did not remove it). Regardless, I feel really bad for this guy. Such a freak and painful injury is going to end up costing him over a full year of playing time in his prime. Let’s hope he recovers quickly and gets his strength back; I wouldn’t wish this ordeal on anyone!
A good amount of dialogue between Braves fans and Mariners fans. Mariners fans say Dipoto didnt trade because they couldnt get value for Haniger.
As I recall, Dipoto wasnt intsrested in trading Haniger and when pressed his price tag was unrealistic..but that’s what you get when you push for a price tag 9n a player not for sale.
*Haniger gets hurt and it’s no ones fault*
“Dipoto is trash! He has no idea what he’s doing!” – everyone on this site.
I really don’t understand the dipoto hate here. Easily best GM Seattle has had since gillick. Let the guy rebuild. M’s look exciting this year even tho we only gunna win 70 games. If we can go .500 (or close to it) in the second half of this year we will be looking very good next offseason and in 2021 to battle for a wildcard spot.
I agree. Dipoto is a good gm. He picked a good time to rebuild. All those players he let go or traded: Cano, Diaz, Segura, Paxton and Cruz all combined for 7.1 rWAR. That’s 9.1 rWAR less then in 2018. The only one of that group that was any good last year was Cruz.
It’s just a few people on here who hate Dipoto. One of them blames him for the Angels’ recent lack of success, and for the fact that he left the Angels mid-season.
Also people forget we have Haniger for 3 more years. Starling marte is like 30-31 and the pirates got a good not great return for him in a so-so market for OFs. Haniger is a good player on a team with not many good players. He’s affordable and we can always trade him (or keep him :o) in the next 3 years.
Yes, it probably wasn’t the best idea at the time to trade someone who was a known quantity and who would still be with the team when the rebuild is complete for some prospects who may or may not do well. Obviously neither Dipoto nor anyone else could predict his injury.
Not sure if the stories about the prospects being offered last offseason were true or not but I have to think a top 100 plus and some change were on the table somewhere. It’s not like the mariners are competing in 2021 despite their step back approach. Still think he’s above average regular but arb2 and 3 for an above average but aging right fielder who doesn’t stay on the field is not bringing a top 100 back. Unless he rips the cover of the ball leading up to the deadline they missed the boat on that one.
Dipoto sounded like he wanted 2 top prospects for him. No one was interested at that price.
Dipoto on Haniger: SHOULD OF TRADED HIS A** LAST OFFSEASON
If the Mariners want to rebuild,then they shouldn’t trade Gani her because he’s young and getting into his prime
I’m meant to say Haniger
What kind of idiot trainers and Doctors do the Ms have? They wait until the damn season starts to realize Haniger needs surgery? Genius this DiBozo is! This guy is a moron