Friday, December 12, 2003
WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?
Colbrunn back to Arizona for a P.O.S.?
The Mariners, who are looking for a fourth outfielder, will talk this weekend with the Arizona Diamondbacks, who are trying to trade one.
The Diamondbacks approached the Mariners Friday at baseball's annual winter meetings. Arizona wants to talk to talk about reacquiring first baseman Greg Colbrunn.
The Diamondbacks are willing to part with switch-hitting outfielder Quinton McCracken.
"They want to talk about that," Mariners general manager Bill Bavasi said. "And we're willing to talk about anything."
Both players are coming off tough seasons. Colbrunn suffered a right oblique injury in June that sidelined him. As he prepared to come back, he came down hard on his right wrist while scrambling for a ball.
He wound up with a respectable .276 batting average with three homers, but had only 58 at-bats, about 200 fewer than the Mariners envisioned when they signed him as a free agent in January.
McCracken was a .309 hitter for the Diamondbacks in 2002, Seattle manager Bob Melvin's final year as a coach there.
Last season, McCracken fell to .227, getting phased out of playing time as his average fell. He got about 150 fewer at-bats in 2003.
But he is a good defensive player who can play any outfield position. The Mariners are looking for someone with that ability to play behind Raul Ibanez (left field), Randy Winn (center) and Ichiro Suzuki (right).
QUINTON McCRACKEN???????????????????????????????????????????????????
God I hope this is just another bullcrap Winter Meetings rumor. Yeah, let's just trade the only USEFUL RIGHT HANDED BAT ON THE MARINER BENCH FOR A PIECE OF CRAP. LOVELY!!!
Crap, crap, crap. That's what the Mariners bench is, even with Colbrunn. Just think of it WITHOUT Colbrunn. But then again, it's not like Blow-Mel used him anyway when he was healthy.
As for the Miggy Hot Stove watch...
And the Mariners waited -- waited for Fern Cuza and Diego Bentz, agents for shortstop Miguel Tejada, the free agent the M's most covet.
"When any club is interested in a free agent, it's good to know what the player's intentions are," Bavasi said. "At this point, we don't feel we know what his intentions are."
Tejada appears to want both money and years. Money the Mariners have, although they're not going to go crazy throwing it at the 2002 American League MVP. The organizational philosophy is not to present contracts much beyond three years, but that might be subject to alteration in Tejada's case if the deal is right.
Detroit says it will overpay and perhaps offer an extra year if they can lure Tejada north. The Orioles, after looking at their finances, seem to think they are a distant third in the running for Tejada behind Seattle and Detroit.
The hot rumor was that Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, furious at the blistering he's taking in the New York media for letting left-handed starter Andy Pettitte slip away, might make a move on Tejada in addition to going after Dodgers starter Kevin Brown and free-agent outfielder Vladimir Guerrero.
Don't worry, Tejada is not going to Detroit. And he isn't going to the Bronx either. The Yankees are just putting that out there to try to drive Tejada's price up.
To the Mariners brass: For the umpteenth time, GIVE TEJADA 5 YEARS!!!!!!! Do I need to explain myself again???
The Mariners want Tejada, but they aren't ready to walk the plank if they don't land him with Plan A.
"We've got a few options, Plan B, C, D," Bavasi said. "We haven't decided exactly the best road. There are a lot of options. There are a lot of ways to go."
There is no alternative. None whatsoever.
Plan B is Rich Aurilia, who's a nice player, but not the impact player I'm looking for. Plan C is Omar Vizquel, only because he lives in the Seattle area and is a former Mariner. Plan D is everything else, which ranges from the inevitable signing of Pokey Reese to sticking all-local piece of crap Willie Bloomquist at shortstop.
Believe me, I'm confident that the Mariners will sign Tejada. But at the same time, I have my doubts. The Orioles did make an offer to Tejada Friday evening, 3 years, 27 million. I know the M's can top that. I don't want to hear any of this bullcrap "we tried" nonsense if the M's don't sign Tejada.
If the M's brass is as smart as they think they are, signing Miguel Tejada would pretty much guarantee sellout crowds at Safeco Field. Pokey Reese or Quinton McCracken wouldn't.
Stay tuned...
FIRE UP THE MIGGY HOT STOVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The Mariners, who are looking for a fourth outfielder, will talk this weekend with the Arizona Diamondbacks, who are trying to trade one.
The Diamondbacks approached the Mariners Friday at baseball's annual winter meetings. Arizona wants to talk to talk about reacquiring first baseman Greg Colbrunn.
The Diamondbacks are willing to part with switch-hitting outfielder Quinton McCracken.
"They want to talk about that," Mariners general manager Bill Bavasi said. "And we're willing to talk about anything."
Both players are coming off tough seasons. Colbrunn suffered a right oblique injury in June that sidelined him. As he prepared to come back, he came down hard on his right wrist while scrambling for a ball.
He wound up with a respectable .276 batting average with three homers, but had only 58 at-bats, about 200 fewer than the Mariners envisioned when they signed him as a free agent in January.
McCracken was a .309 hitter for the Diamondbacks in 2002, Seattle manager Bob Melvin's final year as a coach there.
Last season, McCracken fell to .227, getting phased out of playing time as his average fell. He got about 150 fewer at-bats in 2003.
But he is a good defensive player who can play any outfield position. The Mariners are looking for someone with that ability to play behind Raul Ibanez (left field), Randy Winn (center) and Ichiro Suzuki (right).
QUINTON McCRACKEN???????????????????????????????????????????????????
God I hope this is just another bullcrap Winter Meetings rumor. Yeah, let's just trade the only USEFUL RIGHT HANDED BAT ON THE MARINER BENCH FOR A PIECE OF CRAP. LOVELY!!!
Crap, crap, crap. That's what the Mariners bench is, even with Colbrunn. Just think of it WITHOUT Colbrunn. But then again, it's not like Blow-Mel used him anyway when he was healthy.
As for the Miggy Hot Stove watch...
And the Mariners waited -- waited for Fern Cuza and Diego Bentz, agents for shortstop Miguel Tejada, the free agent the M's most covet.
"When any club is interested in a free agent, it's good to know what the player's intentions are," Bavasi said. "At this point, we don't feel we know what his intentions are."
Tejada appears to want both money and years. Money the Mariners have, although they're not going to go crazy throwing it at the 2002 American League MVP. The organizational philosophy is not to present contracts much beyond three years, but that might be subject to alteration in Tejada's case if the deal is right.
Detroit says it will overpay and perhaps offer an extra year if they can lure Tejada north. The Orioles, after looking at their finances, seem to think they are a distant third in the running for Tejada behind Seattle and Detroit.
The hot rumor was that Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, furious at the blistering he's taking in the New York media for letting left-handed starter Andy Pettitte slip away, might make a move on Tejada in addition to going after Dodgers starter Kevin Brown and free-agent outfielder Vladimir Guerrero.
Don't worry, Tejada is not going to Detroit. And he isn't going to the Bronx either. The Yankees are just putting that out there to try to drive Tejada's price up.
To the Mariners brass: For the umpteenth time, GIVE TEJADA 5 YEARS!!!!!!! Do I need to explain myself again???
The Mariners want Tejada, but they aren't ready to walk the plank if they don't land him with Plan A.
"We've got a few options, Plan B, C, D," Bavasi said. "We haven't decided exactly the best road. There are a lot of options. There are a lot of ways to go."
There is no alternative. None whatsoever.
Plan B is Rich Aurilia, who's a nice player, but not the impact player I'm looking for. Plan C is Omar Vizquel, only because he lives in the Seattle area and is a former Mariner. Plan D is everything else, which ranges from the inevitable signing of Pokey Reese to sticking all-local piece of crap Willie Bloomquist at shortstop.
Believe me, I'm confident that the Mariners will sign Tejada. But at the same time, I have my doubts. The Orioles did make an offer to Tejada Friday evening, 3 years, 27 million. I know the M's can top that. I don't want to hear any of this bullcrap "we tried" nonsense if the M's don't sign Tejada.
If the M's brass is as smart as they think they are, signing Miguel Tejada would pretty much guarantee sellout crowds at Safeco Field. Pokey Reese or Quinton McCracken wouldn't.
Stay tuned...
FIRE UP THE MIGGY HOT STOVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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