Wednesday, December 15, 2004
FITTY
MARINERS BASEBALL -- PAYING FOR "SEX" IS NOW LEGAL IN THE STATE OF WASHINGTON
Imagine that tagline at the end of a Mariner commercial in the coming months. In financial terms, the Mariners did outdo Denny Neagle, who paid for the illegal kind.
Is the signing of Richie Sexson the best signing the Mariners could have made? No. Do the Mariners fill a need here? Power-wise yes, positionally no. Am I more happy about the Mariners than I was 24 hours ago?
Yes.
Somehow when I heard the terms of this contract, a very steep 4 years and $50M, I somehow was reminded of the last big-money contract to be signed in Seattle, the one the Seahawks gave to Grant Wistrom. Granted, the Seahawks were looking for something to put them over the top and win the Super Bowl, and this Mariner team is trying to be competitive again, let alone get to the World Series or anything crazy like that.
This is the first time the Mariners have shelled out the money for big-time, proven Major League talent. We don't have to worry about how a player is going to adapt from the Japanese League, and they didn't have to pay for the right to negotiate with him or anything like that. What Sexson can do at the Major League level is no secret; he's proven he can put up numbers in the Majors year in and year out.
So what can Sexson do?
-- He's a more-than-solid first baseman, and FSNNW's Bill Krueger has said he's close to being a Gold Glove first baseman. Basically, you get the tall first-baseman role filled from when John Olerud left, so the infielders have a big target at which to throw, and Sexson can probably use that height to snag some of the 11-foot-high throws that Jose Lopez could be lofting over his way next year (provided he sees much time with the big club).
-- He can bash the ball. He put up two 45-homer seasons in Milwaukee. A homer during his hot start after he arrived in Milwaukee was the impetus for Matt Vasgersian's immortal "I'm too Sexson for my shirt" home run call. A lot of people have also seen the Roy Hobbs-like shot (503 feet) that Sexson put off the Jumbotron in Arizona last year.
-- He can strike out...but he can walk too. His walk totals went up every year he was in the Majors until last year, topping out at 98 in 2003. His strikeout numbers? Think Jay Buhner. Oddly enough, Buhner never hit more than 27 homers in a season until after he turned 30. In 1995-97, Buhner had 40, 44, and 40 homers. Yes, I know we're dealing with a different home ballpark and a difference in number of major shoulder surgeries. Also on the strikeouts, I've mentioned this a couple times before, but the mere fact that they considered Sexson shows somewhat of a paradigm shift in front office thought for me when I take into account the strikeout totals that were instrumental in driving Mike Cameron out of town.
-- He's a notorious prankster. I mentioned this the other day, but between Sexson, Bret Boone, and Eddie Guardado, I think there's going to be an arms race when it comes to pranks. Sexson's prior pranks on the resume include exploding cans, shock pens, and a broken window incident.
So what don't I like?
-- Man, those terms are steep. I'm almost aghast. Jeff had an aneurysm, though I'd argue that while you're dealing with major shoulder surgery for Sexson, Glaus had not just a shoulder to deal with last year. He was also DL'd for a hamstring strain and a knee sprain. I guess it's just how you weigh the severity of Sexson's shoulder surgery and the chance of recurrence against Troy Glaus' menagerie of injuries in addition to the shoulder surgery he had.
-- I'm rooting for the Mariners to go hard after Adrian Beltre now, because quite frankly, they don't need another first baseman. Why stick a great defensive first baseman with pop in his bat to left field? I guess anything's possible the year after the greatest shortstop in baseball plays third base.
-- If the Mariners land Delgado, Bucky Jacobsen is absolutely screwed unless they relegate him to late-inning pinch-hitting (though it'd be good for the strength of the bench). If Sexson needs to rest in the field, you can have Bucky go out there and play first and have Sexson DH (if the years prior to last are any indication, Sexson's not going to sit down very easily). When Sexson's out there playing first, I want Bucky as my DH. Plain and simple. I'm dying to know what he can do with a full season and a knee that's apparently hunky-dory (he'd played on the bum knee for quite a while).
-- I wish there were some exploding shoulder clauses in the contract. The worst-case scenario here is probably Mo Vaughn redux, and the local GM has had some experience with that. Sexson said he'd felt like he'd gone through some NASA experiments, responding to the amount and battery of tests that apparently the Mariners' medical staff did. Is it good to be thorough? Sure. Is it good when the Mariners' medical staff is in charge of it all? That's highly debatable. At least it's not his throwing shoulder and he's not a pitcher.
So is it risky? Heck yeah. Sexson's shoulder could blow up, for all we know. As for other free agents, Carlos Beltran is probably the closest thing to a sure-fire top-dollar free agent on the market, so there's no way in hell the Mariners were going to get him. What do I think about Adrian Beltre? His greatest asset is probably that he's young. He had a breakout year, sure. He'd never hit more than 23 homers and had hit .240 in 158 games just two years ago. Beltre would be moving from one pitchers' park to another, but to expect him to hit 48 homers again next year would be a stretch, I think. For me, there's the possibility of a one-year wonder, which is the same problem I had with Carl Pavano; I'm glad the Mariners didn't spend too long at Carlpalooza.
Do I want the Mariners to go after Beltre regardless? Well, there is still a gaping hole at third base, right?
Do I want Delgado? No, no, and absolutely no. That's well before I talk about his age and his laundry list of injuries.
Who should the Mariners go after if it's not Beltre? Matt Clement, Kevin Millwood, Odalis Perez, etc. Perez would give the Mariners three lefties in the rotation, Moyer and Madritsch being the other two.
I haven't even thought about the bullpen yet, and I don't think I want to. Yikes.
It's not Beltran, sure. For everyone that's dissatisfied with this...did you really expect Bill Bavasi to make all the right moves?
It's a huge contract, no doubt about it. I was fully prepared for the Mariners to land exactly zero of the free agents they were rumored to be going after. I'm still in awe that they actually got one. They spent money. On a free agent. A free agent that's been good.
Ten bucks says Richie Sexson will be the first Mariner to put one on Royal Brougham in a game. Sorry, Glenallen Hill.
This isn't Raul Ibanez here. This is Richie Sexson. You can feed me what the Mariner brass fed the fans last winter about Ibanez' power, but it's not going to strike a chord for me like Richie Sexson's bat can.
The Mariners got some more pop today. It's high-risk, but they're new at this top-dollar free-agent game when it comes to actually getting the players.
Guess what? I'm giddy with considerably more anticipation for spring training than I was 24 hours ago. Pitchers and catchers report in about two months...
Imagine that tagline at the end of a Mariner commercial in the coming months. In financial terms, the Mariners did outdo Denny Neagle, who paid for the illegal kind.
Is the signing of Richie Sexson the best signing the Mariners could have made? No. Do the Mariners fill a need here? Power-wise yes, positionally no. Am I more happy about the Mariners than I was 24 hours ago?
Yes.
Somehow when I heard the terms of this contract, a very steep 4 years and $50M, I somehow was reminded of the last big-money contract to be signed in Seattle, the one the Seahawks gave to Grant Wistrom. Granted, the Seahawks were looking for something to put them over the top and win the Super Bowl, and this Mariner team is trying to be competitive again, let alone get to the World Series or anything crazy like that.
This is the first time the Mariners have shelled out the money for big-time, proven Major League talent. We don't have to worry about how a player is going to adapt from the Japanese League, and they didn't have to pay for the right to negotiate with him or anything like that. What Sexson can do at the Major League level is no secret; he's proven he can put up numbers in the Majors year in and year out.
So what can Sexson do?
-- He's a more-than-solid first baseman, and FSNNW's Bill Krueger has said he's close to being a Gold Glove first baseman. Basically, you get the tall first-baseman role filled from when John Olerud left, so the infielders have a big target at which to throw, and Sexson can probably use that height to snag some of the 11-foot-high throws that Jose Lopez could be lofting over his way next year (provided he sees much time with the big club).
-- He can bash the ball. He put up two 45-homer seasons in Milwaukee. A homer during his hot start after he arrived in Milwaukee was the impetus for Matt Vasgersian's immortal "I'm too Sexson for my shirt" home run call. A lot of people have also seen the Roy Hobbs-like shot (503 feet) that Sexson put off the Jumbotron in Arizona last year.
-- He can strike out...but he can walk too. His walk totals went up every year he was in the Majors until last year, topping out at 98 in 2003. His strikeout numbers? Think Jay Buhner. Oddly enough, Buhner never hit more than 27 homers in a season until after he turned 30. In 1995-97, Buhner had 40, 44, and 40 homers. Yes, I know we're dealing with a different home ballpark and a difference in number of major shoulder surgeries. Also on the strikeouts, I've mentioned this a couple times before, but the mere fact that they considered Sexson shows somewhat of a paradigm shift in front office thought for me when I take into account the strikeout totals that were instrumental in driving Mike Cameron out of town.
-- He's a notorious prankster. I mentioned this the other day, but between Sexson, Bret Boone, and Eddie Guardado, I think there's going to be an arms race when it comes to pranks. Sexson's prior pranks on the resume include exploding cans, shock pens, and a broken window incident.
So what don't I like?
-- Man, those terms are steep. I'm almost aghast. Jeff had an aneurysm, though I'd argue that while you're dealing with major shoulder surgery for Sexson, Glaus had not just a shoulder to deal with last year. He was also DL'd for a hamstring strain and a knee sprain. I guess it's just how you weigh the severity of Sexson's shoulder surgery and the chance of recurrence against Troy Glaus' menagerie of injuries in addition to the shoulder surgery he had.
-- I'm rooting for the Mariners to go hard after Adrian Beltre now, because quite frankly, they don't need another first baseman. Why stick a great defensive first baseman with pop in his bat to left field? I guess anything's possible the year after the greatest shortstop in baseball plays third base.
-- If the Mariners land Delgado, Bucky Jacobsen is absolutely screwed unless they relegate him to late-inning pinch-hitting (though it'd be good for the strength of the bench). If Sexson needs to rest in the field, you can have Bucky go out there and play first and have Sexson DH (if the years prior to last are any indication, Sexson's not going to sit down very easily). When Sexson's out there playing first, I want Bucky as my DH. Plain and simple. I'm dying to know what he can do with a full season and a knee that's apparently hunky-dory (he'd played on the bum knee for quite a while).
-- I wish there were some exploding shoulder clauses in the contract. The worst-case scenario here is probably Mo Vaughn redux, and the local GM has had some experience with that. Sexson said he'd felt like he'd gone through some NASA experiments, responding to the amount and battery of tests that apparently the Mariners' medical staff did. Is it good to be thorough? Sure. Is it good when the Mariners' medical staff is in charge of it all? That's highly debatable. At least it's not his throwing shoulder and he's not a pitcher.
So is it risky? Heck yeah. Sexson's shoulder could blow up, for all we know. As for other free agents, Carlos Beltran is probably the closest thing to a sure-fire top-dollar free agent on the market, so there's no way in hell the Mariners were going to get him. What do I think about Adrian Beltre? His greatest asset is probably that he's young. He had a breakout year, sure. He'd never hit more than 23 homers and had hit .240 in 158 games just two years ago. Beltre would be moving from one pitchers' park to another, but to expect him to hit 48 homers again next year would be a stretch, I think. For me, there's the possibility of a one-year wonder, which is the same problem I had with Carl Pavano; I'm glad the Mariners didn't spend too long at Carlpalooza.
Do I want the Mariners to go after Beltre regardless? Well, there is still a gaping hole at third base, right?
Do I want Delgado? No, no, and absolutely no. That's well before I talk about his age and his laundry list of injuries.
Who should the Mariners go after if it's not Beltre? Matt Clement, Kevin Millwood, Odalis Perez, etc. Perez would give the Mariners three lefties in the rotation, Moyer and Madritsch being the other two.
I haven't even thought about the bullpen yet, and I don't think I want to. Yikes.
It's not Beltran, sure. For everyone that's dissatisfied with this...did you really expect Bill Bavasi to make all the right moves?
It's a huge contract, no doubt about it. I was fully prepared for the Mariners to land exactly zero of the free agents they were rumored to be going after. I'm still in awe that they actually got one. They spent money. On a free agent. A free agent that's been good.
Ten bucks says Richie Sexson will be the first Mariner to put one on Royal Brougham in a game. Sorry, Glenallen Hill.
This isn't Raul Ibanez here. This is Richie Sexson. You can feed me what the Mariner brass fed the fans last winter about Ibanez' power, but it's not going to strike a chord for me like Richie Sexson's bat can.
The Mariners got some more pop today. It's high-risk, but they're new at this top-dollar free-agent game when it comes to actually getting the players.
Guess what? I'm giddy with considerably more anticipation for spring training than I was 24 hours ago. Pitchers and catchers report in about two months...
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