Who's off the board tally

[Coeurd’Alene J]

I keep hearing JD saying they hit cul de sacs and dead ends with ALL of their FA targets. Do you think well run orgs. that want to win have ever said that or anything similar to that?

I have often thought that in order to overcome the "laughing stock" image of the M's, we must pay more. Until ownership and management figure that out, we're stuck with second tier FA Talent (outside of a very select few) and wishful thinking.

I truly believe they we weren't even will to pay the going rate. As soon as they realized what other teams were willing to pay they tapped out. Players never even had a chance to say No to coming here.

Absolutely

[D-train]

IMHO, I think Jerry et al. are still rebuilding. This is the penultimate year of their final division-winning roster and I expect with the money they have saved they will make a big run at the FA market next year.

I think they are in win mode right now, but they don't want to spend big on FA, TOR guys. They have a crap load of young arms that are nearly ready, and they want to bring them up and give them a chance to get their sea legs this year. I think they were wise to lock in Ray, but they want to wait and see who else can join the rotation and who will be trade bait. Flexen is gone at the end of the season, and I expect they want to want to make a splashy pitching acquisition.

Likewise, I think they are going to get JRod called up and see what happens with KLew and JK. They may cut them one of them loose and fail to resign Mitch. They might try to go big with names that would get asses in seats and fans something to froth over - maybe Ketel Marte to take over 2B and Judge in RF. Maybe make a trade or two for LF and catcher...

I know this sounds like a Christmas wishlist, but my point is this - I expect that this is not the big year we want it to be. The pieces are nearly all in place, and I have been seeing this year as a gap year to get prospects who are knocking on the door a chance to prove it. I think JD has spending flexibility because he didn't go ape shit crazy this year, so that he can be a bit splashier next year and finally get the dream roster he and Scotty have been fantasizing about.

Finally, I know that he has only gone to FA a half dozen times since he took over (and all of these were for pitching), but I think he came in with an owner's mandate to trim the fat, get rid of albatross contracts (I'm looking at you Cano, Felix and Seager), and get the team budget so low that they can cut him loose to get spendy only after he rebuilt the team with young prospects.

IMHO.

You must not be familiar with the Fool me once, Fool twice saying that Bush II made famous.

[D-train]

IMHO, I think Jerry et al. are still rebuilding. This is the penultimate year of their final division-winning roster and I expect with the money they have saved they will make a big run at the FA market next year.

I think they are in win mode right now, but they don't want to spend big on FA, TOR guys. They have a crap load of young arms that are nearly ready, and they want to bring them up and give them a chance to get their sea legs this year. I think they were wise to lock in Ray, but they want to wait and see who else can join the rotation and who will be trade bait. Flexen is gone at the end of the season, and I expect they want to want to make a splashy pitching acquisition.

Likewise, I think they are going to get JRod called up and see what happens with KLew and JK. They may cut them one of them loose and fail to resign Mitch. They might try to go big with names that would get asses in seats and fans something to froth over - maybe Ketel Marte to take over 2B and Judge in RF. Maybe make a trade or two for LF and catcher...

I know this sounds like a Christmas wishlist, but my point is this - I expect that this is not the big year we want it to be. The pieces are nearly all in place, and I have been seeing this year as a gap year to get prospects who are knocking on the door a chance to prove it. I think JD has spending flexibility because he didn't go ape shit crazy this year, so that he can be a bit splashier next year and finally get the dream roster he and Scotty have been fantasizing about.

Finally, I know that he has only gone to FA a half dozen times since he took over (and all of these were for pitching), but I think he came in with an owner's mandate to trim the fat, get rid of albatross contracts (I'm looking at you Cano, Felix and Seager), and get the team budget so low that they can cut him loose to get spendy only after he rebuilt the team with young prospects.

IMHO.

Flexen isn't a FA until 2027.

[Juliooooo]

IMHO, I think Jerry et al. are still rebuilding. This is the penultimate year of their final division-winning roster and I expect with the money they have saved they will make a big run at the FA market next year.

I think they are in win mode right now, but they don't want to spend big on FA, TOR guys. They have a crap load of young arms that are nearly ready, and they want to bring them up and give them a chance to get their sea legs this year. I think they were wise to lock in Ray, but they want to wait and see who else can join the rotation and who will be trade bait. Flexen is gone at the end of the season, and I expect they want to want to make a splashy pitching acquisition.

Likewise, I think they are going to get JRod called up and see what happens with KLew and JK. They may cut them one of them loose and fail to resign Mitch. They might try to go big with names that would get asses in seats and fans something to froth over - maybe Ketel Marte to take over 2B and Judge in RF. Maybe make a trade or two for LF and catcher...

I know this sounds like a Christmas wishlist, but my point is this - I expect that this is not the big year we want it to be. The pieces are nearly all in place, and I have been seeing this year as a gap year to get prospects who are knocking on the door a chance to prove it. I think JD has spending flexibility because he didn't go ape shit crazy this year, so that he can be a bit splashier next year and finally get the dream roster he and Scotty have been fantasizing about.

Finally, I know that he has only gone to FA a half dozen times since he took over (and all of these were for pitching), but I think he came in with an owner's mandate to trim the fat, get rid of albatross contracts (I'm looking at you Cano, Felix and Seager), and get the team budget so low that they can cut him loose to get spendy only after he rebuilt the team with young prospects.

IMHO.

Flexen isn't a FA until 2027.

Did he get arbitration then?

[D-train]

It's not totally clear but he went to Japan and came back but this is very clear. 2027 in black and white. Seems crazy but...

https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/seattle-mariners/contracts/

[Case_Of_The_Runs]

IMHO, I think Jerry et al. are still rebuilding. This is the penultimate year of their final division-winning roster and I expect with the money they have saved they will make a big run at the FA market next year.

I think they are in win mode right now, but they don't want to spend big on FA, TOR guys. They have a crap load of young arms that are nearly ready, and they want to bring them up and give them a chance to get their sea legs this year. I think they were wise to lock in Ray, but they want to wait and see who else can join the rotation and who will be trade bait. Flexen is gone at the end of the season, and I expect they want to want to make a splashy pitching acquisition.

Likewise, I think they are going to get JRod called up and see what happens with KLew and JK. They may cut them one of them loose and fail to resign Mitch. They might try to go big with names that would get asses in seats and fans something to froth over - maybe Ketel Marte to take over 2B and Judge in RF. Maybe make a trade or two for LF and catcher...

I know this sounds like a Christmas wishlist, but my point is this - I expect that this is not the big year we want it to be. The pieces are nearly all in place, and I have been seeing this year as a gap year to get prospects who are knocking on the door a chance to prove it. I think JD has spending flexibility because he didn't go ape shit crazy this year, so that he can be a bit splashier next year and finally get the dream roster he and Scotty have been fantasizing about.

Finally, I know that he has only gone to FA a half dozen times since he took over (and all of these were for pitching), but I think he came in with an owner's mandate to trim the fat, get rid of albatross contracts (I'm looking at you Cano, Felix and Seager), and get the team budget so low that they can cut him loose to get spendy only after he rebuilt the team with young prospects.

IMHO.

You must not be familiar with the Fool me once, Fool twice saying that Bush II made famous.

Hope springs eternal.

And I seem to recall he made it famous because he bungled it!

[Case_Of_The_Runs]

IMHO, I think Jerry et al. are still rebuilding. This is the penultimate year of their final division-winning roster and I expect with the money they have saved they will make a big run at the FA market next year.

I think they are in win mode right now, but they don't want to spend big on FA, TOR guys. They have a crap load of young arms that are nearly ready, and they want to bring them up and give them a chance to get their sea legs this year. I think they were wise to lock in Ray, but they want to wait and see who else can join the rotation and who will be trade bait. Flexen is gone at the end of the season, and I expect they want to want to make a splashy pitching acquisition.

Likewise, I think they are going to get JRod called up and see what happens with KLew and JK. They may cut them one of them loose and fail to resign Mitch. They might try to go big with names that would get asses in seats and fans something to froth over - maybe Ketel Marte to take over 2B and Judge in RF. Maybe make a trade or two for LF and catcher...

I know this sounds like a Christmas wishlist, but my point is this - I expect that this is not the big year we want it to be. The pieces are nearly all in place, and I have been seeing this year as a gap year to get prospects who are knocking on the door a chance to prove it. I think JD has spending flexibility because he didn't go ape shit crazy this year, so that he can be a bit splashier next year and finally get the dream roster he and Scotty have been fantasizing about.

Finally, I know that he has only gone to FA a half dozen times since he took over (and all of these were for pitching), but I think he came in with an owner's mandate to trim the fat, get rid of albatross contracts (I'm looking at you Cano, Felix and Seager), and get the team budget so low that they can cut him loose to get spendy only after he rebuilt the team with young prospects.

IMHO.

Flexen isn't a FA until 2027.

Did he get arbitration then?

Fair enough. He signed a 2 year deal but has arbitration years:

https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/seattle-mar ... xen-21243/

Doesn’t change the substance or context of my post. JD looks to be a player in the FA pool next year.

[Sexymarinersfan]

Padres about to make a "Cincinnati swap!"

[ddraig]

Doesn’t change the substance or context of my post. JD looks to be a player in the FA pool next year.

Or the year after that, or the year after that, or the year after that...ad nauseum.

Ownership simply doesn't care about anything more than being close enough to smell the playoffs. All they want is butts in the seats and they can get that by getting close to being relevant.

[GL_Storm]

Doesn’t change the substance or context of my post. JD looks to be a player in the FA pool next year.

Or the year after that, or the year after that, or the year after that...ad nauseum.

Ownership simply doesn't care about anything more than being close enough to smell the playoffs. All they want is butts in the seats and they can get that by getting close to being relevant.

A competitive team with marketable players and a fun night at the ballpark.