OFFICIAL: 2023-2024 Offseason & Free Agency Thread

[bpj]

Cruz was Z's guy

Yeah, Dipoto definitely doesn't get credit for Cruz.

Just odd that Dipoto watched Cruz mashing firsthand for a few years and then he just shrugs that off as if a bunch of average bats can replicate the production.

[Sexymarinersfan]

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/#post-794490

[D-train]

Cruz was Z's guy

Yeah, Dipoto definitely doesn't get credit for Cruz.

Just odd that Dipoto watched Cruz mashing firsthand for a few years and then he just shrugs that off as if a bunch of average bats can replicate the production.

Average bats would have been fine relative too toothpick bats he thought were good enough to roll through there.

[Big_Maple]

Winter meetings nearly over, and all that happened was I grew a 3 day beard. Which looks like shit, by the way.

So what's "new"? Jon Morosi and Lauren Shehadi report that the M's are "considering" Bellinger.

https://x.com/jonmorosi/status/1732055159037972894?s=20

And, the M's are considering adding bats, but "not at the expense of pitching".

https://www.mlb.com/news/mariners-addre ... ngs-trades

What does all this kaka-poo, metaphyiscal navel gazing mean? Who knows. My guess is this:

The M's can't trade right now because they lost pitching depth when they gave away...I mean traded away....Marco. What have they got to trade with, if not pitching? Bat boys? Coupons to Ivar's? So they can't move forward in FA until they sign another pitcher. As I speculated earlier, we aren't in the running for Ohtani or Yammie. Hopefully they sign a Snell, or Eduardo Rodriguez (who is apparently meeting with teams and not waiting for an Ohtani decision). But those rumors about getting Arozorena and Paredes from the Rays can't happen till they add another arm to the rotation.

That leaves free agency. So yeah, if they're serious about Bellinger or Soler for OF and DH options, then I guess they could add them. They could sign Chapman if they're serious about the hot corner. Or they could sign Snell or Rodriguez if they want to move the chains with free agents. But all of this costs money, and we are getting mixed messages about whether the M's want to get spendy or not.

In the meantime, I guess I'll keep working on my patchy beard.

[D-train]

Complete BS speculation by Morosi. Watch the video. He says, "I could see Bellinger being a great fit for the Mariners" That is ONE Trillion light years away from they are CONSIDERING him. And then he throws in that CB is from the Phoenix area and we have ST in the desert.

I have one. There is an E and and I and and R in Bellinger and there is also and E and I and R in Mariners!!!! Coincidence or Fate and Destiny. LOL

[Donn Beach]

What if they don't trade a pitcher. What if they doubled down on their pitching. What they have been doing is collecting more pitchers. They retune one or two, have a lights out bullpen and starting rotation. They roll with Uriias, Rojas, Canzone. Get a left fielder, maybe even a right fielder. But basically put everything into pitching.

[Donn Beach]

Ohtani update....

“I think the Angels are very much in this. And in the last 24 hours, I’ve had several people they tell me they think he will ultimately go back to the Angels.”

Via Mark Feinsand on MLB Network

According to ESPN's Buster Olney, one player agent thinks Ohtani will end up re-signing with the Los Angeles Angels "because of money, sure, but also because he is devoted to routine and no organization would offer him more autonomy."

Angels new manager Ron Washington was asked about the Ohtani sweepstakes on Monday, and had about as interesting a response as anyone could have imagined.

"I don't have much to say about that yet because I don't want to let anything out of the bag."

[D-train]

What if they don't trade a pitcher. What if they doubled down on their pitching. What they have been doing is collecting more pitchers. They retune one or two, have a lights out bullpen and starting rotation. They roll with Uriias, Rojas, Canzone. Get a left fielder, maybe even a right fielder. But basically put everything into pitching.

Well they can only afford one decent bat if they go that route. I think that is what will end up happening. Perhaps they should have DFAd Ford. What if they sign Gurruiel for LR and go with Canzone in RF. Who is our DH???

[D-train]

How about resign Ford for $2M and commit to him to being the every day DH. Admit that they forgot to look at his splits and didn't realize he hit Lefties better than righties. Better than rolling with the current band of UT players through that spot.

[Donn Beach]

They haven't been interested in a full time dh so far, I guess I'm thinking that doesn't change. The dh is basically filled by your bench. They could re-sign Ford but I think they'd have to see more utility