Way too early offseason

[Michael K.]

MLB has no salary cap, but it does have rules that help small market / lower payroll teams. The main one is the 6 years of club control for new players. There is still no excuse to be as bad as the Mariners have been.

Six times in three decades a team outside the top 10 in payroll has won a WS. You posted the numbers, but refuse to acknowledge them. You don't win a WS by holding on to prospects and praying that one day they develop into a player close to the one you could have signed in Free Agency. The average from those thirty years you posted was just over 7th in payroll, and again, as I pointed out then? That was with some BIG outliers that skewed that data. Of course, that doesn't matter, it is part of the data. But you looked at those numbers and actually believed the crap you spew about not having to pay players?

[Michael K.]

My take on Julio is that he's on Hall of Fame trajectory over the course of his first 5 seasons, not his last 9 games. I wanted people to back off on criticism based on his entire career. If you read my post I said exactly that. I asked how his 2025 home OPS compares to his CAREER home OPS to see if we could expect some regression to the mean as they say.

Your comment was directed at the OP and asked him why he wasn't adding to the discussion anymore. His home OPS was still dogshit, after a 9 game hot streak, but in your opinion it warranted calling him out. I guess if he goes on a 9 game skid at home, and his numbers drop again...you will be OK with someone dissing him for those 9 games the way you want him praised for the last 9? 9 baseball games is just over 3 quarters of NFL football. The next time one of the Seahawk RBs has a good three quarters of football...you better go over to the Hawks site and make sure they are raising a glass.

It's a double standard, and it's bullshit. You want to talk a more viable sample size? This year, even after his hot streak? He is 121st in OBP. Polanco is 107th. He is 68th in SLG. Polanco is 65th. He is 82nd in OPS. Polanco is 73rd. You see the trajectory he is on and see Hall of Fame? He isn't out hitting Jorge Polanco! Looks like a very rapid decent to me from where his career started.

While Félix Hernández received enough votes to remain on the Hall of Fame ballot for another year, it's unlikely he'll be inducted into the Hall of Fame. In his first year of eligibility, he received 20.6% of the vote. To be inducted, a player needs 75% of the vote. Although he'll remain on the ballot, his chances of reaching the required threshold are slim.

I'd say the King had more GREAT years than Julio. But you love Julio, so chose to project that he is just going to explode out of this. Data shows that each year he is seemed to slip more, no?

[Donn Beach]

speaking of dumpsters

The Mariners announced that they've claimed right-handed pitcher Domingo Gonzalez off waivers from the Atlanta Braves. They've assigned Gonzalez to Triple-A Tacoma.

Gonzalez is a promising 25-year old reliever who has yet to make his MLB debut.

The biggest draw of Gonzalez is his strikeout ability.

In 2024, he struck out 14.2 batters per nine innings between Double-A and Triple-A. His combined ERA last season was 2.91.

Gonzalez hasn't quite replicated that this season, and that's why the Braves removed him from their own 40-man roster. He has a 4.29 ERA in 35 Triple-A appearances with 39 strikeouts in 42 innings.

In his minor league career, Gonzalez has a 4.13 ERA and has struck out 10.5 batters per nine innings.

He began his professional career in the Pirates' organization and made it as high as Double-A in the Pittsburgh system.

[GL_Storm]

speaking of dumpsters

The Mariners announced that they've claimed right-handed pitcher Domingo Gonzalez off waivers from the Atlanta Braves. They've assigned Gonzalez to Triple-A Tacoma.

Gonzalez is a promising 25-year old reliever who has yet to make his MLB debut.

The biggest draw of Gonzalez is his strikeout ability.

In 2024, he struck out 14.2 batters per nine innings between Double-A and Triple-A. His combined ERA last season was 2.91.

Gonzalez hasn't quite replicated that this season, and that's why the Braves removed him from their own 40-man roster. He has a 4.29 ERA in 35 Triple-A appearances with 39 strikeouts in 42 innings.

In his minor league career, Gonzalez has a 4.13 ERA and has struck out 10.5 batters per nine innings.

He began his professional career in the Pirates' organization and made it as high as Double-A in the Pittsburgh system.

This is actually kind of interesting. It looks like he'll be a minor league free agent in the offseason, so this gives them a chance to evaluate him and see if they want to try and sign him. If they do sign him to a minor league deal, he comes with three option years.

[DanielVogelbach]

Six times in three decades a team outside the top 10 in payroll has won a WS.

So, completely doable. That's my entire point. You can win the world series without spending a ton of money. Conversely, you can spend a ton of money and lose a ton of games.

[Michael K.]

Six times in three decades a team outside the top 10 in payroll has won a WS.

So, completely doable. That's my entire point. You can win the world series without spending a ton of money. Conversely, you can spend a ton of money and lose a ton of games.

Yep, 20% success rate, and never done by the same team more than once. But sure, let's go that route.

[DanielVogelbach]

Your comment was directed at the OP and asked him why he wasn't adding to the discussion anymore. His home OPS was still dogshit, after a 9 game hot streak, but in your opinion it warranted calling him out.

The timing was funny to me. I'm not trying to claim that you can make massive determinations based on 9 games. If you go back to the original conversation, I was asking about Julio's CAREER HOME OPS because that would give some indication as to the significance of the 2025 numbers. Moreover, I am aware that Julio often finishes the season strong, so if his 2025 numbers were below his career average you could pretty much bet money that he was about to turn it on, and then right on cue...

I'd say the King had more GREAT years than Julio. But you love Julio, so chose to project that he is just going to explode out of this. Data shows that each year he is seemed to slip more, no?

Felix Hernandez was on first ballot HOF trajectory, but then he fell off massively. He's right up there with Shawn Kemp in terms of Seattle superstar fall-offs. If Julio flames out like Felix he won't go to the HOF. The HOF for what it's worth is about careers, not a few good seasons. That's why Craig Biggio is in there.

[DanielVogelbach]

Six times in three decades a team outside the top 10 in payroll has won a WS.

So, completely doable. That's my entire point. You can win the world series without spending a ton of money. Conversely, you can spend a ton of money and lose a ton of games.

Yep, 20% success rate, and never done by the same team more than once. But sure, let's go that route.

Who cares what route you take if you win the World Series?

[Michael K.]

Who cares what route you take if you win the World Series?

So, you think it makes sense to follow the path that has been successful six times out of twenty? You are like talking to a wall. I never said I'd care how we win one, just that it makes sense if you actually want to win one? You follow the path that gets you there 80% of the time, and not the one that works 20% of the time. What part of that is so hard for you to understand?

[Michael K.]

Felix Hernandez was on first ballot HOF trajectory, but then he fell off massively. He's right up there with Shawn Kemp in terms of Seattle superstar fall-offs. If Julio flames out like Felix he won't go to the HOF. The HOF for what it's worth is about careers, not a few good seasons. That's why Craig Biggio is in there.

So, you look at the way Julio fell off each season, and see an upwards trajectory? Based on what besides the fact that is what you hope for because you are a fan of his?

I'm talking about right now. And I see you ignored the part of my text I asked you to explain your lofty expectations for a guy whos OB, SLG and OPS are all lower than Jorge Polanco. Or, is Jorge also a future hall of famer?

I hope you are right, but when you blindly debate everyone that is critical of a guy like Julio, that spent four and a half months deserving criticism? Is very annoying. Stomping your feet and demanding that a process that works 20% of the time is the way to go? Well, it's fucking annoying.

You are seriously like talking to a wall. Julio's current OPS is almost .100 points lower than his rookie year. But trending upwards according to you. OBP has gone down every year, and he slugged .409 last year, or his slugging would have gone down each season as well. Current Batting Average is .028 lower than his rookie year. What part of all of this tells you that he is trending upwards? Nothing, besides the fact that you want to argue with anyone who says otherwise.

Hope all you want, but stomping your feet and arguing with absolutely ZERO facts to back you? Again, annoying.