What do ya think??

Finally, we get some kahunas and spend a few bucks. Will this be it? Is it enough to help?

I'm excited that we finally took a chance with Beltre ... ordering up those season tix for Diamond Club right now. Well, not really, but might enjoy next year a little more than this past one!

Oh yeah, bring em on Bevasi

Don't forget they freed up a whole bunch of money with Edgar, Garcia and Kaz. I don't think you'll see them much over the budget of last year. However, it is nice seeing them making some moves.

I think this will be a very interesting and telling season. If MLB can get everybody off the juice I think we will see some surprises! Will we have a season where nobody hits 40 home runs?

Baseball is sort of like steelheading. Even when it sucks it's still worth being there as you may be minutes away from a triple play, or a Nate!

The awesome part is they might not be done dealing. I have heard that they are trying to trade Winn. Hopefuly they will find another solid starter still on the upside of his career.


1 Ichiro RF
2 Boone 2nd or Reed or Lozez SS
3 Beltre 3rd
4 Sexon 1st
5 Boone 2nd or Ibanez Lf or Bucky DH
6 Ibanez or Bucky DH
7 Reed CF or Wilson/Olivio C or Lopez SS
8 Reed CF or Wilson/Olivio C or Lopez SS
9 Reed CF or Wilson/Olivio C or Lopez SS

The lineup looks pretty good to me. They definately have tons of options with the reserves they already have under contract. I don't know much about Hargrove's style but offensively it should be fun!!! They definately don't look as speedy.

What about the pitching? How do you guys see the rotation playing out?

better think about pitching before you start getting all excited about offense.

The Mariners still have a feeble rotation and middling defense.....definitely NOT a playoff combination.

Get ready for another rough one, imo....

I agree pitching is still an issue. However, an offense that scores 5 or 6 runs a game consistently takes a lot of pressure off of the pitchers. I wouldn't describe Pinero, Meche or Franklin as feeble... I would call them average big league pitchers. Who knows what we can expect from Moyer if he comes back. There are definately holes in that rotation.

I wouldn't count on ANY offense scoring five or six runs a game in Safeco. In fact, about the only thing you can take to the bank is that Sexon and Beltre's production numbers will fall as a result of having Safeco as their home field.

The Mariners should be focusing first on pitching, second on defense and lastly on power...remember, the Red Sox were atrocious defensively last year and nearly out of playoff contention until they shored up their defense. That's WITH an offensive juggernaut playing their home games at Fenway, a hitters park....

Signing the power hitting free agent is fan-sexy and organization-dumb. Here's to hoping a couple of the younger pitchers step up and make a name for themselves this year, otherwise....it's gonna be another long one.

After they signed Sexson yesterday, I saw a quote from Lincoln in which he said they were far from being done spending money. So I believe they are not done after Beltre and we will see another big contract handed out to a high profile free agent within the next few days.

Vic-
Today I was picturing the M's lineup in my head and I saw it as such:

1. Ichiro
2. Winn (I havent heard the rumors regarding Randy)
3. Beltre
4. Sexson
5. Boone
6. Ibanez
7. Jacobsen
8. Wilson
9. Lopez
or
8. Lopez
9. Olivio

I hate pro sports i.e. the money is all the players are loyal to and I would be the same I suppose. But it is hard to stay loyal to money as a fan. My 2cents worth is MLB starts and ends with pitching. I love the Mariners always have hope they do well next year. It is really exciting when a no name or under rated team does good like the sonics. Sports for me is a emotional roller coaster that most always takes me for a ride and lets me down in the end.

Some of the baseball guru's blasted Beltre and the M's last night. They point out that Beltre was an avg. to below avg. Player until last year then had a break out year. They showed some stats of how past players including B Boone jack up their numbers going into free agency. Hopefully they are wrong and sometimes you have to take some chances.

Defensively speaking Beltre has the the third highest fielding percetnage of any 3rd baseman in the majors. That is definately an improvement over Spezio (33rd in the majors). Cabrera and Bloomquist rated 44th and 50th for 3rd basemen.

Sure he hit 48 homeruns but he also hit 32 doubles and had 200 total hits. His 334 BA puts him in the top 10 in that catagory. 121 RBI's puts him 8th and he only struck out 81 times. If Beltre continues to improve he is a legitimate Triple Crown threat. This guy is more than a one dimensional bopper brought here to apease the fans. This guy seems to be a perfect fit for the M's needs. Beltre can play, and at 25 he still has potential for continued improvement!!!


Richie Sexon had a .993 fielding percentage at 1st base in 2003. That was good enough to make him the top defensive 1st baseman in the majors. Granted he was injured most of last season. If he can bounce back the M's will definately be tough on the corners.

You have to have pitching, defense and offense to win (see Angles and Marlins). The Mariners cannot solve all their problems through free agency, like the Yankees. We'll see what the Redsox payroll is this year now the pressure is off a bit with the world series win.

The Mariner's have to start developing players through their farm system and right now, there is more pitching than position players, so I love these signings. If Soriano gets back to where he was at some point next year, that will go a long way in that bullpen. Who knows, Moyer may not be done and Pinero, Meche and Madrich may pull it together.

Both Sexon and Beltre are relatively young, still with upside. Both have power and can play defense. I just read a great article in the Seattle Times talking about how Don Welke, scout for the Dodgers, believes Beltre is on the verge of being the next Sammy Sosa. In all likelyhood, Beltre will put up similar #'s to A-Rod at a discounted price. We finally have a legit #3 hitter again! I wouldn't be surprised if the rest of the Mariner hitters pick it up with this added pop in the lineup.

Above all else, this shows me that the Mariners ownership is willing to take some risk on long term deals and step up and compete with the Angles and Rangers. I think Oakland is on the start of a slide. Billy Beane can only play billy ball for so long and stay ahead of the game.

The recent moves could be REALLY good or they could be REALLY bad.... depending, of course, on how the team performs. I think the new guys are the type of players we need that do not have the "I am the franchise" mentality (read PayRod). And I think Boone needs to have a banner year to make it all come together offensively.

I think management is about done spending the big bucks... the current payroll is approximately where they topped out before unloading Kaz, Garcia and Olerud. I think they pretty much spent what they had on Sexton and Beltre.

Pitching is problematic. I think we have the arms to get the job done but everyone needs to stay healthy and make advances over last year. There may still be a trade ot two in the works before opening day in order to secure a solid starter. Shiggy has to get over his 2004 frump in order for the bullpen to do any good.

Maybe I am stating the obvious here but the bottom line is we need starting pitching that can hold the opposing team to 3 or 4 runs over 6 or 7 innings and we need relief pitchers to keep late inning runs to 1 or less... if that happens we will have the offense to kick some serious arse in 2005.

We'll just call 'ya Fairly....Ron Fairly.

Is that what Red said too? Where is my contract for "color commentary?"

Actually, I think Ron Fairly is one of the best in the business. I often wondere why he is not a manager... big league or AAA or something.

Anybody care to hazard a guess?

My all time favorite Farleyism. He was comenting on a ball hit off the wall. "If that ball is hit a foot higher, then that there is a homerun"

Ah noboby has a better grasp on the obvious than Farley.

I think most agree that the M's aren' done dealing. Anyone have an idea what the next move will be?

They still have to dip into the farm talent pool to get a 200+ inning starter and a left hander for the pen. They will trade a few away plus someone like Randy Winn do get it done.

hey king do you think anyone will trade a 200 inning starter or a quality bullpen lefty for Randy Wynn? unrealistic!

Randy Winn by himself wouldn't be a good deal. Randy Winn and a prospect could make that sort of a trade happen.

I would guess that they could pick up a pitcher in the last year of his contract or find a team trying to dump salary. I am not sure who is available at this time. We just saw the same sort of a thing happen with Mulder and Hudson from Oakland. Too bad we didn't get in on that. Hopefuly there is a guy that could make a difference for the M's in a similar situation out there somewhere.

Every team knows the M's are sitting on a fat farm system of prospects. They will all make it required to give up some of them and a player that can play now.