End of the DA ERA?

David Aardsma is probably not returning next year. Kind of a shame as he's managed 69 saves over the past two seasons and has been the most consistent reliever on the staff for those two years. 2010 saw him start slow, but at the end of the year, he had the same WHIP (1.16) as the end of the year and though his ERA nearly went up a point, at 3.44, it wasn't to shabby for a closer.

While I hate seeing Seattle trade away another consistent closer, it makes perfect sense to do so when attempting to rebuild a team. After all, the Mariners are not expected to compete and a dominant closer is typically the last piece you add in order to make a truly competitive ball club. After all, it makes little sense to pay a considerable amount of cash for a closer when you aren't expecting to win a lot of games anyway.

Meanwhile, the M's have Brandon League at a cheaper salary and who will not get the kind of trade attention that Aardsma will. He saved 6 games in lieu of Aardsma in 2010 and can easily move to that role. It could also be a good time to see if League would be able to hold down that role long term. League also has pitched more innings in the bigs than Aardsma, so he has the experience necessary to replace the DA.

Additionally, the M's have plenty of young pitchers to fill into bullpen roles and try out for permanent spots. Though mired in controversy over criminal allegations, Josh Lueke has pitched exceptionally in the minors and has 226 ks in 177.2 innings compared to only 44 walks. If the M's can make things right with Lueke's past and feel that he deserves a second chance, then he could become a dominant big league reliever. Dan Cortes and Anthony Varvaro each had big league shots this year and have a chance out of spring training. Plus, there are the aforementioned free agents I mentioned in the previous post as well as veteran bullpen pitchers Shawn Kelley and Garrett Olson.

Finally, Aardsma could bring in 1-2 players that could make an impact on the M's roster. Other than Ichiro, Gutierrez and Figgins, the lineup is hardly set in stone. Smoak will get his chance at 1st, Ackley will get a shot at second Jack Wilson will start the season at short, and Moore and Saunders are sure to get looks at catcher and leftfield, but were a deal to arise that would include a more reliable player for either of these spots, (except maybe 1st or 2nd), Jack Z will probably make the move, especially if Aardsma can get it for him.

In conclusion, getting 1 outstanding or 2 reliable position player(s) is well worth trading Aardsma.

Slow Goings...

So while last year saw exciting free agent signings and some notable trades, this year is going to be a lot less explosive. Last week, the M's resigned minor league pitchers Chris Seddon and Yusmiero Petit as well as outfielder Mike Wilson. They all have spring training invites and a reasonable chance at cracking the big league roster.

-Petit has pitched in 71 games at the big league level (36 starts) and has lifetime ERA of 5.57 over 229.1 innings, mostly with the Arizona Diamondbacks. He pitched in 24 games for Tacoma last year with an unremarkable ERA of 4.85, but his WHIP was 1.18 and he had a 3.43:1 strikeout to walk ratio. Comparably, he out-pitched Snell and RRS at this level and is only 26 years of age, so there is time to grow.

-Seddon was brought up late in the season and pitched 14 games for the M's. His numbers over 22 innings were below average (5.64 ERA, 1.38 WHIP), but other than 7 games pitched in 2007 for the Marlins, it's all the big league experience he's had. For Tacoma, he had a 3.38 ERA primarily as a starter with a couple of shutouts and a respectable 1.22 WHIP. He is also only 27 years old.

-Mike Wilson had his longest tenure at Tacoma, playing 88 games for the Rainiers after starting at Double-A. Between the two teams, he it 25 homers and drove in 78 runs. At 27, Wilson has yet to make a big league debut, but it seems like this will be the year for him. If not with the Mariners, due to a pretty full outfield, maybe Wilson will make up as appealing trade bait.

Additionally, the Mariners added pitchers Justin Miller, Charlie Haegar, Fabio Castro, and Chris Smith as well as infielders Luis Rodriguez and Sean Kazmar, minor league free agents from other organizations.

-Justin Miller has ample big league experience, having pitched in 216 games. Statistically, nothing sticks out about him and if anything, it looks like the M's will give him a chance based on his experience. Don't see any other reason to.

-Haegar has 34 games at the big league level with an ERA of 6.40 and a grotesque WHIP of 1.746. Not very remarkable at the Triple-A level for the Dodgers either. He throws a knuckle ball, so he has that going for him... I guess...

-Castro pitched for Texas and Philadelphia in the 2006-2007 seasons, posting a 3.30 ERA as a reliever. He pitched 31 games for the Red Sox Triple-A affiliate in Pawtucket and posted a 4.93 ERA, but managed to strikeout 102 in 104 innings. He's 26 at the start of 2011.

-Smith has the most big league experience with 50 games under his belt as what appears to be a garbage reliever for Milwaukee and Boston. His ERA of 5.19 and WHIP of 1.33 lifetime ain't pretty. He did pickup 26 saves for the Nashville Triple-A team while striking out 62 in 48 innings, so he could potentially work out as a good short reliever if he can translate those kinds of numbers in the big leagues.

-Rodriguez is a potential utility infielder off the bench. It has been noted that he banged out 16 homers for the White Sox Triple-A team last year and that potentially, he's found at power stroke at the age of 30. That would be a lot to hope for though, as his big league experience has not shown him to be much of an offensive threat. He appears to be an average fielder.

-Kazmar is a middle infielder and potential bench player. His big league experience amounts to 19 games for the Padres in 2008. He batted .275 for the Padres triple-A affiliate and appears to play about average defense. Josh Wilson better watch himself...

Some Progress

So, it has been a while since I've posted on hear and it has been hard after the horrible season we just had. While the off season is sure to stir some excitement, it's not the same as last year. With more money and movable players, we blew our hopes up and were even considered a front runner for the AL West. This year, there isn't a lot of money and with the success of triple-A Tacoma, a lot of prospects will be brought up and given reps to see if they can hack it at the big league level. If nothing else, this year is 2009 all over again, so we're really just trying to make some kind of step forward.

Eric Wedge has been tapped to manage from a list of candidates that included Bobby Valentine and Joey Cora. Honestly, I didn't want Valentine, because I feel like the level of potential disappointment was too high. His lifetime winning percentage as a manager is .510 (1117-1072) and he hasn't managed in the MLB since 2002. He's managed in Japan, but that's a completely different league with completely different players. While Wedge may not seem like he has a enough star power and perceived potential upside compared to Valentine, he won't create unrealistic expectations among the fan base so if this season goes down in flames it won't be as disappointing as if we put all our hopes in Valentine.

Besides, if Wedge works out, he's only 42 and could potentially be here for many years to come. He also has experience managing several of players on the Mariners while he was with the Cleveland Indians: Franklin Gutierrez (2005-2008), Josh Bard (2002-2005), Milton Bradley (2002-2003), and if he returns, Russell Branyan (2002). Bradley and Wedge didn't get along back in 2003, but they've both agreed to forget the past and try to work together. If not, Bradley will probably be waived mid-season.