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Sunday, February 18 , 2007
Will Ichiro be traded because of lack of big off-season moves by the Mariners upper brass? The Seattle Mariners have finished in last place the past three years. You would think the Mariners brass this off season would go out and get a number one starter like a Barry Zito, or Jason Schmidt. Instead they went out and brought in three tin men from the wizard of OZ. Those tin men are RHP Miguel Batista, LHP Horacio Ramirez, and RHP Jeff Weaver. Even though Batista threw over 206 innings last year in 2006, his ERA was 4.58 and he walked 84 and struck out only 110. The Mariners this year paid M. Batista 24 million over three years as their number three starter. J. Weaver who signed a one year 8 million dollar deal with the Mariners this year was one of the worst pitchers in 06 in the A.L. before being traded by the Angels to the Cardinals last year. Yes, Weaver did win a ring with the Cardinals last year. Did Cardinals pitching coach Dave Duncan help change the mechanics of Weaver that will keep his ERA under 6.00 or even 5.00? Horacio Ramirez who the Mariners got in a trade with the Atlanta Braves this year has a history of being hurt and on the D.L. [disabled list]. Ramirez' record last year was 5-5 and 4.48 ERA and he has problems with his command of pitches. Staying healthy in the four spot and staying ahead in the count hopefully will transfer to wins for Ramirez and the Mariners. If Batista, Weaver, Ramirez struggle, look for RHP Cha Seug Baek to be called up from triple A Tacoma. Baek who was called up towards the end of the season last year for the Mariners showed great promise and command with a 4-1 record and a 3.67 ERA. The two returning starting pitchers for the Mariners, RHP #34 Felix Hernandez, and #56 Jarrod Washburn, must pitch a lot better in 2007 if they expect to make any type of run in the A.L. West. Hernandez will be the Mariners #1 pitcher in the 07 starting rotation. Last year Hernandez had a 12-14 record along with a 4.52 ERA. Finishing hitters off was a problem for Hernandez last year after being ahead in the count. Hernandez must pitch deeper in games for the Mariners, which will help out the bullpen. Pitcher LHP Jarrod Washburn was a big disappointment for the Mariners starting rotation in 06. The 4 year 36 million dollar Washburn who finished his first year with the Mariners in 06 had a record of 8-14 and an ERA of 4.67, and was a "Wash and Burn" for the Mariners in 06. Washburn has to pitch better for the Mariners to have any chance to compete in the West. Washburn, and Hernandez must finish a little over five hundred or at least at five hundred to help the Mariners patch-work new rotation. On offense for the Seattle Mariners will need three players to have great starts out the gate. Those three players are at the top and middle of the order, CF Ichiro, 3B Adrian Beltre, and 1B Richie Sexson. In 06 Beltre and Sexson fell into a deep slump in the first two months into the season. Beltre must show more discipline and patience at plate, and wait for hitters counts [2-0 3-1 counts]. Beltre who padded his stats towards the end of 06, finished with a .268 avg. 25HR and 89 RBI'S. Beltre saved a lot of runs with his great defense at third base, but his offense must improve out the gate with runners in scoring position if the Mariners expect to jump out in front in the West. Sexson, who started off slow in 06 like Betre, must also show more patience at the plate. Sexson who finished 06 with a .264 avg. 34HR and 107 RBI'S also must improve in hitting with runners in scoring position. Ichiro who had put up good offensive numbers for the Seattle Mariners in 06 with a .322 avg. and over 200 plus hits for the sixth straight year still must improve on two things. Ichiro must draw more walks. In 06 Ichiro drew only 49 walks in 695 at bats. Ichiro must double the 49 walks in the lead-position. Even though Ichiro stole 45 bases in 06, many of those where when the Mariners where far behind and late in games. Ichiro must try to make things happen at the beginning of games for the Seattle Mariners in 07. Ichiro must force the issue on the base paths and keep opponents on their heels early and often. Ichiro will be starting 07 in center-field this year, the last year of his contract for the Mariners. Center-field will still mean center of attention when the trading deadline creeps closer [July 31st] for Ichiro Suzuki and the Seattle Mariners of 07. The Mariners added to their offense in 07 with two new hitters DH/ 2B Jose Vidro and RF Jose Guillen. The past few year staying healthy has been a problem for Jose Vidro and he has never been the same player since he had surgery on his knee. The Mariners want him to fill the DH roll in the 5th hole in the line up. The switch hitting Vidro has a quick compact swing through the zone, and shows great patience at the plate. Vidro must continue that patience especially with runners in scoring position. If Adrain Beltre struggles in the 2 spot of the line up, look for Vidro to slide into the 2 spot and Beltre move down to number 4. Jose Guillen will be starting this year in right field for the Seattle Mariners. Guillen who may even have a stronger arm than Ichiro hopefully will be able to display it if he can stay healthy. Temper and injury problems have followed Guillen most of his career. Last year in 06 Jose Guillen finished with a .216 avg. 9HR 40 RBI. Guillen is a free swinger that strikes out a lot. Guillen must cut down on his strikes outs, along with staying healthy. 2B Jose Lopez and SS Yuniesky Betancourt both must draw more walks in 07. Lopez who had 603 at bats in 06 only drew 26 walks. Lopez who was an ALL-Star last year faded at the plate in the second half of the season. Jose Lopez must stay productive throughout the whole year at the bottom of the order for the Seattle Mariners. Shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt showed tremendous stride and promise on offense and defense for the Seattle Mariners in 06. Betancourt in 06 had 558 at bats and drew only 17 base on balls. Those walk numbers must improve even though Betancourt had himself a break-out year at the bottom of the order in 06 with .289 avg. 8 HR and 47 RBI. The word has already spread around the American League that Betancourt is one of the best defensive short stops and that Jose Lopez and Yuniesky Betancourt turn the best double plays in the American League. The three brightest surprises for the disappointing 06 Mariner season would have to be catcher Kenji Johjima, LF Raul Ibanez and closer J.J. Putz. K. Johjima, in his first year in the majors, displayed great poise on offense in 06 with a .291 avg. 18 HR, and 76 RBI'S. Kenji also played solid behind the plate last year. Johjima could have his hands full in 07 with three new pitchers in the starting rotation. LF Raul Ibanez had a career year in 06 for the Mariners with a .289 avg. 33HR and 123 RBI'S. Ibanez was the most consistent Mariner on offense last year. Mariner's closer J.J. Putz had a great year in 2006. Putz had a 4-1 record, a 2.30 ERA, 36 saves, 104 strikeouts and 13 walks in 78 innings. This year the Mariners will have the best defensive team in the A.L. on paper if they can stay healthy. The starting rotation for the Mariners must pitch deeper into games in 07. On offense they must do a much better job hitting with runners in scoring position as a team. The Mariners had problems offensively when they had second and third with no outs. If the Mariners continue to struggle on offense with runners on base in 07 look for quick shifting in the starting line up by manager Mike Hardgrove. Hardgrove knows his job is on the line this year for the Mariners. If the Mariners start slowly out the gate, look for Hardgrove to be fired by the end to May. If the Mariners fall out of contention by All Star break [10-15 games out] in the A.L. West, look for Mariners to shop around and trade Ichiro Susuki before the trading deadline is over. Ichiro will not resign with the Mariners if the Mariners finish in last place again in 07. The Mariners did not make great strides this off season too try and keep Ichiro. The Mariners brought in a lot of new guys with a lot of questions, including health problems and bad pitchers with high ERA's. 80 wins for the
Mariners in 2007. -Dre206, Feb18/07 |
Seattle
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