June questions, June answers

 By Stevil,  4 June, 2024

We're not going to get too fancy with photos and BS this time. One of us has a family extension on the way and the other is, perhaps foolishly, involved in multiple business ventures. Guess who is who? Correct answers will be rewarded with silence. 

Anyway, on to the questions...

Q: Are the strikeouts the only problem with the offense?

A: Nope. There has been a real lack of chemistry and plenty of poor base-running decisions. A lot of fans probably think Brown was the scapegoat for the players' failures, but his system wasn't working and they've responded positively (so far) to the dismissal. That's the way it goes sometimes. It's nothing personal. 

But since you mentioned the strikeouts, for those who are still mocking the Mariners for attempting to reduce the Ks, and until this point, failing to do so, it's worth noting that the replacements for RF, LF, 3B, and DH all have a lower K% than their predecessors. That doesn't tell the whole story, obviously, but nobody should assume they would have been better off keeping the same cast. 

And they are in first place despite these flaws.

Q: Which teams line-up well for trades?

A: Not many. There are just five teams that appear (right now) to be non-buyers and two of them may not necessarily be sellers. I think the NL West has the best potential solutions for Seattle, but only the Rockies are out of the race and they're one of the teams that may not be inclined to sell--not that they have much, anyway. The Athletics and Tigers might also be teams to watch. The As would be tougher to deal with if there aren't many sellers in July. I'd imagine they're not going to be keen on strengthening a division rival, but they have a trio of players that should peak Seattle's interest. 

Q: Should they trade pitching for hitting?

A: A variation of this question was posed by Brock Huard or Mike Salk (I don't remember who brought it up) while talking with Jeff Passan. 

Jeff said 'no'. I'm not so sure he's right. 

First, and to be clear, I don't think there's a clear match in an arm-for-bat swap. Not yet, anyway. So, I'm not suggesting this is likely to happen, nor am I advocating for anything other than to get stars and make a real push for a World Series title.

But Logan Evans is dominating AA. He's arguably MLB-ready right now. If he himself isn't available, perhaps another starter would be. It's easy to look at Woo with his health concerns, and his value likely being at its peak, making him a candidate. Irrational fans would balk at the very notion, but if Justin & Jerry don't have the financial means to improve, prospects & MLB players would likely be their currency, and we've already seen Jerry sell high from positions of strength.

Again, I don't think we should expect this, I simply think it's a real possibility. We just heard Stanton talk more about 'sustainability' while simultaneously suggesting they're not doing well. For what it's worth, given the exhaustion we saw last September, it wouldn't be surprising if we saw a veteran starter brought in for the end stretch and postseason run, and perhaps a SP prosect in a return package wouldn't be surprising, either. They'd have to maintain their depth, right? That reminds me, Jhonathan Díaz has kind of quietly been really good for Tacoma. 

Q: Are the Mariners the team to beat in the AL West?

A: It still looks that way, doesn't it? I wouldn't count-out Houston or Texas, though. They've had their trouble with injuries, but they'll get players back (namely pitchers) and they both have solid offenses. Seattle is relying heavily on their pitching. If they lose arms (plural) to injury and the offense doesn't produce consistently, their fortune could change very quickly. It's encouraging that they've been more productive lately, but I still think we could eventually see Garver as the backup to Raleigh, or traded, and I could see another fielder or two brought in. 

Q: What do you think about Victor Robles?

A: He's an experienced veteran who gives them defense and speed, allows Clase to (hopefully) play regularly in Tacoma and develop, and he hit LHPs quite well last season. He hasn't really played this season, so nobody should be taking the sample sizes too seriously. 

There's no risk for Seattle. If nothing else, it buys them time for a bigger move at the deadline.