Yardbarker: Adrian Beltre

Silva to Mets?

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 13:49:34 -0500

According to the Pioneer Press, Mariners pitcher Carlos Silva is lost without former teammate Johan Santana and does not feel comfortable with the Mariners. While Felix Hernandez is from Venezuela as well, he has been preoccupied by his own struggles. Silva, who was placed on the disabled list for arm fatigue, has won just once in his last 21 starts. He signed a forty-eight million dollar deal in the off season and is just 4-14 with a 6.36 ERA.

While the Mets don't necessarily have room for Silva, they could acquire for next to nothing while the Mariners would take most of his salary. It was a big investment for the Mariners, so I doubt they will give up on him just yet, but if he continues to struggle next season expect something to happen. The Mariners need to dress their offensive problem before they give up on their veteran pitchers. Trading Kenji Johjma and Adrian Beltre should be a priority, while finding a power hitter to shape the lineup around being secondary. The free agent class is a little bit older than last years, but that shouldn't stop the Mariners from being aggressive.

2009 Giants 3B Options?

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 11:38:34 -0500

The Giants tried very hard to land a third baseman in the off season and were not successful, so expect them to be very aggressive this off season. Here are a couple options for them:

Adrian Beltre, Mariners: Adrian Beltre has been struggling mightily for the Mariners and they may look to trade him to clear up some payroll. While Beltre has a limited no-trade clause, it does not block a trade to the Giants.

Casey Blake, Dodgers: Casey Blake has been doing very well for the Dodgers since coming over, but he reportedly prefers to play in front of a smaller venue. Moving up to San Francisco to be the Giants third baseman may appeal to Blake because he would be playing in front of a smaller venue, but would be familiar with the division.

Joe Crede, White Sox: The White Sox will likely let Crede walk with Josh Fields waiting in the wings, so the Giants could finally land their target from the 2008 off season. Crede will probably have to sign for a reduced price because he is oft-injured, but that won't stop too many teams.

Aubrey Huff, Orioles: The Orioles put Huff on waivers and so far he has not been involved in any serious talks. However, he could be a hot commodity come the Winter Meetings when teams start missing out on their first and second choice. The Orioles would be smart to sell high on Huff, who is having a career year.

2009 Giants 3B Options?

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 11:38:34 -0500

Contrasting the '01 and '08 Mariners

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 17:00:57 -0500

The 2008 season for the Seattle Mariners could end up to be the worst team ever in franchise history. The 2001 season for the Seattle Mariners marked the best regular season mark for the team in franchise history, and in baseball history. By no means is this a fair comparison, but for the Mariners to reach the playoffs in the near future they need to see similar production to the 2001 team. What will the two teams look like, side by side, comparing offensive position by position? Let's see:

Note (I have bolded each player who is the better out of the two)

Stats (Average/On-Base Percentage/ Slugging Percentage)

Catcher- Dan Wilson '01 (.265/.305/.403)

Catcher- Kenji Johjima '08 (.216/.257/.301)

1st Base- John Olerud '01 (.302/.401/.472)

1st Base- Richie Sexson '08 (.218/.315/.381)

2nd Base- Bret Boone '01 (.331/.372/.578) Ridiculous

2nd Base- Jose Lopez '08 (.309/.330/.442)

3rd Base- David Bell '01 (.260/.303/.415)

3rd Base- Adrian Beltre '08 (.251/.318/.422)

Shortstop- Carlos Guillein '01 (.259/.333/.355)

Shortstop- Yuniesky Betancourt '08 (.259/.273/.358)

Left Field- Al Martin '01 (.240/.330/.382)

Left Field- Raul Ibanez '08 (.287/.351/.482)

Center Field- Mike Cameron '01 (.267/.353/.480)

Center Field- Ichiro '08 (.311/.367/.392)

Right Field- Ichiro '01 (.350/.381/.457) Ridiculous

Right Field- Wladdy '08 (.216/.274/.366)

DH- Edgar Martinez (.306/.423/.543)

DH- Jose Vidro (This isn't fair) (.234/.274/.338)

What can we draw from this?

There are only three players from the 2008 that are better than their 2001 counterparts, Ichiro in Centerfield, Adrian Beltre at 3rd Base, and Raul Ibanez at Left Field. I'd also give credit to Jose Lopez who is up against the best offensive 2nd baseman season ever. Other than that, there are five slots with outright awful offensive performances that will need to be fixed. Here's what I would do to the current lineup:

At catcher, Jeff Clement would eventually put up better numbers than a 2001 Dan Wilson, however he is a defensive liability behind the plate. How about Kenji? The pitching staff doesn't work well with him and he has not bat. I'd start the move of Jeff Clement to 1st base and have the new manager work things out between Kenji and the pitching staff.

We're also screwed at DH, the Jose Vidro experiment or project didn't work too well..Here's an idea, move Ibanez to DH where his horrid defense won't play a factor and keep Wladimir Balentein there. After that, you keep Ichiro in Right Field and keep Jeremey Reed where both have great defense.

The last thing you need to do is trade Yuni. Betancourt doesn't fit for the club, bad defense and a bad bat won't work. I'd totally support having Mike Morse take his position where he could play some solid shortstop.

Mets Big Winners At Deadline !

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 04:02:00 -0500

The Mets may be considered the losers of the deadline but , the options were really not there and realistically Omar understands the team they have this year is not gonna get it done . If they were one big piece away then maybe you mortgage the future. This team has far to many question marks and unfortunately the players that were supposed to be key factors in the success of this team are on the D.L. This year has not favored the Mets at all . With the Mets shuffling players & coaches all year long they really have not had any time to become a TEAM . I feel Omar has made the proper choice to stand pat and see what he's got in the farms. Bringing up the young guys can prove to be more beneficial then renting a player for two months . As a Mets fan I say thumbs up OMAR ! I really want to see the Young Guns get action ! Win or Lose , Lets build from within . Owning instead of renting is a BIG WIN in my book !

Rumors: Washburn, Ibanez, Putz, Rhodes, Beltre

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 17:02:12 -0500

The latest on a grip of Mariner players.

Texas Trade Wind Anemometer: Detecting A Light Gust

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 16:05:15 -0500

Business begins to pick up in the Texas Rangers' front office in the wake of a disappointing 7-5 loss to the Seattle Mariners.

Beltre to Rays?

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 18:32:51 -0500

The latest rumor has the Tampa Bay Rays trying to get Seattle third baseman Adrian Beltre.

Sunday MLB on TBS: Comments from Marlins/Cubs Game

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 16:40:53 -0500

The following is commentary and interviews from yesterday's (7/27) Sunday MLB on TBS broadcast between the Florida Marlins and the Chicago Cubs with announcers Chip Caray and Harold Reynolds, and an interview with Lou Piniella of the Cubs. ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** Florida Marlins (6) @ Chicago Cubs (9) Announcers Chip Caray and Harold Reynolds Harold Reynolds interviewed Chicago Cubs manager Lou Piniella prior to the game. Piniella on his reputation for arguing with umpires and being ejected from games: “It’s my job as a manager to back my players, if I don’t do that I’m not doing part of my manager’s duties. I have mellowed out, I’m not on the field very much. I’ve been kicked out twice this year and both times were by the same umpire, maybe he needs to mellow out a little bit.” Piniella on what the Cubs need to do to win: “We need to score some runs, that’s what we need to do. It’s hard to win with two runs. Soccer you can win 2 -1, but in baseball you’ve got to put runs on the board and if you can do that consistently, I like the number five, you can win a lot of baseball games. We were doing it earlier in the season and we were winning with a lot of consistency and since the break we haven’t really done that much offensively…As long as our pitching stays good we’re going to be in baseball games and sooner or later this team will start swinging the bat.” Reynolds: “You’ve been hit by a baseball sometime in your life, right?” Caray: “No, my family crest was the yellow fleeing chicken.” Reynolds on Seattle Mariners third baseman Adrian Beltre: “Adrian Beltre is the guy that people say, ‘He’s put together a pretty good year this year and the last half of last year.’ I think he’s getting back to that form of the guy that was in Los Angeles “To me, the (trade) deadline is not really a deadline because how many great moves have been made before the postseason? That’s the key, at the end when they get those players that the teams know.” that everyone was coveting at that time, that’s why he’s on the market in a big way.” Reynolds on the trade deadline: Reynolds on two-out rallies: “Two-out hits are the greatest weapon an offense can have because they are demoralizing. The pitcher thinks he’s out of it, the offense thinks they’re getting ready to get back into the game and before you know it you see guys running around the bases.” Reynolds on rookie Cubs pitcher Jeff Samardzija: “(Jeff Samardzija) was a big time NFL prospect and he really struggled (with the decision of whether to play pro football or pro baseball after college). He told me that he would sit in class during his senior year trying to figure out what he was going to do because he knew it was a real possibility that for him to play in the NFL. He’s always loved football and baseball and baseball won out…Worse case scenario, if he (isn’t a successful pitcher), have you seen the size of his hands? He can go back and play in the NFL in four years. But I think it’s going to work out, he’s going to be a pretty good pitcher.” Reynolds on his former Seattle Mariners manager Dick Williams who was recently inducted into the Hall of Fame: “Dick Williams taught me a lot about baseball. He used to always say, ‘You should know the situation in the game, I should never have to give you a sign.’ That was what he expected of his players and that’s how he managed.” Reynolds on the Minnesota Twins having a distinct system that works: “It’s a tribute to the (Minnesota Twins) organization in that they teach a certain style of baseball that they play from the minor leagues to the big leagues. It’s almost like a football program where you keep plugging guys into the system, like the ( New England ) Patriots, and it works. But that style only works in baseball because they say we’re going to bunt, we’re going to be aggressive, we’re going to catch the ball and this is what we’re looking for - our corner guy is going to have some power, our middle guy is going to catch the ground ball. They’ve kept with that philosophy all the way back to Tom Kelly days.” Reynolds on the trade that sent four Cubs players to the Oakland A’s for pitchers Chad Gaudin and Rich Harden: “I thought ( Chad ) Gaudin was the key guy in that. Obviously everyone says, ‘Oh, Rich Harden!’ Of course that’s going to be the marquee name, but Gaudin is that bridge. He’s a swing guy, he can start for you and he can also come in out of the pen…He’s a guy that really becomes valuable when you play a lot of long games at Wrigley Field.” Reynolds on Marlins leftfielder Josh Willingham’s error that allowed three runs to score: “The biggest change in all of baseball is putting infielders in the outfield. There’s a catcher (Marlins leftfielder Josh Willingham) playing in leftfield and (Cubs second baseman Mike Fontenot’s hit to he outfield that scored three runs) burns them. I see this nightly where teams have gotten to the point where they think they can put just anybody in the outfield…This isn’t an indictment on Willingham, he’s been out there enough, but that was a ball that with his foot speed he’s not going to get it. If you have a normal leftfielder or outfielder who’s done it for his life and that’s his trade, he would catch that ball.” Reynolds on the Cubs’ offense: “For the Cubs, what’s turned it around for them offensively is that they’re starting to put the bunching hits together. When the middle of the line-up everybody is going to hit and that’s been the story for today.” Reynolds on the importance of defense: “You have to catch the ball. Your defense makes your pitching better and it gets you back in the dugout so you can hit. If you don’t defend you’re not going to win.”Maury Brown is the Founder and President of the Business of Sports Network (http://www.businessofsportsnetwork.com/), which includes The Biz of Baseball (http://www.bizofbasketball.com/), The Biz of Football (http://www.bizoffootball.com/), The Biz of Basketball (http://www.bizofbasketball.com/) and The Biz of Hockey (http://bizofhockey.com/). He is contributor to Baseball Prospectus (http://baseballprospectus.com/news/?author=124), and is available as a freelance writer.Brown's full bio is here. (http://www.businessofsportsnetwork.com/index.php?option=com_content view=article id=47 Itemid=18) He looks forward to your comments via email and can be contacted through the Business of Sports Network (http://www.businessofsportsnetwork.com/index.php?option=com_contact view=contact id=2 Itemid=29).

Shannon Drayer on Beltre

Sat, 26 Jul 2008 16:41:08 -0500

Mariner insider lets us in on some Adrian Beltre info, including his leadership abilities and that he may want to play for the Angels of all teams.

Prospect Insider on Beltre

Sat, 26 Jul 2008 00:06:15 -0500

Jason Churchill says that the Los Angeles Dodgers have 2 scouts at every Seattle Mariners game. More after the jump!

Biggest Needs for AL Playoff Contenders

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 14:06:03 -0500

-The Red Sox are in pretty good shape, according to Perry. He points a finger at Jason Varitek's underachieving season but thinks the only real need they have is RH middle relief, assuming that Justin Masterson can settle in in the bullpen.
-The Yankees have a long list of players on the DL, with the chance that Matsui and Posada could be gone for the season. They need another bat and will likely be looking at the same players as the Mets, Holliday, Bay, Giles and Dunn.
-The Tampa Bay Rays need a RH left fielder to partner with Carl Crawford, who, with a .235 avg, can't hit lefty pitcher to save his life.
-The White Sox-With one of the worst farm systems in baseball, it's lucky for them, as Perry sees it that that so don't have a lot of holes to fill. They just need for Paul Konerko to start hitting and Jose Contreras to come off the DL in good shape.
-The Minnesota Twins need a third baseman. Perry sees Adrian Beltre as a good fit for them because he bring hitting and fine defense.
-The Angels should be on the hunt for another big bat as their production from their left fielder and their DH has been less than stellar. Third base is also a weak spot offensively.

Twins Shopping for Third Baseman

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 14:06:02 -0500

The Twins are serious about upgrading at third base and are working at a deal for Seattle's Adrian Beltre. They have also spoken with the Rangers about Hank Blalock and the Indians about Casey Blake.

Biggest Needs for AL Playoff Contenders

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 20:44:33 -0500

Biggest Needs for AL Playoff Contenders

Beltre Blocks Dodgers

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 16:16:58 -0500

Beltre wants to go to a SoCal team? Maybe not. He has already blocked the San Diego Padres and now the Los Angeles Dodgers. Read on!