Yardbarker: Jose Vidro

Abreu to Athletics?

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 21:49:12 -0500

Athletics GM Billy Beane said the Athletics would like to add a power bat that could help the team for at least two years, opening up the speculation of who that may be. The Athletics are not known to spend big on their players, so they will likely enter 2009 with their young players hoping they will improve. However, if the Athletics offered a two year deal worth about 10-12 million dollars annually to Bobby Abreu, he could be the player that makes a big difference. Carlos Gonzalez, Aaron Cunningham, and Ryan Sweeney will likely lead the way of young outfielders, while Barton and Suzuki in the infield.A

Adding Abreu and resigning Mark Ellis would make this team a whole lot better. If the Athletics take the route of going after veterans looking to bounce back, they could go after Jim Edmonds, Jose Vidro, Richie Sexson, or maybe Garrett Anderson.A

This story was approved by MLB Rumors.

Failure: The 2008 Mariners' Opening Day Lineup

Tue, 30 Sep 2008 19:31:11 -0500

Now that the season is over (not that it hasn't been for the past 2 months), it's appropriate to start looking forward to the 2009 MLB season for the Seattle Mariners.

For the first part of the season recap, we'll take a look at the opening day lineup along with analysis on the Opening day starters and their offensive and defensive performances this season.

Opening Day Roster: (2008 AVG/OBP/SLG)

CF-Ichiro (.310/.360/.385)

2B-Jose Lopez (.297/.322/.443)

LF-Raul Ibanez (.297/.362/.485)

~~1B-Richie Sexson (.218/.315/.381)~~ FAIL

3B-Adrian Beltre (.266/.327/.457)

~~RF-Brad Wilkerson (.232/.348/.304) ~~What a Joke~~~~

~~DH-Jose Vidro (.234/.274/.338) ~~FAIL~~~~

~~C-Kenji Johjima (.223/.272/.322) The epitome of underachieving~~

~~SS-Yuniesky Betancourt (.274/.293/.382) BAD DEFENSE~~

Analysis:
When looking at this opening day lineup it's hard to believe that some thought it would be able to compete for a playoff position (including me)..There was really no established power going into this season, along with that, everyone was mediocre going into this season except for the first three hitters.

Ichiro's move to right field in the middle of the season was the right move. Jeremy Reed playing center field is much more valuable to the Mariner outfield defense. Along with Reed's defense at center, Ichiro back at right field is the perfect home for his cannonball arm.

Jose Lopez at first base? Not a good long-term solution. Offense is hard to find at 2nd base. Although his defense is suspect, Jose Lopez is one of the best offensive 2nd baseman in the American League. Moving him to 1st base moves the Mariners' 1st base position below or at average in the American League.

Raul Ibanez is likely gone after this season. He improved his numbers from last year, but his defense at left field killed this team. Richie Sexson's comeback attempt failed miserably. Once he started making contact, he lost all meaning of the word power. The whole reason he came to Seattle was to bring punch to the lineup, not to be a semi-threat against left-handed pitching.

Adrian Beltre is being praised all around by the sabermetric community for being underrated. I agree with them, his defense and his bat (unlucky) have been a valuable asset to this baseball team.

Can you believe Brad Wilkerson was our starting right fielder? That is simply unbelievable. He's terrible. I don't want to go on a rant about Jose Vidro. All I got to say is he will go down as one the worst Mariners of all-time. He provided no power at all at the DH position, and couldn't even hit for average.

Kenji Johjima had a tough season this year, he's been receiving a lot of criticism from fans for being signed to big bucks but not performing up to par. Finally, Yuniesky Betancourt. Yuni's defense reached an all-time low this year, he had a down year offensively.

What it all boils down to is that there were only four players this year from the opening day roster that performed up to their expectations. Even with that, Ichiro had a "down" year, Jose Lopez' defense hurt this team at the 2nd base position, Raul Ibanez was one of the worst defenders in the American League, and Adrian Beltre had one of the most unluckiest seasons ever (considering his offensive production).

Everyone else just plain sucked.

Who do you think was worst? Jose Vidro or Richie Sexson?

Coming Soon: Recapping the 2008 Offensive Depth Chart...

Photo Source [Flickr]

Congratulations Kenji Johjima, This Year's AL LVP

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 21:40:44 -0500

Jayson Stark of ESPN has declared Kenji Johjima, catcher for the Seattle Mariners, the Least Valuable Player in the American League. Along with that, former Mariner Richie Sexson was an honorable mention for the same award. Here is what Stark had to say about Johjima :

There were 124 AL hitters who got 350 at-bats this season. Johjima ranked 119th in on-base percentage (.272), 119th in OPS (.594), 118th in slugging (.322) and 114th in batting average (.223). Now add in all the issues he had with assorted members of his pitching staff, and this was a vintage LVP kind of year. Oh, by the way, did I mention that his three-year extension doesn't even kick in until next season?

I couldn't agree with Stark more, except for the fact that Jose Vidro warrants at least an honorable mention like Richie Sexson within the same category. Kenji has been a disappointment this year. Will he move to DH or 1st base next year?

I believe Jeff Clement is the right guy behind the plate for the Mariners next year. The Nintendo mandated extension makes me angry. We need real baseball ownership if anything is going to happen with this team...if not, we'll keep on racking in the LVP awards :(...

Jayson Stark also included the top three Ichiro quotes of the year. Here they are in order of pure awesomeness:

1. "Playing on this team and seeing what is happening around me, I feel that something is beginning to fall apart. But, if I was not in this situation, and I was objectively watching what just happened this week, I would probably be drinking a lot of beers and booing. Usually, I enjoy Japanese beer, but given the situation, if I was objectively watching the game, I wouldn't care if it was Japanese beer, American beer or beer from Papua New Guinea."

2. (On Bret Boone)

"When I met him, he was kind of a human being that you would never meet in Japan. So whenever I was around him, I almost felt like I was witnessing a creature, not a human being."

3. "All my teammates don't think what I'm wearing is good fashion. A lot of times, they can't believe what I'm wearing. But if you ask me, what they're wearing is a crime."

Seriously. What kind of sick monster would want to knock out this quote machine??

photo source [Flickr]

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.

Several O's pass through waivers....

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 13:07:28 -0500

If we don't hear any rumors regarding discussions between the Mets and Orioles, and I'm not saying making an actual trade, just discussions then Omar truly is happy going with what he has. The Orioles had four players clear waivers and you could make an argument for the Mets attempting to acquire any of them. While the Orioles owner is notorious for being overly involved and disrupting operations, it appears the second year GM has gained some control as evident by the Bradford trade. Bradford was clearly a salary dump and the players available are expensive veterans that the team could find helpful to lose their salary as well.

I'd like to see the Mets acquire a left handed veteran power bat who could hit off the bench specifically for clutch pinch hitting situations down the stretch. The precise spot Marlon Anderson was suppose to fill but was unable to, I mentioned Jose Vidro yesterday and while I agree he's not the perfect solution I think he's better then Anderson. Easley will provide that bat from the right side but unless they have faith that Nixon will return and contribute, I don't see the lefty with Chavez in the line-up. With two outs, bases loaded, tie score, pitchers spot up in the seventh inning, in mid Sept. and were still in the race, if we need a lefty I'd rather have a veteran coming to the plate then a nervous rookie. I like Murphy a lot but after 30 ABs I'm not ready to anoint him the answer to that situation, we have the wiggle room to pick up a player with Cancel and Evans on the roster both of which could return at expansion.

The prize of the group is also the most expensive, 31 y/o left handed hitting Aubrey Huff is a lifetime .286 hitter with a slg. pct. .480, so far this year he is hitting .300 with a Slg. pct. .550 in 456 AB. With the Orioles the past two seasons he has primarily been a DH but still plays 1B/3B on a regular basis. Huff played 37 gms in '06' (Astros) and over 200 gms between 2003-2005 in the outfield ( Rays). If the Mets were satisfied with Huff he could replace Delgado next year while they continue to assess Murphy/Carp/Davis.......

The Mets have been linked to Kevin Millar all year long both to rest Delgado ( or replace him early on) and provide veteran leadership. To be honest he is the most unappealing of the group, the 37 y/o right hander is only hitting .246 and is a defensive liability. But I'm not in the locker room and for a team that fell over it's own shoe laces for almost a year if they feel they need a veteran leader then I would understand the move.......

Former Met Jay Payton is a 36 y/o right handed outfielder who still has the range to play center field but is more suited for the corner outfield. Payton is only hitting .246 with six HRs and 4 SBs. If the platoon of rookies cool off the Mets will wish they had picked up a regular outfield before playoff roster ( Sept. 1st).

I already made a case for left handed reliever Jamie Walker......

Despite hitting .301 with 25 homers, 79 RBIs and a .553 slugging percentage, Huff presumably passed through waivers because any claiming team would be responsible for paying more than $10 million remaining on his contract, including $8 million in 2009. source Baltimore Sun

Vidro a free agent, would he make sense for the Mets.....

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 13:53:46 -0500

On August 5 the Mariners placed Jose Vidro on outright waivers ( not trade waivers) meaning they had 10 days to trade him or grant his release. After being unsuccessful in trade attempts Seattle has granted him his outright release. The Mariners are now on the hook for his 8.5mil. salary while another team can sign him at league minimum without it costing any prospects. Back when he was placed on waivers I posted why I thought he might come to the Mets, he might be a nice lefty veteran with power off the bench. Before you say he's only hitting .234 I believe that entire team went into an offensive slump much the same as we did last year in Sept.. Vidro, a switch hitter is a lifetime .298 hitter and batted .314 last year. Richie Sexson was hitting only .218 with Seattle and with protection is already hitting .250 in NY which is close to his .261 lifetime BA. While I like seeing the kids getting a chance, I'm a firm believer in having veterans down the stretch on the bench who can handle the pressure of pinch hitting in clutch situations during a pennant race.

Designated hitter Jose Vidro, designated for assignment Aug. 5, was officially granted his unconditional release Wednesday after the Mariners failed to trade him.

"We looked into working a deal with some teams, but it just wasn't there,"Pelekoudas said. "I'm sure he'll hook on with somebody." source Seattle
PI

Vidro a free agent, would he make sense for the Mets.....

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 13:53:46 -0500

Evening Events

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 21:59:59 -0500

-It appears the Rockies have been awarded waiver claims to veteran pitcher Livan Hernandez.

-According to the New York Post, Joba Chamberlain is scheduled to have his shoulder evaluated by Dr. James Andrews. This is very bad news for Yankees fans as it likely indicates a serious injury or befuddlement on the part of the Yankees medical staff. Ian Kennedy will be called up to replace Chamberlain in the rotation.

-The Mariners have designated 2b Jose Vidro for assignment. Vidro was hitting .340 since the all-star break and it wouldn't be surprising to see him picked up by a contender for the final stretch of the season.

This Week's Links (7/21-7/25)

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 17:13:03 -0500

Analyzing Sportsbook's "Game of the Year" lines.

Checking in on the AL MVP race.

Poor judgment by Melky.

One pitch, one out, Save #42. MVP? Um...no.

Seattle's use of Vidro continues to defy logic.

Rovell on issues with withdrawing from online betting sites.

Ibanez Rumors

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 20:11:46 -0500

The latest on Raul Ibanez.

The Yankees’ Plan For Overcoming The Sox And Rays? Acquiring All Of Seattle’s Crap

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 19:00:19 -0500

Fewer things in baseball give me more pleasure than New York Yankee panic moves. Even better is when those panic moves involve signing or trading for the biggest disappointments and/or wastes of space off my favorite team. Well right now, the Fightin' Hanks are treating me like a Make-A-Wish Kid who has eleven minutes to [...]

Washburn to NYY Heating Up?

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 14:06:31 -0500

Trade talks seem to be heating up between the Seattle Mariners and New York Yankees. The Yanks could pull in Jarrod Washburn and Jose Vidro, while Seattle could get Kei Igawa and perhaps salary relief.

LaHair to be Called Up

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 17:24:29 -0500

Looks like the Seattle Mariners are calling up first baseman Bryan LaHair, which likely means the end of the Jose Vidro era. Wahoo!

Rumors: Vidro, Bedard, Ibanez +

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 17:22:06 -0500

The Mariners appear set to cut ties with anemic DH Jose Vidro.. finally, the Phillies still have their eye on Erik Bedard, more teams are looking at Raul Ibanez, the list currently standing at Los Angeles Dodgers, Arizona Diamondbacks, Boston Red Sox, Atlanta Braves, New York Mets. Could Pat Gillick bring Brian Cashman to Seattle with him after the season?

Defense

Sat, 12 Jul 2008 23:15:33 -0500

A glance at Seattle's awful defense.