Closing in on the last third of the MLB season and the biggest disappointment in 2008 is none other than the Seattle Mariners. Picked by many ESPN experts to win their division the M’s are floundering with the worst record in the American League, just fractions ahead of having the worst record in all of baseball.
How bad have things gotten in Seattle? Their prospects of doing anything this season sailed away in June after being swept at home by the Washington Nationals. Now, the Mariners and their $117 million payroll (ninth highest in the majors) are left simply hoping to avoid 100-plus losses.
Former GM Bill Bavasi bears the brunt of responsibility for this Northwest mess. Bavasi blew millions on questionable free agent signings, chiefly on Richie Sexson and Adrian Beltre. But there are also the pitchers he inked including Jarrod Washburn, Miguel Batista, Carlos Silva and inexplicably Jeff Weaver.
Sexson, the biggest financial drain, was inept in all facets of the game from hitting to defense to baserunning. When the M’s recently released their first baseman, despite owning him the rest of his monster $14 million salary, there’s a glimmer of hope the organization is trying to right the ship.
The question begs though, what took so long?
A perfect storm of mismanagement, untimely injuries and overall poor play sunk the Mariners. With the influx of young talent into the AL West it may be years before we hear from them again.
1 comment:
Its hard to argue with the facts regarding the M's but seeing as I've been an M's fan my whole life I felt compelled to put in my two cents. Bavasi should've been fired three years ago, and was a huge part of the problem...but ultimately the problem lies with the team not performing. Beltre put up a career year in the final year of his contract with the Dodgers and hasn't approached those numbers since...but he did win the M's first ever Gold Glove at first base for 2007. As much as I hated Sexon's lack of proudction, his 6'8" frame at first base was a huge target for our infield to fire at. He was also a threat to go deep every at bat, even if he did get out-homered by Felix in the month of June.
So I like the moves they've made, and we'll see what the rest of the day holds with the trade deadline only a few more hours away. They were supposed to contend this year and will fall far short, but I think they're going to be back in the thick of things within the next two or three years. We've got a solid core of talent & experience, and see 2010 being a big year for my hometown boys.
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