More Evidence of Incompetence

As if we needed any. The Hickey piece in the P-I today has already been the subject of much discussion on other blogs, but every time now that anyone from the M's front office opens their mouth, it just further proves them to be as far away from competent as a living human being can get.

This week's installment of incompetence is summed up in another variation of the same Bavasi explanation of this offseason that I've railed about before: we came up with a good plan, but sadly, we didn't understand basic principles of supply and demand sufficiently to be within even $2M/year on the value of ANY free agent.

It sounds pretty suspect to me that ONLY the 29 OTHER clubs could figure out how to spend the Nationals' sale windfall, the impending nature of which has been pretty public knowledge for about a year now. Huh. Well, that means either we've got us one sharp front office, not giving into inflation and all, or else we're burdened with the only group who can't count. Let's see...a quick check of the choice quotes from the article...

"By October, we knew that we needed two starters at least, and the market exploded," Bavasi said. "It became clear right then that we couldn't add a Schmidt or a Zito and add a second guy from our list, too. We needed some hitters, too."

The market exploded. Yeah, because the mysterious half-billion dollar sale of the MLB-collective owned Washington franchise was, uh, unpredictable? Bavasi and Co. went into the offseason, according to Hickey, with the plan of "Zito or Schmidt, or maybe Matsuzaka, plus hitters," armed themselves with a surplus $20M from the Nats sale, and didn't figure that the other $560M would get spent?

There's a reason, by the way, that Seattle needed two frontline pitchers and one or two hitters before even considering such luxuries as more fifth starter candidates. Let me think...oh, yeah. Bavasi's been at the helm long enough that his incompetence is reflected in the poorly-constructed team on the field.

Didn't know it was coming? Surprised by the price of fixing the broken roster? Mr. Bavasi, I salute you for your Gaius Baltar-like ability to survive despite your overall incompetence, and to act--and seemingly genuinely believe--that you are just a victim in all of the disaster that is the 2007 Mariners.

From the perspective of everyone around you, sir, you are not the victim to be pitied so much as the monstrous architect. And the scariest quote from the article?

Weaver and Batista were among the top six starters the Mariners targeted back in October, Bavasi said.

"If you told me we were going to get two of these guys, I would have been very, very happy," he said. "And I am happy."

If you're happy about landing Jeff Weaver and Miguel Batista, then I'm happy you're getting fired in 2007. You can go on the good-old-boys carousel of jobs and wreck some other team for some other fans. Indeed, I'd be outright ecstatic if you got to replace Brian Cashman, so you could thoroughly destroy the Yankees.

Get the torches and pitchforks, ladies and gentlemen. It's time.

Somebody get Chuck Armstrong a brain. Any brain.

Armstrong: "...we have the best utility man in all of baseball in Willie Bloomquist." This gem courtesy of the Everett Herald's coverage of FanFest.

Meanwhile, Chuckles McMoron is joined in his slack-jawed drooling in public by co-brainless waste of DNA Howard Lincoln:

"It's important for all of our fans to understand that there's a heightened sense of urgency this season," Lincoln said. "We've just got to get things turned around in '07.

"I'm hopeful that with the additions that we've made, both pitching and hitting, that we'll be able to win the American League West Division. It's an ambitious goal, but it's something that everybody in the organization is focused on."

What kind of high-quality hallucinogens did these two ingest before appearing in public this weekend? Wow. Folks, I think we've found the root of the Mariners' ongoing problems, right at the top of the organization. I mean, why stop with "win the American League West?" If you can make that leap, then why not go straight to "end world hunger, poverty, disease, and conflict?" Princess Willie Power can turn their frowns upside down, right, Pollyanna??

Morons.

Arthur Lee!

Or as baseball players are likely to call him, Rhodes-y.

Yes the Mariners signed Arthur Rhodes to a minor league deal with a Spring Training invite. Normally I like these types of moves, all upside with no real downside, if the guy can still pitch, great, otherwise he's out of here. Plus Arthur was a favorite of mine from the good Mariners, and, in general, is a baaaaad man.

On the other hand, with Numbnuts as our manager, the danger is that he hangs onto Arthur Lee because of his veteran-ness or his left handed-ness or some other stupid reason. The danger is that he puts Arthur ahead of Sherrill in the pecking order. The danger is that some young player gets lopped off the 40 man to make room for Rhodes at the end of Spring Training.

The danger is that with this front office and manager, they could seriously screw up a nice move like this. Bleah.

Nightmare Weaver?

As if the offseason couldn't get any worse. Nahh, since there's nothing worth buying now on the FA market, I don't really care how many millions of dollars the M's throw away in the form of paychecks written to Jeff Weaver (brother of a really fine pitcher!). What a catastrophe 2007 is going to be.

I remain a fan, but as you can easily tell from the general stunned silence of the M's blogosphere, this particular January has been one of trying not to pay attention too closely, lest we start sobbing again like the Dread Pirate Roberts after a heinous session with the Machine.

And now Bavasi has to try once again to attract our attention by signing a shiny new free agent pitcher to an exciting multimillion dollar contract.

I can't really condemn this move, which alone makes it the single most positive thing that Bavasi has done all offseason. Then again, I'm particularly high on Jeff Weaver, in that 1-out-of-5 dentists who DON'T endorse sugarless gum kind of way.

Well, we're still here...that's something. Despite the concerted effort of Bill Bavasi, the Mariners front office just can't kill the fans off. Nice try, though. Moron.

How's this for a 40 man roster??? Hmmm? Hmmm?

The Dobber was waived today to make room for Chris Reitsma. Horacio Ramirez and Broussard agreed to one year deals and Putz got a 4 year deal. Here's the 40 man roster from the M's site:


Pitchers
58 Cha Seung Baek
-- Miguel Batista
36 Yorman Bazardo
48 Travis Blackley
63 Ryan Feierabend
54 Sean Green
34 Felix Hernandez
60 Jon Huber
62 Cesar Jimenez
57 Mark Lowe
40 Julio Mateo
59 Eric O'Flaherty
20 J.J. Putz
-- Horacio Ramirez
-- Chris Reitsma
-- Ryan Rowland-Smith
52 George Sherrill
56 Jarrod Washburn
-- Sean White
49 Jake Woods

Catchers
2 Kenji Johjima
30 Rene Rivera

Infielders
29 Adrian Beltre
3 Yuniesky Betancourt
16 Willie Bloomquist
23 Ben Broussard
-- Michael Garciaparra
-- Bryan LaHair
4 Jose Lopez
12 Mike Morse
61 Oswaldo Navarro
44 Richie Sexson

Outfielders
62 Wladimir Balentien
-- Jose Guillen
28 Raul Ibanez
25 Adam Jones
7 Jeremy Reed
51 Ichiro Suzuki
-- Michael Wilson

"Designated Hitters"
-- Jose Vidro

Who wouldn't go to war with this group, eh?

Ichiro agrees with us too!

So I have officially given up my 1/4 of a season ticket. I just don't see much hope of improvement from these Mariners and I don't see much hope for the future at this point. Sure, Felix is a possible stud and Lopez, Jones and Yuni are decent cheap complementary players, but what do you have after that? Clement? Morrow? Precious fucking little after that to be sure.

And now you don't have Ichiro. Or at least you won't after this season. Reportedly he has given interviews in Japan, where he claims that he is looking to go somewhere where he can win a championship after this season. He is looking at the current club, and the current management team, and the farm system and he doesn't see it either. There is no hint that he wont give it his all this year, but he supposedly has no intention of re-upping with the M's after his contract expires next year. I say supposedly because the interview is in Japanese, and I can't read a word of it.

If this is true, it just makes the 2008 Mariners even bleaker. We'll still be playing three guys superstar money (Beltre, Sexson, and Washburn) without having any actual superstars. Barring a Felix El Rey breakout of course. In 2008, we'll have a new GM and manager of course, and they'll probably tear the whole thing down and rebuild.

Best case scenario: contenders in 2010. Crap.

Fairly and Hendu both gone!

So as painful as the upcoming Mariner's season is going to be, at least it will be a little easier to watch.

Ron Fairly already retired and today the Times is reporting that Mike "Little Rickey" Blowers is replacing Hendu and Valle on the broadcasts.

In the studio, Blowers seems like the typical ex-player analyst. Loathe to criticize the players and quick to attribute seemingly random events to heart, guts, and grit. He has a Bloomquist man-crush, but most broadcasters do, so....

At least we won't have to hear about what "the pitcher is saying" with every pitch or how stupid it is that the A's don't ever run (because clearly their 5 playoff appearances in the last 7 years show how flawed they are) and hopefully we will never hear Rizzs referred to as Rico ever again. Ever again.

Bavasi Still Agrees with us

Sorry the blog has been so dark lately. That's what happens when one of the primary authors flies cross-country to spend two weeks with the other primary author.

But Jason is out of my hair and safely back in TN which means both he and I should be back to semi-regular blogging.

Did you catch this quote from our beloved GM on mlb.com?

"Our lineup is better," Bavasi said. "Our rotation is different. I'm not sure it's better, but it's different and it's certainly not worse.

That's just great. Since last year we've traded Choo, Cabrera, Soriano, Snelling, and Fruto. And we've moderately improved a lineup that was 13th in the AL in runs scored last year and made our rotation "different." Not better. A rotation that included Joel Piniero and Gil Meche and we haven't been able to improve on it?

Super. Just Super.