But as torched as his bat’s been, Ibanez’s glove has nullified any contribution he has made, relative to fellow fielders. Ibanez is as good at defending as Bill O’Reilly is at subtlety, and his Tin-Man legs need to be considered when discussing his future. In the least, if Ibanez leaves, his Type-A distinction will land the M’s either a first- or second-round pick in the 2009 draft, depending on who plucks him up.
Fortunately, the Mariners have a gaping, desperate, bottomless hole at designated hitter. Since Edgar Martinez last swaggered off in 2004, Seattle’s DH’s have done nothing but doze off and bring blocks of Swiss cheese to the plate. Ibanez’s bat is proven, his off-field demeanor is collected, and his fit at DH is tacit.
The second free agent of importance — and I’m trying to stifle a laugh — is Willie Bloomquist. The longest-tenured Mariner has always brought a grittiness to the latté’d Northwest, and his Bremerton roots have brought him into the hearts of M’s fans young and old. Although his bat has more holes than Augusta National, he’s a decent fielder and can still swipe a base when asked. He’ll only crack the starting nine on a neighborhood softball team, but he’s an essential stopgap during the late innings. Thus, there’s reason to bring him back, so long as his contract is minimal and requires him to dress as the Mariner Moose ever fifth game.
Once these free agents are settled, all eyes turn to the host of the hot corner: Adrian Beltre. A Gold-Glover and perennial guarantee for .270/25/85, Beltre now finds himself in the final year of his contract. He’s been maligned for his post-Dodgers downturn — and will always be subconsciously associated with Richie “I Can Hit, I Swear!” Sexson — but the third-baseman has constantly provided Seattle with solid performances, and aside from Ichiro, Felix Hernandez, and Brandon Morrow, no Mariner would net a greater haul. You could discuss trade scenarios all day, but I tend to shy from peddling crystal balls. although I think it’s safe to say that Beltre’s days in Seattle are over. Unfortunately, that means that his patented ‘1, 2, Step’ in the batter’s box will also be taken with him.
The other every-day Mariner nearest to the trading block is second-baseman Jose Lopez. The former All-Star has dropped off since his heady 2006 campaign, falling prey to a leaden glove and, from his appearance, Carlos Silva’s diet. Lopez’s defensive decline has become so apparent that Seattle’s typically-inept braintrust has mentioned switching Lopez to first base, which rattled the obstinate second baseman. However, Lopez’s bat showed resurgent pop last year to the tune of .297/17/89, helping offset his fielding miscues. Both he and his partner-in-crime, the slippery Yuniesky Betancourt, are bought on the cheap, so Lopez may be safe yet.
Article comments
1 - Matthew T. Sussman
"...and Batista is constantly getting distracted by his next volume of poetry"
So at least he'll get a book deal out of this then.
2 - Casey
Man, even when there's a joke about him, Batista fails.
3 - JCMorgan
The Mariners need a massive overhaul. Ibanez' bat was a saving grace for the Mariners (if there is such a thing), Beltre started out hot but didn't have the stamina, Lopez cooled off at the end as well. If Lopez and Betancourt would concentrate more on making the play instead of looking debonair they might be able to make more plays. As far as Ichiro is concerned, he puts up the numbers, but may be getting tired of losing.