Well look what happened? You stop paying attention for a few days, and the beloved M's break off a 3-game win streak. A couple more wins and the Optimist will come back. I was thinking that wouldn't happen until Spring Training next year. Yes, this team is playing better, but I'm worried they might play too well. I would hate to think this team gets hot, finishes around .500 and the Powers That Be decide they just need to tinker instead of blowing it up. That would just put off the implosion another year. I've written off this season. I've accepted that this team needs to change radically and will most likely suck while doing it. Many rumors have surfaced the last few days; I'd thought I would take a look.
-A Chicago columnist suggests the Cubs send Corey Patterson and some pitching prospects to Seattle for Ichiro. Umm, no. As I mentioned before, you don't trade the face of the franchise. If you do consider trading Ichiro, it had better be for more than a injury plagued kid with 1/2 a good season under his belt.
-John McGrath suggests dangling Freddy Garcia in front of the Mets, on the hope that they give up David Wright. Well, sure John, but good luck convincing the Mets. Wright sure seems to be a stud, but the Mets aren't that desperate for a pitcher to give up Wright. This might have worked under Steve Phillips, but Duquette seems to be more patient.
-USS Mariner, the undisputed King of M's Blogs, suggests Meche or Garcia or a combination thereof to the Reds for Austin Kearns. I'm down with this, though I'm a little wary of trading both for Kearns. He is young and experienced, and even a touch athletic. This means the M's might want him. He can hit too, and take walks. To the Mariners this is just an added bonus. David does raise the specter of the Reds more "athletic" young outfielders, and this worries me. I can see Bavasi being sucked in to the chimera that is Wily Mo Pena. Yeah, there is about a 10% chance he morphs into Sammy Sosa. There is a far likelier chance of Ruben Riveradom.
-Clint Nagoette moves to the Raniers bullpen to get ready for his role after being called up. I have no problem with this, assuming he moves to the rotation eventually. I'm a believer in Earl Weaver here; he always stated that pitchers do a lot better if they spend most of their first big-league season in the pen. This makes sense. It gets the youngster acclimated to the pressures of the Show, and keeps the mileage off their arms to boot. It does worry me that Rafael Soriano has now been pigeonholed as a reliever, and it further worries me that it could happen to Nagoette as well. Make them prove they can't start in the majors, then switch them to the bullpen. Relievers are always available, starters aren't.
-According to Jayson Stark, Kris Benson is the most attractive starter available on the trade market, more so than Freddy Garcia. This stuns me. Benson has had little (39-44 4.34 ERA) success in the majors, has a reputation as a bit of a head case, and a history of injuries to boot. Garcia, meanwhile has only 74 wins in the majors, and is off to a great start too. Freddy doesn't have a hot wife willing to take some of her clothes off. Maybe that's the problem
Posted by Frinklin at May 27, 2004 06:25 PMMan. Ichiro in a Cubs uni?
It'll never happen. The Cubs like Corey's close your eyes and swing philosophy too much.
Posted by: BSTommy at May 27, 2004 09:03 PMIf you don't want people to search out Anna Benson and get you, you've gotta stop mentioning her. I think you have a secret obsession with her. Are you cheating on me?
Posted by: ensie at May 27, 2004 09:29 PM