Mariners sign Brad Nelson, USSM should be doing backflips Options

[CrustyJuggler]

mlbtrs

USSM was campaigning for him REALLY hard this year. Looks like they got him. Where the hell he plays is beyond me though. Tacoma and the big club are pretty stacked with one-baggers.

This post has been edited by CrustyJuggler: May 19 2009, 06:13 AM

[MtGrizzly]

Z loves him some big, lumbering sluggers doesn't he? Where is he going to find the PT for all these guys in Tacoma? Carp need to play every day. Clement needs as many AB's as he can possibly get and is DH'ing. LaHair is playing OF and hitting well. Shelton is playing 3B in order to AB's. Redman has been hitting well but I guess they could get him some AB's there.

[DaddyO]

Impending trade? Or just overload of org depth?

[Lonnie]

Z loves him some big, lumbering sluggers doesn't he? Where is he going to find the PT for all these guys in Tacoma? Carp need to play every day. Clement needs as many AB's as he can possibly get and is DH'ing. LaHair is playing OF and hitting well. Shelton is playing 3B in order to AB's. Redman has been hitting well but I guess they could get him some AB's there.

From the outside, this move makes very little sense, and that is why so many of us are scratching our heads at the moment. With this move, I have to think that something else is pending. Trade, release..... Something.

Branyan has solidified the 1st base position, and we have great depth in the upper tiers of our minor league system at the OF position. We need another 1st/OF prospect like we need a hole in our heads. None of these guys address our real needs, which are (in my order of need):
SP+
3B
SS
MORE SP
AND MORE SP

Lonnie the Confused

[Gomez]

They'll find a place for him. They've shown a willingness to test drive 1B/DH guys at other positions they've shown any ability to play. But yeah, I would be surprised if someone wasn't dealt or cut in the next week.

Johan Limonta may not be long for the org. He has flatlined this season in AA, and it's his 2nd year there, while others along his path have thrived.

[MfaninAlaska]

Maybe they'll give him the Chris Shelton treatment and work him at 3rd base?

[muddyfrogwater]

The lefty slugger has eluded this team for many years. This year the M's have come full circle in bringing Wiffey back compounded with the pleasant surprise in Branyon. Having lefty sluggers waiting in AAA is not a bad thing.

[Gomez]

Maybe they'll give him the Chris Shelton treatment and work him at 3rd base?

No, that's Chris Shelton's job

They have two outfielders, Prentice Redman and Michael Saunders. Does one of them get the call or get traded so they can stash somebody at RF?

Does Clement get traded to free up DH?

Does Z get the stones to do something about Griffey and promote somebody? On a lesser note, we haven't seen Sweeney in a little while.

It's a curious situation, though it's not necessarily a bad thing to get in a 'we now have too much talent at one position' situation.

This post has been edited by Gomez: May 19 2009, 08:26 AM

[MfaninAlaska]

No, that's Chris Shelton's job

They have two outfielders, Prentice Redman and Michael Saunders. Does one of them get the call or get traded so they can stash somebody at RF?

Does Clement get traded to free up DH?

Does Z get the stones to do something about Griffey and promote somebody? On a lesser note, we haven't seen Sweeney in a little while.

It's a curious situation, though it's not necessarily a bad thing to get in a 'we now have too much talent at one position' situation.

Redman could probably be dumped and sent packing..... he's no part of the teams future at nearly 30 years old. Saunders is coming off of surgery so and is young so I don't see him going anywhere... still have no idea why Z bothered with Owens, except to add to the glut at AAA. Lahair, is not a "blog" favorite but he's mashing so far this year, so I doubt he's going anywhere. Carp is a return on JJ and doing fairly well, Clement is not as valuable if not playing catcher so I can easily see Z moving him out of all the other parts.

[muddyfrogwater]

Yep, Dave's patting himself on the back.

[BISON]

This is Griffey insurance - plain and simple.

[Gomez]

This is Griffey insurance - plain and simple.

Between Carp, Clement, Shelton et al... looks like the M's got Full Coverage

[MfaninAlaska]

Between Carp, Clement, Shelton et al... looks like the M's got Full Coverage

Shelton is Sweeney's coverage IMO..... Griffey's coverage is:

Carp, Clement, Saunders & Lahair.

[Jpax]

It's a curious situation, though it's not necessarily a bad thing to get in a 'we now have too much talent at one position' situation.

Especially since it is a position that has historically been undermanned by the Mariners. I am very tired of looking at organizational filler over the years filling the 1B slot up and down the minor leagues.

[Sandy - Raleigh]

In checking out his fielding stats from baseball cube, it seems that he's played 25 games at 3B during '07 and '08.

This could be a precurser move to trading Beltre.

Beltre has a resume that makes him a perfect candidate for a change-of-scenery rebirth. But, who plays third?

Well, the concept of moving Branyan over to 3B is the most obvious move. But, if you trade away Beltre, regardless of who you move around to cover third, you create a vacuum somewhere else.

Trade Beltre -- bring up Carp to play 1B, Branyan moves to 3B.

But, what's the fall-back if Carp cannot handle major league pitching? A good GM is thinking three moves ahead. Nelson is a pick up that can plug a hole BEFORE you make that hole. That concept of "if you can't get the job done -- then maybe HE can ..." is a major change from the Bavasi era, when it was just hand the guy the job with little to no thought about the possibility of failure.

YuBet is our SS for the next 6 years - sign him up.
Lopez is our 2B for the next 6 years - sign him up.

etc., etc.

What I'm liking with Z is that a lot of what he's doing looks to me like he's identifying what he wants - getting it - and then looking for ways to back himself up, in the event he's wrong.

Honestly, if you reach the point where the 2009 season is not happening, trading BRANYAN for prospects suddenly looks like a wonderful idea. Juggling the immediate versus the in-the-future priorities is NOT an easy game. But Nelson feels a whole like like Beane when he was gathering Cust and Snelling and every other free for the taking failed prospect he could find. You don't have to be right on EVERY pickup - you just need to be right on some of them.

[MtGrizzly]

What I'm liking with Z is that a lot of what he's doing looks to me like he's identifying what he wants - getting it - and then looking for ways to back himself up, in the event he's wrong.

Honestly, if you reach the point where the 2009 season is not happening, trading BRANYAN for prospects suddenly looks like a wonderful idea. Juggling the immediate versus the in-the-future priorities is NOT an easy game. But Nelson feels a whole like like Beane when he was gathering Cust and Snelling and every other free for the taking failed prospect he could find. You don't have to be right on EVERY pickup - you just need to be right on some of them.

I agree.

I would be reluctant to trade Branyan, though. I'm just not sure that 1/2 season or so of production is going to net much of a return and I think that he will be a value extension opportunity. Branyan at DH with the ability to cover 1B/3B is an attractive option for me for the next two years.

[BISON]

In checking out his fielding stats from baseball cube, it seems that he's played 25 games at 3B during '07 and '08.

This could be a precurser move to trading Beltre.

This makes me very nervous. The left field line has been a revolving door for the M's for years. Beltre shored up third. For me, Beltre is our 3rd baseman for the foreseeable future. Please don't take us back to having a weak left line, please!

This post has been edited by BISON: May 19 2009, 10:51 AM

[glmuskie]

Honestly, if you reach the point where the 2009 season is not happening, trading BRANYAN for prospects suddenly looks like a wonderful idea. Juggling the immediate versus the in-the-future priorities is NOT an easy game. But Nelson feels a whole like like Beane when he was gathering Cust and Snelling and every other free for the taking failed prospect he could find. You don't have to be right on EVERY pickup - you just need to be right on some of them.

EXACTLY. Z may be positioning himself to pick up some legit upper-tier talent by moving Branyan, Beltre, and Washburn at the deadline. All potentially extremely valuable pieces to contending teams. Branyan and Wash are likely near the peak of their career value. A prime instance of buy low, sell high.

[muddyfrogwater]

Sandy you have a nice way of reading things objectively and then summarizing.

[Gomez]

Indeed, Sandy. Great POV on the move

Nelson's not a great glove at 1B, around 5-10 runs below average per PECOTA. But Shelton's no great shakes at 1B/3B either. Eventually it may just be a matter of getting a good bat in the lineup wherever you can. Maybe a defensive dropoff could be worth adding some offense to a lineup that often hacks into out after out as it stands.