Monday, October 10, 2005

AJ Burnett....POST 100!

This is a special moment Mariner Magic faithful. The 100th post and we're still Refusing to Lose!

The Toronto Sun is reporting that the M's will be going after AJ Burnett. They are expecting the asking price to be somewhere around $65 million for 5 years. Yeesh. Is he worth that? I don't know.

In other free agent pitching rumblings, USS Mariner compared Burnett to another highly coveted FA when they looked at him and Kevin Millwood.

Here is my problem with this whole free agent pitching class-I don't like any of them. Burnett, Millwood, Matt Morris, Jeff Weaver, and Jarrod Washburn are the top guys out there. I'm not including Roger Clemens because there's no way that's happening. None of those guys excite me. They're all going to be way overpaid too.

But if I'm Bill Bavasi and since I've come on the team has lost 99 and 93 games, I'm going to try to make a big splash in the offseason. That means bringing in a big-time pitcher to fix a rotation that's a complete mess. I think that can be done, but I'd really feel better about it happening through a trade.

7 comments:

  1. Well ill say this much I would prefer AJ to Millwood. That signing would make for a really nice young core of arms in thE rotation. The pen is solid, I think its going to be one of the best pens in Baseball next year when you sit down and look at it. The thing is if we go after AJ and give him the "Money" are the M's going to have enough left over to get the much needed bat.......

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  2. I don't know what bat is out there that is worth the big money. I like the Jacque Jones idea. And let me clarify that I liked it before USSMariner posted anything about. I'm just too lazy.

    I liked this post at Lookout Landing. The offense really isn't nearly as bad as it looks going into next year. No Boone, Olivo, Spiezio, Wilson Valdez. Beltre, Reed, Lopez, Ichiro should all have better years. I certainly wouldn't complain if they brought some left-handed sock (as Bavasi put it), but I don't think they need to break the bank for it.

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  3. I know, I know. Matsui. I'm not counting on that though.

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  4. In my forecasting of the offense for next season, I was made aware that I listed everyone as staying the same or improving. While I still believe that will happen, in spite of what the LL authors write about the 2006 M's offense, I don't think it's a safe bet to be assured that Beltre, Reed, Ichiro and Lopez will all improve enough to pull us entirely out of our offensive woes.

    Sure, the team was better, statistically, in the last few months of '05 than in the first few, and these are the guys we'll likely see in M's unis next season. But still, the M's need some serious help in the OPS department. Sure, part of it will come by the guys naturally improving. I would just like to force the hand a bit by adding 1-2 high OPS guys. Lefty, righty, I don't really care. I'm still really pondering taking a flier on Nomar G. Let him rotate through the MI positions, but use him primarily as the DH to keep him healthy. He knows the AL, and even being a righty, doesn't have a problem hitting in Safeco.

    Other than that, a few other names intrigue me via trade. Dunn and Huff would be just fine, but I don't see us having the prospect funds available to get either of 'em. Jim Thome is hurt, and may go via Mo Vaughn's gallop into the sunset. Too risky for me. Under a few circumstances, I'd be on the "Bring Griffey Home" bandwagon, although even that's a risky move that could do more harm than good in the long run.

    It won't happen, and I'm being scarlet-letter-a-tized for even suggesting it. But I'd still take a flier on Raffey Palmeiro to fill that "lefty sock." He'd likely be very, very cheap. I know, I know -- Howard Lincoln is CEO, and he will never, ever, ever let it happen. Probably a good thing, too...

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  5. That's a bold suggestion ppaul. Where would he play though?

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  6. Raffey P -- DH & Rare 1B
    Nomar -- DH & occasional SS/2B. Possibly LF

    Obviously I meant one or the other.

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  7. i don't think that nomar would want to DH, but 60 acres could be a big draw for mia so maybe the m's have a shot. raffy is a bad idea, not because he probably only plays well on the juice, but he is too old. id rather see the m's spend another year trying to develop young players than see a 40 year-old DH holding on to mediocre production and clogging the way for someone else to get at-bats.

    i hope that the m's pursue millwood and burnett hard, but dont get sucked into overpaying for either. i haven't done any research to back this up, but both have been consistently underwhelming in thier careers. millwood drops a nice season every couple years and gets a big hype, only to go on and dissapoint - which is why i didnt know he won the al era title until i read that post on uss mariner that mike linked to. burnett has long been ready to break out with his amazing stuff, but it never seems to happen. i would prefer burnett, on the gamble that he finally does stay healthy and live up to his potential; but he is going to want so many dollars and years that it is a real big gamble.

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