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No need to worry about Seattle
November 11th, 2009, 11:21 am · 5 Comments · posted by Sam Miller, The Orange County Register
The Mariners and Ken Griffey, Jr. agreed to a one-year deal for something like $3 million, Seattle Times reports. Griffey has 600 plate appearances since he was traded back to the American League in 2008, and he’s hitting .226/.329/.409 in that time. That batting line is pretty exciting for a 21-year-old shortstop with excellent defense, but for a 40-year-old DH it’s a waste of a roster spot. And something like $3 million.
The Mariners will undoubtedly acquire some talent this offseason — they cleared a lot of money — but just compare the roster they have now to the one that won 85 games and somewhat surprisingly challenged the Angels into August:
- No Erik Bedard (83 innings of 2.82 ERA)
- No Jarrod Washburn (133 innings of 2.64 ERA)
- No Adrian Beltre (2.4 wins better than replacement, thanks to his defense)
- No Russell Branyan (2.8 wins above replacement)
They also don’t have a real option at catcher, or in left field, and they have to work out a deal to bring back Jack Wilson at shortstop. That’s a lot to replace, just to keep up with a 2009 roster that was outscored by 60 runs. Maybe Seattle is realistic and realizes it’s not going to be able to replace it all this offseason, and that the Mariners aren’t likely to win 85 games — let alone 97 — in 2010. Maybe signing Griffey is simply admitting that fact, and giving fans a different reason — Nostalgia? Werther’s Originals? — to come out to the park.
Also: U.S.S. Mariner notes that this likely leaves Ryan Langerhans — the better player — off Seattle’s roster.
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This signing isn’t simply about numbers. Every story about the resigning talks about how much he meant to the clubhouse last year. Think about how the Angels came together this year and you have to admit once again the value of guys that are good for the clubhouse. If what these stories say is true all the time I think the price is ok. Plus, there’s always a chance that the M’s could let him go if there is a much better option.
And what exactly did that happy clubhouse get them last season? Look, if Jr. really means that much to the chemistry of the team, I’m not going to argue with the people that know him best. But almost $3 million for a DH who can’t hit? Especially when it was unlikely any other team would be even remotely interested in him? Paying him anything over the league minimum is insane.
You miss what might be the most direct effect this signing has on the Angels ….. with Junior’s Nostalgia Tour clogging up their DH spot for another year, you can scratch the Mariners off the list of potential suitors for Vladimir Guerrero.
Not sure how much interest they would have had even if Griffey had elected to retire (something that I doubt would have made Mariners decision-makers too unhappy). And Vlad might not have been eager to go to Seattle with virtually no chance to play RF (Ichiro), thus admitting he had entered the DH years of his career (something he continues to fight).
But the market for his services just got marginally smaller, making it a smidge more likely that he could return to Anaheim.
Hey Carlos…I’d take KGJ over GMJ any day. Why don’t you look at the stats before you say he can’t hit. Do you hear Griffey whining like Gary? He’s definitely not what he was, but don’t say he can’t hit when finished with more long balls than over half of this years Angels squad.
OK, I went ahead and looked at his stats. Here’s what I found:
.214 avg (not good)
.324 obp (not good, either)
.411 slg (not horrible, but definitely not good)
I’m actually impressed that he managed 19 home runs, but that’s pretty much where his contributions with the bat end in 2009. In case you forgot, DH stands for “designated hitter”, meaning the guy’s one job is to, you know, hit the ball. So while you’re right that he can techincally “hit”, he sure doesn’t do it frequently enough anymore to be an asset to his team.
I’m no fan of GMJ, either, but at least the guy can play a somewhat decent outfield while posting lousy numbers. Essentially both guys are equally over-paid. And besides, who the hell was talking about Matthews, anyway?
Griffey is a class act and an all-time great in this sport. Nobody can ever take that away from him. If it wasn’t for his bad hammy’s he just might be the all time home run king right now. He will be in the Hall in his first year of eligibilty, one of the few players of this era that we can make that claim about with confidence. But let’s not kid ourselves here. He is going on 40 and can’t keep up with big league pitching anymore. As an Angel fan I’m more than happy to see Seattle waste their resources in this way. But there’s still a part of me that’s sad to see Jr. play as a shell of his former self.