leecemark
05-08-2006, 03:19 PM
:p --Well 2006 is rapidly starting to look like 2004-5 all over again. Are there at least signs of hope for next year? I see the team looking very much the same and that doesn't give me an especially warm and fuzzy feeling.
C: Johjima back for 2 more years, which is good even if he hasn't kept up his great start.
1B: Sexson back for 2 more years, which may not be so good:noidea . I still have hopes he'll come around, but he has been truely awfull for the first month. Can he really have lost it so quickly in one offseason? With the contract and our lack of options he'll have every opportunity to work things out.
2B: Lopez has been one of the few bright spots and I'll be happy to have him manning the spot for many years to come.
3B: Beltre has an even bigger and longer deal than Serxson so he will also have every possible oportunity to work things out. In his case, he is too young to be slipping physically and the effort is there. He just need to get his head right. We have to have him at least halfway between his 2004 and 2005 performance if we are going to have a good lineup:gt .
SS: Betancourt's glove is worth having him in the lineup even if he never hits. I think he will improve at least a little though. I'll be glad to have him around for the next few years.
LF/DH: Ibanez will be manning one of these spots next year (I hope DH). He remains a solid, if unspectacular hitter. If our lineup allowed him to bat 5th, I think we'd be in good shape:clapping . If he is hitting 3rd again we aren't going to score alot of runs though. This is the primary spot where we can hope to add a big (read 3 hole) hitter for next year. Everett surely won't be back . We don't have anybody (except possibly the oft injured Snelling) in the system to step in. This needs to be next years big ticket FA .
CF: I was hoping for Reed to step up offensively and show he is going to be the long term solution here. He has done the exact opposite:( . Top prospect Adam Jones may eventually be the answer, but he is struggling at Tacoma now. We really need to get Reed back in there everyday and see if he is going to come around or we need a stopgap solution (Bloomquist and Lawton aren't even that).
RF: Ichiro's best days may be behind him, but he is still a solid contributor (or we have to hope so anyway, because he will be back). If he can hit .300+ with speed and good defense, I'll be satisfied. he really isn't a top leadoff guy unless he hits atleast .330 though, since he seldom walks to add to his OBP.
Bench: Bloomquist is the only backup who is sure to return. I really like him as a utility giuy, but he has no business as a regular anywhere. Petagine looks like a good PH. Lawton is okay as a backup OFer or would be if all our starters weren't LH batters. Either of those 2 would be nice to have back, but maybe not both.
SP: Feliz has disappointed some, but he is still going to be an ace:gt . Washburn didn't really merit his mega-contract, but he will be a decent starter. Pinero has looked good this year, but he will be a free agent and we may not be able to keep him. Moyer has pitched well enough to come back if he wants (and doesn't fall apart before the year is over). Meche shouldn't be invited back:grouchy . It would be nice if one of our young pitcher showed enough to fill that spot and let the front office (whoever bavasi's replacement might be) spend most of our FA budget on a big hitting outfielder. Nobody seems on pace to do that though:( .
RP: Guardado shouldn't be back. However, the bullpen may be our strongest part with young arms Putz, Soriano and Sherril leading the way and lots of organizational depth:clapping .
Manager/GM: Hargrove must go and Bavasi is already as good as gone. We need a GM who will be given the automomy to make hard choices and spend as needed (cheaping out - and still overpaying - for Washburn and Everett killed this season before it started). We need a manager who doesn't have his head stuck up his #@!.
--Your thoughts?
C: Johjima back for 2 more years, which is good even if he hasn't kept up his great start.
1B: Sexson back for 2 more years, which may not be so good:noidea . I still have hopes he'll come around, but he has been truely awfull for the first month. Can he really have lost it so quickly in one offseason? With the contract and our lack of options he'll have every opportunity to work things out.
2B: Lopez has been one of the few bright spots and I'll be happy to have him manning the spot for many years to come.
3B: Beltre has an even bigger and longer deal than Serxson so he will also have every possible oportunity to work things out. In his case, he is too young to be slipping physically and the effort is there. He just need to get his head right. We have to have him at least halfway between his 2004 and 2005 performance if we are going to have a good lineup:gt .
SS: Betancourt's glove is worth having him in the lineup even if he never hits. I think he will improve at least a little though. I'll be glad to have him around for the next few years.
LF/DH: Ibanez will be manning one of these spots next year (I hope DH). He remains a solid, if unspectacular hitter. If our lineup allowed him to bat 5th, I think we'd be in good shape:clapping . If he is hitting 3rd again we aren't going to score alot of runs though. This is the primary spot where we can hope to add a big (read 3 hole) hitter for next year. Everett surely won't be back . We don't have anybody (except possibly the oft injured Snelling) in the system to step in. This needs to be next years big ticket FA .
CF: I was hoping for Reed to step up offensively and show he is going to be the long term solution here. He has done the exact opposite:( . Top prospect Adam Jones may eventually be the answer, but he is struggling at Tacoma now. We really need to get Reed back in there everyday and see if he is going to come around or we need a stopgap solution (Bloomquist and Lawton aren't even that).
RF: Ichiro's best days may be behind him, but he is still a solid contributor (or we have to hope so anyway, because he will be back). If he can hit .300+ with speed and good defense, I'll be satisfied. he really isn't a top leadoff guy unless he hits atleast .330 though, since he seldom walks to add to his OBP.
Bench: Bloomquist is the only backup who is sure to return. I really like him as a utility giuy, but he has no business as a regular anywhere. Petagine looks like a good PH. Lawton is okay as a backup OFer or would be if all our starters weren't LH batters. Either of those 2 would be nice to have back, but maybe not both.
SP: Feliz has disappointed some, but he is still going to be an ace:gt . Washburn didn't really merit his mega-contract, but he will be a decent starter. Pinero has looked good this year, but he will be a free agent and we may not be able to keep him. Moyer has pitched well enough to come back if he wants (and doesn't fall apart before the year is over). Meche shouldn't be invited back:grouchy . It would be nice if one of our young pitcher showed enough to fill that spot and let the front office (whoever bavasi's replacement might be) spend most of our FA budget on a big hitting outfielder. Nobody seems on pace to do that though:( .
RP: Guardado shouldn't be back. However, the bullpen may be our strongest part with young arms Putz, Soriano and Sherril leading the way and lots of organizational depth:clapping .
Manager/GM: Hargrove must go and Bavasi is already as good as gone. We need a GM who will be given the automomy to make hard choices and spend as needed (cheaping out - and still overpaying - for Washburn and Everett killed this season before it started). We need a manager who doesn't have his head stuck up his #@!.
--Your thoughts?