Paul Covert axs,

I’ve noticed you referring to the “Committee” quite a bit. Can you explain whom specifically you mean by that? Lincoln-and-Armstrong? Ownership-minus-Yamauchi? Is there an actual group that gets together, or do you mean the term more informally?

By "Committee" we usually refer to the (Baseball Operations) Division Committee, the Baseball Operations Committee that operates in the GM's shoes.

Occasionally we refer globally to the Company Steering Committee, the Seattle ownership group, which is dominated (but not controlled) by Lincoln, with big assistance from Chuck Armstrong.  The one that oversees all the Mariners Company divisions.

The global Company committee is unquestionably a formal steering committee with a charter.  But the Division committee may be more informal — in place of a formal committee with an actual charter, you have superiors micromanaging a Division VP, who enacts the will of those who have their fingers in the GM pie.

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=== SEPT 29 UPDATE ===

Saw Feierabend at the ballpark and on TIVO later.  We have to admit that everything in the first draft below (7/14) stands.  Heh.  …sometimes the prelim estimates need minor or major revision.  No revisions this time.

As we "outrageously" reported in July 2006, and as agreed with by precisely nobody (except the M's), Feierabend was in fact ready to pitch in the big leagues in 2006. 

D-O-V raises the stakes again:  Feierabend should absolutely be penciled in as the #5 starter for 2007.  He should go to ST with the job to lose.  And for a change, the organization should be nice to him about it.

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Is Ichiro's move to CF kind of a nice little luxury, or is it an impact upgrade?  It is a Johjima-type upgrade.  Thusly:

. 

=== 5-hitter in the Corner (OF) Pocket===

In theory, Ichiro's move means that the Mariners can add a a BIG — right fielder, left fielder, 1B or DH.  See this Hardball Times five-parter:  big hitters are good hitters.  (Also see LaHair, Bryan.) 

OPTION A, the aggressive route you have now … the Mariners could offload Benuardo, or at least Ben, and bring in a stick — Lee or Soriano or, preferably, somebody more like Nick Johnson.  Nick Johnson plus Richie Sexson, not instead of Richie Sexson.  Hitting in front of him.  A .428 OBP in front of 40 homers?  That's what good teams do.  Slap me silly.

…………………… 

I'm not as down on Alfonso Soriano as some are — he is Richie Sexson add some SB's and speed (R) and subtract some BB's.  The idea that Soriano would be a 10-megaton train wreck in Safeco has exactly as much credence as the idea that Sexson was the #3 worst signing of the 04 offseason.  Soriano is a fast-twitch Sexson, with legs, and with a quicker trigger at the plate.

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That Hargrove and Bavasi does not leave was predicted and is not the important part of the letter.
That Lincoln says about family-friendly environment was expected too:"we are also committed to making Safeco Field a special place where you, your family and guests can enjoy a first-class entertainment experience in a safe, clean and family-friendly environment. "

The most important part of it is that the 2007 lineup is set and confirmed by FO.

• More pieces of the puzzle are in place today than a year ago. The emergence of shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt, second baseman Jose Lopez, catcher Kenji Johjima and outfielder Chris Snelling have solidified several key positions for us. Along with veterans Raul Ibañez, Ichiro Suzuki, Richie Sexson and Adrian Beltre, there is a good foundation in place to build upon.
• Our bullpen, with J.J. Putz, Rafael Soriano, Julio Mateo, Mark Lowe, George Sherrill, Jake Woods and several other young arms, is a strength. It allows us to build the pitching staff from back to front, and our main off-season focus will be on upgrading the starting rotation. Felix Hernandez and Jarrod Washburn are the only current starters under contract beyond this season.

Starting C,1B,2B,3B,SS,3OF and 2SP,6RP are set.
Comfirmed that Snelling will start in 2007.
M's may make moves at DH, backup C, and 3SP.

Also Bloomquist was not mentioned in the letter. Is there a chance that he get traded?

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Times sez,

“We’ve made progress” by Geoff Baker

The one thing Bavasi gives no indication of wanting for 2007 is a new manager to replace Mike Hargrove.

“We’ve actually come a lot closer to .500 than I would have expected given the injuries we’ve suffered toward the end of the season,” Bavasi said this week. “Given that, Mike and his coaches have done an outstanding job with these guys.”

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=== Grizzly Sez, Dept. ===

My new signature on SportSpot says all you need to know about Howard Lincoln’s priorities. From his interview after last season:

“All you have to do is walk around and talk to people in the stands. It’s apparent there are fun things to do besides baseball. Sometimes you can sit with a group of 20 or so, and there will be one guy with his arms crossed saying ‘Why don’t they do this or that,’ and the rest are there for other reasons.” — Howard Lincoln.

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OK, I know this is not news to the attentive Mariner fan who's been watching the team and its' many intriguing minor league relievers this year…but I thought I would put into words what I've been realizing tonight as I stare at the stat sheets, the scouting reports, the depth charts and the video footage of some of the latest Mariner auditions.

WE ARE UNBELIEVABLY LOADED WITH CLOSERS!

Seriously…take a look at our bullpen depth chart for a moment.

1. JJ Putz (CL)
2. Mark Lowe (SU)
3. Rafael Soriano (SU)
4. George Sherrill (LOOGY)
5. John Huber (AAA CL)
6. Julio Mateo (MR) *
7. Emiliano Fruto (MR)
8. Eric O'Flaherty (MR)
9. Sean Green (LR) *
10. Joel Pineiro (LR) *
11. Jake Woods (SWING)
12. Ryan Feierabend (?)
13. Francisco Cruceta (?)
    
14. Cesar Jiminez (?)
15. Jorge Campillo (?)
16. Bobby Livingston (?)
17. Travis Chick (?)
18. Stephen Kahn (A CL)
19. Austin Bibens-Dirkx (A- CL/SU)

And below here we've got a handful of other recent draftees doing well at lower levels making us wonder how fast they'll climb.

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Jus' a comments thread, nuttin' serious …

Huber was acquired for Dave Hansen, IIRC, in the summer of '04 from our perennial trading padna's, the pad'res… fringe pitching prospect at the time.  Here in 2006 he has suddenly cut his BB's into the 1's (!), while maintaining good K rates.

Plateau leap?  No doubts there.  Can tell you without looking that he developed his mechanics and location.  No surprise; most pitchers do.  The question is what they are, after they leap forward.  Usually not much.

…………………………….. 

How much of a leap are we talking?  Well, a year or two ago he had all he could handle with mid-minors hitters; here he is in the American League, 13 appearances and he has pitched like a major leaguer in basically all of them.

He's getting his feet under him:  in his last six (6) appearances, he has allowed one (1) baserunner. 

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