Rob's Baseball Blog

Terrible news out of Venezuela tonight.  Valbuena was a good player, having spent time with the Seattle Mariners, Cleveland Indians, Chicago Cubs, Houston Astros, and the Los Angeles Angels. He was 33 years old.  Jose Castillo played four seasons with the Pittsburg Pirates from 2004-2007, and spent his final year in MLB split between the San Francisco Giants and Houston Astros. Yet another reminder that baseball is ultimately just a game, and that there are more important things in life. We are all mortal and should cherish every moment. 

Another official Mariners trade - Seattle is sending Jean Segura, Juan Nicasio, and James Pazos, and one million dollars (to cover Segura's trade bonus) to the Phillies in exchange for J.P. Crawford and Carlos Santana. Though the trade has been rumored for the past 24-48 hours or so, people were eagerly awaiting to hear the official details. Well, the details are out, and both Mariners fans and baseball officials are confused and upset. For Philadelphia, the trade seems like a steal. They are receiving an all star shortstop in his prime, and signed to nice team-friendly contract. He can be a fixture in the Phillies' infield and lineup for years to come, while still allowing them ample room to sign free agents. Nicasio had a rough year marred by injuries, but may be able to bounce back in 2019, and in any case, he only has one year remaining on his contract. Pazos is a nice young, hard throwing lefty reliever who can get both lefties and righties out. Though he had a rough...

Rumor has it that the Seattle Mariners and the San Diego Padres are talking about a potential trade that would involve Seattle sending RHP Mike Leake and shortstop Jean Segura to the Padres, with Wil Myers among the players heading to the Mariners. No word yet on who else might accompany Myers to Seattle.  This is an interesting trade for the Mariners in rebuilding mode. Leake is essentially being swapped for Myers, both of whom have long, expensive contracts. But Myers is quite a bit younger than Leake, and will still be in his prime when the Mariners finish rebuilding a couple of years from now. While Leake is a solid mid-to-back of the rotation innings eater, with the M's in rebuilding mode, his role doesn't quite fit with the team anymore. He would be much more useful with an organization that hopes to contend for a playoff spot more immediately. Myers is a versatile player who has spent ample time at all three outfield positions, first base, and third ba...

Bye-bye Paxton Earlier today the Seattle Mariners traded James Paxton to the New York Yankees in exchange for Justus Sheffield, Erik Swanson, and Dom Thompson-Williams.  The trade looks great for the Yankees. It gets them a first-rate starting pitcher in his prime with two years of arbitration remaining. Though Paxton has battled injuries throughout his career, he has so far avoided anything as serious as Tommy John, and as long as he can continue to stay clear of it for the next two years, he will likely be a huge asset for the Yankees. Paxton has a high ceiling and a high floor. At worst, he could be a 3 rd starter for New York. At best, he could be a Cy-Young candidate. Regardless, he will in all likelihood help the Yankees make a couple of runs into the postseason. The Yankees got a top-tier low-cost starting pitcher without having to dig into the free agent market, and without giving up any particularly valuable assets. For the Yankees, this was a very smart baseb...