The Mariner Monitor

HOF voting is set to be revealed in a couple of weeks and it’ll be interesting to see if Edgar Martinez makes any progress.  It’s hard to argue with his hitting credentials.  He finished with a career .933 OPS and he was amazingly consistent.  His 1995 season was incredible and the peak of a great career.  From 1990 to 2003 he had an OPS+ of at least 100 and in a lot of those seasons, it was well more then 150.

The counter arguement is that Martinez was a designated hitter.  He didn’t play out in the field so many thought he was less valuable but what people fail to realize is how great of a hitter Martinez is.  He wasn’t a big home run guy but he still finished with 309.  He also had a career OBP of .418 and he had 1,283 career walks against 1,202 strikeouts.

Once one of the top left handed relievers in baseball George Sherrill was signed by the Mariners to a one year deal.  He was picked up by the Mariners and spent parts of four seasons there before ending up as the Orioles closer.  2009 was his best season when he had a 1.70 ERA in 69 innings but in 2010, he fell off of a cliff.  The Braves benefited from his services last year but the last couple of seasons he’s turned into a true LOOGY (116 games, 72 1/3 innings).

The deal is worth $1.1 million.  I like the deal because it’s only one year and not for a bunch of money and if Sherrill can replicate what he did last year, he should be worth it.

After non-tendering Chris Gimenez, the Mariners eventually resigned him to a one year deal that should pay him the league minimum salary.  The one nice thing about signing him this way is they won’t have to pay him as much if Gimenez ends up in the minors.  As the Mariners backup catcher, he played in 24 games and he hit .203.  He can also play first base and some outfield.

Gimenez is best known for his time filling in when Miguel Olivo had a hamstring injury.    With a strained oblique muscle, he made a big play in the bottom of the ninth against the Braves but because of it, ended up on the disabled list.  He didn’t have a passed ball in 152 innings so he’s solid defensively although his arm is only okay.

John Sickels released his list of the top 20 Mariners prospects and you have to like what you see.  Not only do you have a couple of blue chips at the top but you also have some depth here as well.  Four of the top five guys are pitchers so that’s some concern because offense is a problem in Seattle but topping the list is Taijuan Walker.  The right hander projects to be a front of the rotation starter and Sickels gives him some pretty kind comments.

Number two is left handed pitcher Danny Hultzen.  Sickels talks about he has less upside but also less downside then Walker.  It’ll be fun if these two make it up and pitch as the number one and number two guys.  Rounding out the top five are James Paxton (LHP), Nick Franklin (SS), and Jose Campos (RHP).