Locked On Mariners - Daily Podcast On the Seattle Mariners - Mariners Pre-Spring Positional Outlook: The Pitching Staff

Episode Date: February 6, 2020

In part three of this riveting four-part series, D.C. Lundberg talks about the Mariners' pitching staff. SPOILER ALERT: He is not nearly as enthused about this group as he is the infielders or outfielders. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Good morning, gang. Welcome to Lockdown Mariners, part of the Lockdown Podcast Network. IMD.C. Lundberg voted one of the 55 best hosts of a baseball podcast on the Lockdown Network. It was an informal poll. Anyways, congratulations to the winner of the poll. Michael Dukakis? Okay. What team does he cover? Yeah, damn poll must have taken place in Iowa. Anyways, you may download, subscribe to, and rate this program,

and every other program on the Lockdown Network on Google Podcast, Apple Podcast, Apple, Spotify, sit your radio, or whichever podcasting app you like to use. Ask your smart device to play locked on Mariner's podcasts, and I bet you it'll do it. On the Twitter sphere, you can find this program at L-O-U-U-U-Sourner-Nors, and me at D.C. underscore Lundberg, L-U-N-D, B-E-R-G, if you are scoring at home. I hope you enjoyed yesterday's edition of Diamond Quiz. Today we're back to talking about the Mariners and how they look going into spring training. We have examined the outfield and the infield,

and today we take a look at the arms race taking place amongst the pitchers. And considering there's an awful lot to talk about, this may go three segments, I'm going to try to burn through it as quickly as possible so that doesn't happen, although I'm chewing up time talking about it, so never mind. Anyways, Marco Gonzalez is going to be your number one starter for this season and probably for the next several seasons to come. For on Tuesday, it was announced that the Mariners have extended Gonzalez, which sounds kinky but isn't, to a long-term deal,

which will kick in after the 2020 season is completed. He's already under contract for a million dollars for this season. This new deal will cover 2021 through 2024 with a club option for 2025. It was reported by John Heyman of MLB Network, which I believe is a station covering international cattle breeding, that the base contract will be worth $30 million and the club option is worth $15 million. And if a math is correct, that is a total of $6,000. $7 trillion.

To me, he's really more of a number two or a number three starter, especially considering he only averages about six innings per start. On the other hand, the Mariners are never going to be able to afford a bona fide ace pitcher, and Marco Gonzalez can certainly get the job done. I think in terms of dollars and cents, this is a very good deal for the Mariners. Also considering that Marco has kind of become a face of that franchise, he really jumped into the community when he got here from St. Louis. He goes on the caravan event.

He's very, very marketable, and he's a local guy. Remember, he is a Gonzaga product. I suspect that the number two starter is probably going to be Kendall Graveman, who was a free agent acquisition from the Oakland Athletics. The Mariners signed him to a one-year, $2 million contract with a club option for 2020. He only pitched in seven games last year. Injury Problems got the better of him, so we'll go off 2016 and 17, where he started 50 games in those,

two seasons. 414 ERA, 1.335 whip, 2.25 strikeout to walk ratio, throws a fastball in the mid-90s. He's got a slider, a cut fastball, and a change-up as well. Your number three pitcher is you say Kikichi, yes, Kikuchi, not Kikuchi, who started out pretty well last year and then maybe the league figured him out, I don't know, but his ERA just continued to go up and up and up as the season progressed. he gave up way too many home runs. 36 home runs and only 161 and 2 3rds innings. Wocks need to come down as well. I hope those numbers do improve.

The Mariners spent an awful lot of money to acquire him before last offseason, and this cannot wind up as a bust. He made $10 million last season and was a well below league average pitcher. The situation for the fourth and fifth spots in the rotation are a little bit hairier than the first three, which we will get into in the second half of the program. Mariners Trivia Time, ladies and gentlemen. On July 25th, 2005,

the Mariners set a Major League record for oldest combined battery, named the pitcher and the catcher. I suspect you might be able to handle this one. I'll let you know who the answer is on the other side of the impending commercial break. But before we take that break, it is time to remind you that if you've got a question or a comment on the show, please email that question or comment to Locked-on Mariner's at gmail.com. Questions about anything?

It's supposed to be a baseball show. Send your baseball questions or any question that you care to ask me, my opinion on music or television show. I've already received a question about pancakes, which I'm going to answer tomorrow on our first mailbag segment, which will be the second half of the program. Send in your questions. I don't care what the question is about.

Please just make it appropriate. This is a family show. Locked-on Mariners will continue as soon as these wonderful commercial words that are automatically inserted into this program have concluded. Thank you for sticking around, ladies and gentlemen. This is the second half of Locked-on Mariners, part of the Locked-on podcast network or T-L-O-P-N or T-O-Pen. I am still, D.C. Lundberg, believe it or not, and the answer to the trivia question which I pose at the beginning of the commercial break, oldest battery in Major League history. Mariners did that on July 27, 2007, 2005.

Who are the pitcher and the catcher involved? The pitcher is Jamie Moyer, which is probably very easily guessed. The catcher is Pat Borders. Remember Pat Borders? He did play for the Mariners a brief time at the end of his career. As a matter of fact, this was Pat Borders' final Major League game. Back to talking about the pitching staff and the number four and five starters, respectively. The Mariners have Justice Sheffield

penciled in for one of the remaining spots, and you know, ladies and gentlemen, to be honest, I don't see what the Mariners see in this guy. About the best thing that can be said about him is that he's left-handed, but so what? So is Mark Summers. He has historically walked a ton of hitters in the minor leagues, although somehow he's managed to keep the ball in the ballpark. His home runs to nine innings ratio in the minors is actually quite good, but that walk rate has

got to come down. It actually wasn't that bad at AA Arkansas last year where he walked 2.1 per nine innings. I'd still like to see that come down a little bit. At Tacoma, it was 4.5, although that was just a crazy offensive league. You could almost throw that number out, but at the major league level, it was 6.7 walks per nine innings, which obviously is way, way too high. I'm sorry, but I just do not see him contributing at the major league level this year. And I really don't see him projecting out to be a viable major league starter. I spoke briefly about the infield and outfield prospects on Monday and Tuesday, and not only are they coming along quicker than the pitches are, I am not sold on any of the pitching

prospects that the Mariners have that are anywhere near the major league level. None of them. Well, maybe with the exception of Nick Margievich's who the Mariners did just acquire. That kind of leads us to our next conversation, which is the fifth spot in the rotation, where there is a lot of competition for said fifth spot. spot in the rotation. Among those competing for that spot are Wien Chen and Nick Margievishis, who we spoke about last Monday, I believe, on this program, Justin Dunn, who saw time with the Mariners last year, and new acquisitions Nestor Cortez and Phillips Valdez,

all of whom I will note are on the Mariners 40-man roster. We will begin with the familiar face, Justin Dunn. Dunn was part of the package that the Mariners received in return for dumping Robinson Canoe, and Edwin Diaz. Okay, he didn't have the best season. The Mariners also got Jared Kalenick in this deal, which is good that he's ahead of schedule because Dunn does not look like a major league starting pitcher to me either. His minor league walk rate is also pretty terrible. He is allowing too many base runners. He looks like he's going to peek out in the bullpen to me. And he could have a serviceable career as a relief pitcher. But that's not why the meriders got him. They want him to start. I just don't see that happening. When the Mariners did acquire him

from the Mets. The scouting report that I saw on him had his control peaking at a rating of 45, which to me was a humongous red flag. I'll go to Nestor Cortes next because it looks like he may be a viable prospect. I have not seen him pitch, so I'm just judging him based on the numbers that he's put up in the past. His numbers in the minor leagues don't look that bad, actually. Two point three walks per nine innings. He's keeping the ball in the ballpark at about a half a home run per nine, seven hits per nine, and a whip of 1.014. He has been given a look at the Major League level with both Baltimore and the New York Yankees, and his time in the Major League's has not nearly been as successful.

The hit rate and walk rate both go through the roof, and his ERA is 5.80 to go along with a 1.640 whip. This is his age 25 season. He may just need another season of minor league seasoning, but I think he could contribute at the Major League level. Only time will tell. Well, that was dorky. Another new face is Phillips Valdez, whose minor league numbers do not look nearly as promising as Mr. Cortez is due.

His walk rate is more akin to Justin Duns, although he keeps the ball in the ballpark at exactly half a home run per nine. The whip is awful high at 1.349. He got a look at the Major League level last year also with Texas, 11 relief appearances. The ERA does not look bad at 394, but the other numbers do not look good at all. point 265 whip 5.1 walks per nine innings pitched, strike out to walk ratio of only two. He pitched mostly at AAA Nashville last year where he was also not very good. Whip of 1.564, 4.92 ERA, 4.1 walks per nine innings pitched. Although again, he keeps the ball in the ballpark.

He's also seen significant time in the Washington Nationals chain and began his career in the Cleveland Indians organization. I don't see how he is going to be helping the Mariners, not with those numbers, unfortunately. And he's also 28 years old, so he may be running out of chances. Again, we discussed Wiyin Chen and Nick Margievich's on a previous program, and because we're running out of time, we're going to skip them, and I'll go to the bullpen because we did talk about them earlier. The leader in the clubhouse to be the closer, I believe, is another new acquisition, who the Mariners acquired via free agency, Yoshihisa Hirano,

who pitched the last two seasons with the diamondbacks. Again, just briefly touching on his number since we discussed it on a previous episode, but 2018 was much kinder to him than 2019 was. In 2019, his hit rate went up over two hits per nine innings. The home run rate went up a little bit, as did the walk rate, and that pretty much accounts for the jump in ERA

from 244 to 275. But with the other crop of relief pitchers that the Mariners have, I think he is the favorite, probably right now to be the closer if they want to name one closer, which I hope they do. Ladies and gentlemen, I've really got to wrap this up. So I'm just going to name the other pitchers that are going to be in camp on the 40-man roster for the Mariners. And those men are Austin Adams, Dan Altavilla, Gerson Batista, Brandon Brennan, Carl Edwards Jr., or Carl's Jr., Zach Groats, Taylor Gilbo, Matt McGill,

Johann Ramirez, Eric Swanson, Sam Tui Vallala, and Art Warren. And the non-roster invitees among the pitchers are Jack Anderson, Sam Della Plain, Aaron Fletcher, Joey Gerber, Logan Gilbert, the first round draft pick from last year. I got to say, I do think he has a bright future. Darren McCoggin, Ian McKinney, Wyatt Mills, Anthony Masevich, Penn Murphy, and L.J. J. Newsom. Also very quickly, if you have been listening to this show

or the other programs here on the Lockdown Network, that I'm sure you've heard all the great advertisers working with Lockdown to reach sports fans. But you may not know that Lockdown Mariner's is a great way for your local business to reach passionate Mariners fans just like you. Unlike any other podcast, Lockdown gives your local company the unique ability to reach podcast listeners. Not just

any podcast listener, a Locked On podcast listener. If your company wants to connect with Mariner's fans and a predominantly male audience that is well educated with a disposable income, then let's put your company right here on this Locked On podcast. Local fans love to support local businesses. so text the word advertising to 3377 or visit locked on podcasts.com slash advertising and let us know who you are. We'll get our team to help your team achieve locked on advertising success.

Once again, text the word advertising to 33777 or visit locked on podcasts.com slash advertising. We look forward to hearing from you. Ooh, I think I broke a record with that one. Tomorrow, to wrap up the week, we're going to go over the catchers in the first part of the show. And the second part of the show, it is the first edition. of the Locked-on Mariners mailbag, where I will answer your email questions.

Also remember, please download, subscribe to, and rate Locked-on Mariners on Google Podcast, Apple Podcast, Stitcher Radio, Spotify, or any podcasting app that you care to use, probably the one on which you're listening to this right at this exact moment. Also, remember, you can ask your smart device to play Locked-on Mariners podcast

or Locked-on Team Name Here podcast, and it'll do it. Also, remember to follow the show on Twitter at LO underscore Mariners, Follow me on Twitter if you would, please also at DC underscore Lundberg. Thank you very much for listening, ladies and gentlemen. I hope you enjoyed the show. Have a great day.