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| No one wants Jack Wilson |
What happened? Well, the Mariners are in the midst of a ten game losing streak while the Rangers are in the midst of a 12 game winning streak; and when you put those two factors together, you have the M’s 12 ½ games back. When you average 1.6 runs a game, there’s a good chance you won’t win. Actually, it’s almost impossible.
So at this point, we can all agree that the Mariners are considered “sellers” and are in a position to trade away players. Here are a couple players the M’s would be willing to part with.
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Brandon League; closer
League isn’t an elite reliever, but a solid one who made it to the All-star game due to the Mariners always being in close games (which results in a lot of save opportunities). He’s got value, especially because his salary is relatively cheap and he’s under team control for 2012, but you’re not going to get a prospect that can turn an entire franchise around for him, and of course trading League depletes an already weak bullpen that doesn’t have a lot of good options going forward (put your hand down David Pauley, I see you).
I wouldn’t be surprised if Jack Z just decides to keep League for himself. I don’t think anyone wants to see Chris Ray close out games.
Erik Bedard; starting pitcher
Bedard has performed well this season, boasting a 3.00 ERA, 85 SO, and a 1.11 WHIP. The 32-year old, contract year Bedard seems like a valuable trade chip, right? Well, he would, except Bedard hasn’t pitched in the month of September since 2007, and is just recovering from the 15-day DL. In short, he’s still an injury risk.
Think about it. If you’re a contending team, are you going to shell out one of your top prospects for a pitcher that’s been consistently injured? I wouldn’t. That seems like too much of a risk, so if Bedard is traded, look for a pretty insignificant prospect in return.
Jack Wilson; Shortstop
Here’s the thing about Jack Wilson. He’s basically been on the trading block since the season started, so if no one has called yet, who says anyone will call right before the trade deadline? If we were to somehow trade him, the person we would get back would likely be a AA prospect with a low ceiling. The M’s don’t want Jack Wilson anymore, and neither does anyone else.
The other person I could see the Mariners shipping out is Adam Kennedy. But he’s kind of in the same boat as Jack Wilson, in the context of no one wants him. Kennedy is a bench player on a contending team. The harsh reality is that the only guys on the M’s roster who would really generate excited phone calls from other GMs are Felix, Pineda, and Ackley, and I’m pretty sure that none of those guys are getting moved in the next few weeks.
Reach Nathan Parsons at nathanparsons98@yahoo.com
