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Cliff Notes: With lockout over, Seattle sports scene gets a much-needed lift

by Cliff Gibson
written by Cliff Gibson

It took 99 days, but baseball’s owners and players have finally reached an agreement, ending the lockout that looked like it might stretch into April. Obviously, putting an end to a baseball lockout is excellent news for the game of baseball, but the local sports base needed this now more than ever.

The current state of professional sports in the region is not great. The Kraken still haven’t figured out how to win, and now sit dead last in the Western Conference (and dangerously close to having the least amount of points in the entire NHL). The Sounders have gotten off to a dreadful start, dropping their first two fixtures without a single goal scored.

And lest we forget, we just witnessed the end of an era as Russell Wilson was traded from the Seahawks to Denver, and fellow All-Pro Bobby Wagner has been released. With two faces of the franchise out the door, Seahawks fans could be in for a long, painful 2022 season. No, baseball couldn’t have returned at a better time.

The Mariners return April 7 to continue what was one helluva ride in the 2021 season, but ended just short of the playoffs. My older kids and I were at T-Mobile Park on the last day of the season (as well as many others), and even though we failed to clinch that elusive playoff berth, I’ve never been part of a more electric scene.

The entire 2021 season was a fairy tale, full of one-run wins and last-inning heroics. The buzz of M’s fans was deafening. And THAT is exactly what we are needing again. A glimmer of hope. A little bit of excitement. A winning chance. And the Mariners represent Seattle’s only opportunity to hit the jackpot.

Baseball is back, and with it, the optimism Seattle sports fans have been missing since its departure. It’s time to #Believe again.

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Cliff Notes: Bonds’ HOF shutout proves baseball doesn’t care about history

by Cliff Gibson
written by Cliff Gibson

This post was initially published in The Cliff Notes by CSN contributor Cliff Gibson.

Say what you want about Barry Lamar Bonds, the greatest hitter in baseball history, but if you say he doesn’t deserve his place in baseball’s Hall of Fame, you might want to brush up on why the Hall exists in the first place.

Let’s go back over Bonds numbers very briefly. 762 home runs (most all-time), almost 3,000 hits, a career .300 hitter with almost 10,000 ABs. 2500 walks to just 1500 strikeouts. And of course, a single-season record 73 homers in 2001. Oh wait … 14-time All-Star, 12-time Silver Slugger, 8-time Gold Glover, 7-TIME MVP, and two batting titles.

But the voters, more specifically, the writers that make up the Baseball Writers Association of America, don’t want to look at his numbers. They want to talk about PEDs (which he never tested positive for) and drag Bonds through the same mud that Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, and Rafael Palmeiro slopped through during their embarrassing congressional hearings. But there’s just nothing there, he never admitted to nor tested positive for using steroids. The claim that he did is based solely on the fact that his historic 73-homer season came during the height of the steroid era. That’s not evidence.

Let’s also remember most of the voters in the BBWAA had less than favorable opinions of Bonds because he never cared for building relationships with the media members. Coincidentally, he probably built that wall as a child watching his father (Barry Bonds Sr.) and godfather (Willie Mays) get constantly dragged by sportswriters during their careers.

The writers clearly didn’t want Bonds in the HOF. That much is certain. They wanted to keep him out so badly that they went against what the Hall of Fame stands for in the first place – to preserve the history of the game.

I can’t think of a player more historical over the past 30 years than Barry Bonds. And if the Hall of Fame, the MLB, and baseball writers truly cared about preserving its history, the most historical player of the modern era should have his place among the others.

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Kyle Seager Retires from Baseball

by Nate Alexander
written by Nate Alexander

Mariners legend and free-agent Kyle Seager has announced he is retiring from baseball via his wife Julie’s most recent Twitter post.

Today I’m announcing my retirement from Major League Baseball. Thank you to all of my family, friends and fans for following me throughout my career. It’s been a wonderful ride but I am unbelievably excited for the next chapter of my life.

The Mariners’ Gold Glove third-baseman finished his career with a .251 batting average, 242 homeruns, 807 RBIs, with 1,395 hits. In his 11th and final season with the Mariners, he finished with a career-high 35 homeruns and 101 RBIs. He represented the Mariners in the 2014 All-Star Game and was awarded a Gold Glove following that 2014 campaign.

His retirement announcement comes somewhat as a shock, coming off a career year and only being 34 years of age.

Unfortunately, in his 11 year career, he never played post-season baseball–something he and Felix Hernandez have in common. 

His lack of social media usage makes it tough to decipher what the next chapter in his life will be, but I know we will see him in Seattle in some capacity again–at least for his Mariners Hall of Fame induction down the road.

He impacted the community of Seattle not just with game play, but with his off-time volunteering. He was selected as the 2021 Roberto Clemente nominee for the Mariners for his work with the Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence. He also served as a spokesperson for the Refuse To Abuse Campaign.

He was also a frequent visitor to Seattle Children’s Hospital, helped with Mariners Care, Boys and Girls Clubs, and the American Heart Association. His passion for the Seattle community will always be remembered, especially by those he directly impacted. 

 

 

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MLB Collective Bargaining Agreement: A Lockout is Imminent

by Nate Alexander
written by Nate Alexander

If you’re like me and you’re wondering “What the heck is a collective bargaining agreement?”, you are not alone. I have browsed numerous sources and have put together a hodgepodge or “collective” of article bits to piece this together in a way that makes some sort of sense. All credit is provided to those authors.

I’ll preface by saying the biggest issue for most of the followers of Cascadia Sports is Seattle Mariners free agency. If a stoppage occurs, contact cannot be made between teams and free agents or players on their 40-man rosters.  Additionally, players cannot use team facilities. Therefore, free agency will then be put on hold–the last thing fans want to hear entering a pivotal season for Seattle Mariners fans.

Without a CBA in place, players will likely strike right before the season, giving players leverage over owners. A lockout is a measure to hopefully prevent a strike, giving club owners the upper hand in hopes players will bend to their requests.

While very likely to happen at midnight on Wednesday, both parties can continue negotiating, but the lockout will induce urgency.

The first question is, “What is a collective bargaining agreement?”

The short answer, according to the MLBPA CBA website, is that it is essentially the agreement of the terms and conditions of employment between team owners and MLB uniformed players. Unfortunately, it’s not as easy as scrolling down really fast and checking a box that you “agree to the terms and conditions” as we do on our devices. The entire 373-page CBA from 2017-2021 can be found here .

So what exactly are the players arguing for or against? From multiple sources, I’ve gathered the following:

Dayn Perry from CBS Sports:

[Players would like] to address their shrinking share of those league revenues (indicated in part by the declining average player salary), the occasional practice of service-time manipulation (i.e., when teams hold back a clearly ready prospect in order to delay his free agency and arbitration eligibility for a full year), and the “tanking” problem, among other matters. Teams have increasingly trended younger in their roster construction, and the union will be fighting to get those younger players paid more in line with their on-field value while also seeking incentives to make teams more competitive with one another.

The key takeaway is the last sentence.  Younger players are not getting (or rarely getting) paid the big money when they’re younger and productive. Front offices, in some cases, don’t value these players as highly due to their age or possible plateau towards declination and therefore could limit their next deal. Teams with talented players like Fernando Tatis, Jr. and Wander Franco tend to restructure contracts early on to ensure they don’t enter free-agency for at least a decade.

Players would like to enter free agency at 29.5 years of age after achieving five years of service time or after six years of service, whichever is first. Players also would like the arbitration process to start after two seasons vice three as it currently is.

Jeff Passan of ESPN stated:

The players want bigger paydays earlier in their careers, more competitive integrity, no service-time manipulation and fewer artificial restraints on players via the competitive-balance tax (CBT) and draft-pick compensation. Among the league’s objectives: a static amount of spending on players, expanded playoffs, an international draft and on-field changes.

Mark Feinsand at MLB.com:

MLB made three proposals last week that included a number of concessions to the players:

• The elimination of the current qualifying offer system, which would remove Draft-pick compensation attached to any free agent
• A Draft lottery similar to the one used by the NBA
• The universal DH, which would add 15 everyday jobs for hitters in the NL; the average salary for a DH in 2021 was $9.2 million
• An increase to the minimum player salary
• An increase in the CBT threshold

The league did state there was some headway on a postseason expansion proposal, introducing a new playoff system.

Feinsand also stated the MLBPA is trying to overhaul the economics of the League that have been implemented for decades.  These include six-year free agency, super-two eligibility, and revenue sharing–all which could have a negative impact on small-market teams.

Jesse Rogers of ESPN:

On Tuesday, players added potential revenue-generating ideas, such as allowing advertising patches on jerseys and a 12-team postseason, to their offer. But they also asked for the luxury tax threshold to be raised to $240 million. It was $210 million last season.

 

To accommodate the playoff grid in a 12-team postseason, the union offered up each league realigning to two divisions, one with eight teams and one with seven.

The points above are just surface points I’ve been able to uncover through these supporting articles which I encourage you to read. Overall, I believe a lockout will happen and the hot stove will be shut off for a few weeks, which is detrimental for the Mariners. However, we still have three months until Spring Training and four months until the first pitch of the 2022 season.

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Robbie Ray to the Mariners: 5 years, $115 Million

by Nate Alexander
written by Nate Alexander

As free-agency has ramped up, especially in the AL West, the Mariners made a push and acquired Robbie Ray at the tune of $115 million for five years, with an opt out after three, per Jeff Passan at ESPN.

Ray, 30, is the reigning Cy Young winner who is coming off a 13-7, 2.84 ERA season. He also struck out 248 in his 2021 campaign.

The Mariners are looking to add more depth as they have signed Adam Frazier in a trade with San Diego.

Jon Heyman reported the Mariners are also looking to add Javier Baez and Kris Bryant, likely one or the other to solidify the infield.

We expect to see more of these signings transpire in the next few days.

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The Graveman trade hurts, but don’t discount the return

by Nate Alexander
written by Nate Alexander

The Mariners front office has been known to break the hearts of their own team and fans. That was the case once again Tuesday in Seattle immediately before the Mariners took on the division-leading Houston Astros. Roughly two hours before first pitch, the Twitterverse blew up with the news that Kendall Graveman was sent across the foul lines to the Astros for infielder Abraham Toro and reliever Joe Smith.

Fans, players, and the rest of MLB seemed to be perplexed at the move by Dipoto and company. On the surface, it does not make any sense, but after doing some grieving and soul searching, I’ve come to the conclusion that the move, as much as I don’t like it, makes sense.

Graveman is set to be a free agent at the end of the season. He has appeared in 30 games this season, averaging of eight games per month, adding a game to that average for his time on the 10-day IL. With 2 full months remaining, at his current play rate, he has 16-20 games left—so roughly 25 innings.

We, as fans, should not discount or minimize the efforts of the rest of that bullpen. JT Chargois, Keynan Middleton, Anthony Misiewicz, Drew Steckenrider, and Paul Sewald have done a fantastic job holding games down. Sewald also has what it takes to be the new closer for the Mariners, if they don’t go out and pick another up—which I think they will.

Abraham Toro, if he remains in Seattle, you’ll get years of production—hopefully. His bat is showing promise, but has yet to fully develop at the Major League level. With only 110 at-bats this season, he is hitting .218 with 7 HRs while driving in 22. Last night I didn’t even think he would even put on a Mariners uniform, yet alone get his first hit and homerun with one swing of the bat against his former ball club.

In the 6th inning of last night’s game, news broke that Tyler Anderson’s trade deal with the Phillies fell through and the Mariners ended up acquiring Anderson for prospects C Carter Bins and RHP Joaquin Tejada.

Scott Servais no longer has to use the bullpen to start on day five of the rotation, which eases the burden on the bullpen.

Anderson is having an average year. The 2011 Colorado Rockies first rounder and 20th overall pick has appeared in 18 games and has a 5-8 record and a 4.53 ERA this season. He has ties to the Pacific Northwest as he played college ball at Oregon–his nickname is Mr. Duck.

Overall, the Graveman trade makes sense. The timing was impeccably terrible and the team he was sent to isn’t worthy. To win back the fans and some of those in the clubhouse, Jerry and company need to complete a deal that blows the doors off their hinges. I think we will see something in the upcoming 48 hours.

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MLB Trade Deadline: The Mariners

by Kevin Nesgoda
written by Kevin Nesgoda

The Major League Baseball trade deadline is in close proximity. Typically, this is the time of year that Mariner’s fans, like myself, dread because we all an emotional investment. While I’m sure dealing players away can be tough from the human aspect of the game, it is a part of the business aspect.

I mean, I was a little bit sad when the news broke about Daniel Vogelbach, Seattle’s lone 2019 All Star, was designated for assignment then ultimately traded to the Toronto Blue Jays. However, from the business perspective, his “services were no longer needed” in Seattle. While Evan White is only batting .175, that’s a significant improvement than .094. On the defensive side of the ball, Evan will start 100 out of 100 times over Vogey in the field. Evan will get better offensively, as he is hitting .275 in his last 9 games while adding three long balls.

But that’s not why I’m here. I’ve put it off long enough, but we should talk about who is likely gone at the trade deadline. As a caveat, I will say this is purely conjectural.

When it comes to trading players at the deadline, teams making offers generally look for those who are producing “right now.” For Seattle, they will deal for players who are young and atop the prospect pool.

What does Seattle need? Let’s go around the horn, grass and pen.

Outfield: Nope and not for a while. The outfield is probably the deepest pool for the Mariners right now. Even with Dylan Moore out for a sprained wrist, Braden Bishop, Sam Haggerty, and Jake Fraley have made their immediate impacts. The Mariners also have Kyle Lewis, who is the front-runner for AL (should be MLB) Rookie of the Year and I’d argue a case for MVP.

There is also Tim Lopes, Dylan Moore, Jake Fraley. Lopes, Moore, and Haggerty are capable infielders as well. 

Middle infield: Sure, but not necessarily. Shed Long has been the cemented guy at second this season, but I question his offensive abilities at this point. He’s hitting .167, but has excellent speed and is also still young. Hopefully his bat will develop after more time in the Bigs.

JP Crawford, I believe, will be the shortstop for the Mariners for the foreseeable future. There are plenty of utility players that could fill in at shortstop if JP needed a day off or ended up out for a while. Overall, I think the Mariners will likely draft a second baseman and shortstop, not trade for one.

Corners: Here’s the hard part, mostly just 3B. I believe Kyle Seager’s time in Seattle might be done in 10 days. He is the “producing right now” guy that teams making (or trying) a push for a successful post season would potentially like to acquire. However, he comes at a cost.

He is owed $18.5 million in 2021 and has an option for 2022. I don’t know if a team is going to go after him, but desperate teams may—such as the Brewers who have had 3B by committee all season. The Mariners can still afford him, but I would consider going after a young stud pitcher, using Kyle as trade bait.

Pitching: Here’s the thing: Starting pitching hasn’t been too bad as of late. There are a ton of youngsters in the starting rotation, leaving Marco Gonzales and Taijuan Walker as the true veterans. Yes, Yusei Kikuchi is older, but is very new to the MLB. With the way Walker has pitched this season, I could see teams going after him. The problem is that I don’t see who the Mariners could possibly get in return. It wouldn’t be anything of notable value, in my opinion, but anything is possible.

Relievers: Yes. The thorn in Seattle’s side right now.

The bullpen is atrocious.

The bullpen is young.

Part of me believes these relievers will grow to be much better and with the way the season is heading, I don’t see a need for the Mariners to really trade away anything of value to pick up relief pitching. As we have seen over the last week or so, the relievers coming up from Tacoma are proving themselves to be productive while holding the lead.

The oldest member of the bullpen is Yoshihisa Hirano at age 36 and the only other over-30 pitcher on the 40-man roster is Matt Magill, who is 30. There are handful of 29 year olds (Austin Adams, Brandon Brennan, and Taylor Williams) who will be 30 next season.

Again, I think a lot of these relievers are young and trying to figure out this game. The ones that I see constantly struggle and have over the last few season are Dan Altavilla and Matt Magill—both who have appeared in over 100 games and have roughly a 4.00 ERA each.

So who else could Seattle deal away?

I don’t see much of a future for Dee Gordon in Seattle. He is a true leader, but his production has diminished.

Mallex Smith, who is in Tacoma, could also be dealt to a team needing speed. I also don’t see much more of a future in Seattle for Mitch Haniger. His injuries and time away I think have put the former All-Star in a position to be dealt, but I’d like to see him get back on the field in his 2018 fashion.

What pitchers are available?

I like Forrest Whitley of the Houston Astros. He struggles at times, but he is still Houston’s #1 prospect. Granted, I doubt he’s dealt, but anything is possible. I also like the possibility of adding Marcus Stroman from the Mets. If the Mets continue to struggle, I could see the potential of Stroman getting dealt, and he would be an excellent veteran for the Mariners to scoop.

Lastly, Trevor Bauer. He is slated to be the top starter entering free agency this off-season. Why not go after him now?

I’ve been saying this and I’ll just say it one more time. The Mariners are a top-tier starter and developed bullpen away from being a contending team. The bats are alive and the Mariners are scoring runs. They just need to hold opposing offenses.

As of right now, no lead is safe for the Mariners.

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Mariners throttle Rangers, 10-1

by Kevin Nesgoda
written by Kevin Nesgoda

The hits just kept on coming. A quick 3-0 lead in the first inning turned even more insurmountable for the visiting Texas Rangers in the third frame.

Seattle scored 5 runs in the third and Justus Sheffield went six strong innings, allowing 6 hits, 1 earned run and getting 5 strikeouts, in only 85 Pitches. That was enough for the lefty to get the victory today.

Kyle Lewis continued to terrorize the opposition. Cementing his name in the Rookie of The Year conversation.  

Final in Seattle – Mariners 10 – Texas Rangers 1. 

Story by Jose Moreno and Photos by Rick May


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Mariners beat Rangers, 7-4

by Kevin Nesgoda
written by Kevin Nesgoda

Seattle Mariners win 7 – 4 vs. the visiting Texas Rangers. Behind solid pitching from Margevicius, and while taking advantage of the Rangers starting Kolby Allard struggling to find his command in the first frame.

Seattle jumped to a 4-0 lead early in the game and continued to add to the tally in the second and third frame. Every hitter got at least one hit, minus Kyle Seager, who went hitless.

The teams square up again tomorrow at 6:10PM before closing things down on Sunday and heading back on the road.

Story by Jose Moreno and Photos by Rick May


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Can the Seattle Mariners make the postseason? There’s a chance

by Kevin Nesgoda
written by Kevin Nesgoda

I know, it seems like a pipe dream at this point in the season. We are about a third of the way through the season so it doesn’t hurt to wonder, right? 

I am an overly optimistic Mariners fan and have been my whole life. Why not be optimistic about a post season? While unlikely, it’s not out of the realm of possibilities. 

Averaging out the playoff probabilities from the credible models, the Mariners have a 5.2% chance to reach the postseason according to Sports Betting Dime, even with the expanded eight-team field in each league. At 7-13, they are, surprisingly, only 2.5 games back of second in the AL West (as of Thursday), a spot that comes with a playoff berth. 

How can the Mariners actually make it to the postseason? Better pitching all around. They rank dead last in the American League with an atrocious 5.66 ERA. Pitching has surrendered 85 walks, which is an MLB worst. They rank 12th in of baseball in strikeouts (163) and 14th overall in opposing average (.236). The problem is giving freebies to batters who end up taking a tour of the base path, resulting in a run. 

On the offensive side, there has been a decline in productivity. They were a top-5 ranked offense through the first dozen games until lately, where they have since dropped to 22nd overall. The Mariners, partly due to their youth, are 2nd with 19 stolen bases only being caught three times. They are ranked 10th overall with 151 hits, 53 for extra bases. Productive runs are stagnant where only 78 have come with runners in scoring position. Another thing to note is that Mariners’ hitters have struck out 175 times, which is the 5th highest rate in all of baseball. 

Here is the bottom line: First, Mariners pitching must stop giving free bases to batters. This leads to long innings and a spike in offensive productivity by the opposing team. Second, productive hitting needs to happen with runners in scoring position (or at least on base). Lastly, outs need to come by putting the ball in play versus striking out. When the team improves on its AL-worst run differential (at -32, they’re 15 runs clear of second-worst), it should be an indicator that they’ve improved on both sides of the ball.

I truly believe the Mariners are on the precipice of something great. They are a veteran starter and bullpen away from being a top-tier ball club. 

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