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Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Kuroda is coming back, but the elephant in the room still waits on the West Coast

All together now...
 
CC!
Kuroda!
(Andy!)
Hughes!
Nova!
Phelps
Joba
Logan
Rapata/Epply/Aardsma/Warren/Marshall/scrap heap
Robertson
Mo
 
IF... Andy returns... Nova recovers... Mariano comes back... Hughes evolves... Joba doesn't get hurt... CC has another year... and we can find one more piece from the recycling bin.... We could have a decent staff. 

(Note: Let's do ourselves a favor and forget Pineda. That seems to be Cashman's policy: Anything the guy ever gives us will be gravy.)

So, what do we have? Intangibles -- of which the biggest remains Cashman: Will he tear apart the roster with a monster deal, as he did last year? Let's hope not. We always give up what we need (youth) in exchange for what we have (age.)

Of course, the 900-pound gorilla is King Felix. The Mariners say they'll never trade him. That means nothing. In recent months, several major sports outlets - including writers at Seattle and Sports Illustrated - have suggested Seattle put him on the market. We're they publishing secret trial balloons? Who knows?  But sometimes, such articles represent a toe in the water.

We would ransack our entire system to bring Felix Hernandez to NYC, where the hype would rival that of Jack Black importing King Kong -- except in this case, the King will have thrown 200-plus innings for five consecutive years. (More than 230 for the last four; he led the league in innings in 2010) The bidding war to get him would be fierce. I hate to ponder the price tag. (But a note to all you 14-year-olders: It won't be Grandy, Aardsema and Rapata.) Whatever we imagine, pain-wise... double it.

Right now, every roster projection is meaningless. But Kuroda coming back is huge. Without him, Cash would almost certainly have to start moving players.  With him, if Felix moves, maybe we don't get held hostage.

2 comments:

Buhner's Ghost said...

Don't you guys understand that "no" means "no"? What kind of parallel universe do you reside in? Felix isn't going anywhere; he will be signed to an extension before spring training. You guys will be left to fight it out with Boston for 4th place.

SanJoseKid said...

"King" Felix? No thank you . . . I'd prefer regicide. Remember Pay-Rod's exact injury? A "non-displaced fracture of the fifth metacarpal". And he hit Jeter, too, that day. Hernandez' excuse was lack of command. OK, but we don't want your sorry lack of command on our bench. An arrogant punk who is incapable of wearing his hat straight. Felix forfeited his opportunity to wear pinstripes when he plunked numbers 2 and 13. Stay in Seattle with the caffeine junkies, "King".