Waiver Analysis

The August waiver period had now come and gone, and with it, the chance to upgrade a team’s playoff roster. Players can still pass through waivers and be traded, but said players will not be eligible to for playoff competition.

The only information that the Mariners have let slip from what has become an airtight fortress of secrecy and covert operations, is that they placed the pitchers on waivers. Perhaps more, but we don’t have any information to suggest that they have. We only know for a fact that Felix Hernandez, Jason Vargas, and Kevin Millwood were the three elected.

What can we derive from this?

The Mariners aren’t trading Felix Hernandez

This isn’t really news, but it is a constant reassurance when another trade deadline passes with Felix still sporting Mariners blue. Jack Zduriencik has to be getting annoying with everyone. The poor man was just trying to pass Felix through waivers only to have some team –who had no chance of acquiring him–interrupt his transaction. Between other GM’s and reporters the man has to be going crazy. He isn’t trading Felix, and he is running out of new and interesting ways to say it. I’m not sure why the Mariners were attempting to pass Felix through waivers, but I’m sure he had his reasons. To see him get claimed and pulled back in, it really is a reassuring feeling.

Jason Vargas is a part of the Mariners future

Jason Vargas entered the season as the Mariners number one trading chip outside of King Felix himself. It was a near guarantee the Jason Vargas would be tossing baseballs for another team deep in the playoff hunt come August. The Mariners did make Vargas available, however, they asked for the moon and the sky; demanding premium talent for their over exceeding middle of the rotation arm. Other teams couldn’t (or wouldn’t) meet the Mariners demands, and Zduriencik opted to keep Vargas, instead of caving in on his steep demands. Vargas is going to earn a substantial pay raise this offseason, but even so he isn’t going to cost the team a fortune. Seattle may once again attempt to trade Vargas this winter, but don’t be surprised if he remains an intricate part of the Mariners 2013 plans.

Kevin Millwood was not heavily desired

Kevin Millwood passed through waivers…unclaimed. Like Vargas, the price tag on Millwood wasn’t appealing to most organizations. The Mariners insisted that his decent performance and affordable salary for the rest of the season, spiked his apparent value. No one took the bait. Seattle shot themselves in the foot on this one. Kevein Millwood is a disposable pitcher designed as gap insurance until the emergence of Danny Hultzen. The very reason he was brought in was to eat up a few innings until the trade deadline and then milk a few interesting prospects out of him. Our very own Bobby ask the perfect question, why is Millwood still pitching, let alone still here.