Mariners News: Goodbye Monty, Hello Vogelbach

While the Mariners were battling the White Sox at Safeco Field on Wednesday, GM Jerry Dipoto was orchestrating a trade with the other team from the Windy City.

Rumors started leaking out during today’s game that the Seattle Mariners and Chicago Cubs were engaged in trade talks. Midway through the game, a batboy whispered something to Mike Montgomery and he immediately left the dugout.

Shortly after Leonys Martin hit a walk-off home run to give the M’s a 6-5 win, we found out that Monty was on his way to Chicago along with RHP Jordan Pries in exchange for 1B/DH Dan Vogelbach and RHP Paul Blackburn.

Vogelbach is the most notable prize of the trade for the Mariners. He has been honing his craft- rather successfully I might add- down in Triple-A with the Iowa Cubs this year. After five years of bouncing around the minor league circuit with the Cubs organization, starting when he was 18 years old, he has finally found his stride, hitting a respectable .318 to go along with 16 home runs and 64 RBI, not to mention 18 doubles.

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He has yet to make his major league debut, but if his play can translate on the big stage, the Mariners could use more consistency at first base. Adam Lind has been red hot this week, but hs overall play this season has been disappointing. Dae-ho Lee was very productive during the first two months of the season, but his performance has sunk tremendously over the last month. The inconsistencies of Lind and Lee have sounded the alarm bells in Seattle. Until now, there hasn’t been much of an answer.

Of course we must also look at the other side of trade, and who we are giving up: Mike Montgomery. The Mariners starter/reliever has only shown glimpses of his potential in a Mariners’ uniform. This season as a reliever he allowed at least one run in six of his thirty-two appearances, twice giving up more than three earned runs in less than three innings.

With the Mariners trading wins and losses the last ten games, a run is urgently needed if they want to make a run in the highly competitive American League Wild Card race. As of today’s win, the M’s sit five and a half games back of a playoff birth.

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The addition of Vogelbach should outweigh the departure of Montgomery, therefore benefiting the Mariners in their attempt to end their fifteen year post season drought, at least, that’s what Dipoto and the Mariner faithful are hoping for.