Sodo Mojo’s Mariners Q&A: Pitching, Cano, Additions

There is a different feel around this Mariners team. They are generating more buzz than usual, and everybody has questions, whether they are buying it or not. Here are a few answers to your burning questions.

The Mariners are off to a fantastic start. But with that success comes questions. So, let’s answer those questions for you.

Andy has asked this question multiple times, but everytime he asks, it is still a valid question. I’ll say again, I don’t know where you draw the line for a “quality starting pitching”, but if it’s Chris Archer, I’ll advise you to stop wasting your time on that pipe dream.

If you are asking about another Mike Leake, I would say the odds are better now than they were 10 days ago? Why? Well, you can thank Robinson Cano for that. After being suspended for 80 games, the Mariners are no longer obligated to pay his salary over that time period.

So what does this mean? It means the team now has, in theory, an extra $12 million to spend this season. Now, the Mariners are not under any obligation to spend the $12 million, but it would be a slap in the face to not use it to improve their ball club.

The Mariners lack the prospects to compete with many other teams for a pitcher in the trade market. So being willing to add salary is like adding another B-level prospect to your offer.

If you are looking for a name, Kansas City Royal Ian Kennedy and Pittsburgh Pirates Ivan Nova come to mind.

Neither is sexy, but both have their qualities. Kennedy is averaging just under a strikeout per inning while walking less than 3 per 9 innings. While his 5.30 ERA doesn’t inspire much confidence, but his 4.23 xFIP shows he has been a tad unlucky.

Nova is simply a durable, solid #4 starter, who has posted a 4.25 FIP while issuing fewer than 2 walks per nine in his last 67 starts. Both could help the rotation. Whether you count them as “quality” will just be up to you.

Question 3: A New Royal Infielder

Whit Merrifield is a really fun player. Jon Heyman recently touched on his availability here. There are a few problems with the Mariners acquiring Merrifield. First, is he actually available?

Merrifield is the Royals best offensive player and is under club control for another 5 seasons. For a rebuilding club like Kansas City, would it be smart to give up such a player? However, unlike most players in Merrifield’s situation, he is a tad older. He is playing in his age 29 season, hurting his value slightly.

Second, is there a need for the Mariners? In the short-term, with both Robinson Cano and Dee Gordon out, absolutely. But what happens when they return? Gordon might be back as early as June 1st. Perhaps then, the Mariners could shift Gordon back to the OF and give Merrifield the second base job.

The problem with that is that the Mariners would be downgrading defensively at 2B and CF. Guillermo Heredia is an above-average CF and Dee Gordon is a Gold Glove 2B. Merrifield is a solid above-average second baseman.

Merrifield does have some MLB experience in the OF but has graded out at below-average in the small sample size. So the need is really up for debate.

Finally, even if the Royals are willing to trade him and if the Mariners decide they want him, what would the whole thing cost?

It seems reasonable for the Royals to ask for Kyle Lewis in return, given that Merrifield has 4 1/2 years of club control and is a solid 3 win player right now. Should the Mariners be willing to give up Kyle Lewis for a player with no obvious long-term fit that may or may not help them in 2018?

Remember, it’s not just trading Lewis for Merrifield. It also requires moving somebody out of the lineup. So Lewis and Guillermo Heredia worth Merrifield? Or Lewis and Healy (if you want Dee at CF and Cano at 1B)? Does it make you better?

Ultimately, I put Whit Merrifield exactly where I put Dee Gordon in November. Man, it would be a lot of fun. But there probably isn’t a place to play him, and the cost would be too high.

But then again, Dee Gordon is wearing a Mariners uniform, so I wouldn’t say there’s a zero chance of it happening.

Question 4: What About Cano?

Our final question comes from an old friend concerning what the heck to do with Robinson Cano.

A loaded question to be sure. Cano is slated to return on August 14th, and there are so many variables in play, it is impossible to feel good about an answer. As a “Dee Gordon to 2B” guy, I must say that shifting him back to CF is going to make the team worse.

However, the Mariners really don’t have a choice. You can’t just leave Cano off the roster. The Mariners figure to be battling for the second wild-card spot and adding an MVP caliber talent to the roster is a huge plus.

Moving Dee Gordon back and forth is tough, but ultimately, is probably necessary. You hate to take AB’s and reps away from anybody who could help you in the playoffs, and since Cano won’t be on the roster IF they make it, it’s tempting to say forget it.

But the Mariners have to get into the playoffs before they can worry about anything else. Robinson Cano will certainly help you in that endeavor. At the end of the day, these things have a tendency to work themselves out.

For all we know, Ryon Healy, Dee Gordon, or Nelson Cruz could get hurt, opening a spot for Cano to step right in. Or perhaps the Mariners trade for a utility guy that is used to being bounced around to different positions?

The simple answer is, we have no idea. It doesn’t make a ton of sense to freak out about it now, but as we creep closer to the August 14th date, it could become the biggest question in Seattle. For now, we will just have to sit back, enjoy the journey, and hope that on that day, it actually matters whether or not Cano is back with the team.

Next: Two Trades that Saved the Mariners

That’s all we have this week! Thank you for all your questions. This summer is shaping up to be an incredible one, and hopefully, we will have more opportunities to answer your questions going forward. Thanks for reading, and as always, ” Go M’s”.