Kuzul

In Seattle, the fans have been waiting to see if and when the Seattle Mariners would make some moves in response of the division-rival Angels‘ signing of Albert Pujols. 

Well, Seattle, the Mariners did sign two players—to minor league deals, with invites to spring training!

Guillermo Quiroz, a catcher, and Scott Patterson, a relief pitcher, will be in Arizona this spring, and in all likelihood, they will start the season in the minor leagues. Have you heard of these guys? Perhaps you’ve heard of Patterson, as he’s been in the minor leagues with the Mariners; and apparently Quiroz was a part of the system in 2006 and then again in 2009-10. 

Sorry to get your hopes up, Seattle, but this is an example of what Mariners fans are used to: signing 30-year-old players to minor league deals in hopes that somehow they will explode on the scene in Seattle and do the unthinkable.

Living in this area, every offseason I try to be the “glass half full” guy who believes the M’s may figure things out and make an acquisition that may impact the club right away to help them win. Or, if nothing else, sign a guy who shows their city and the fans that they’re trying to be relevant with the rest of the division.

Reality, though, is much different than what the fans are hoping. Seattle looks as though they are going to stay on the same course they have been on since that magical 2001 season, hoping for young talent to emerge on the big stage—sometime!

I feel sorry for the fan base in Seattle, one of the greatest in Major League Baseball. When Seattle is playing well, they will draw nearly 3.5 million fans to Safeco field and have one of the highest household television ratings in baseball. All of this has been going to waste over the last few years, and it doesn’t look to be getting better any time soon. 

Most of all, I feel bad for Jack Zduriencik, the general manager. I know he’s trying to do something big for the club, but ownership simply will not allow the money to be spent. Get ready to sit back for a long season again in 2012 Seattle!

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This picture pretty much says it all. This is the attitude the Red Sox will have to have about the year 2011 and everything that came with it. 

It was a roller coaster-type year for the Sox in 2011, but unlike most coasters, the biggest drop off came at the end of the ride, as opposed to the beginning. 

Going 7-20 in September was the biggest free-falling coaster in MLB history—not to mention all the drama that followed! 

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Before repairing the damaged hearts, fixing the broken city and rebuilding player personnel for the 2012 season, one of the big pieces needs to be put in place. Will GM Theo Epstein stay with the Boston Red Sox?

Well, one thing is for sure, Red Sox owner John Henry expressed that he would welcome Epstein back should he choose to want to return. 

During a radio interview in Boston, Henry gave his support to Theo and basically said the ball is in his court. So now that we know how ownership feels, will Epstein come back to the Sox and if so, when will he make that announcement?

There is a lot to think about for Mr. Epstein in this situation. The pressure level in Boston and New York is unlike anywhere else. But losing like the Sox have lost the last couple of seasons only raises the tension of the job. 

He could take it as a challenge in terms of returning to Boston. Fix what was broken in 2011, make sure it doesn’t happen again and reclaim the keys to the city that he owned in 2004 and 2007.

Or you can look at it in terms of the option of leaving Boston. To me, the only place Theo would go if he left Beantown would be to the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs are in need of a powerful GM, one that can bring winning back into the hearts of the fans in Chicago—much like the Boston Red Sox were doing when they found Epstein. 

The Cubs have not won a World Series since 1908! That is a longer curse than the one broken in Boston. Now in my mind, Theo Epstein is already a Hall of Fame manager, but think of where he would be if he could end the drought in Chicago. He would be a legend with a legacy that would be tough to match.

What will be the ultimate end decision? Well, only one person can answer that question, but if you ask Boston, Red Sox Nation and owner John Henry, Theo is welcome to come right back home to Fenway Pahhhk.

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