Kuzul

I wrote this for my blog the day that The Kid retired.  I thought I’d bring it over here and see what you all thought of it. 

I wrote on May 13 that Ken Griffey, Jr should retire. His numbers were way down (.184 AVG, no HRs, and just seven RBIs), and he had accomplished everything he’d needed to over such a legendary career. 

The one thing missing from his resume was a trip to the World Series, but his time ran out on that goal. The Mariners are not headed there any time soon.

Well, less than a month since I wrote that post, Griffey has decided to call it quits. His manager, Don Wakamatsu, made the announcement today before the Mariners faced the Twins. 

Griffey released a statement, which said, “While I feel I am still able to make a contribution on the field and nobody in the Mariners front office has asked me to retire, I told the Mariners when I met with them prior to the 2009 season and was invited back that I will never allow myself to become a distraction.”

He continued by stating, “I feel that without enough occasional starts to be sharper coming off the bench, my continued presence as a player would be an unfair distraction to my teammates and their success as a team is what the ultimate goal should be.”

In his debut on April 3, 1989, the Kid went 1-3 and scored a run in a 3-2 loss to the Athletics. Dave Stewart was the winning pitcher, Mark Langston received the loss, and Dennis Eckersley pitched 1 1/3 innings for the save. The only person from that game still playing today is White Sox shortstop Omar Vizquel.

The first of Griffey’s 630 Home Runs came on April 10 against Chicago White Sox righthander Eric King.

His greatest season came in 1997, when Ken won the MVP by blasting 56 HRs, knocking in 147 RBIs, and producing a line of .304/.382/.646/1.028. 

I have never known baseball without Ken Griffey, Jr. He has been a class act throughout his career and will retire as one of the greatest to have ever played the game. 

A good thing to note: Of the top 10 Home Run hitters of all-time, four players have either admitted or been outed as steroid users (Bonds, Sosa, A-Rod, McGwire). The rest of the top 10 include Aaron, Ruth, Mays, Griffey, Robinson, and Killebrew.  

I will always remember Griffey as the man who refused to cheat.

While McGwire, Bonds, and Sosa were smashing Home Runs left and right, as well as breaking hallowed records and moving up the all-time Home Run list, Griffey mostly battled injuies. 

I cannot assure you that Griffey did not take steroids or PEDs, but with the low amount of games he played, it is unlikely.  From 1998 (the year of McGwire and Sosa) to 2009 (his final ‘full’ season), he played in an average of 119 games.

He could have taken steroids/PEDs and probably gotten back on the field quicker, but he was a better man than that. It is a shame that he ended at just 630 homers and fifth on the All-Time home run list. It would have been nice to see him at the top, instead of the Steroid Era ringleader, Barry Bonds. 

Even though he had single season home run totals of 56 (twice), 49, 48, 45, and 40 (twice), Griffey never led the league in home runs. McGwire led the league in homers in ’96, ’97, ’98, and ’99 (as well as in ’87), the same years when Griffey had his four highest home run totals. 

Thank you, Ken for playing the game the right way. 

You will be forever known as the best player of the Steroid Era. You, unlike many others of your generation, decided to play baseball the old fashioned way: The Right Way.

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Perhaps not surprisingly, Mariners’ management is taking heat for including Josh Lueke in the package of prospects they received along with Justin Smoak for Cliff Lee.

As I reported in this post two days ago , Lueke missed most of the 2009 season when he was charged with rape last Spring in Bakersfield, where he was then playing Class A+ ball.  After a lengthy jail stay, he pleaded no contest to a charge of false imprisonment with violence and was sentenced to 40 days in jail, which he had already served.

I had never heard of Josh Lueke when I first learned he was included in the Cliff Lee trade.  I looked at his minor league numbers and saw that he had missed almost all of the 2009 season, to what I initially assumed was an injury of some kind.  However, when I googled Lueke, the news stories out of Bakersfield about his arrest and plea deal came right up.

Apparently, the Mariners’ front office didn’t take the time to google Josh Lueke.  Again, I’m not surprised.  The player the M’s really wanted was Justin Smoak, and once they got him plus Blake Beavan, a former first round draft pick and a pitching prospect to replace Lee, the last two players thrown in (Lueke and Matt Lawson) were an after-thought.

Lueke is actually 25 this year, not 24 as I mistakenly stated in the original post.  However, he’s got great ratios (Ks/BBs, Ks/9 IP), and I’m sure that when the Rangers offered to throw Lueke into the deal (we now know why), the Mariners probably looked at his strike out numbers and decided he was a good bottom-of-the-deal, player-to-be-named-later candidate to round out the deal.

Ironically, the Mariners are a team which has taken a strong stand against violence towards women, so Lueke is the last player they would have wanted as a throw-in to sweeten the pot on the Cliff Lee trade.  Here’s a post from Mariners’ beat writer Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times, which describes the issues in detail.

What’s really damning is that Mariners’ brass is quoted as saying they were aware of the charges against Lueke and thought that last year’s resolution of the case meant that Lueke had been “cleared”.  Since a more accurate picture was only a google search away, it makes the M’s look really sloppy and careless.

My opinion is that Lueke should be allowed to continue pitching professionally for somebody (although I would certainly understand it if the M’s decided to release him given their past stance on domestic violence).  He’s served his sentence and has a right to resume his career as a professional baseball player for someone.

That being said, Lueke’s conviction is a matter of public record, and he’s going to have to live with the consequences of the really bad decisions he made on the night in question.  It’s fair game for the public to discuss and for teams to decide whether a player convicted of that particular crime is someone they want in their organizations. After all, professional sports are nothing but a form of entertainment which owe their livelihood entirely to the public’s good graces.

If nothing else, the episode is a good example of the fundamental premise that if you are a young athlete (or any young man, for that matter), don’t act like a douche-bag.

It’s a fact of life that many young women are turned on by professional athletes and will make themselves available to provide for a ballplayer’s needs, so long as they are freely given the choice to do so.

The news reports suggest that the young woman in Lueke’s case might well have been agreeable to a little harmless sleeze, if Lueke and his roommate hadn’t gotten her so drunk she passed out.

No matter what she may or may not have been willing to do if given a reasonably informed choice, every woman has an absolute right to be given the opportunity to make that choice.

Lueke apparently didn’t give this young woman any such opportunity, and he has rightfully had hell to pay as a result. At age 24, he was certainly old enough to know better, no matter how much he had to drink that night.

I wonder if teams give their young players a stock speech about the fact that women don’t exist solely to serve a ballplayer’s needs, and that while many women will be only to happy to indulge a ballplayer’s fancy, some women will not and that such refusals must be respected.

In basketball and football, players generally go straight from college to the major leagues, where other players, the players’ association and players’ individual agents can give them lectures about the facts of life and proper conduct.  In baseball, however, minor leaguers start very young and are often largely on their own to make decisions about how they conduct themselves off the field.

Even then, baseball has no monopoly on loutish conduct.  Ben Rothlisberger’s recent episode and Kobe Bryant’s rape charge of a few years back are both examples.

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On Friday, the Seattle Mariners traded ace Cliff Lee and reliever Mark Lowe to the Texas Rangers for switch-hitting first baseman Justin Smoak and three other prospects. 

Sportswriters and analysts are split on which team came out with the better end of this trade. Several pundits believe that the Rangers won out by landing a legitimate ace atop their rotation, while only sacrificing one of two high-potential first basemen in their system (the other being Chris Davis).

Others believe that the Mariners won out by acquiring a better package for Cliff Lee than they paid for him this past offseason. 

Like any trade, several teams, players, and division races will be affected by its completion. Here is a quick rundown of the biggest winners and losers in the Cliff Lee trade.

WINNER: 2010 Texas Rangers

I put the “2010” in front of this label because the Texas Rangers certainly improved in this deal, but it might not last long term.

Considering only this season, the Rangers are guaranteed winners in the Cliff Lee trade. They currently sit 4.5 games ahead of the Los Angeles Angels, and, with the acquisition of Lee, are primed to extend that lead in the second half of the year.

It remains to be seen if trading Justin Smoak within the division will backfire on the Rangers, but in 2010, Cliff Lee gives them an even greater chance to win their first division title in over a decade.

LOSER: 2010 New York Yankees

The New York Yankees boast the best record in baseball, but last Friday they looked like fools in the race for Cliff Lee.

On Friday morning, the Mariners and Yankees agreed in principle to a deal for Cliff Lee, but the Mariners backed out of negotiations after concerns about second base prospect David Adams’ health.

The Mariners quickly partnered up with the Texas Rangers, while the Yankees watched their agreement in principle fade into thin air.

Ken Rosenthal reported that the Yankees were “livid” at the Mariners decision, and one Yankees official fumed that “You just don’t do business that way.”

However, as the gentlemen at Lookout Landing noted, business is business, and the Yankees have been on the other side of the deal at least once in the past. 

WINNER: The Rest of the AL East

Entering the All-Star Break, the Tampa Bay Rays sit only two games back of the New York Yankees in the AL East, and the Boston Red Sox are within striking distance at five games back.

Had the Yankees acquired Cliff Lee, the chances of catching New York may have grown exponentially. 

Tampa Bay Rays’ manager Joe Maddon said it best when he told the St. Petersburg Times that Lee’s trade to Texas was “better than the Yankees.” Maddon preferred Lee going to the National League, but, like the rest of the AL East, he was more than happy to see Mariners-Yankees negotiations falter on Friday morning. 

Regardless of remaining trades, the rest of the AL East can breathe easier with Cliff Lee in Texas. 

LOSER: The Los Angeles Angels 

Similar to Joe Maddon’s displeasure over Cliff Lee’s potential trade to the New York Yankees, Mike Scoscia and the Los Angeles Angels could not have been pleased to hear that Lee was bound for Texas.

Angels OF Torii Hunter went as far as saying that Seattle broke the unwritten rules of baseball by dealing Lee within their own division. 

On Friday morning, the Angels sat 4.5 games behind the Rangers and faced increasing speculation over potential trade deadline acquisitions. With Lee’s arrival in Texas, the Angels now face mounting pressure to respond with an acquisition of their own.

The Angels are expected to pursue a corner infield power bat to replace Kendry Morales, who is out for the season due to injury. Within the past week, the Angels have been linked to Washington 1B Adam Dunn, Milwaukee 1B Prince Fielder, and free agent 1B Carlos Delgado. 

Regardless of who the Angels acquire, if anyone at all, their path to the 2010 AL West Championship is now more difficult with Cliff Lee in Texas.

WINNER: Texas Rangers 1B Chris Davis

Two years ago, Chris Davis was supposed to be the star of the future for the Texas Rangers. In 2008, Davis was ranked as the Rangers’ second best prospect, behind only SS Elvis Andrus. 

That same year, at age 22, Davis blasted 17 homeruns in only 80 games, and seemingly grabbed control of the Rangers’ first base position for years to come.

Since his spectacular debut, however, Davis has struggled mightily.

Davis was demoted in mid-July 2009 after a horrific first half. In early 2010, following an abysmal three weeks, Davis was again demoted in favor of 23-year-old Justin Smoak.

Since his demotion, Davis has been hard at work, posting an impressive .354/.403/.555 line with Triple-A Oklahoma. With Smoak’s departure, the Rangers again place their faith in Davis, and he may have the job for good this time.

LOSER: Seattle Mariners 1B Casey Kotchman

Casey Kotchman is a defensive machine. He is currently working on an MLB record in consecutive games without an error, but his offensive woes have heavily contributed to a lackluster 2010 Seattle Mariners offense.

In early June, the Mariners called up Mike Carp from Triple-A Tacoma to add offensive firepower to the first base position. This move failed, as Carp hit .167 in only 30 at-bats. In late June, the Mariners acquired Russell Branyan from the Cleveland Indians to again try and add pop at first base. With Branyan’s arrival, Kotchman had lost a hold on the everyday first base gig.

After the arrival of Justin Smoak, Kotchman may have lost hold of a roster spot with the Seattle Mariners. At this point, he is not much more than a late-inning defensive replacement.

It remains to be seen if Kotchman will be dealt (not many teams will have an interest in his .208 batting average), but with the acquisition of Justin Smoak, Kotchman has clearly become expendable. 

That’s it for the list. Comment below with who you think were the biggest winners and losers of the Cliff Lee trade!

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For the third time in less than a year, Cliff Lee has a new home. This time, he has joined the Texas Rangers.

Lee, 31, was brought in to help strengthen a relatively inexperienced rotation as the Rangers look to make a deep run in the playoffs.

Much like the past deals Lee has been involved in, the team parting ways with the star pitcher has looked for a huge haul of prospects in return.

The Indians’, Phillies’, and Mariners’ prospects arrived with the glimmer of a brighter future, as each team will expect to find their value in the years to come.

This value is based upon scouting reports and potential. The potential here is the potential to become a dominant ace, a slugging monster, a slick fielder, or a great signal caller is the hook used by the teams who desire Lee’s services.

Thus, this renews the argument of potential vs. proven commodity.

The Indians purged their roster last season and moved their ace, along with outfielder Ben Francisco, to the Phillies in exchange for pitcher Jason Knapp, pitcher Carlos Carrasco, infielder Jason Donald, and catcher Lou Marson.

Three of the four prospects have seen action on the major league level since the trade, but they have all struggled, and aren’t doing well at the minor league level this year.

Marson plays the same position as rookie Carlos Santana, who seized control of the catching position.

Donald, 25, appears to be destined for a nomadic career that alternates between the majors and minors.

Carrasco, 23, is still struggling, but has shown flashes that suggest he could help fill out a rotation someday.

The biggest piece of the trade was Jason Knapp, 19, who has already experienced physical setbacks that have hampered his development.

Cleveland’s deals have restocked their farm system, but the question, is what are they stocked with? Can they build on this?

What about the Phillies?

The Phillies took some prospects from the Mariners to replenish the loss of some highly regarded youngsters. The Phillies sent Lee to Seattle for pitcher J.C. Ramirez, pitcher Phillippe Aumont, and outfielder Tyson Gillies.

Again, another deal that is far too early to judge, but the numbers being posted at their current levels aren’t instilling a ton of confidence.

Ramirez, 21, has exhibited control issues while posting a high WHIP (1.47) and an ERA of 4.63, which means he is giving up slightly more than a run every two innings. That won’t work in a hitter’s park like Citizens Bank Park.

To say that Aumont, 21, has been knocked around would be an understatement, and this is at the Double-A level, where elite prospects tend to shine.

Center fielder Tyson Gillies, 21, has not looked horrible, but a sluggish start while he is playing at the Double-A level for the first time also must be worrisome for the Phillies’ front office that expected these players to contribute in the upcoming seasons.

The franchise has solid depth on the major and minor league level that should make these disappointments palatable.

What did Cliff Lee net for the struggling Mariners?

How about Justin Smoak? The highly touted first baseman was sent to last place Seattle along with pitcher Blake Beavan, pitcher Josh Lueke, and second baseman Matthew Lawson.

The hard-hitting prospect has struggled at the major league level but does have the potential to become a middle-of-the-order talent that could help a pathetic offense in Seattle.

Beavan, 21, was also coveted by the Mariners and has posted numbers that suggest he can dominate at his current level and could be moved up to the Triple-A club by season’s end.

Lueke, 25, has all the makings of a career minor leaguer who could possibly be a serviceable fill-in reliever on the big team if someone were to be injured.

Lawson, 24, also falls into the category of career minor leaguer.

Sure these prospects could develop into future All-Stars or good complimentary pieces on a future contending team. But this past year has been a movement of players who won’t make up for the loss of what was given up.

And absolutely, I mean absolutely, these trades will never yield the lopsided results of this deal of a staff ace for prospects.

Remember the June 27, 2002 trade of then-ace Bartolo Colon and Tim Drew from the Indians to the Expos for Brandon Phillips, Grady Sizemore, Lee Stevens, and Cliff Lee?

Now that was a steal!

Front offices around baseball dream every time they deal away one of their stars, but it almost never happens.

So we get situations like Lee’s journey to find a long-term home. A journey that has seen many promising players moved to acquire him.

A journey that might not be over.

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Despite the departure of pitching ace Cliff Lee, tonight Mariners fans might see something special, because two stars are coming out when the Mariners take on the Yankees.

Felix Hernandez is the starter today and he is trying to come off of his great outing against the Yankees last week in New York. King Felix’s start last week was the first-ever shutout by an opposing pitcher at the new Yankee Stadium!

Felix is 4-1 with an ERA of about 2.50 in his last five starts against the Yankees, so expect a good outing from Felix. And also expect a good debut from superstar-to-be, Justin Smoak.

Smoak is a 24-year-old, switch-hitting first baseman who was just traded to the Mariners from the Rangers with some prospects for Cliff Lee and Mark Lowe.

He was the No. 11 pick in the 2008 draft and today he will most probably be the starting first baseman. He will have to face Yankees pitcher Javier Vasquez.

Smoak was the main reason why Cliff Lee was traded to Texas instead of the Yankees, and he should be the first baseman for the Mariners well into the future.

Many people compare him to Mark Teixeira, which shows that even though he has not hit well this year, hitting .209 with eight homers and 34 RBIs, he will be great in the future and he will help the Mariners quite a bit.

So tonight, I would watch the debut of Smoak and get used to seeing him in Seattle, because he will be a star for years to come.

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At the beginning of the MLB season the Mariners looked like serious contenders in the AL West.

That hasn’t been the case.

The Mariners are 34-51 at the All-Star break and now they are trading perhaps their best pitcher, Cliff Lee, to the Rangers.

The trade goes like this: the Mariners trade Cliff Lee and Mark Lowe to the Rangers for Justin Smoak and minor leaguers Blake Beavan, Josh Leuke, and Matthew Lawson.

We all knew this was going to happen and I think it might have been the best trade possible.

The Mariners are way below .500 and there is no way the Mariners could come back to win the AL West. So trading away a 31 year old pitcher for a 23 year old power hitting first baseman in Justin Smoak seems a smart choice.

Smoak has hit over .320 in the month of July and has a huge swing that could really propel this offense.

The Mariners also get 6 foot 7, 250-pounder Blake Beavan who is only 20 years old and is pitching very well in double A with a 10-5 record and a 2.78 ERA.

And the Mariners only give up Mark Lowe who has been injured for the past year and is only a bullpen guy.

My only worry about this trade is that Smoak hasn’t convince me yet that he can be a steady major leaguer.

I know he is up and coming with a lot of power and he could be very good but in past years with Bill Bavasi these trades have not worked out.

And I know that Jack Zduriencik is way better general manager and is known for his scouting, so we’ll see what happens.

Overall, I think this will turn out well for the Mariners in a year or two after Michael Pineda steps up to the majors and Smoak becomes a solid hitter.

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How can a team being run by MLB be allowed to obtain the best pitcher on the market?

Perhaps the answer is when MLB is being run by a commissioner in Bud Selig who is an idiot.

“Everybody knows our situation. When we take on salary, we have to look at that and see if we can justify it within our budget,” team president Nolan Ryan said. “As long as we stay within our budget, we don’t really have restrictions on us to where we can’t do things.”

Even if bankruptcy court allows this, why would MLB allow a team that was so screwed up financially that they had to assume control, to take on additional salary?

“They’ve got the lead in the division and a No. 1 starter,” said an NL assistant general manager. “That’s pretty good for a team in bankruptcy.”

The Texas Rangers are getting the best pitcher in the American League and a proven Yankees-killer, plus, they’ll get two draft picks if Lee doesn’t re-sign with them, and yet the Mariners still have to pay part of his salary to help them win their division.

Now, let’s not discount the value of Justin Smoak, who can be a perennial All-Star first baseman. But aside from Smoak, the Mariners did not get much in return.

The most positive thing about this trade is that Seattle ignored the stupid axiom that you shouldn’t trade within the division.

Still, one has to wonder why a team that is so financially strapped that MLB has to take over gets to acquire the best pitcher on the market.

Maybe it pays to be insolvent.

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Talks abruptly end with Yankees, allowing the Rangers to swoop in and trade for Cliff Lee.

Early this morning, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported that the New York Yankees were “on the brink obtaining [Seattle Mariners starting pitcher] Cliff Lee for a packing that would include top prospects Jesus Montero.”

Then an executive familiar with the talks informed ESPN the deal was “just about done.” Twenty minutes later, Kevin Davidoff of Newsday reported there had been a “snag” in the talks between the Mariners and Yankees.

Still, for the next few hours, the consensus was that a trade would be completed. Then came the shocking twist. Quoting Sherman via Twitter: “#Mariners backing off #Yankees offer, Post has learned. Does not look like #Yankees are in it.”

Lee in New York would significantly hurt Boston’s chances of breaking through in the division, so I was definitely relieved to hear the talks had broken off at the last minute. But since the credibility of “sources” took a hit during the LeBron James fiasco, I wasn’t entirely sold on the reports being true. Yet, as confirmations came in from very respected outlets – newspapers such as the New York Times and Seattle Times, as well as the ESPN’s Buster Olney – I deemed the news to be valid. Too many were saying the same thing for it not to be. So, not happy with the prospects they were reported to receive – Montero, the Yankees top catching prospect, Double-A second baseman David Adams, and a third prospect–the Mariners turned their attention to the Texas Rangers.

Once Smoak was entered, the Mariners decided to trade Lee to Rangers.

After learning the tables were turned and they were in fact in contention to land the ace lefthander, Texas tempted Seattle with a prospect-laden offer headlined by first baseman Justin Smoak, a 23-year old power hitter who was the organization’s second-ranked prospect entering the season. Smoak hasn’t hit for much of an average during his brief time in the major leagues, as he is batting just .209 this season, but he has had his fair share of bright spots in hitting eight homers and driving in 31 rbi’s. He did perform fairly well in June, hitting .266 with six doubles, four home runs and 22 RBI to go with 17 walks and 16 runs scored. And based of his recent play, projections, and potential, he has a very bright career ahead of him.

Along with Smoak, the package included 25-year old right-handed reliever Josh Lueke, who is currently with their Double-A team and has had an incredible amount of success. He has racked up the strikeouts at a prolific rate, especially this season, compiling 62 in 38 innings split between Single-A and Double-A. All indications are that he has the potential to either close or be an effective set-up man at the Major League level.

Twenty-one year old Blake Beavan, a 6’7″, 250-pound right-handed pitcher, was inserted to the deal as well. His frame suggests he would be a power-pitcher with Lueke’s strikeout/inning ratio, but he is finesse comparatively, averaging just 5.2 strikeouts per nine innings during his minor league career. This means he pitches to contact, but that doesn’t mean he’s been hit hard while in Texas’s system. This season, the 17th ranked prospect in the Rangers system has gone 10-5 with a 2.78 ERA with Double-A Frisco.

Also added to the package was second baseman Matthew Lawson, a 24-year old who played with Lueke and Beavan with Frisco. His statistics remind me of the minor league numbers put up by the current Red Sox Dustin Pedroia, albeit with more strikeouts. He hasn’t swiped many bags, but he has shown the ability to do so with reliability. He hasn’t hit for much power, but judging by his stats he may project to hit 10-15 homers over a full season. His batting average and on-base percentage have been above average. Lawson is also very versatile, as he can play all three outfield positions, too.

Would Smoak and these three prospects be enough to nab Lee from the Mariners? Seattle wasn’t pleased with the medical records of Adams, who sprained his ankle in May and has not played since. This ended the talks with the Yankees, infuriating the AL East leader. With New York no longer in play, the Mariners told the Rangers that adding Smoak would mean obtaining Lee. Texas clearly obliged, and a trade was hashed out, with the addition of reliever Mark Lowe and $2 million in cash heading to the Rangers.

As of now, the deal looks solid for both parties. Since Lee is a free agent after this season, Texas has to re-sign him for the move to still be considered a win. Trading Smoak for a half-year rental would not sit well with their fan base. But the thought is that Texas wouldn’t have done the deal if they weren’t absolutely sure a long-term agreement with Lee could be reached.

With the bold move confirmed by press releases, Lee is officially a Ranger. He was the ace of the Cleveland Indians from 2003 to the mid-season of 2009, and went 22-3 in his final full season with the team. He was then traded to the Phillies, and he dominated with the National League’s best. His regular season numbers were superb, but he really made his mark in the postseason. He went 4-0, threw two complete games, and had a sparkling 1.56 ERA in five playoff starts.

He carried over this success to the Mariners. He joined the team in the offseason as part of an extraordinary blockbuster that sent prospects fly every which way and netted Philadelphia ace Roy Halladay. Seattle has underachieved this season, but he’s been their lone bright spot. In 13 starts he went 8-3 with a 2.34 ERA and five complete games.

This move gives the Rangers an even better chance at winning the American League West, the division they currently lead by 5.5 games over the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Smoak has tremendous upside, but Lee is one of the best pitchers in baseball. If given a chance to acquire him, it would be hard-pressed to find a team that wouldn’t jump at the opportunity. Leaving the Yankees irate at the broken down talks, Seattle adequately builds for the future while Texas swoops in to make a trade that could put them over the top and help them contend with miffed New York and other American League powers come playoff time.

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Well it has happened and it happened within the division, and most Mariner fans are sad to see Cliff Lee go—I would be lying if I said I wasn’t one of them.  

Lee was traded to the Texas Rangers today for Justin Smoak, a few Double-A arms, and a second baseman.

A lot of people are very excited about adding Smoak to the Mariners.

We needed a big, strong, powerful bat—a guy to take over at first base. Surely this does mean that Casey Kotchman is on his way out of town and Smoak will be getting the majority of starts at first from here on out.

I really don’t see that though and I think it would be stupid to have Smoak playing at first immediately.

Smoak has struggled so far this season in a hitter’s ballpark and now is coming to Safeco where good hitters go to die. Why should we expect anymore from Justin Smoak?

All I hear is about his potential, how good he could be, and so on, and so on, and so on.

How many times have the Mariners traded a good to great player and got a guy with a ton of potential or a guy that was projected to be good to great? How many times over and over and over again have the fans been disappointed?

Let’s list some names and just think about them for a moment.

Heathcliff Slocumb.

Butch Huskey.

Kevin Mitchell.

Russ Davis.

I could keep going on and on, but I’ll spare you. We all know the terrible trades of the past. Do I think this one will be better? I have no idea.

We’ll of course have to wait and see, but those in Seattle won’t have to wait very long; Smoak will be in uniform and at Safeco tomorrow.

I can’t say whether he’ll play or not, but maybe a little time in Tacoma would be better—let him gain his confidence back and let him get the bat going again.Tacoma is currently a winner (first place in the Pacific Coast League) and the Mariners, well, they are doing their best to get another top five draft pick.

I would have rather held out a little bit longer for a better package. I think we could have gotten a Dominic Brown from Philadelphia or a better package from the Reds.

The Reds were willing to give up basically their whole farm system to get Lee. The Reds have a lot of good prospects.  The Yankees have some good prospects and the Rays have some of the best prospects.

I hope this is not another “Smoak and mirror” trade with the Mariners and somehow, some way, I hope the Mariners bring back Cliff Lee in the offseason.

Then maybe I’ll feel better about this trade. Until then, I think this is going to be another huge failure.

I’m sorry, I’m from Seattle and you always have to expect the worst, but secretly pray for the best.

At least we’re not as bad as Cleveland.

Yet.

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The Mariners have traded Cliff Lee and injured reliever Mark Lowe for Justin Smoak and three minor leaguers. The minor leaguers are AA pitchers Blake Beavan and Josh Lueke and AA second baseman Matt Lawson.

The Mariners had no choice but to trade Lee after falling well behind in the AL West, and seem to have pulled off a deal that will help the team not only now, but in the future.

Smoak has been the Rangers starting first baseman for a good part of the season and in 235 at bats is hitting .209 with eight homeruns and 34 RBI. Smoak’s numbers aren’t very impressive so far this season, but he is still young, at only 23, and has a lot of potential.

Smoak was the Rangers first round selection in 2008, and is an athletic player who switch hits, and has the ability to hit for power. He gives the Mariners something they have been severely lacking in their lineup, a potential power threat.

Smoak has the ability to develop into a potential number five hitter and was ranked by Baseball America as the number two prospect in the Rangers farm system before the season began, behind only Neftali Feliz.

Smoak was rated as the best hitter for average, best power hitter, and best strike-zone discipline out of all Rangers prospects.

The Mariners also received another former first round selection by adding Beavan.

Beavan was the Rangers first round pick in 2007, and has the potential to be a solid middle of the rotation starter in Seattle.

Beavan was rated as the pitcher with the best command in the Rangers farm system and has only walked 12 batters in 110 innings in AA so far this season. He is a big kid, 6’7″ and 250 pounds, and he is only 21 years old.

Lueke is a pitcher out of the bullpen that could eventually see time in Seattle, with a fastball that is in the mid 90’s and tops out at 97. Lueke has struck out 62 batters in 38.1 innings this year between LoA and AA ball.

The final piece coming to Seattle is second baseman Matt Lawson, a AA prospect who is hitting .277 with seven homeruns and 34 RBI. Lawson has been solid in the field with only six errors on the season and could be a solid utility player for the Mariners down the line.

The Mariners had been rumored to be in talks with the Yankees to receive top prospect Jesus Montero earlier in the day but that deal fell apart based on the other pieces coming Seattle’s way.

The Mariners did a great job using the leverage they gained through talks with the Yankees to get other teams to step up to the plate and make a legitimate offer for Lee. The Rangers finally decided to part with Smoak, which is what Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik had been waiting for all along.

The Mariners got a potential power bat for years to come with good athletic ability for a first baseman, and a pitcher in Beavan who could potentially be in the Mariners rotation for a long time. Prospects are prospects, so you never know, but the Mariners did a great job getting some guys that have the tools to succeed at the Major League level.

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