It’s the middle of Major League Baseball’s offseason and right on cue, Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik made a move that is questionable to say the least. It was recently announced that the Mariners traded young pitcher Michael Pineda to the Yankees, leaving many Mariners fans confused.
Pineda had a sensational rookie season last year posting a 3.74 ERA with 173 strikeouts on the season. He was one of the few rookies on the All-Star team and it looked like Seattle found a great one-two punch with Pineda and Felix Hernandez. Now Mariners fans will have to watch their former young stud in those evil New York pinstripes.
It’s been a decade of darkness in Seattle. The playoffs are a distant memory. A few years back Zduriencik came in to end the drought in Seattle but so far that hasn’t happened. Now he gave away one of the club’s youngest and brightest? Still, the move has disadvantages and advantages.
Pitching was not a problem for the Mariners last season. Their starting rotation and bullpen did an admirable job, but the Ms couldn’t score a run to save their lives. Hitting, as it has been for a long time, was the issue for the Mariners. It seems like every year there are one or two guys that can hit the ball and the rest of the team might as well not even swing.
In the trade for Pineda, the Mariners got catcher Jesus Montero, who is one of the best hitting prospects in the league. Obviously Zduriencik is thinking about getting some more offense on the team, but is the cost too great?
While fans look forward to seeing what Montero can do in a Mariners uniform, the Ms could have gone about this differently. The Mariners have plenty of money to spend on their roster. So why not spend a little? Prince Fielder is still available. If offense is what is desired, offense is what you’ll get with Fielder — so go get him. Zduriencik is trying to build a baseball team like a cheapskate and it’s not working — spend a little cash and get more talent.
Montero on the roster is a positive, but giving up Pineda might not be the answer. He and King Felix looked like they had a great future together. Both are young and have bright futures ahead of them — building toward the future might have been that combination.
So was this a good trade? Yes and no. The acquisition is good, but the Ms gave up too much. It’s been too long since Seattle has had a decent team. If this doesn’t work, someone other than Zduriencik needs to lead the team.