Lyle and TJ open the show chatting about the World Series so far they may or may not have watched (2:30). They then jump into their 2025 grades for the Mariners infield:
Catcher (11:58)
First Base (15:48)
Second Base (22:46)
Shortstop (28:48)
Third Base (33:30)
Check out Slim Goody: slimgoodyseattle.com
Merchandise, event schedule, and more: marinelayerpod.com
Email us: marinelayerpod@gmail.com
Check out Just Baseball: Click here
Follow the show on Twitter: @marinelayerpod
Find us on YouTube: Click here
Find us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@marinelayerpod
Find us on all Podcast Platforms: https://linktr.ee/MarineLayerPod
Follow TJ on Twitter: @tjmathewson
Follow Lyle on Twitter: @lyle_goldstein
Our Sponsors:
* Check out BetterHelp: https://www.betterhelp.com
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
00:00 --> 00:14 [SPEAKER_01]: In episode 3, 17 of the Marine Lair podcast, it's our infield grades episode will go around the dirt and handout grades for the Mariners, infield for the 20 25 season and catch up on whenever all this happened in baseball this week.
00:15 --> 00:32 [SPEAKER_00]: reminder to you guys just stay on top of all of our stuff if you want to be following along all off season where we'll be totally busy keeping up with all the content if you want to do that you can listen to all our episodes find them on apple spotify all the audio platforms go make sure to download and rate and review if you're doing that if you're watching YouTube
00:32 --> 00:33 [SPEAKER_00]: Just hit subscribe.
00:33 --> 00:33 [SPEAKER_00]: It's right in front of you.
00:34 --> 00:35 [SPEAKER_00]: Just takes a second to do.
00:35 --> 00:36 [SPEAKER_00]: It's the best way to support the channel.
00:37 --> 00:38 [SPEAKER_00]: Drop a like, leave a comment.
00:38 --> 00:42 [SPEAKER_00]: You can also find all of our stuff at our website, marinelayerpod.com.
00:42 --> 00:45 [SPEAKER_00]: That includes our merch, includes our Patreon, which we love to have you be a part of.
00:46 --> 00:49 [SPEAKER_00]: And you can check us out all across social media at marinelayerpod.
00:50 --> 00:51 [SPEAKER_00]: Let's get it rolling.
01:05 --> 01:24 [SPEAKER_01]: And we welcome you to this episode of the Marine Lair podcast part of the just baseball podcast network recording here on Sunday afternoon October 26 And the big question I have to start out with this episode for you while if you watched any of the world series Yeah, I've sadly watched all of it.
01:26 --> 01:26 [SPEAKER_00]: Have you?
01:26 --> 01:29 [SPEAKER_01]: Sorry because I haven't watched a single inning of it
01:30 --> 01:41 [SPEAKER_00]: So I put a poll out on not a poll, but just a post out on social media yesterday because I was curious how many people are invested and how many aren't, but consensus I'm getting is most people are either pro Dodgers or they're not watching.
01:43 --> 01:45 [SPEAKER_00]: And I'm both of those things.
01:46 --> 01:58 [SPEAKER_00]: I am rooting for the Dodgers to win this thing in five games, because if they win in five games and just win handedly, at least the Mariners fans can have that settle in a little bit in the sense of, okay, had we gotten there?
01:59 --> 02:01 [SPEAKER_00]: We weren't going to go beat the monsters, because that's what I call the Dodgers.
02:01 --> 02:04 [SPEAKER_00]: For anybody that's seen Space Jam and gets that reference, they're the monsters.
02:05 --> 02:13 [SPEAKER_00]: They are just filled with absolute, elite, hall of fame level players that the Mariners may not have hung with.
02:14 --> 02:16 [SPEAKER_00]: I mean, did you watch Yoshinobi Yamamoto and game 2?
02:16 --> 02:17 [SPEAKER_00]: Well, you didn't.
02:17 --> 02:19 [SPEAKER_00]: A lot of our listeners probably didn't, but I did.
02:19 --> 02:20 [SPEAKER_00]: Oh my god.
02:20 --> 02:22 [SPEAKER_00]: That guy is untouchable.
02:23 --> 02:24 [SPEAKER_00]: He's got six pitches.
02:24 --> 02:25 [SPEAKER_00]: I don't know how anybody hits his curveball.
02:25 --> 02:26 [SPEAKER_00]: His splitters gross.
02:28 --> 02:30 [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I don't know if the Mariners were gonna hang with that.
02:32 --> 02:46 [SPEAKER_01]: Now, it's not some guarantee that the Dodgers go out there and roll the rest of the series because they threw their other, well, I guess, one of their four aces in Game 1, in Blake's now who had been amazing down the stretch, you'd been amazing in the playoffs.
02:46 --> 02:48 [SPEAKER_01]: And the Blue Jays lit him the fuck up.
02:49 --> 02:53 [SPEAKER_00]: This Blue Jay's offense makes so little sense.
02:53 --> 02:54 [SPEAKER_00]: I don't get it.
02:54 --> 02:55 [SPEAKER_00]: They don't strike out.
02:55 --> 02:57 [SPEAKER_00]: They're always putting the ball in play.
02:57 --> 02:58 [SPEAKER_00]: They're ridiculous at home.
02:58 --> 03:04 [SPEAKER_00]: Did I see that that Varsho home run off a Blake's now was the first left-on left-homers, snows all out all year?
03:04 --> 03:06 [SPEAKER_00]: At least on a lefty change-up, I believe.
03:06 --> 03:09 [SPEAKER_01]: I think the change-up was a specific part.
03:09 --> 03:13 [SPEAKER_01]: But the Blue Jay's are doing a whole lot of firsts to Blake's snow in that game.
03:13 --> 03:16 [SPEAKER_01]: So that, I mean, that's to show that with that Blue Jay's offense,
03:17 --> 03:30 [SPEAKER_01]: nothing is impossible even against the best of the best that they have to offer right now the battle is as the series has laid out it is blue jays line up one Dodgers rotation one
03:30 --> 03:48 [SPEAKER_01]: whichever one's going to get the edge the rest of the series is going to determine the series but that dot if that blue j's lineup can get sixty percent of that offensive production and working these Dodgers starters for the final five games of the series it's going to be really close really close.
03:48 --> 03:49 [SPEAKER_00]: Now
03:49 --> 04:00 [SPEAKER_00]: This comes the part of the series where we were looking our chops in the ALCS, thinking the Mariners had the big pitching advantage, because now the BlueJays are at the part of the rotation, where they're going to throw max shares are in Shane Bieber.
04:00 --> 04:01 [SPEAKER_00]: It's going to be in that order.
04:01 --> 04:03 [SPEAKER_00]: Shares are game three, Bieber game four.
04:03 --> 04:12 [SPEAKER_00]: The difference is, even though George Kirby and Luis Castillo are really good pitchers, obviously they didn't have their peak best seasons either of them.
04:13 --> 04:14 [SPEAKER_00]: but they're still really good pitchers.
04:15 --> 04:20 [SPEAKER_00]: The difference is how are the Dodgers gonna counter to Max Scherzer and Shane Beaver?
04:20 --> 04:23 [SPEAKER_00]: Well, that'd be with Showhaotani and Tyler Glass now.
04:24 --> 04:26 [SPEAKER_00]: Well, I think it's Glass now game three, Showhaa game four of a point being.
04:27 --> 04:28 [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, it's a little bit of a different monster.
04:29 --> 04:31 [SPEAKER_01]: I think the Blue Jays could be Glass now.
04:31 --> 04:32 [SPEAKER_01]: Glass sounds really good.
04:33 --> 04:35 [SPEAKER_01]: He is, but he throws two pitches.
04:36 --> 04:59 [SPEAKER_01]: yeah it's true it's it that's a different animal than than you have about or different I guess in a more negative version because with this blue jays line-up does really well like you said they don't really chase that much which was pissing me off so much in that mariner series mariner's battles were chase so much blue jays wouldn't chase at all they'd still make just as much hard contact they wouldn't swing a miss from the balls in the strike zone
05:00 --> 05:18 [SPEAKER_01]: Glass now eats when he's thrown his curve ball out of the strike zone, blue jays identify that pitch, which they've had a really good job by identifying pitches, much, much of this postseason and haven't swung up many things outside the strike zone, if they can identify that breaking ball, then it might be a long for Tyler Glass now.
05:18 --> 05:22 [SPEAKER_01]: And then you get into the worst part of the Dodgers team, which is the bullpen.
05:22 --> 05:28 [SPEAKER_01]: and then you're putting Show Hayo Tani out there potentially down 2-1, and I'm also in game at home.
05:28 --> 05:32 [SPEAKER_01]: So I guess we'll see, I won't be seeing because I'm probably not going to watch.
05:32 --> 05:43 [SPEAKER_01]: Like I just I can't stomach watching this game, like Monday broke me so much as a marathon knowing how close we all were to watching a world series, it just doesn't be all right.
05:44 --> 05:47 [SPEAKER_01]: Blue Jason fans go like go have on Dodgers fans like you've already won a chit on you.
05:48 --> 05:50 [SPEAKER_01]: I don't even know if you're having fun right now.
05:50 --> 05:52 [SPEAKER_01]: So, I best have luck to you guys.
05:52 --> 05:56 [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, when Addison Barger hit that grand slam, I was ready to start throwing stuff off a balcony.
05:57 --> 06:00 [SPEAKER_00]: And I say that coming from two people who actually really like Addison Barger.
06:00 --> 06:02 [SPEAKER_00]: And we've gotten to talk to him in the last two years.
06:03 --> 06:03 [SPEAKER_00]: Really good dude.
06:04 --> 06:06 [SPEAKER_00]: I guess watching a lot of our bullpen banner stuff.
06:06 --> 06:11 [SPEAKER_00]: Obviously he's a Seattle guy, at least until he was about six or seven when he moved and could still stay to Mariners fan his whole life.
06:12 --> 06:15 [SPEAKER_00]: All that being said, I was right at throw stuff.
06:15 --> 06:17 [SPEAKER_00]: And I saw Addison Barger hit that grand slam.
06:17 --> 06:18 [SPEAKER_00]: I was like, you got to be kidding.
06:19 --> 06:23 [SPEAKER_00]: But by the way, I guess all it takes for Addison Barger is just sleep on people's couches.
06:24 --> 06:27 [SPEAKER_01]: And we'll hear what's in store with that, he's sleeping on Davis Schneider's couch.
06:27 --> 06:30 [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, so I guess Barger...
06:31 --> 06:40 [SPEAKER_00]: I don't, the story is either his, his rent in Toronto, wherever he was staying, must have expired after six months or something, or he never found his own place in Toronto.
06:41 --> 06:41 [SPEAKER_00]: I think it's the latter.
06:41 --> 06:49 [SPEAKER_00]: I think maybe he never found a permanent place to stay in Toronto all year, so now he's staying on Davis Schneider's couch and tell the postseason ends.
06:49 --> 06:55 [SPEAKER_00]: The next year, I would have to imagine that as some barge is going to have his own place, because he will absolutely be on that team next year.
06:57 --> 07:02 [SPEAKER_00]: Like going into this year, barger was a swing player when he got up as a rookie.
07:02 --> 07:04 [SPEAKER_00]: Like in 2024 he had his struggles.
07:04 --> 07:05 [SPEAKER_00]: He was up and down a lot.
07:05 --> 07:07 [SPEAKER_00]: But this year, man was he good.
07:08 --> 07:08 [SPEAKER_01]: Hmm.
07:08 --> 07:09 [SPEAKER_01]: Okay.
07:09 --> 07:11 [SPEAKER_01]: Well, good luck to him finding that.
07:12 --> 07:15 [SPEAKER_01]: And being a big liquor, he can, you know, he could probably afford it.
07:15 --> 07:18 [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I don't know if I have anything else to about the world series.
07:18 --> 07:20 [SPEAKER_01]: There hasn't really been that much in Mariners land this week.
07:21 --> 07:23 [SPEAKER_01]: The biggest, the biggest news of the week.
07:24 --> 07:28 [SPEAKER_01]: I think happened today here on Sunday, which we'll talk about on our social media post.
07:28 --> 07:32 [SPEAKER_01]: And by the time this episode comes out, it'll be concluded.
07:32 --> 07:34 [SPEAKER_01]: Or it already be out and people already talk about it.
07:35 --> 07:39 [SPEAKER_01]: Was that John Stan took out a full page ad in the Seattle Times?
07:40 --> 07:41 [SPEAKER_01]: That's the point of the offseason, we're at.
07:44 --> 07:46 [SPEAKER_00]: I'm going to be forced to ask the question, aren't I?
07:47 --> 07:47 [SPEAKER_00]: Of.
07:49 --> 07:50 [SPEAKER_00]: Somebody write that for him.
07:54 --> 08:00 [SPEAKER_01]: You know, he probably has a publicist or something or the team had, like, team PR, of course.
08:01 --> 08:02 [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, it's probably right.
08:03 --> 08:06 [SPEAKER_01]: It's like any time Dan Wilson puts out a statement or Jerry puts out a statement.
08:06 --> 08:09 [SPEAKER_01]: You know, Jerry sits at his computer and he types out those statements.
08:11 --> 08:11 [SPEAKER_01]: Man, I don't know.
08:12 --> 08:14 [SPEAKER_01]: No, no, to answer your question.
08:14 --> 08:16 [SPEAKER_01]: No, okay.
08:16 --> 08:18 [SPEAKER_01]: So that, and if Jerry, they work together on it.
08:18 --> 08:23 [SPEAKER_01]: But like this is a multi-billion dollar organization, of course he doesn't write that.
08:25 --> 08:31 [SPEAKER_00]: All I have to say about the post because the whole post was basically about how it was such a fun year.
08:31 --> 08:40 [SPEAKER_00]: Obviously the game seven loss was devastating and that he felt it and that, you know, it's a new area baseball in Seattle and they're going to work tirelessly to get back.
08:42 --> 08:46 [SPEAKER_00]: You know what, man, it's great to say, but those words are all empty.
08:46 --> 08:48 [SPEAKER_00]: You got to go show it.
08:48 --> 08:50 [SPEAKER_00]: Show action, show up with your wallet.
08:50 --> 08:52 [SPEAKER_00]: Otherwise, those words are going to be very empty all off season.
08:52 --> 08:54 [SPEAKER_00]: And that post may be getting bookmarked for months.
08:54 --> 08:55 [SPEAKER_00]: So go prove it.
08:56 --> 08:58 [SPEAKER_01]: This is what I'll say on our post later again.
08:58 --> 09:00 [SPEAKER_01]: So you might be hearing this for a second time.
09:01 --> 09:02 [SPEAKER_01]: It's a nice gesture.
09:02 --> 09:07 [SPEAKER_01]: Ultimately though, none of what is said right now matters at all.
09:07 --> 09:09 [SPEAKER_01]: It like whether it be positive or negative.
09:10 --> 09:13 [SPEAKER_01]: It doesn't matter if John Stanton promises to spend money right now.
09:14 --> 09:17 [SPEAKER_01]: It doesn't matter if he doesn't say anything about spending money right now.
09:17 --> 09:27 [SPEAKER_01]: I stop people saying why wasn't John Stanton speaking at the end of season press conferences with Jerry Justin and Dan Wilson at the end talking about how disappointing he was and how he was going to spend money.
09:27 --> 09:33 [SPEAKER_01]: It's like sure, but again, like the talk doesn't matter not of the talk matters.
09:33 --> 09:42 [SPEAKER_01]: You can make yourself feel better by talking, but ultimately, ultimately the only thing that matters is that we get tomorrow to this Mariners team looks as good or not better than it was last year.
09:43 --> 09:43 [SPEAKER_01]: That's it.
09:43 --> 09:46 [SPEAKER_01]: Doesn't matter any of what is said right now.
09:46 --> 09:50 [SPEAKER_01]: Cause talk is cheap as we've continued to say, you have to go do.
09:51 --> 09:53 [SPEAKER_01]: So yeah, I'm not gonna get that worked up about this.
09:53 --> 09:59 [SPEAKER_01]: And anyone getting worked up about it, I advise you to just take a deep breath and go into the off season.
10:00 --> 10:00 [SPEAKER_01]: Like that's it.
10:00 --> 10:01 [SPEAKER_01]: That's all it is.
10:02 --> 10:03 [SPEAKER_01]: Put up or shut up.
10:03 --> 10:19 [SPEAKER_01]: Right, none of the teams are going to like think about it this way if John Stan said right now our payroll is going to be a hundred and seventy million dollars right here at the end of the season he says that for next season and they their payroll isn't a hundred and seventy million dollars.
10:19 --> 10:20 [SPEAKER_01]: Is that gonna make you feel better?
10:21 --> 10:25 [SPEAKER_01]: Well, maybe you feel better in October, but it's not gonna make you feel better March when they don't get to that number.
10:25 --> 10:25 [SPEAKER_01]: Right.
10:26 --> 10:37 [SPEAKER_01]: Or about like, the only thing that makes you feel positive is it becomes out, and he says the exact opposite is like, yeah, I don't see our payroll increasing that much and then all of a sudden they shoved opening day with $190 million on the books.
10:37 --> 10:39 [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, which we know is probably not happening.
10:40 --> 10:44 [SPEAKER_01]: Right, so like we're just making up fairy tales scenarios here.
10:44 --> 10:45 [SPEAKER_01]: of payroll.
10:45 --> 10:48 [SPEAKER_00]: I mean, it probably should be around that range.
10:48 --> 10:49 [SPEAKER_00]: But whatever, we don't have to get into the numbers.
10:51 --> 10:52 [SPEAKER_00]: What they need to do is make the team better.
10:53 --> 10:54 [SPEAKER_00]: Yes, that's what they need to do.
10:54 --> 10:55 [SPEAKER_00]: This is where I stand on it.
10:55 --> 10:59 [SPEAKER_00]: I'm not one of those people where I say it needs to be at this number and it has to be at point X.
11:00 --> 11:04 [SPEAKER_00]: You need to let the people that you've hired to be in your front office do their jobs.
11:04 --> 11:08 [SPEAKER_00]: You don't have to, you don't have to give out $700 million for one soda.
11:08 --> 11:10 [SPEAKER_00]: I understand a lot of franchises can't do that.
11:11 --> 11:17 [SPEAKER_00]: But you need to let the front office do their jobs without having two hands tied behind their back.
11:17 --> 11:19 [SPEAKER_00]: We hear $15 million again this off season.
11:20 --> 11:23 [SPEAKER_00]: People are gonna be furious to a level that we've never seen.
11:23 --> 11:25 [SPEAKER_00]: Now, to be fair, I don't think that's gonna happen again.
11:25 --> 11:31 [SPEAKER_00]: I'm just putting it out there saying, that's how you don't let a front office do their job with budgets like that.
11:31 --> 11:32 [SPEAKER_00]: So let's not do that again.
11:32 --> 11:33 [SPEAKER_01]: I agree.
11:34 --> 11:35 [SPEAKER_01]: It is going to be more than that.
11:35 --> 11:37 [SPEAKER_01]: Almost assured, or assured.
11:38 --> 11:40 [SPEAKER_01]: Almost assured, it's gonna be higher than that.
11:40 --> 11:45 [SPEAKER_00]: and that's why I don't really have much fear in saying that because I don't think they're going to do that again.
11:46 --> 11:51 [SPEAKER_00]: I'm also still baffled by the fact that they let that be public last year that that was their budget.
11:51 --> 11:56 [SPEAKER_00]: I don't know what benefit that gave them or what graces they think that saved them but whatever that was a year ago.
11:56 --> 11:57 [SPEAKER_00]: Let's focus on this off season.
11:58 --> 12:09 [SPEAKER_01]: Speaking of the off season, we have some grades to hand out and this is going to be the start of our season grades for the Mariners and we're going to split this up into three or four, four,
12:09 --> 12:10 [SPEAKER_01]: Probably four.
12:10 --> 12:11 [SPEAKER_01]: Probably four.
12:11 --> 12:18 [SPEAKER_01]: So we're going to do infielders, outfielders, DH is going to get looped in with the outfielders with do the starting pictures, and then we'll do the bullpen arms.
12:18 --> 12:23 [SPEAKER_01]: So over the course of the next two weeks, we will have four different sets of grades we're handing out.
12:24 --> 12:26 [SPEAKER_01]: And today, we're going to start with the infielders.
12:27 --> 12:30 [SPEAKER_01]: And the captain on the infield is going to lead this off as he should.
12:30 --> 12:35 [SPEAKER_01]: The catcher position,
12:37 --> 12:42 [SPEAKER_00]: Let me say this, if Cal Rally doesn't get an A plus grade for his season, then nobody in baseball does.
12:43 --> 12:49 [SPEAKER_00]: If one single person out there would give Cal Rally any grade other than A plus, go learn ball.
12:50 --> 12:55 [SPEAKER_01]: And some context for how we're going to grade this, we're going to grade this by the position as a whole.
12:55 --> 12:57 [SPEAKER_01]: We're not going to grade the individual players.
12:57 --> 13:00 [SPEAKER_01]: Now, when we get to the rotation and bullpen, that's going to be a little bit different.
13:00 --> 13:05 [SPEAKER_01]: But for the positions on the diamond that the position players play, we're going to grade by position.
13:06 --> 13:09 [SPEAKER_01]: So Cal Rowley of as you know, part of the catchers.
13:09 --> 13:13 [SPEAKER_01]: but he did pretty much all the catching this year and he was the best in the league at it.
13:13 --> 13:19 [SPEAKER_01]: He was about twice as valuable as every other catcher in major league baseball by fan grabs war.
13:19 --> 13:21 [SPEAKER_01]: Just an insane season.
13:21 --> 13:23 [SPEAKER_01]: He's potentially the MVP.
13:23 --> 13:26 [SPEAKER_01]: He had the best power season in Mariners history.
13:26 --> 13:29 [SPEAKER_01]: He had arguably the best overall offensive season in Mariners history.
13:30 --> 13:30 [SPEAKER_01]: Switch hits.
13:31 --> 13:32 [SPEAKER_01]: He hit 60 bombs.
13:34 --> 13:35 [SPEAKER_01]: A plus plus plus.
13:35 --> 13:48 [SPEAKER_01]: If we could give more pluses, we would give more pluses to Cal Rally right now because whatever you expected him to do going into this season, I mean, he elevated it probably threefold to put the Mariners where they put this year.
13:48 --> 13:53 [SPEAKER_01]: Think of what what the Mariners season would be like, Cal Rally didn't do what he did this year.
13:53 --> 13:56 [SPEAKER_01]: Think about the first three months of this past season.
13:57 --> 14:01 [SPEAKER_01]: First three months of the season, the Mariners were a solid team, but they were flawed.
14:01 --> 14:08 [SPEAKER_01]: and they had one consistent top-level player playing at his peak, and that was Cal Rally.
14:09 --> 14:15 [SPEAKER_01]: He got them to the moment where they could go out and they could add at the deadline and put themselves in position to win the division.
14:16 --> 14:17 [SPEAKER_01]: Very, very important.
14:17 --> 14:23 [SPEAKER_01]: And money add for all the baseball writers out there as valuable as it gets.
14:24 --> 14:24 [SPEAKER_00]: I'm gonna be real.
14:24 --> 14:27 [SPEAKER_00]: I don't know how much time we have to spend on Cal Raleigh here.
14:27 --> 14:30 [SPEAKER_00]: Because how much new info do we have to lay out?
14:30 --> 14:31 [SPEAKER_00]: We've done it all year.
14:31 --> 14:35 [SPEAKER_00]: We've talked about Cal almost at nausea, I'm in a good way at nausea.
14:35 --> 14:39 [SPEAKER_00]: I'm all year because of the ridiculous, unprecedented season he's had.
14:39 --> 14:42 [SPEAKER_00]: I don't know how much new information we can sit here and say.
14:42 --> 14:42 [SPEAKER_00]: He gets an A plus.
14:43 --> 14:44 [SPEAKER_00]: There's absolutely no question about it.
14:44 --> 14:46 [SPEAKER_00]: He broke a million records this year.
14:46 --> 14:50 [SPEAKER_00]: Salvi, Johnny, Bench, Mickey, Manel, Ken Griffey, Jr. All of it.
14:51 --> 14:53 [SPEAKER_00]: I don't know how much it else there is to say.
14:53 --> 14:55 [SPEAKER_00]: He was arguably the best player in baseball this year.
14:55 --> 14:58 [SPEAKER_00]: And he's such a workhorse.
14:58 --> 15:01 [SPEAKER_01]: Such a workhorse caught the fourth most games in baseball.
15:01 --> 15:05 [SPEAKER_01]: He added about 35 more at DH.
15:05 --> 15:07 [SPEAKER_01]: Played almost every single game this season for the Mariners.
15:07 --> 15:12 [SPEAKER_01]: For a catcher, that is almost unheard of this year.
15:12 --> 15:17 [SPEAKER_01]: And then his defense was essentially just on par with the rest of the defense in his career.
15:17 --> 15:19 [SPEAKER_01]: What a platinum glove last year.
15:19 --> 15:21 [SPEAKER_01]: Don't think he's winning anything close to that this year.
15:21 --> 15:26 [SPEAKER_01]: It was a good defense of your forum, but he did like what the Mariners needed.
15:26 --> 15:32 [SPEAKER_01]: He led the staff, he was great behind the plate, and he's your most valuable offense of player.
15:32 --> 15:33 [SPEAKER_01]: It was, it was great.
15:33 --> 15:37 [SPEAKER_01]: So, yeah, a plus, no notes on Mitch Garver is a backup catcher.
15:38 --> 15:38 [SPEAKER_01]: That's it.
15:39 --> 15:51 [SPEAKER_01]: Harry Ford didn't play that much so yeah no if if at all but cow makes this great pretty pretty easy and a plus grade for catchers up before we get to first base let's pause for an
15:52 --> 15:55 [SPEAKER_01]: Seattle, the end of the mariner season has stung a lot, but you know how we do.
15:55 --> 16:01 [SPEAKER_01]: Winner lose, we rally, and there's no better place to keep the energy going than Slim Goodie Sports Bar in Ballard.
16:01 --> 16:03 [SPEAKER_01]: Because Sports Season in Seattle is just heating up.
16:03 --> 16:08 [SPEAKER_01]: The seawks are back and ready to run it up, and the crack can have dropped the puck on another electric year.
16:08 --> 16:16 [SPEAKER_01]: Every hit, every touchdown, every save, it's all on the big screens at Slim Goodie, where the sound is cranked up, and the crowd is fired up.
16:16 --> 16:17 [SPEAKER_01]: So round up your crew.
16:17 --> 16:21 [SPEAKER_01]: Throw on that Seattle gear and make Slim Goodie Sports Bar your home base this season.
16:21 --> 16:26 [SPEAKER_01]: Cold drinks, big plays, and that all in Seattle energy, all under one roof.
16:26 --> 16:32 [SPEAKER_01]: Follow at Slim Goodie Sports Bar on Instagram for live game coverage, fan moments, and everything happening this sport season.
16:32 --> 16:38 [SPEAKER_01]: Let's ride Seattle.
16:39 --> 16:42 [SPEAKER_00]: I gave first base of B- and here's why.
16:42 --> 16:46 [SPEAKER_00]: Let's remind everybody again, we're doing this by position as a whole not player.
16:46 --> 16:47 [SPEAKER_00]: And here's how I'd level it out.
16:48 --> 16:53 [SPEAKER_00]: Josh Nailer and his three months in Seattle, if you include playoff time, gets in it!
16:53 --> 16:59 [SPEAKER_00]: And that goes without being said, Nailer's since August 1st had a 146 WRC+.
16:59 --> 17:03 [SPEAKER_00]: He was a top eight first basement in baseball by the time the trade deadline was over until the end of the year.
17:04 --> 17:04 [SPEAKER_00]: He was amazing.
17:04 --> 17:06 [SPEAKER_00]: There's a reason every single person is stamping.
17:07 --> 17:09 [SPEAKER_00]: He cannot be anywhere then Seattle moving forward.
17:09 --> 17:16 [SPEAKER_00]: Josh Nailer gets an A. Rattie Tiles and Donovan Solano through the first three months of the season or four months, however long you wanna stretch it out.
17:17 --> 17:21 [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, those guys get about a D. So when you level it all out, be mine is great.
17:24 --> 17:45 [SPEAKER_01]: Yo, my favorite thing about Josh Nailer, was that these three accomplishments he's had in each of the last three seasons are crazy in 2023 hit over 300 hit 308 and 2024 he hit 31 home runs in 2025 he's still 30 bags.
17:46 --> 17:48 [SPEAKER_01]: Is there anyone else who's done that?
17:50 --> 17:54 [SPEAKER_00]: When people talk about a complete player, he is a complete player, especially at first base.
17:54 --> 17:59 [SPEAKER_00]: And he's not your typical first baseman, sells out for power, three true outcomes.
17:59 --> 18:07 [SPEAKER_00]: You're talking about a guy that can hit for average, can hit for power, can play some solid defense, can steal bases by all means.
18:08 --> 18:10 [SPEAKER_00]: It's amazing what he does.
18:12 --> 18:13 [SPEAKER_01]: So I'm curious, so I'm looking at this.
18:14 --> 18:15 [SPEAKER_01]: I think there's only one.
18:16 --> 18:21 [SPEAKER_01]: I'm looking at one player who came to mind immediately, who did those things in three consecutive years.
18:21 --> 18:22 [SPEAKER_01]: Could you guess who I'm thinking of?
18:23 --> 18:28 [SPEAKER_00]: I mean, other first baseman that have that good of an approach and or that would be a moment in general.
18:29 --> 18:32 [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, oh, in general, Bobby Witt.
18:34 --> 18:36 [SPEAKER_00]: Not who I was thinking of, but he's probably done it.
18:37 --> 18:38 [SPEAKER_00]: I think Bobby Witt's hit 300.
18:38 --> 18:40 [SPEAKER_00]: I know he's gone 30 and 30.
18:41 --> 18:44 [SPEAKER_01]: Like, that's the popular Bobby Witt Jr. and Josh Nailer.
18:44 --> 18:46 [SPEAKER_01]: I was actually referring to Mike Trout.
18:47 --> 18:51 [SPEAKER_01]: Hmm, 2012, 2013, 2014.
18:51 --> 18:54 [SPEAKER_01]: Did all three of those things in three consecutive years?
18:54 --> 18:58 [SPEAKER_00]: Well, on Soto, my technically qualified by now, he's twice 30 bags this year.
18:58 --> 19:00 [SPEAKER_00]: That's insane.
19:00 --> 19:02 [SPEAKER_00]: Well, listen to the players we're talking about.
19:02 --> 19:09 [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, then Josh Nailer, second soloist runner and baseball doing that, is the craziest thing.
19:09 --> 19:15 [SPEAKER_01]: And he does that as part of the Mariners, which is why also for me, he gets, I'll give him an A plus for two months.
19:15 --> 19:17 [SPEAKER_01]: Cause what he did,
19:17 --> 19:22 [SPEAKER_01]: was turn himself into the most valuable member of the Mariners down the stretch or one of the most valuable.
19:23 --> 19:25 [SPEAKER_01]: The most valuable acquisition at the deadline.
19:25 --> 19:29 [SPEAKER_01]: I don't think anyone in the Mariners thought this is what they were getting from Josh Nieler and they acquired him.
19:30 --> 19:38 [SPEAKER_01]: The amount of work he did to save the first base position this season is quite frankly insane.
19:40 --> 19:45 [SPEAKER_01]: Also, I just don't think we've ever seen as, as you said, we've ever seen a player as universally accepted as Josh Nailer.
19:46 --> 19:47 [SPEAKER_01]: This quickly.
19:47 --> 19:56 [SPEAKER_01]: I mean, to show up to have such a pulse on the city, like have his own crack and jersey that he's wearing that he had within weeks of getting acquired.
19:57 --> 20:00 [SPEAKER_01]: just to show, like, ingraining himself into the city.
20:01 --> 20:04 [SPEAKER_01]: How about the Katie, the Katie Sonic jersey in the ALCS game three?
20:05 --> 20:15 [SPEAKER_01]: Like, he's, he's so aware of what is good for the people that it just don't think we've gotten enough from players that have come from outside the York.
20:15 --> 20:15 [SPEAKER_00]: And how about this?
20:17 --> 20:20 [SPEAKER_00]: How about the fact that, because let's be real, he knew what he was doing with this quote.
20:20 --> 20:25 [SPEAKER_00]: The fact that's so early on into it, I think this ballpark's easy to hit in.
20:26 --> 20:29 [SPEAKER_00]: It was dead that, just dead bass, dead stare.
20:30 --> 20:31 [SPEAKER_00]: Yep, easy.
20:33 --> 20:35 [SPEAKER_00]: You know how many people that you won over with that?
20:36 --> 20:40 [SPEAKER_00]: Basically putting the whole batters I narrative to rest, it's like, look at me, look what I can do, cares.
20:42 --> 20:54 [SPEAKER_01]: And of all the players in the last five years who the Mariners have acquired from outside the York, just to contribute to the Big League roster, can you think of anyone who did anything remotely close to what Josh Nailer did has done?
20:55 --> 21:16 [SPEAKER_01]: acquired either by trade or signing just to like i'm not even talking about producing i'm just talking about being one with the fans here's some names i'm gonna throw some names that you tell me whether or not they did it jessie winker now tausker her nandes nope Randy
21:19 --> 21:20 [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I mean, he's up there.
21:20 --> 21:29 [SPEAKER_00]: Hit, like, if you were to have me pick him out, rush more, here are the guys that I would say, I mean, and it all correlates between being a good player and ingraining yourself in the fan base.
21:29 --> 21:35 [SPEAKER_00]: Nailer, Gino, Randy, and you could throw Luis Castillo in there too.
21:35 --> 21:39 [SPEAKER_00]: I know he's a little bit more quiet, but people obviously love Luis Castillo around here now.
21:39 --> 21:40 [SPEAKER_00]: I would say those four.
21:42 --> 21:42 [SPEAKER_01]: Mm-hmm.
21:42 --> 21:44 [SPEAKER_01]: But Gino still stands above all those guys.
21:44 --> 21:44 [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
21:45 --> 21:46 [SPEAKER_00]: Do you think he stands above Gino?
21:48 --> 21:55 [SPEAKER_00]: Currently, yes, I people love Gino people love Josh Naylor.
21:56 --> 22:07 [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, no, you're right, but is it to the same level the way people have rallied around Gino?
22:08 --> 22:09 [SPEAKER_00]: There's no reason I pin these two up against each other.
22:09 --> 22:16 [SPEAKER_00]: They're both incredibly loved in this city and both did it in very short amounts of time because it didn't take genome very long in 22 to win over the fanbase either.
22:17 --> 22:20 [SPEAKER_01]: But yeah, I mean, you gotta keep them.
22:20 --> 22:25 [SPEAKER_01]: The biggest part about this is the Mariners, I think their expectations of Josh Naila were blown away by what they had.
22:26 --> 22:32 [SPEAKER_01]: Like the ultimate sales pitch for him to be signed here long term in free agency.
22:32 --> 22:40 [SPEAKER_01]: Seriously, like every every box they could possibly want checked from a first basement that they can now get stability at first base for the next five years.
22:41 --> 22:43 [SPEAKER_01]: Potentially is all there with Josh Taylor.
22:44 --> 22:48 [SPEAKER_01]: As opposed to the rest of this great, I gave the overall position allow a B.
22:48 --> 22:50 [SPEAKER_01]: Now, don't even swallow a rally to us.
22:50 --> 22:51 [SPEAKER_01]: We're not good.
22:51 --> 22:54 [SPEAKER_01]: I'm not, I'm not here to advocate for that.
22:56 --> 22:59 [SPEAKER_01]: I don't like there were as bad as I
23:01 --> 23:04 [SPEAKER_00]: Well, they both got DFAed before the end of the year.
23:04 --> 23:08 [SPEAKER_00]: It took Routy to Les until like before the All Star Break.
23:09 --> 23:11 [SPEAKER_01]: I think a D is a fair grade for them.
23:11 --> 23:18 [SPEAKER_01]: Like they were below average offensively as a tandem, but there were a lot of bad first baseman and baseball this year.
23:18 --> 23:20 [SPEAKER_01]: I mean, that's a common theme looking along all these positions for the Mariners.
23:21 --> 23:26 [SPEAKER_01]: There were a lot of other teams that really struggled with infield offensive production.
23:26 --> 23:27 [SPEAKER_01]: I mean, really struggled.
23:28 --> 23:28 [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
23:29 --> 23:32 [SPEAKER_01]: So, but be great overall for me for first base.
23:34 --> 23:34 [SPEAKER_01]: All right.
23:35 --> 23:35 [SPEAKER_01]: Second base.
23:36 --> 23:37 [SPEAKER_00]: What do you feel here?
23:37 --> 23:40 [SPEAKER_00]: This one was a little harder.
23:41 --> 23:44 [SPEAKER_00]: I went with C. I'm curious to hear your grade.
23:44 --> 23:46 [SPEAKER_00]: Wow.
23:46 --> 23:48 [SPEAKER_00]: B plus.
23:48 --> 23:52 [SPEAKER_00]: Oh, so you're weighing Polanco into the second base factor a lot.
23:52 --> 23:52 [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
23:53 --> 24:02 [SPEAKER_00]: Well by the end of the season he was the second baseman well, but they're not they wanted it or not But he only played a little over 30 games at second base throughout the year.
24:03 --> 24:11 [SPEAKER_01]: I think Apologna more as the D.H Did you know they're only nine teams in baseball this year better offense a production at second
24:12 --> 24:20 [SPEAKER_00]: Right, I just you combine all the second base production together and it's spit out about a win and a half for everybody Which is not look very good.
24:20 --> 24:25 [SPEAKER_01]: You're right did not look good at all But everyone else's second baseman really stunk.
24:26 --> 24:28 [SPEAKER_00]: Huh I get again.
24:28 --> 24:38 [SPEAKER_00]: I guess I just combine all the war totals from all of them Palanco, Cole Young, Master Boni, Leo, Rivas, Ryan Bliss and it only spit out about a win and a half which is
24:38 --> 24:40 [SPEAKER_00]: You know, it's about average.
24:40 --> 24:41 [SPEAKER_00]: That's why I said, see.
24:42 --> 24:48 [SPEAKER_00]: And some of this is tougher because obviously Cole Young's a rookie, and it's tough for in terms of how you want a judge, Cole Young.
24:49 --> 24:50 [SPEAKER_00]: Do you grade him on a rookie curve?
24:50 --> 24:55 [SPEAKER_00]: Do you grade him the same way that you would grade somebody like Polanco or somebody like JP Crawford?
24:56 --> 25:03 [SPEAKER_00]: But ultimately, this is what I ended up coming out with because win and a half is about a win and a half, and that's about average.
25:03 --> 25:07 [SPEAKER_00]: So it wasn't terrible, but Polanco for all the offense he put up.
25:08 --> 25:09 [SPEAKER_00]: We know he doesn't play much defense.
25:09 --> 25:13 [SPEAKER_00]: I mean, you're talking about a guy that put up negative four out to above average again.
25:13 --> 25:17 [SPEAKER_00]: So all that combined in, that's why I came out to about a C.
25:17 --> 25:19 [SPEAKER_01]: I'm not going to argue you're great too much.
25:19 --> 25:27 [SPEAKER_01]: Maybe I gave a little bit too much credit to Placo on this grade, but I'd say generally from July on the Mariners got good offense of production.
25:27 --> 25:31 [SPEAKER_01]: It's like a base because it was either the good version of Cole Young or it was Jorge Polanco.
25:32 --> 25:47 [SPEAKER_01]: Now the first three months were not great, but also not as intended because I think they thought Ryan Bliss was going to start at second base almost every single day and then he gets hurt and out for a sense of the season in the first week, the season, which is not what they wanted.
25:48 --> 25:58 [SPEAKER_01]: And that throws them into a tail spin where they have to then start playing Miles Mastironi and Dillon Moore at second base and Dillon Moore was among the worst players in baseball this year and Mastro doesn't have
25:58 --> 26:10 [SPEAKER_01]: ceiling or really a floor offensively, which leaves you lacking in production at second base, but overall the production was not as bad as some of their counterparts.
26:10 --> 26:14 [SPEAKER_01]: So that's why I feel like BB plus range is not the end of the world for the Mariners.
26:15 --> 26:16 [SPEAKER_01]: Personally,
26:16 --> 26:17 [SPEAKER_00]: It's fair.
26:17 --> 26:21 [SPEAKER_00]: Now we'll say there were some things about Cole Young that are very easy to like.
26:21 --> 26:35 [SPEAKER_00]: And I think the thing about Cole that jumps out the most is, well, one, this is always who he was in the minor leagues, but as a rookie to walk 11% of the time and to strike out less than 20% of the time and you're rookie here.
26:35 --> 26:57 [SPEAKER_00]: That is a really good floor and a tremendous building block to go off of India too, because what that says about Cole Young is for as much as he struggled to actually produce hits throughout August and for as much as he didn't play in September to overall have those walk numbers and those K numbers mean he was not overwhelmed or really intimidated by Big League pitching.
26:57 --> 26:57 [SPEAKER_00]: he can handle it.
26:58 --> 27:02 [SPEAKER_00]: And I think going into year two, that shows you that his approach plays.
27:02 --> 27:12 [SPEAKER_00]: Now there are things he's going to have to clean up, making more hard contact would be great, cleaning up the defense a little bit would be great because his outs above average and his range wasn't fantastic either.
27:14 --> 27:18 [SPEAKER_00]: But there are things for him to absolutely build off, paired with some good summer months that he had.
27:18 --> 27:21 [SPEAKER_00]: There is a lot that you can take away from
27:23 --> 27:28 [SPEAKER_01]: I don't think the upside for the marital second base position is as high as people would want.
27:28 --> 27:30 [SPEAKER_01]: It's to be if Cole Young is not playing second next year.
27:31 --> 27:44 [SPEAKER_01]: So which I hope he is, because the thing you, we haven't, well we didn't know yet is that Cole Young was essentially benched in September and late August and did not play for the rest of the season.
27:44 --> 27:46 [SPEAKER_01]: Why exactly that was?
27:46 --> 27:47 [SPEAKER_01]: I honestly have no idea.
27:47 --> 27:48 [SPEAKER_01]: No clue.
27:49 --> 27:51 [SPEAKER_01]: We're gonna let him just work his way out of it.
27:51 --> 27:52 [SPEAKER_01]: That's why Planko came back in.
27:53 --> 28:01 [SPEAKER_01]: But also I guess that's why I gave Planko a good share of credit because the best Mariners month and the most important Mariners month that they played that won them the division.
28:01 --> 28:20 [SPEAKER_01]: sorry plunk of playing second base and we talked about complete offense of seasons it's the most complete offense of season on this mariner's team did you know he or he'll allow had a positive run value against every single pitch except one that sounds about right every single bit like literally on when we say unfazed
28:21 --> 28:23 [SPEAKER_01]: Horrible uncle was unfazed this year.
28:24 --> 28:29 [SPEAKER_01]: It blows my mind, which I was why I have to give him like a good credit, a bit of credit for the second-based position.
28:29 --> 28:31 [SPEAKER_00]: I'm going to get Polo with ton of credit too.
28:31 --> 28:35 [SPEAKER_00]: I'm just going to basically save it for DH because you only played a little over 30 games with second-based.
28:35 --> 28:37 [SPEAKER_01]: But they were an important 30 games.
28:37 --> 28:42 [SPEAKER_01]: Again, the biggest stretch of the season that they needed to win, he was starting a second-based every day.
28:42 --> 28:50 [SPEAKER_00]: The only pitch that he truly didn't have a positive run value against, I'm looking at it, is splitters, and to be fair, he saw 25 splitters all year.
28:50 --> 28:51 [SPEAKER_00]: That's not a lot.
28:52 --> 28:54 [SPEAKER_00]: Uh, uh, uh, uh, nine or four splitters.
28:54 --> 28:58 [SPEAKER_00]: Sorry, 25 played appearances, 94 total splitters, but that's really good.
28:59 --> 29:01 [SPEAKER_00]: It, it's crazy.
29:02 --> 29:13 [SPEAKER_01]: But it's not even if Polanco resigns, I don't think Jorge Polanco is going to be the Mariners second baseman next year, which is why it is important for Coyoung to step into this role next year and put together consecutive good months.
29:13 --> 29:13 [SPEAKER_00]: Right.
29:14 --> 29:16 [SPEAKER_00]: And here's the thing guys, Coyoung doesn't have to go win an MVP.
29:17 --> 29:20 [SPEAKER_00]: If Coyoung has a two and a half win season, it's second base.
29:20 --> 29:22 [SPEAKER_00]: That's a top 10 second basement in baseball.
29:22 --> 29:31 [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, he's not going to be to tell Marte, but if he has a two and a half win year next year, that is a guy in the eight to 10 range in terms of ranking best second basement in baseball.
29:31 --> 29:32 [SPEAKER_00]: So, Cole Young goes and does that.
29:33 --> 29:35 [SPEAKER_00]: You got second base set in solidified.
29:37 --> 29:39 [SPEAKER_00]: What is your grade for shortstop?
29:40 --> 29:43 [SPEAKER_00]: One guy basically got all the reps that shorts up.
29:43 --> 29:43 [SPEAKER_00]: I give it a be.
29:44 --> 29:45 [SPEAKER_00]: Pretty solid, Grayne.
29:45 --> 29:45 [SPEAKER_00]: How about you?
29:46 --> 29:47 [SPEAKER_01]: I'm right there with you.
29:47 --> 29:55 [SPEAKER_01]: Depends which version of JP Crawford you want to look at you want to look at the offensive version of JP Crawford or the defense of version of JP Crawford.
29:55 --> 30:00 [SPEAKER_00]: Well, to start on the positive and the offensive side, he did exactly what everybody asked them to do at the start of the year.
30:01 --> 30:07 [SPEAKER_00]: Twenty twenty three career year, twenty twenty four, not a great year had a bunch of injuries derailum and missed a lot of the year.
30:08 --> 30:09 [SPEAKER_00]: We said for twenty five.
30:09 --> 30:15 [SPEAKER_00]: If JP Crawford can be a 110 to 115 WRC Plus hitter, you slot them right into the 9-hole every day.
30:16 --> 30:17 [SPEAKER_00]: And you got that from them.
30:17 --> 30:19 [SPEAKER_00]: You get a 113 WRC Plus.
30:20 --> 30:24 [SPEAKER_00]: That ranked top 10 among short stops in all a baseball in 2025.
30:24 --> 30:27 [SPEAKER_00]: You want to know who JP Crawford at a better offensive year than?
30:27 --> 30:34 [SPEAKER_00]: L.A. La Cruz, William Domus, CJ Abrams, Carlos Correa, Zander Bogart, Mookie Betz, Stan's B. Swanson.
30:34 --> 30:39 [SPEAKER_00]: There was a lot of marquee named short stops
30:40 --> 30:41 [SPEAKER_00]: and make a lot more money than JP Crawford.
30:42 --> 30:43 [SPEAKER_00]: Exactly.
30:43 --> 30:49 [SPEAKER_00]: So on the offensive side of the ball, JP posted he was playing almost every day and he had a productive offensive season.
30:50 --> 30:53 [SPEAKER_01]: And like Jorge Polanco stepped up in the biggest month of the season.
30:53 --> 30:57 [SPEAKER_01]: Maritors needed to do were on the edge of losing their playoff spot.
30:57 --> 31:00 [SPEAKER_01]: In September, Tire teams have steps up.
31:00 --> 31:04 [SPEAKER_01]: They win 17 of 18 and JP Crawford is a 138 WRC plus in September.
31:05 --> 31:08 [SPEAKER_01]: And he didn't really have one weakness in his offensive game, which is great.
31:08 --> 31:13 [SPEAKER_01]: Hit for average, the third highest on base percentage on the team, slogged enough.
31:13 --> 31:20 [SPEAKER_01]: Again, filled up a very important spot in the lineup
31:20 --> 31:40 [SPEAKER_01]: JP slid down to that nine spot and he did just fine offensively and it was almost worth three wins now the downside of this is JP Crawford's defense and I think his defense this year showed you that JP Crawford does provide value to your team It could certainly get worse at shortstop absolutely can
31:40 --> 31:44 [SPEAKER_01]: because the offense was better, it's a top 10 offensive season for a short stop.
31:44 --> 31:50 [SPEAKER_01]: Or top 10 offense of production that Mariners short stops got this year, among all the 30 teams in baseball.
31:51 --> 31:59 [SPEAKER_01]: But you still are leaving some value on the table by not having some value in some other areas.
32:00 --> 32:08 [SPEAKER_01]: One area of that is defense, where he ranked in the first percentile on Alts above average, and the other one is base running worries in the bottom 20% of value there.
32:09 --> 32:11 [SPEAKER_01]: He's not the perfect baseball player.
32:11 --> 32:13 [SPEAKER_01]: We will talk about that.
32:13 --> 32:26 [SPEAKER_01]: There are definitely some opportunities left on the table when you look at the other area of JP Crawford's game, which is why this grade comes down from if you was maybe even average in these spots, you could say a minus for JP Crawford.
32:26 --> 32:27 [SPEAKER_01]: But it wasn't average.
32:28 --> 32:28 [SPEAKER_01]: Use bad.
32:28 --> 32:30 [SPEAKER_01]: So that's why it comes down to a B.
32:30 --> 32:34 [SPEAKER_00]: And obviously, out to above average, takes range into account heavily.
32:34 --> 32:36 [SPEAKER_00]: And there's a couple defensive metrics you can use.
32:37 --> 32:40 [SPEAKER_00]: And unfortunately, he just did not grade out well in any of them.
32:40 --> 32:45 [SPEAKER_00]: Defensive run saves, he was at negative three, fielding run value, he's in the 7th percentile of the league.
32:46 --> 32:48 [SPEAKER_00]: Across the board, it just wasn't there.
32:48 --> 32:49 [SPEAKER_00]: And this is now,
32:50 --> 32:55 [SPEAKER_00]: three of the last four years dating back to 22 or JP Crawford has been a below average defender.
32:55 --> 32:59 [SPEAKER_00]: So we'll have all off season to debate this and into 2026 to debate this.
33:00 --> 33:01 [SPEAKER_00]: But I said it a couple of weeks ago.
33:01 --> 33:02 [SPEAKER_00]: I'll say it again.
33:02 --> 33:09 [SPEAKER_00]: When Colt Emerson comes up whenever that time may be, I'd slot him right at short stop because his short stop defense is supposed to be very good.
33:09 --> 33:11 [SPEAKER_00]: I understand JP's been there done that.
33:11 --> 33:14 [SPEAKER_00]: He's been penciled in at the six hole for a long time now.
33:14 --> 33:23 [SPEAKER_00]: But when Colts ready, I would just have JP play a different position, personally, and especially since his range isn't great, I would just think about putting him over a third base.
33:24 --> 33:27 [SPEAKER_01]: And his arm, yes, arms not great either.
33:28 --> 33:29 [SPEAKER_01]: 20th percentile arm.
33:29 --> 33:30 [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
33:31 --> 33:31 [SPEAKER_01]: Sure.
33:32 --> 33:39 [SPEAKER_01]: Third base could put him at second base if they have if Coyoung struggles a little bit more, and that's a decision that could be made later on the season.
33:39 --> 33:41 [SPEAKER_01]: Injury dependent as well, but.
33:41 --> 33:47 [SPEAKER_01]: JP Crawford hits well enough that he'll be on the Mariners team next year and I think he makes the Mariners line better by being in there.
33:48 --> 33:52 [SPEAKER_01]: But the defense hurts you at the most important offense position.
33:52 --> 33:57 [SPEAKER_01]: There's a reason you want your best defender at short has short stops get hit the most walls.
33:58 --> 34:03 [SPEAKER_01]: I think that's all you want, you want your best defenders, fielding the highest volume of balls on the ground.
34:04 --> 34:06 [SPEAKER_01]: And unfortunately, JP Crawford is not that.
34:07 --> 34:09 [SPEAKER_00]: So I think that's all totally valid.
34:09 --> 34:10 [SPEAKER_00]: I think it'll absolutely be on the team next year.
34:10 --> 34:11 [SPEAKER_00]: I think it'll absolutely have a role.
34:12 --> 34:13 [SPEAKER_00]: I think it'll absolutely be a contributing factor.
34:14 --> 34:18 [SPEAKER_00]: I also think we may see Colt Dammer send a short stop when he comes up.
34:18 --> 34:19 [SPEAKER_00]: Last position.
34:19 --> 34:20 [SPEAKER_00]: Third base.
34:21 --> 34:22 [SPEAKER_00]: What is your grade?
34:22 --> 34:28 [SPEAKER_00]: This was another really hard one to grade, because there's some intangibles you have to try and factor in here.
34:28 --> 34:32 [SPEAKER_00]: Ultimately, I said C++, but
34:32 --> 34:42 [SPEAKER_00]: I don't know how much that factors in the vibe that changed in the entire clubhouse and in the entire city once Gino came back and what he did in game five of the ALCS.
34:43 --> 34:46 [SPEAKER_00]: Just by the regular season numbers, are you any of Swara's was below average?
34:47 --> 34:56 [SPEAKER_00]: Was not even a league average hit or in his two months with the Mariners hit under 200, obviously struck out a decent amount, his defense wasn't great.
34:56 --> 35:07 [SPEAKER_00]: but there are really some intangibles here with Gino and those final couple months that I feel like you have to factor in and that's what makes this grade really hard because the whole vibe changed when he came back.
35:08 --> 35:15 [SPEAKER_00]: The Josh Nailer trade was good and people were happy but there were people us included with 48 hours to go ahead of the trade deadline that said this is not enough.
35:16 --> 35:19 [SPEAKER_00]: When they got Gino done, everything moved wise shifted.
35:21 --> 35:27 [SPEAKER_01]: Maybe it's a difference between your grade migraine because I can see so the vibes I think can be the plus in this scenario.
35:27 --> 35:38 [SPEAKER_01]: I do think we have to sit here and observe the stuff that actually happened on the field because that's how the runs are scored and that's how the mariner's end up winning games.
35:39 --> 35:41 [SPEAKER_01]: So that's why ended up as a C grade.
35:41 --> 35:45 [SPEAKER_01]: The collective offense of production the Mariners got a third base this year was not good enough.
35:46 --> 35:55 [SPEAKER_01]: And they made that this happened because they made a risk at the beginning of the season that they wanted to try Jorge Polanco at third base.
35:55 --> 36:00 [SPEAKER_01]: And it failed within the first week of the season, and then they yanked him off that position and never put him back there.
36:01 --> 36:09 [SPEAKER_01]: So, until the trade deadline, the Mariners had to run out essentially 400 played appearances of Ben Williams and Miles Master Boni at third base to try and make up for it.
36:09 --> 36:17 [SPEAKER_01]: That did not work, because Ben Williams had a 76 WRC+, Miles Master Boni, while he played third base and an 85 WRC+.
36:17 --> 36:24 [SPEAKER_01]: Gino comes in and technically upgrades the position at the deadline, but ends up with a 91 WRC+.
36:25 --> 36:30 [SPEAKER_01]: I have a really hard time giving those numbers anything other than a C and oh, by the way, here's this as well.
36:30 --> 36:31 [SPEAKER_01]: The defense.
36:32 --> 36:35 [SPEAKER_01]: Ben Williamson was positive in the defensive runs saved.
36:36 --> 36:38 [SPEAKER_01]: That he was one of the best in all the league when he was playing.
36:39 --> 36:40 [SPEAKER_01]: He ate eight defensive runs saved.
36:41 --> 36:46 [SPEAKER_01]: The rest of the guy is playing defense at third base, drag that number as a net all the way down to zero.
36:47 --> 36:49 [SPEAKER_01]: That that's the definition of a C grade.
36:49 --> 36:52 [SPEAKER_01]: In fact, you could argue it would be lower for the production on the field.
36:53 --> 37:00 [SPEAKER_01]: Like a 80 something WRC plus and like a dead even defense at third at the one of your most important decisions on the field.
37:02 --> 37:02 [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
37:04 --> 37:05 [SPEAKER_00]: Look, and Ben Williams and did some things well.
37:06 --> 37:06 [SPEAKER_00]: There's no doubt about it.
37:06 --> 37:08 [SPEAKER_00]: You just mentioned how good he was defensively.
37:08 --> 37:10 [SPEAKER_00]: And that's what he was expected to do.
37:10 --> 37:13 [SPEAKER_00]: But he's got some things he's going to have to work on, too, entering 2026.
37:14 --> 37:16 [SPEAKER_00]: He's also got to make some more hard contact.
37:16 --> 37:19 [SPEAKER_00]: I would love to see him walk just a little bit more.
37:19 --> 37:20 [SPEAKER_00]: I do like that he puts the ball on play.
37:21 --> 37:23 [SPEAKER_00]: It's nice that he doesn't run a crazy strikeout rate.
37:23 --> 37:31 [SPEAKER_00]: But just barrel up a few more baseballs, square it up a little bit, draw a couple more walks, and he'll be in a decent spot.
37:31 --> 37:35 [SPEAKER_00]: He was doing more of that when he went back to Tacoma and made some changes, which was a good sign.
37:35 --> 37:40 [SPEAKER_00]: We'll just have to see how that carries over next year.
37:41 --> 37:42 [SPEAKER_00]: I think you did it about right.
37:43 --> 37:53 [SPEAKER_00]: Productions probably a C, you add one letter grade up, or I guess not letter grade, but you give it a plus up for what Gino did once he came back to Seattle.
37:53 --> 37:59 [SPEAKER_00]: There's an argument you could up it even higher, especially after what he did in game five of the ALCS, but I think C plus is about right.
38:01 --> 38:02 [SPEAKER_01]: And I'm totally fine with that.
38:03 --> 38:07 [SPEAKER_01]: The thing is heading into next season, roughly the murders were in the same spot.
38:08 --> 38:08 [SPEAKER_00]: Right.
38:09 --> 38:12 [SPEAKER_00]: The only real free agent third basement out there's Alex pregnant.
38:12 --> 38:13 [SPEAKER_00]: He's a Scott Boris guy.
38:14 --> 38:16 [SPEAKER_00]: I don't have my hopes high on that one happening.
38:16 --> 38:19 [SPEAKER_00]: So unless they work some trade for some third baseman.
38:20 --> 38:24 [SPEAKER_00]: I would expect Ben Williamson's going to be the starting third baseman on opening day.
38:24 --> 38:26 [SPEAKER_00]: And that's okay if you go fill other spots.
38:26 --> 38:31 [SPEAKER_00]: If you really, really go upgrade other spots, including bringing back Josh Nailer, that's fine.
38:31 --> 38:36 [SPEAKER_00]: Because you don't have to necessarily have every single position perfectly figured out to a T on opening day.
38:37 --> 38:38 [SPEAKER_00]: That is what you let somethings play out for.
38:39 --> 38:40 [SPEAKER_00]: Let a couple guys grow.
38:40 --> 38:45 [SPEAKER_00]: If it doesn't go the way you want, that's why you can acquire guys midseason.
38:45 --> 38:48 [SPEAKER_00]: I do think Ben Williams is probably the third baseman on opening day.
38:48 --> 38:51 [SPEAKER_01]: So you'd say that's okay if they sign nailer.
38:51 --> 38:54 [SPEAKER_01]: So they sign polanco and then they sign out filter or sign a bullpen arm.
38:55 --> 39:04 [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, if you do all those things, if you run most of the same group back like polanco and nailer and then you really go upgrade your bullpen or you sign a certain outfield there.
39:05 --> 39:06 [SPEAKER_00]: That would do a lot.
39:06 --> 39:10 [SPEAKER_00]: That will then can play every single day out there for the rest of his life, for all I care if they get Kyle Tucker.
39:11 --> 39:13 [SPEAKER_00]: But even if you sign a
39:13 --> 39:17 [SPEAKER_00]: above average hitting outfielder along with nailer polanco and a bullpen arm.
39:17 --> 39:18 [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, then that's fine.
39:18 --> 39:20 [SPEAKER_00]: Then you can run Williams and out there at third.
39:20 --> 39:27 [SPEAKER_00]: If it really, really doesn't work by the summer and he's proven that, then that's what you can go out and make trades for.
39:27 --> 39:30 [SPEAKER_01]: Or you bring up Colt Emerson and him and JP place third.
39:30 --> 39:32 [SPEAKER_01]: Oh, well, JP.
39:32 --> 39:36 [SPEAKER_01]: JP, I don't know how his defense is going to be at third, but
39:36 --> 39:38 [SPEAKER_01]: his offense would be totally fine at third.
39:39 --> 39:41 [SPEAKER_01]: Based on what the Mariners got at third base this year.
39:42 --> 39:48 [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, so yeah, the third baseman free agent list is not good.
39:48 --> 39:51 [SPEAKER_01]: Like if you were going to go sign a free agent, it could.
39:52 --> 39:56 [SPEAKER_01]: But again, if you want Colt Emerson to be a part of the team next year and you watch with the blue jays did do you?
39:56 --> 40:00 [SPEAKER_01]: And you say, man, I could really use some young sort of
40:00 --> 40:09 [SPEAKER_01]: hitter profile guys a complete hitter profile guys to be in this lineup and even batting in the 789 hole that would be extremely valuable.
40:10 --> 40:14 [SPEAKER_01]: So Alex Breggman's number one, do you want to guess to the number two third base free agent is?
40:15 --> 40:17 [SPEAKER_01]: Is it Jita?
40:17 --> 40:18 [SPEAKER_01]: No, actually it's not.
40:18 --> 40:19 [SPEAKER_01]: I think it's Johan Moncada.
40:20 --> 40:21 [SPEAKER_01]: Oh god.
40:23 --> 40:29 [SPEAKER_01]: Jeno, I think is right behind him and then it's like Miguel and Doohar
40:29 --> 40:36 [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, but not like I don't think anyone wants to block Colt Emerson for those guys So it's like it's pregnant or nothing.
40:36 --> 40:56 [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, and the Colt Emerson factored at your point is Another reason why I think Ben Williamson's gonna start the years the third basement because they're gonna give him some route to the big leagues next year Where when he's up and ready, you're not bringing him up to do what you did with Harry Ford and put him on the bench No, if he comes up he's playing and he's playing almost every day and again you don't sell out for prospects, but
40:56 --> 40:59 [SPEAKER_01]: like this at least gives you an option to do either or.
41:00 --> 41:11 [SPEAKER_01]: So either Ben works out and you have a really good bench player after Colt comes up Colt's really good or Colt potentially is over match and you go trade for someone at the deadline.
41:11 --> 41:12 [SPEAKER_00]: Right.
41:12 --> 41:19 [SPEAKER_00]: And again, you don't sell out for every prospect but there are some you leave an avenue for.
41:19 --> 41:23 [SPEAKER_00]: For example for people that are tuned in with prospects
41:24 --> 41:28 [SPEAKER_00]: the tigers aren't going to go out and sign somebody that blocks Kevin McGonagall from getting to the big leagues next year.
41:29 --> 41:32 [SPEAKER_00]: That is a guy that you know if you're the tigers, you're going to pencil and play a lot.
41:32 --> 41:41 [SPEAKER_00]: You don't do it for every prospect, but Colt Emerson's in that same bucket where he is more, more, more than enough of a blue chip prospect.
41:41 --> 41:42 [SPEAKER_00]: to leave an avenue form.
41:42 --> 41:44 [SPEAKER_00]: Honestly, I'll just use the Julio example.
41:44 --> 41:47 [SPEAKER_00]: The Mariners' new Julio was going to factor in in a heavy way in 22.
41:48 --> 41:49 [SPEAKER_00]: So they didn't go out and get somebody that blocked him.
41:50 --> 41:58 [SPEAKER_00]: I think Colt Emerson's in a, he's not quite a Julio prospect, but he's in a similar bucket where you're going to let him have his leeway to play.
41:58 --> 42:06 [SPEAKER_00]: And that's why I think with all that combined and a tough third base market on the free agent side of things that you're going to see Ben Williams
42:06 --> 42:08 [SPEAKER_01]: And there's, you know, two different ways this can go.
42:08 --> 42:12 [SPEAKER_01]: You can either have the Julio route or it works great in year one.
42:12 --> 42:16 [SPEAKER_01]: And you don't need to upgrade anything else or it's the Jared Kelnick route.
42:16 --> 42:17 [SPEAKER_01]: And it does not work out at all.
42:17 --> 42:20 [SPEAKER_01]: Right, but the monitors get themselves enough runway to see you.
42:20 --> 42:22 [SPEAKER_01]: They can give themselves every option to do whatever they need.
42:23 --> 42:23 [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
42:24 --> 42:26 [SPEAKER_00]: All right, good grades, like it.
42:26 --> 42:30 [SPEAKER_01]: For set, for set next, I believe next episode will be outfield.
42:30 --> 42:31 [SPEAKER_01]: Outfield and DH.
42:32 --> 42:33 [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, yeah, it's good stuff.
42:33 --> 42:39 [SPEAKER_01]: And we'll get back to doing some interviews this offseason as well when we get through the grades, things shake out a little bit.
42:40 --> 42:41 [SPEAKER_01]: There's some storylines to hammer after.
42:41 --> 42:44 [SPEAKER_01]: So we will get out of that, trust us.
42:44 --> 42:46 [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, we're gonna get back to having guests.
42:46 --> 43:05 [SPEAKER_00]: It's just the last few weeks have been so crazy that again They're almost wasn't time to have a guest on because all that's being talked about is just play off play off play off play off game by game by game By game and there was a whole lot of space for it But yeah, once we get through these grades and then once we get into the off season and there's more storylines Yeah, we'll get back to having plenty of guests which would be good, but you need to get damage back on.
43:05 --> 43:07 [SPEAKER_00]: We do need damage back on
43:07 --> 43:13 [SPEAKER_00]: him and him and Jude feel like good guests once we really get into the thick of things in the hot stove, so it doesn't be fun.
43:14 --> 43:27 [SPEAKER_00]: Anyway, I think these grades one, it's a good reflection, it's a good way to look back on the year and it's also a way to talk about some different storylines before the offseason truly hits when the world series ends, so it's good stuff, it's good stuff.
43:27 --> 43:30 [SPEAKER_00]: Alright, I think that just about wraps up this edition of the Marine Liar podcast.
43:30 --> 43:31 [SPEAKER_00]: You guys know the drill.
43:31 --> 43:35 [SPEAKER_00]: If you want to listen to the full foreign podcast, you can do so wherever you get your audio pods.
43:35 --> 43:43 [SPEAKER_00]: Make sure if you're listening, you go download and you go rate and review, leave it five stars on Apple, Spotify, wherever you listen to your pods.
43:43 --> 43:45 [SPEAKER_00]: If you're on YouTube, go hit subscribe.
43:45 --> 43:46 [SPEAKER_00]: Again, it really does help the channel if you do.
43:47 --> 43:48 [SPEAKER_00]: Go leave a like, drop a comment.
43:48 --> 43:52 [SPEAKER_00]: You can check out all of our stuff on our website, that's marinelayerpod.com.
43:53 --> 43:55 [SPEAKER_00]: All our merch is over there, which we love to see you wearing.
43:55 --> 43:58 [SPEAKER_00]: It's so cool to see people repin it and wearing it around the city.
43:58 --> 43:59 [SPEAKER_00]: Our Patreon's over there too.
43:59 --> 44:01 [SPEAKER_00]: If you want to go get involved, you want to go subscribe.
44:01 --> 44:05 [SPEAKER_00]: We just had an awesome call with a bunch of our Patreon subscribers a couple a week ago.
44:05 --> 44:09 [SPEAKER_00]: So if you want to get in on that, that's all over to our website, marinelayerpod.com.
44:09 --> 44:12 [SPEAKER_00]: You can check us across social media everywhere at marinelayerpod.
44:13 --> 44:13 [SPEAKER_00]: That's TJ.
44:14 --> 44:14 [SPEAKER_00]: I'm Lyle.
44:14 --> 44:16 [SPEAKER_00]: Always be thankful you guys for tuning in.
44:16 --> 44:17 [SPEAKER_00]: Talk to you soon.
44:59 --> 45:00 [UNKNOWN]: you