Episode 421: The Same Questions Arise As The Mariners Struggle On The Road Again + Mailbag

00:00:00 Speaker 1: Open to episode number four twenty one of the Marine Layer Podcast. It's a mailbag episode, so we'll open it up and answer your best listener questions. Will also react to the Mariners series lost to the Pittsburgh Pirates. 00:00:11 Speaker 2: Your guys, reminder before we start this episode, just make sure you do us a big favor. If you're listening to these podcast episodes, make sure you go hit the download button and you're rating and reviewing. If you're on the audio side of these platforms, whether it's Apple, Spotify or anywhere else, leave it five stars. Leave the five star review. Just take a minute to do it. And if you're on YouTube, go hit that subscribe button. You can see it right in front of you on YouTube. Then you get notified whenever we post our content. You can find us on our website marine layerpod dot com. Episodes are all there, Merch is there, Patreon is there. That's at marinelayerpod dot com, and then find us on social media. We're everywhere and we're posting content every day at Marine Layer Pod. 00:00:51 Speaker 1: Let's get it rolling and we welcome you to this episode of the Marine Layer Podcast, part of the Just Baseball Podcast Network. Recording here on Thursday evening, June twenty fifth, and another series where we watch the Mariners and we see the same things again. 00:01:22 Speaker 2: Oh, you plan to talk about the Mariners on this episode? 00:01:25 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, yep. 00:01:27 Speaker 2: I actually thought we were gonna do a de facto podcast just talking about Team USA and the World Cup hashtag Go Go Usa. As we're sitting here recording, they're an extra time tied to t against Turkey. Go Go Usa. I mean they're already I mean they're already advancing to the next round. I thought this was going to be a de facto soccer podcast, so. 00:01:46 Speaker 1: We wanted to talk about an exhibition match in group stages against a team that's eliminated versus a team that's already advancing, instead of the Seattle Mariners on a Mariners podcast. Just want to clarify. 00:01:56 Speaker 2: Listen, I've gotten inspiration from this before for our friend Jared Caravas, who, by the way, I know we said we were gonna get him on this week. He has been absolutely slammed. We are still working on it. We're gonna get him on at some point, So if you're waiting around for a Caravas interview, we will do it. We're just still working out an exact time anyway. I remember back in it was the pretty old days of Section ten. They got so pissed off at one point having to watch the Red Sox. It was in the days of twenty twenty maybe twenty twenty one, that they straight up just decided to become a fake Phoenix Suns podcast for a couple episodes, and they just straight up started talking about the Suns on a Red Sox podcast. 00:02:34 Speaker 1: What team would we talk about? 00:02:36 Speaker 2: I'm sitting here like I'm sitting here talking about Team USA. Trusty scored his first goal of the World Cup, Burhalter punch one in in the forty ninth minute. They gave up two bad goals defensively against Turkey. But man, I gotta say, I know they're playing a bunch of backups here at Team USA, but they better figure it out. 00:02:54 Speaker 1: This is a problem for me, Lyle. I told you a couple of weeks ago when the World Cup was coming up. I'll tell you again. I can name like I think off the top of my head. I know one guy's name on Team USA, just I honestly, I don't even know the coach's name. I don't remember his name. I just remember he dresses kind of like a J Preller dresses. He just so casual, lets his hair down a little bit. It's not like he's coaching in the World Cup. 00:03:24 Speaker 2: I might get his last name wrong, but isn't it Pokatino, Mauricio Pocatino. 00:03:28 Speaker 1: Pochatino? Sure? Yeah, yeah. 00:03:31 Speaker 2: Do you know do you know Antonio Freeman's son, Alex, who scored the two goals against Australia. Nope, well Antonio Freeman. I was just talking to my dad about this the other day. Really good NFL wide receiver, like he had a really good career, and now his son is one of the stars at Temosa. 00:03:49 Speaker 1: Now I'm learning so much. Thank you. 00:03:52 Speaker 2: Are you having more fun listening to this than talking about the Seattle Mariners and the way they just played in Pittsburgh? 00:03:57 Speaker 1: I mean, just like all of our audience is probably learning from this. Low I'm all also like I'm stepping out of my host shoes right now and I'm becoming a listener and listening to you do a podcast about TEAMUSA. 00:04:07 Speaker 2: I know a little bit more about Team USA than you. We have some friends that know a little bit more, but I know, like I know a little bit more. 00:04:17 Speaker 1: Fuck, they just lost, like. 00:04:20 Speaker 2: Turkey just scored an extra time in stoppage time, Like okay, I mean they still advanced no matter what, and Turkeys still eliminated. 00:04:30 Speaker 1: And I literally I watch the match, I don't know who's dribbling the ball, and I see them shooting, I see them scoring. I go yay, all right. So it's just holistic. That's all you can get pretty much. Well, I know the striker who is really good, especially in the first game, I forget his name starts with a p. 00:04:47 Speaker 2: Oh not not Freeman. No oh, maybe I don't know my soccer. Wow, it's almost like this is a baseball podcast. I thought I knew my soccer. 00:04:58 Speaker 1: Again. 00:04:58 Speaker 2: I'm really trying to stall to talk about what was just an absolutely horrendous series in Pittsburgh. I know they didn't get swept, but it was there. 00:05:06 Speaker 1: It felt like it. 00:05:07 Speaker 2: It felt like it. If not for Cole Young, they would have. 00:05:11 Speaker 1: Do you know what's the most disheartening thing about this Mariners series loss. It's not that the offense is not scoring, which I think people came here expecting to hear us freaking out about this Mariner's offense. They haven't scored more than three runs in eleven games. Eleven games they haven't scored three runs. 00:05:28 Speaker 2: Terrible. Oh, I'm an idiot, by the way, I blanked on his name while we were sitting here to it ball again, that's what you're talking about. 00:05:35 Speaker 1: That is who I'm talking about. And he's really good, especially in the first match. Yeah, but it's not the offense. Letle I mean, it's not the offense I'm most disheartened about because this Mariner's lineup, the way it's built, is always meant to be streaky, and right now they're at the valley of a streak. They score runs by hitting a bunch of home runs, and it just so happens there were a stretch of eleven games where they have the fewest home runs major League Baseball. So it's not a huge surprise that they're not going to score any runs in Pittsburgh when they're cold. That happens, the Mariners lineup will eat up and they'll start scoring runs again. That's not something I'm that worried about, especially since they're healthy. The thing that it just ticks me off about this weekend is the same things popping up again, being a huge reason why they lose. Can we just like list off a few of them again on number one defense, bad, base running, bad, Brian wool on the road, Like, what's going on? 00:06:40 Speaker 2: Brian wool on the road is horrendous? Yeah, And he was the one guy that was always neutralized on the road. He was the one guy who over the last couple of years when some of these arms had issues away from Seattle, Wu was always the one who didn't. Now, all of a sudden, his ra is well over six on the road. 00:06:59 Speaker 1: So much for his All Star game we talked about last podcast. Yeah, nope, so we're to that outing. 00:07:07 Speaker 2: Yeah, so we're down All Star wise, we're down to Julio, Randy, Bryce, and Logan pretty much. 00:07:13 Speaker 1: That's a Brandy plays with him being apparently still a little gimpy from the hamstring, which I'm not that surprised about, But then we saw it pop up in a couple of different instances with Randy, whether it be that defensive play in left field that he had on Wednesday, which is just it was just awful. It was just horrendously bad. But he also just seemed kind of ginger going around certain places. I'm not surprised that the Marritors put Randy on the injured list when they said they saw more inflammation, and then he comes back after ten days off his hamstring and he's not totally healthy. 00:07:46 Speaker 2: Like, yeah, yeah, I agree with everything you just said there except the idea that he might not play in the All Star Game. You think, in your right fucking mind, Scott Boris would let his client in a walk ear not step foot on the biggest stage and play in the Altar game. I think Scott Boris would rather let his players not a qualifying offer before that. 00:08:07 Speaker 1: What do you mean. I mean the goal for Randy is to get to free agency and get paid, not playing an exhibition game. 00:08:13 Speaker 2: You think Scott Boris doesn't want to remind everybody on the biggest stage that one of his clients is in his walk ear in an All Star game. 00:08:19 Speaker 1: Oh no, he'll be All Star game, does not. No one is signing Randy Rose Arena based off an All Star game. You know it's not gonna get Randy paid. So if he pulls his already injured handstring in Philadelphia, that is what doesn't get Randy paid. 00:08:33 Speaker 2: It's not about performance in the game, It's about the theater. Scott Boris himself is all about theater. He wants the stars on his clients. He wants Randy out in Philadelphia walking the red carpet, letting everybody know that he's flashy and in the walk here. 00:08:49 Speaker 1: He's an All Star. 00:08:50 Speaker 2: You know what, even if he even if he doesn't play in the game, and I bet you if he gets in he will, he will be in Philadelphia, walking the right carpet and doing everything. 00:09:01 Speaker 1: There's almost no doubt he can go. But I don't think he's physically playing in the game anything that requires physical activity. I don't think Randy is doing well. 00:09:10 Speaker 2: But he's playing in regular season games right now. 00:09:14 Speaker 1: But that doesn't mean he's gonna play in the All Star Game. Again, it's an exhibition. 00:09:18 Speaker 2: I am gonna wager that he is playing in the All Star Game if he makes it. That is my personal belief. He will play. 00:09:26 Speaker 1: I think you and I see this differently. I feel like, if Scott Borris hears that Randy rose Aren is not one hundred percent going to play in an exhibition game, I don't care which exhibition game it is, He's gonna say no. I mean, the dude pulled Tarek Scouoble off of Team USA in an instant. Isn't that pretty good marketing? 00:09:41 Speaker 3: But he didn't have him, but no, no, no, no, no, But but he pulled him off. Did he have Trek Scoogle straight up not pitch in the WBC or did he have the theater where he's popping at him around and made the one start and then he pulled him out? 00:09:59 Speaker 1: Randy A. 00:09:59 Speaker 2: Rose Array, We'll be walking the red carpet in Philadelphia if he makes it. 00:10:02 Speaker 1: But I'm saying playing in the game, Ah, he will. I don't give two shits about the red carpet. He will be taking it at bat. Randy Rose Reena could be doing backflips down the red carpet for all I care. He will. Just don't want him stepping on the field if he in any way still is nursing that hamstring injury, because the last thing the Mariners need right now with the current state of their offense is an injured Randy Rose reina for an extended period of time because he doesn't get any time to actually heal his injury. You know what Julio did last year, very smartly said, you know what, I'm not in the right mind space to play in the All Star Game. I'm not going. And what did Julio do? Well, he had a pretty good second half. It's good it worked out for him. 00:10:41 Speaker 2: Who was under a big contract and who isn't Julio. 00:10:45 Speaker 1: And then Randy is not. But I don't think the contract matters at all for the All Star Game. Again, I just think we need to get this idea of the All Star Game out of our mind. 00:10:54 Speaker 2: He will take he will take one at bat in the All Star Game, And that is my take. 00:10:57 Speaker 1: There has never been an instance where an All Star Game gets a player paid. You know, it gets Randy rose Rain a payton. When Scott Boris pulls up his baseball reference page and says, man, look at that slash line. Hmm, do you see that that says thirty steals, that says thirty home runs? Wow? 00:11:14 Speaker 2: Randy so well, I think you are underplaying the theater part of it. He will take one at bat and he will be there. He might not play the field, but again he's currently active, not on the il, playing in games. I don't think Randy is going to sit out an All Star Game. I just don't think that's who he is. I don't think it's who Scott Boris is. 00:11:34 Speaker 1: I guess we'll have to find out anyway. We just we could just speculate from here. 00:11:39 Speaker 2: Yeah, well that was a fun conversation that I didn't expect to have, But that is my take. 00:11:45 Speaker 1: The Mariners had a miserable series. Miserable, that's that's to put it lightly. Oh was I done with my list yet? So I did base running, I did defense, which are two classics. Brian Woop Brian wu pitching on the road, which is been really bad this year. Oh well, we had our we our series. It happens every series. Rob Refsnyder hitting in the biggest situation of the game some odd reason, like the Mariners are stuck in a situation today here on Thursday, where I mean, yeah, it's a lose lose and this this come down comes down to roster construction, where in the biggest at bat of the game, with the bases loaded, the Mariners are either gonna have Luke Rayley face a lefty who has h entering today had a negative eight WRC plus for the month, was ice cold hasn't hit lefties this season, Or you have one of the worst hitters in baseball and Rob Refsnyder coming off the bench. What should the Mariners do forfeit? 00:12:46 Speaker 2: Well, Victor Roblays was on the bench, although he hasn't been great either. 00:12:50 Speaker 1: Sounds like a lose, lose, lose situation for the Mariners, But any regardless, the situation gets presented to them and a key part of the game, Refsnyder is the one who takes the at that and then he shockingly does not get a hit. But I can't even blame Rob Refsnyder at this point. Lyle like, we all know he's not good. He knows he's not good. Why is he still here? 00:13:12 Speaker 2: I gotta be honest, man, if people are frustrated about it, and if you are, you are totally warned for feeling that way. I think we got a lot of the Refsnider talk out on Monday's episode, because yes, like, what more is there to say about Rev Snider's performance. Everybody knows we're halfway through the season and he's not hitting in any way, shape or form. But if you're still angry about it, look, we have plenty of problems with Dan Wilson on basically a weekly basis, But unfortunately, like TJ said, there's not really a winning situation here in terms of what to do in that scenario. And if you're somebody that straight up does not want to see ref Snyder ever hitting in those bats, well, then your issue goes higher than the coaching staff. It's up in the front office, because as long as Rob Refsnyder is on the roster, he's gonna be attempted to be deployed in situations the best fit his skill set, even if his skill set has not showed up all year. But as long as he's on the roster, they're gonna try to use him in situations like that. If you want him off the roster, you gotta take him off the roster. You have to take Dan Wilson's toys away. And that is a job for the front office. It's like that scene in Moneyball, right when Art Hall won't stop playing Carlo's Paynia at first base and Billy Bean wants Scott Hadiberg in there, and he walks into Arthouse office one day and he's playing the mind games with him. He's like, you can't start Paynia at first tonight. You're gonna have to start Hadiberg and Art House like, I'm not going fifteen rounds Billy, A lot of cards mine and that's final, a lot of cards all yours. I'm just saying, you can't start Paynia at first. I am starting Paynia at first, I don't think so he plays for Detroit. Now. That's essentially what has to happen here. The front office is gonna have to walk down there and be like, can't start rep Snider tonight? And Dan's like, well, uh, I am starting Repsnider. I don't think so. He's on waivers now, Like it's up to them to make the roster move. As long as repsiders on the roster, whether you like it or not, the coaching staff's probably gonna try to use them at certain points. 00:15:12 Speaker 1: For a Mariner's front office, that really last year did I thought pushed all of the right buttons when it came to how they not how they built the roster in terms of like it being a perfect roster, because it was not. If it was a perfect roster, they would have won the World Series. But at least it seemed like for the most part, they operated with a sense that they were doing what it took to win every single game possible. But now there's two instances on this roster where guys are still in their current roles that I just don't think are making the Mariners better, and the Mariners are making themselves worse by trotting these players out there in these situations that I don't really understand. 00:15:54 Speaker 2: When you say last year you thought the front office made, for the most part, pretty sound moves. You're not counting that they were given a fifteen million dollar budget in the offseason. 00:16:04 Speaker 1: Right, that's an owner's thing. Oh, that was an owner's thing. I meant in season last year. It's a little bit different for Rowdy's Talez and Donovan Solono because they're not making as much money. But when do the Mariners move on from Donovan Solana? 00:16:16 Speaker 2: Last wasn't dude, It wasn't until about August. And by the way, if you want to one up another in terms of the loyalty thing, remember how long it took him to move on from Dylan Moore. Remember how we talked Remember last year when there was a point in the year where we extrapolated a three month stretch for Dylan Moore against lefties where the man was straight up not batting average, but opsing won forty against left handed pitching for over a three month stretch, and they continued to like let him play, and we started to make jokes about could Felmen Celestine and High Everett current or in high A Everett currently put up one for ops against lefties in the big leagues versus Dylan Moore. 00:16:57 Speaker 1: You remember all that, Yes, I did. Yeah, that was a that was a fun one. Man. I didn't even it was even later than you said, Lyle. He didn't get defeated until September first. 00:17:05 Speaker 2: So they waited a long time with both Dylan Moore and Solano. 00:17:09 Speaker 1: But Solana wasn't playing by the time they got to August. His role of the his role on the roster was pretty much null by the by the trade deadline. But even and Solana was not this bad Demo. So Demo was playing. But Demo also like he didn't play it well, but he technically played infield and outfield. Yeah, like he had something. Rob Refsnyder is a d H who happens to be one of the five worst hitters in baseball. 00:17:40 Speaker 2: Yeah, like. 00:17:44 Speaker 1: They might hang on to him until the trade deadline. I I just don't I don't see why. Yeah, I don't see how that makes this team better. I would rather have Connor Joe Up who gives you more versatility in the field and is bet even though he's not a great hitter. The ball for beating what refsnyders give me out the plate is zero. Yeah, it's literally zero. 00:18:07 Speaker 2: So look, I let me give the front office some credit here, because, yes, the Dylan Moore thing really drove me nuts toward the end of last year. But you're right they did, for the most part, push almost all of the right buttons throughout twenty twenty five. I don't want to skew that they were not given a serious budget last offseason, and then with what they were given to work with, they they made pretty sound moves. I mean, the Leotie Taveras thing didn't go well, but that's an example if they moved off that quick they realized, look, we might've eaten a bit of his contract, but this isn't working. 00:18:41 Speaker 1: We gotta let him go, and then they they eat about the same amount of Rob Refsnider's contract right now if they let him go. 00:18:47 Speaker 2: So that's why again, I do think last year, for the most part, they were pretty sound outside of a couple of things the front office, but I'm with you. Why in the world are they still letting this whole thing linger and hang around. Why do we think they optioned Conor Joe over the Refsnider move. 00:19:03 Speaker 1: On one answer, because he has an option. 00:19:06 Speaker 2: I mean, he wasn't great in the last home stand either. He took some tough at bats, But to your point, you feel like he's got more versatility because he can play a little bit more in the field than refsnider ken and he's the right handed bat. 00:19:19 Speaker 1: And he just hits better. Like at the at the end of the day, like Connor Joe's WRC plus on the season is seventy seven Rob Refsnyders, I'm gonna say it's fifty points lower. That's probably a forty nine points lower right now. That's a huge, huge difference. That's the difference, Like, that's the difference between I don't have a good comparison right now, but fifty points is enormous. That's fifty that's fifty percentage points to average. I'll give you one. 00:19:51 Speaker 2: That's essentially the difference between Cole Young and Matt Olsen. 00:19:56 Speaker 1: Or you could do Cole Young and Dom can Zone on the same roster. 00:20:02 Speaker 2: Yeah, Cam zone's a platoon bat. I'm trying to maybe that's a better example because we're talking about platoon bats, so sure, Cale Young, the canzone might be a better example. 00:20:12 Speaker 1: It's a huge it's a huge difference, so that that stuff really just kind of kind of baffles man. Louis Castillo didn't even pitch in this series, yet he still comes up and he's still relevant because that's the decisions this front office has made for now. And we'll see Louise pitch this weekend in Cleveland, and he will get a full start. He will be piggybacking. He will get a full start this weekend. What else from this Pirate series? I mean, uh, how do I want to say this? Go for it. I'll just say how Mike Sulk said it this morning when I was listening to the show, and I literally it's the exact same thing. I was thinking. I know, you and I we were talking about this just feels sleepy. It feels like when we're watching this series, like like, yeah, I jokingly expected them to win it because they've been winning series and then losing series, and then winning series and then losing series, and it's been kind of the same thing. Because they've been so inconsistent. But you just watch the series and it's like just kind of what it feels like. And I kind of felt that when we were at the park this weekend as well against the Red Sox. I mentioned to you how like kind of sleepy the atmosphere felt, and I wasn't sure if that was just me or not, but when I was watching that Pirates series, that's definitely how it felt. 00:21:32 Speaker 2: Dude, they couldn't score more than three runs. They haven't done it in two weeks. 00:21:35 Speaker 1: Of course, it. 00:21:36 Speaker 2: Feels like that. And man, there are a lot of guys struggling right now. I gotta tell you, there really are. The month of June has not been kind to most of this lineup. 00:21:45 Speaker 1: The Mariners lineup. The way it's constructed right now is it's so odd. If you look on fangrafts, they have seven everyday players who have a WRC plus above one hundred, and yet they can't score runs. 00:22:01 Speaker 2: But here's where it's at with a bunch of these guys for the month. Cal Raley entering Thursday is right at one hundred. I think after today it's gonna dip below that. But the rest of it, Man, Colt Emerson eighty four WRC plus, Julio seventy one WRC plus, Mitch Garver forty four, Rob Refsnyder thirty four, Victor Roblaze twenty and Luke Rayley is at negative eight for the month of June. Luke Rayley, we know he gets hot and cold, but this is pretty nuts the stretch he's been on in June. 00:22:33 Speaker 1: Again. 00:22:33 Speaker 2: He was scorched earth hot at the start of the year, but unfortunately now as we sit here as of this morning on June twenty fifth, Luke Rayley for the month of June had a three thirty five OPS. 00:22:46 Speaker 1: Luke Raley kind of epitomizes this offense like he puts up most of his production by hitting home runs. That's that's the best thing. He does. Hits for a decent average, but he's got a ton of power, and his power goes away almost right in line with the Mariners not scoring any runs, and you look up and down like this is the lineup has a bunch of above average players in it, but they don't hit with runners in scoring position, which means to score runs they need to hit home runs, and in that stretch they've only hit seven home runs in eleven games. Yeah, it's gonna be a little bit hard to score. And oh, by the way, your young guys have not been quite as hot. I mean, you had the cold young moment on Tuesday, which was really cool and really fun. I Cole Emerson. This month has been really really really cold at the. 00:23:37 Speaker 2: Point, and part of that's expected. This is what happens. 00:23:40 Speaker 1: Yeah, it does. And I'm not like trashing on Colt for it, but he does take up one of the nine lineup spots for a team that has scored three runs or less and eleven consecutive games. And we're begging to be consistent and go on and go on a stretch, and like when when the team is gonna Like when is it this team gonna click? Because we've reached the halfway point and they've not clicked. We've not seen the best version of this team yet. When are we going to see the best version of this team? It's certainly not what we saw this week at Pittsburgh. 00:24:12 Speaker 2: I hope it's a win and not an if. I'm starting to wonder if there's an if to this, because you're well, if it's. 00:24:19 Speaker 1: An if, then this team's just not good enough. 00:24:22 Speaker 2: I mean, listen, man, I had my questions all off season about what happens when you're sixty homer catcher doesn't hit sixty homers anymore. Nobody thought cal was gonna hit like this. Let's be clear. I think everybody thought he'd regress a bit naturally, but I don't think anybody thought he'd deal with the injury, and anybody thought he'd struggle like this because he's never done this in his career. Before that being said, I always wondered what happens when you don't have a sixty home run catcher. Now, not only do you not have a sixty home run catcher, but you've got your highlight acquisitions of the offseason, putting up a negative war for the year in Josh Naylor, barely been on the field in Brendan Donovan, and then paired with Julio having a brutal June. Colt's now struggling here in June, Raley struggling in June. The point being, like, the three main stars in your lineup are all having underwhelming offensive seasons, juliocal Naylor, that's what your team's built around. And if those guys aren't gonna hit it's hard to go much of anywhere. 00:25:29 Speaker 1: By the way, how do you get this back on track? 00:25:34 Speaker 2: That's the million dollar question. 00:25:36 Speaker 1: Be patient, no, man, I mean this has been Josh Naylor most of the season. And Naylor's hit better in June. 00:25:42 Speaker 2: He's got a one to twenty two WRC plus for the month, so he has hit better this month, but the overall numbers for the year still aren't otherworldly. 00:25:50 Speaker 1: Man. 00:25:50 Speaker 2: And we know we struggled on defense this year all of a sudden. So yeah, it's been it's been a sluggish go. And by the way, at the well now more than halfway point through the season, because they're sitting forty one and forty one eighty two games in, they're still at five hundred. After having the best World Series odds preseason in the American League, they haven't scored more than three runs in a game in two weeks. By the way, this Pirate series, we're like twenty five minutes into the podcast and we haven't even mentioned for all the headaches and brutal play we saw over the course of the series, we haven't even mentioned the Pirates didn't roll out their best team. You didn't have to see Paul Skeins. You missed them in the rotation. You didn't have to see Connor Griffin who's injured. You didn't have to see O'Neil Cruz, who's been mashing this year but injured. Spencer Horowitz only played about a game and a half, so the Pirates leadoff hitter wasn't really in there. And then you didn't have to face a left handed starter. I mean, this was like a tailor made series for the Mariners, and they still looked brutal. 00:26:55 Speaker 1: Who do the Mariners face tonight? Oh? 00:26:59 Speaker 2: And Bubba cham Or you mean on Friday? Oh, on Friday Friday? Oh, Tej, I got good news. Joey can't tell a lefty. Joey can't tell against Luis Castillo. Listen, you can't online sports bet in Washington. But if there's three, I mean not gambling advice, but I feel like the Guardians might win that one. 00:27:26 Speaker 1: I'd say so too. Yeah, well it depends where's Rob Refsnyder hitting in the lineup. 00:27:31 Speaker 2: Well, he's gonna be in there. It's a lefty. 00:27:36 Speaker 1: What a frustrating series. We could go on and on and on and on about this, but it's I'm just I'm starting to get fed up, Like. 00:27:45 Speaker 2: There's I'm like the season as a whole, man, That's what I'm saying, best World Series odds preseason, and you're five hundred now more than halfway through the season. By the way, offensively as a whole, they're twenty second in runs, twenty sixth. Then team ops like this has not been a good offense. 00:28:05 Speaker 1: You're combining a bottom third offense with a really inconsistent pitching staff and a bullpen that is thinned out due to injury and pitching a man down, and a team. 00:28:16 Speaker 2: That's awful on the margins defensively, base running, dugout, decision making. I mean, like, there's a reason this has been maddening through the first half, and unfortunately, in terms of looking for reinforcements for it to get better, we might haven't fully fully stamped and decided yet, but we may do a trade deadline preview here this upcoming week, And if we do, I'll just give you a quick glimpse right now. There are not a lot of right handed bats out there. 00:28:43 Speaker 1: Man. 00:28:44 Speaker 2: There is not a bigger glaring need for this team than a right handed bat, and there are not a lot of right handed bats that are going to be available. If you're dreaming on Byron Buxton, good for you. I hope it happens, but I wouldn't hold your breath and past him. 00:28:57 Speaker 1: Oof. 00:28:58 Speaker 2: We'll get into it more when we get to it. 00:29:01 Speaker 1: It depends how the series goes this weekend. If we need topics to talk about besides ranting about the Mariners, then we'll probably talk about some trade targets because people don't want to just listen to us complain the whole time. 00:29:16 Speaker 2: No, but again, this is getting This is getting real tough to watch as we near the end of June. There are way underperforming expectations. There are problems across the board in all three phases of the game. You've got injuries your stars, and they're still. 00:29:33 Speaker 1: They're still up in the division somehow. 00:29:36 Speaker 2: Well, which is amazing because the aos is as bad as we've ever seen it. 00:29:42 Speaker 1: But imagine what the sentiment would be if there was a team in this division just like eight games above five hundred and the Mariners are facing like a six game deficit heading into the All Star break. With the talent on the roster and the expectations, you'd be like this, like this, this isn't acceptable. 00:30:02 Speaker 2: I still don't think it's acceptable. 00:30:04 Speaker 1: Now. 00:30:05 Speaker 2: I know they're in the first place in the division. 00:30:07 Speaker 1: Now it might be even louder than it currently is. 00:30:10 Speaker 2: Sure, but it's almost by default they're in first place because nobody's taken grasp of this division. Yeah, well, I think by the way, let me let me be very clear on something here. I know the Mariners currently lead the division, but this idea that they can just continue to coast like this is not right because you look at the Al West man, the Astros are a game and a half out, the A's are a game and a half out, the Rangers are a game and a half out. If somebody catches fire for ten days like, you're in trouble. If you don't turn this thing around. 00:30:42 Speaker 1: Big trouble. And if they're staring up at a division deficit as loud as we think the complaining is right now, it will be much much worse because there is no way this roster should lose the Al West, no way. It's there's too much talent on this roster for this team to lose to the other four teams in this division, who are frankly not as good in most areas. So we're halfway and we're not totally pleased with what we've seen so far. We got a lot of wonderful mailbag questions in this podcast episode. Patrons again really showed out patreon dot com slash Marine Layer Pod for priority if you want to get in on those. Before we get to those questions, we'll pause here for an ad. We always want our listeners to be informed about the game of baseball, and the Mariners, believe it or not, there was a time where we had to learn what catch probability was or why a manager only uses his closer in the ninth inning, and it's our goal to make sure everyone understands these things when they listen to us. You can think about accidents and Davis Law Group the same way. They want you to know your rights in the case of an accident. That's why Chris Davis, founder of the Davis Law Group, wrote a series of Washington accident books. He turned common questions into easy to understand books to help people navigate the process, and they've given away over one hundred thousand free copies to people across Washington. They want you to be informed. 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So even if you're going to the game and you want to swing by Occidental Hall after, we'll be taping upstairs and you can listen to our live reaction to that series against the Toronto Blue Jays. And then also, guys, as I mentioned before, the way to get on these mailbag episodes, especially nowadays because the patrons have really showed out, is Patreon dot com slash Marine Layer Pod. Being a Patreon of this podcast gets you add free episodes, it gets you mailbag priority, and it gets you a video call with Laal and I once a month. So the place to go for all that is Patreon dot com slash Marine Layer Pod. Rob on Patreon asks what will Jerry set the ask Price to send Kirby to the Mets so that they can offer the Mets can offer their fans a feel good homecoming story and give the Maritors some potential additions to the roster here at the trade deadline. 00:35:13 Speaker 2: I guess it's a nice thought for Mets fans. It's a nice thought. The problem is, I don't think the Mets match up well with the Mariners in terms of a trade partner. If you look at what the Mariners need, they need right handed bats, and unfortunately the Mets are pretty left handed heavy. You look through potential players that might interest the Mariners in terms of young, controllable bats Carson Benge, aj Ewing, etc. They're all lefties. And then all their high paid guys aren't gonna go anywhere, Like obviously we're not gonna bother talking about Soto. I don't think the Mariners would want a shed at this point. Francisco Alvarez right handed hitter, but catcher. Mariners don't need to catch her. So the only guys that really all of a sudden fit into that bucket are their young pitch like Nolan McLain. But if the Mets were gonna trade for a pitcher. I don't think they give up a young pitcher. 00:36:08 Speaker 1: What if the Mariners asked for Jonah Tong and Devin Williams for George Kirby. So Jonah Tong is right now the mets number one prospect. He was lining the pitching world on fire last year in the minor leagues before he came up. This year's been a little bumpier for him, but he really did show out last year. He had excellent stuff. And then Devin Williams for where the Mets are at right now. Since the Mets are really down bad, they don't really need a bloated reliever contract, so they offload that and then they give up their top prospect to the Mariners for two years of George Kirby. Maybe it costs another prospect on top of that, but it's an idea. 00:36:49 Speaker 2: Devin Williams is so fascinating man, and it's why we were so fascinated with him in the offseason. His savant page has so many aspects that are just off the chart. But it's also the second year in a row where the actual results haven't been there, So how do you balance that multiple years in a row of tough results but looking at his profile and saying, God, he strikes out a ridiculous amount of guys. He gets so much chase, he doesn't get hit hard. 00:37:20 Speaker 1: I don't. 00:37:20 Speaker 2: I feel like the Mariners need results at this point, and we're talking about a couple of years of results with Devin Williams where it hasn't been there. 00:37:29 Speaker 1: At this point, you trade for him and you cross your fingers that you get two good months out of Devin Williams. But I know you got to deal with the years after. But this year is what matters right now. 00:37:41 Speaker 2: But is that what you want to get back for George Kirby. I almost feel like you'd be selling yourself short. 00:37:48 Speaker 1: Well, I'd rather get Trek Scubaele back, but that's a different discussion. We're just talking about the Mets, right. 00:37:54 Speaker 2: But if you have two and a half years of Kirby and we're to trade him this second, like the mail bag question is insinuating, I feel like you can get a better, young, controllable bat for Kirby than what the Mets have to offer, hitting wise or pitching wise. And that's why I just think the Mets don't line up well as a trade partner for this. 00:38:13 Speaker 1: We texted our friend Draftnick Mark this question and asked him who would who would be available for George Kirby, and it sounded like most people on the Mets, which isn't a really good side when you're trading for a team. I asked Mark, like, could you could you get their top three prospects for George Kirbey said, oh, yeah, but. 00:38:35 Speaker 2: By by prospects, he means tongue, and he means Rhymer, and he means Clifford guys like that. And by the way, guys like Clifford and Rhymer aren't in like pipeline or just Baseball's top one hundred. They're further down. Those are just the Mets top prospects. So in reality, I don't know if the return value really matches up there. And then when Mark says prospects, he means guy that have not debuted yet. So if your idea is, oh, well, trade for Carson Benge or trade for aj Ewing, the Mets aren't gonna give up those guys for Kirby. 00:39:10 Speaker 1: Yeah, I don't think so either, So it's not the Mets are not a great trade target, which is again why this trade deadline is gonna be maybe a little frustrating for meritors fans because these sellers don't have any slam dunk, not as many slam dunk options for the team to go out there and get right. Next question comes from Michael on Patreon. Bear with me, Michael. I really appreciate the question, honestly, not sure how I'm supposed to read it. It's a Field of Dreams reference, and it essentially comes down to like asking about the quote from I believe from Kevin Costner in the movie. No, he'sid No. 00:39:46 Speaker 2: It's not from Kevin Costner. It's not from Kevin Costner. It's from James Earl Jones. It's from Terrence Man. You'll you'll learn soon enough. 00:39:56 Speaker 1: Yeah, when I watch the movie. Oh update for the people. I will watch the movie this weekend. Wow, did I misread this question? No TG. In the movie Field of Dreams, Terrence Man, the reclusive author Ray played by Kevin Costner, seeks out delivers a famous monologue about why people will come to the field. What is the quote? Quote? The one constant through all the years Ray has been baseball. It reminds all of us that once that once was good, and that could be good again. Oh was that right? 00:40:31 Speaker 2: Well, maybe Michael jumbled some of the words a little bit because that quote is James Earl Jones. That's Terrence Mann is the name of the guy in the movie. 00:40:39 Speaker 1: He would know that if I watched the movie. 00:40:42 Speaker 2: Well, you'll you'll learn here it's soon enough and then you're gonna watch the movie and be like, wow, I really should have watched this before I saw the Field of Dreams in person. 00:40:52 Speaker 1: You know what I think. I think it's a win that I got to see it in person first, and then I can appreciate the cornstocks that will be in the movie that weren't there when we visited. 00:41:04 Speaker 2: Well, that was unfortunate. Luck Yeah, they had too much rain in the spring, but that's what they said when we got there. They had too much rain and the crops didn't stay. But yeah, the one constant through all the year's ray has been baseball. I mean, there's a lot more to it than that, but that is James Earl. 00:41:17 Speaker 1: Jones in the movie Great Darth Vader. 00:41:21 Speaker 2: He is very much Darth Vader. 00:41:22 Speaker 1: Yes, yeah, thank you for the question. Michael, always appreciate it. The next question comes from Eric on Patreon. Eric's question is what the hell Mariners? Yeah, I ain't got much. 00:41:35 Speaker 2: I think the statement's totally valid, and I think we'll just leave it at that, like, figure it out, get it going. 00:41:43 Speaker 1: That's pretty much what we let this podcast episode off with, because yeah, it's been about eighty two games worth of exactly that. Caden on Patreon asks is it time to trade Castillo because it's clear he won't go to the bullpen? 00:41:58 Speaker 2: So I think it's more the Mariners haven't asked him to go to the bullpen, rather than Luis refuses. Do you think that conversation's really been had. I guess it's possible and they don't want to air it out, but I feel like that conversation hasn't happened. 00:42:14 Speaker 1: I wouldn't put it past a big league picture to refuse to go to the bullpen, but I just don't feel like there's much leverage in this situation. Right. 00:42:25 Speaker 2: My whole thing, well, my whole thing is what does refuse mean? If the Mariners really decided they wanted to go with a five man rotation, they'd sit him down and say, hey, I'm the team, I'm the manager, you're the player. This is how we're managing our roster. You will not be starting every fifth day anymore. If the Mariners wanted to have that conversation, I think they would have had it by now. Luis can't just force himself to start in a game. I think the Mariners haven't asked them. 00:42:54 Speaker 1: What it feels like to me is that they're waiting for him, at least now, to offer to go to the bullpen. I don't think he's gonna do that, but I don't think he's gonna do that. I don't think he's gonna do it either, but I guess from everything we picked up that's kind of what it sounds like. Because he is a leader in that clubhouse and especially among that pitching staff, so there is still some role for him to lead. So none of the other starters are gonna say, yeah, Louis, you got sorry, you got to go to the bullpen now. They're not gonna do that, not to him, So it's totally up to him to go to the bullpen. And I'm clearly that he's not in the bullpen. I think if he offered to go pitch in the bullpen, he'd be in the bullpen right now, and the Manners would have a five man rotation, but they don't. But I don't think that's Luis's job. 00:43:39 Speaker 2: It's on the team to sit him down and say, hey, oh yeah, our five starters are pitching better than you, You're going to the bullpen. 00:43:46 Speaker 1: I one hundred percent agree with you. Like decision makers need to make decisions, and then the players play like that's why everyone has their role, Like I don't. 00:43:56 Speaker 2: If they're waiting on Luise to wait and tell them he'll go to the bullpen, then that's absurd. 00:44:03 Speaker 1: I think. 00:44:04 Speaker 2: I think the Mariners just haven't had the conversation. And if they want to move him to the bullpen, and a lot of people out there want to see that. 00:44:12 Speaker 1: Then the Mariners need to tell him. 00:44:13 Speaker 2: They need to sit them down and tell him there's no refusal. You're not the manager, you're the player. I know you might not be happy about it, and I know you're making a lot of money, but if you're not performing, you're not performing. 00:44:27 Speaker 1: And then to the first part of this, as we've talked about a bunch with a Castillo trade, I just don't see how it happens. His stock is at an all time low right now and he's owed a ton of money. I don't know if there is a team out there that would take on Luis Castillo for any sort of return that the Mariners would accept. I mean, I think the Mariners would see more value about having Louis Castillo as like starting pitching depth or a bullpen arm, opposed to what you could get back for a twenty four million dollars salary in a six cra. 00:45:01 Speaker 2: Would you contract swap Luis and Jorge Polanco? It's about the same money. 00:45:07 Speaker 1: No, No, I wouldn't. 00:45:08 Speaker 2: Well, I'm just spitball on ideas out there. 00:45:11 Speaker 1: I'm just curious. I mean, Jorge Polonco, I think would make the Mariner's roster even less athletic and would create all sorts of logjams. 00:45:22 Speaker 2: Look, I'm trying to throw ideas out because right handed bats are limited. He can switch hit, and if he gets back healthy, we know the Mariners really wanted him back this offseason. So I'm just thinking of the idea that maybe that's a way to get yourself a right handed bat and hope he finds the spark that he had last year, because again, the money's about the same. Polo's making twenty million a year. Louise is making about twenty three and each of them at this point in time have a year and a half left on their deal. 00:45:53 Speaker 1: He could in theory. I just I don't see that I trade Luise for Trek Scuoble once for one, right, like so would I. 00:46:02 Speaker 2: That'd be awesome, But yeah, I don't see that happening. 00:46:06 Speaker 1: Yeah. 00:46:06 Speaker 2: Look, if it doesn't seem like Luis is gonna bring you much value on the market, and if that's the case, that's why I think you just keep them, make them a bullpen arm and in one inning spurts he could have a chance to pump up her nineties and actually provide you something. 00:46:20 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah he could. Next question comes from Evan on Patreon. Evan's question is putting aside all egos and expectations, what would you guys make the lineup the batting order based on what we have seen this season, not what we'd hope or expect. I mean from where things are at right now. 00:46:44 Speaker 2: I mean I put it like this, I went Randy Canzone, Julio Naylor, Cal Rayley, JP Cole Young, Colt Emerson, and I think the big things to hit on there are probably the top half the lineup. So Canzone all the way up at two against Randy Canzone, Julio, Naylor, cal. 00:47:04 Speaker 1: I went, Crawford leading off with a little bit more on base, Randy second, Julio third, Canzone, fourth, Cal fifth, Naylor sixth, Rayley seventh, Emerson eighth, and Cole Young ninth. 00:47:19 Speaker 2: Okay, it's not that different. So you just have JP leading. 00:47:22 Speaker 1: Off, he's got a little bit more on base, and then at least Cole Young has been getting on base a decent amount this season, which is why I put him at nine over cold, and then Luke Rayley. That's essentially based on to Evan's question, like what is happening right now where Luke Rayley is ice ice ice cold, so therefore he gets to hit seventh instead of someone else. But like Luke Rayley Josh Naylor are pretty much in the same bucket right now. They're pretty cold, which is why they get to hit that four down in the lineup and those first five get to hit where they are. 00:47:51 Speaker 2: Well, and this wasn't a mailbag topic, but I do wonder if it would do cal Raley some good to get him out of the two spot until they start it's getting it going. I almost I almost structured this lineup in a way. That's here's what you could do until Cal Raley gets things going again, which is your three best hitters just hitting the first three spots. Randy canzone Julio well, and Julio struggled too, But I don't know where else he's gonna go. 00:48:18 Speaker 1: Randy again, I wouldn't have I wouldn't have a problem hitting Cal like fifth. Like selfish, I'll do like the first four of my lineup too well. 00:48:27 Speaker 2: No, I have Cal hitting fifth, That's what I'm saying. Yeah, but that's not the two spot. 00:48:32 Speaker 1: It's a little different. It is a little different. I'm I don't know how much of a difference that's gonna make for Col. Yeah, like Mike Camz struggle whether or not he was hitting in the two spot this. 00:48:46 Speaker 2: Year, maybe better it would get cam Zone some extra bats. 00:48:51 Speaker 1: You would do that, I mean, you do it a little bit for Cal, but you'd also do it to try and score more runs by getting your best hitters more at bats instead of burying them in the lineup. Because as it is right now, you have a cold Col hitting second, and you have a cold Julio hitting third. A little bit harder to score runs that way. Yeah, well that's how it is. 00:49:12 Speaker 2: It's fair. 00:49:13 Speaker 1: Before we get to our next Patreon question, wanted to tell you guys about Emerald Queen casinos summer lineup of shows. You have War performing on July seventeenth, you have Bramley Gilbert on August twenty second, or if you want some laughs, Pete Davidson will be at Emerald Queen Casino on August twenty eighth. Get all of your tickets today at Emeraldqueen dot com. Emerald Queen Casino is the entertainment capital of the Northwest. Or if you want something else while you're down there, you can check out the bet MGM Sportsbook. There is no better place to watch the game. They have seventy dream seat loungers for premium viewing, dozens of eighty six inch TVs, legal wagering on Collegen Pro Sports. While you're there, you can download the bet EQUC app for live wagering anywhere on property. Catch every sport and every play at Emerald Queen Casino. For more details, visit Emerald Queen dot com. 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Head to cozyearth dot com and use our code Marine for an exclusive twenty percent off. That's code Marine Maari for an exclusive twenty percent off. And if you see a post purchase survey mention that you heard about cozy Earth right here. Next question comes from Xander. He's got a trade proposal for us. The Mariners and the Pirates make a trade where the Mariners acquire Brian Reynolds and Dennis Santana, the Pirates acquire Emerson Hancock, Mason Peters and Felnine Celeston. 00:51:26 Speaker 2: So Xander even said it in the question. He's almost bringing up some old flames by rehashing of Brian Reynolds trade idea, because back in twenty twenty one and twenty twenty two that was a big topic. Brian Reynolds circled Mariners waves a lot. But Brian Reynolds since then signed a pretty sizable extension in Pittsburgh, and as we currently sit, he's got sixty eight million dollars remaining on what's four and a half more years of that contract, and it takes them through his age thirty six season or well there's a club option in twenty thirty one, when he'd be thirty six years old. I don't really see the Mariners taking on money like that and to have to give up everything on their end, especially when I think it's unlikely that contract age as well, because Brian Reynolds doesn't play great defense, and he's already in his thirties. 00:52:15 Speaker 1: And Brian Reynolds is really inconsistent. He's not the type of hitter he's been this year. He's not always been that type of hitter. I mean, if you traded for him this instant and you're able to get like some of his past production from this year on this roster, like all right, this is a bit of a win now, a win now move, but like in the future, I don't know. I don't think I'm with Lyle. I don't think this contract ages very well. And then Dennis Santana, It's been really good the past two years, but this year, I mean he's regressed across the board. His velocity on his fastball is way down, as a lot of his other peripherals are down across the board, and he's just entered thirty. Not as much confidence that he is back to his peak for him again for this kind of package where the Mariners be sending what four years of club control of Emerson Hancock three years some one of those two of Emerson Hancock. Mason Peters has been really fun down on the farm system this year. And then Felnin who's right now, a top one hundred prospect. So you're sending a big league starter, a top one hundred prospect for about seventy million dollars of Brian Reynolds who's been very inconsistent, and then a reliever. I don't know if that trade quite matches up for me. Help It would help the Maritors this season, I don't think it helps them in the seasons going forward. It might impact their ability to sign some of their own better players. 00:53:35 Speaker 2: I think agreed, you know what, we need some positivity on this podcast. So let me let me twist this up a little bit, Xander, do me a favor. Take that trade proposal. Take everybody you just listed for the Mariners, send them to Pittsburgh for. 00:53:49 Speaker 1: Paul Skins that I could get down for. I'd say same here. Yes, it's Terrek Skouoble, except to get more control. Correct? Have we not thought of this before? 00:54:02 Speaker 2: And not a Boris guy a le? He's not yet, not yet? 00:54:06 Speaker 1: Fair point. Speaking of positivity, alex is trying to get some positivity into us. He has a two part question. Part number one is what has been our favorite moment of the Mariner's first half of this season? 00:54:23 Speaker 2: I wish there was more. But the one I wrote down is Colt Emerson's first big league homer. That was pretty cool. Hitting it over Kalnick's head. That was pretty cool. 00:54:31 Speaker 1: I'm right there with you. I literally pulled up the Mariner's schedule and was looking at all the games. I'm like, is there a moment in here I can I can just celebrate? Is there one single moment? I'm like, Man, it is tough. It's tough to pick out. So that's why I ended up with Colts. And we were really excited for Colt that he got called up and it was a bit of a surprise. So to see him come up and hit that home run over Jared's hat, I thought, I think that's the most Maybe giddy's the wrong word, but excited to start a podcast this season in a positive sense? Was was that one? Yeah? And then the second part of Alex's question is a bit of a niche one for me. If the Mariners were an F one team, who would I say they're performing closest to the season. I'm not going to go on that long because I know this is a Mariner's podcast. I would say they are closest to Alpine and the main reason I chowed this chos slow. Let me know if you've heard this before. So in the middle of last season, Alpine's team principal, which is like their GM, resigned and then an F one legend took over. 00:55:42 Speaker 2: Now, was said legend actually good or was he twenty he was historically? Yes, okay, but here's my question. Was he actually good or was he twenty percent below league average for his career as a driver. 00:55:57 Speaker 1: I don't remember how he was as a driver, but as a team principal he was very good. 00:56:01 Speaker 2: Oh well, that's what does James Franco say in the interview? Same, same but different. I think that's about right. 00:56:08 Speaker 1: He's not the same personality wise as Dan. But when I was like looking at when I was trying to find an answer to this question, I was like, oh, yeah, that's it. Yeah, that's it right there. And Dan Alpin's like middle of the pack, which is right where the Mariners are, middle of the pack. Yeah. 00:56:25 Speaker 2: Again, one fact, one fact, Dan Wilson is in the Mariners Hall of Fame with an eighty WRC plus for his career, he was twenty percent ple a league average. Just facts, no opinion, just facts. 00:56:36 Speaker 1: Okay. Cameron Lywell on Patreon is wondering, did Lyle curse Kyle Tucker? 00:56:42 Speaker 3: Fuck? 00:56:42 Speaker 2: No, he cursed himself by not coming to the MS. I think it's that simple. 00:56:48 Speaker 1: Let's say what if? What if we placed too high of expectations on him? He was overwhelmed by the free agent process and the courting from the Marine Layer Podcast to come to Seattle that he decided he just in a flash decided to sign with the Dodgers and he's not been able to mentally recover ever since. 00:57:08 Speaker 2: I like that spin zone. 00:57:09 Speaker 1: Yep, Yeah, let's go with that. 00:57:11 Speaker 2: Because it has not been smooth sailing for him in LA so far, Dodgers fans essentially already want him gone, which is absurd. We have some Dodgers fans that are like, can you take him off my team? And I'm like, yes, I can't take him off your team happily in fact. But listen, Kyle, doors always open, you are always welcome, and if you ever become a Mariner, you have a free spot anywhere, anytime, any place on the Marine Layer Pod literally anywhere. 00:57:42 Speaker 3: Uh. 00:57:42 Speaker 1: Jevin on Patreon asks what's your guys' opinion on trading for Luisa Rise and having him play a utility infield slash dhroll. 00:57:52 Speaker 2: So this is where you get into some issues about what this trade deadline's gonna present, because there's just not enough right here handed bats available. Luisa Rise is a left handed bat who does hit lefty or who does hit righty's better than lefties, and he's too similar in a lot of ways to other guys in this roster. Not the offensive profile because obviously he's known for being a very contact oriented guy who doesn't strike out. But it's another unathletic left handed bat who I know you're throwing out the idea of him being a utility player, but Luisa Rise has only played second base this year, and given how his defense has been for the better part of his career, which is nothing short of horrendous, I don't think I want him moving around the infield. 00:58:39 Speaker 1: And you can't have him DH because then whose roles he taking? He's taking dom Can Zone's role. 00:58:45 Speaker 2: Right That doesn't work, And there's a reason I'm not much of a fan of a Rise's game because he has no defensive ability, no speed, he doesn't walk, He literally only hit singles. I don't think that's that valuable a baseball player. 00:58:58 Speaker 1: And ask yourself this question, do you think it's more valuable to play Luisa Rise to the final two months of the season than it is Cole Young? Because if Luise A. Rise is not dhing and he's not a utility player, he's gonna be taking Cole Young's spot right, and that is worth it. 00:59:16 Speaker 2: No, Cole Young has been way too good defensively. Arise has hit left handed pitching decent this year. He's got a one to twelve WRC plus against lefties, But I don't think that overtakes him playing second base over Cole Young. Which, by the way, let me just debunk this before we get any comments about it. I know some of you are probably gonna read off what arises defensive metrics are this year fake news. 00:59:41 Speaker 1: There is no world where. 00:59:42 Speaker 2: I believe Louisa Rise has actually been a good defender this year. 00:59:45 Speaker 1: I just don't. 00:59:46 Speaker 2: He's been horrendous his entire career. He's only gotten older. Like usually, I'm always, always, always bought into the numbers. Yeah, I just don't buy it with Louisa Rise. They're like, there's no way you can tell me that guy's a good defender. 01:00:01 Speaker 1: I'm also gonna say, if we're trying to go out there and we're trying to solve the Mariners' issues against left handed pitching, trading for a lefty bat is not going to be the solution unless his name is Juan Soto. It's not solving anything like that. Yeah, you're right now. You organized has been fine against lefties. He's not solving the Mariners' issues against lefties, and he creates a lot of other headaches as well. 01:00:25 Speaker 2: I mean, there are some other left handed bats you could trade for. That Otani guy might help. That Jordan guy might help, That James Wood guy might help. 01:00:33 Speaker 1: Who am I missing? 01:00:34 Speaker 2: Matt Olsen might help, Kurts might help. There are some lefties you could trade for. You think any of those guys are available, they should call about that. 01:00:43 Speaker 1: Do you think any of them would get traded for Las? 01:00:47 Speaker 2: If they did, you'd have legitimate Mariners fans pissed off that they traded Las for Kurtz or somebody legitimate, like they've be legitimately angry. 01:01:02 Speaker 1: Imagine Laz alastly. I love Laz, but I'm just gonna make this comparison here. We're gonna say, imagine Laz, but he hits that those home runs in the big leagues and he doesn't strike out as much. That's pretty much Nick Kurtz. 01:01:16 Speaker 2: Yeah, listen again, we love Laz because he has been awesome ever since we've gotten to know him a little bit. But I want to say, whoever the scout was out there who gave him the Yordon comp back when he was seventeen, like, retire because you just did an entire fan base of disservice by putting that comp out there. He's not the same hitter as Yord on it. It's like Yordon never struck out like this. 01:01:43 Speaker 1: No he did not. Uh let me say this as well. When it comes to the idea of the Mariners fixing their offense against lefties at this deadline, the fix is not gonna come from the outside. Like the fix is either gonna come from the inside or it's not happening this year. And the fixes names are like we'll get to them at the end, But Julio Rodriguez and cow Raley, that's the fix. If those two heat up and start dominating lefties, than the Mariner's lineup's gonna look a whole lot better against lefties. 01:02:14 Speaker 2: You could add Josh Naylor to that too, maybe not as much against lefties, but overall. Yeah, And I think you can put it like this. You can go get reinforcements that will augment the roster, but it's not gonna fix the roster. There's no bat on this market that can truly fix the roster. Even Byron Buxton. He'd do a hell of a lot, but he can't fix everything. 01:02:35 Speaker 1: No, he cannot. A next question comes from Robert on Patreon. Robert's question is is there a Staton Baseball for how often a team makes a mediocre pitcher on the opposing team look like an absolute ace. 01:02:49 Speaker 2: I don't think so, unless you just created the Seattle Mariners stat. 01:02:55 Speaker 1: Maybe one of these days someone will fumble around with an AI tool enough to like to put in an algorithm of like a pitcher with like either whatever stat they're using to qualify mediocre, like either era or war, or combined with like strikeout and walk rate, and then how many good performances he has versus like said team. That's probably how you'd have to cook that up. Mm hmm. Yeah, that sounds about it, right, do we think Roberts referring to Braxton Ashcraft, who cooked up the Mariners on Tuesday. 01:03:28 Speaker 2: Well, I hope not, because Braxton Ashcraft currently has a chance to get into the All Star Game. He's been really good. 01:03:35 Speaker 1: First career, he hasn't been great, but this year, yeah, this year has been insane. Yeah, yeah, all right. Last question comes from David on Patreon. David's question is I'm so tired of this offense not scoring. At some point, don't Calan Julio as team leaders have to just put this team on their backs and carry them offensively. 01:03:57 Speaker 2: By the way, I think you might be thinking of the different and Ashcraft. I think he might be thinking of Graham Ashcraft from the Reds because, oh I. 01:04:04 Speaker 1: Am because I was h was on my fantasy team last year. 01:04:07 Speaker 2: Yeah, I was gonna say brax at ashcrafts only in his second big league year and he's been damn good. 01:04:13 Speaker 1: I had Graham Ashcraft on my fantasy team last year. That would explain a lot. 01:04:17 Speaker 2: Confu Um, he's tired of the Mariners offense and waiting for Julio and Cal to fix it. 01:04:24 Speaker 1: That's how you just read that question. At some point, don't Julio and Cal have to put this team on their backs and carry them offensively. 01:04:32 Speaker 2: That's essentially what you were just saying a minute ago. There's not going to be a true fix that comes from the outside of this trade deadline. There can be reinforcements, but not the fix. The fix is gonna be Julio Cal Naylor. Either those guys are going to get it going and drive this team offensively, or they're not gonna make the playoffs. 01:04:50 Speaker 1: Slash. 01:04:50 Speaker 2: They'll make the playoffs and get bounced very early, very fast. 01:04:54 Speaker 1: The expectation in this offseason when you signed Rob Refsnider to hit lefties was never re Snyder is going to carry this lineup against lefties. It was Rob ref Snedder is going to make this lineup even longer against lefties. Because, by the way, we have two of the best right handed hitters in baseball, and Julio Rodriguez and Cal rally to mash lefties, and Randy Rose Raino Randy Stunn his job this year, those other two have not. The lineup looks so much different if even without Rob Refsneedder doing a single thing, if Julio and Cal are dominating in that lineup, it just looks so much different. And as we seemingly talk about every single season. You can add around the margins all you want, but this is where your money is allocated. This is what these players have shown you they can be. And unless they are that, it's just really difficult for this lineup, especially to reach its potential without those two guys doing what they do. Yeah, agreed. 01:05:52 Speaker 2: I don't think there's any other way to really put it. Yeah, good send of mailbag questions. I say it every week, but they really are. People bring it, People have good questions. People want trade ideas thrown out there, and I certainly can't blame them when you start getting too a month before the trade deadline and team scuffling. You want to hear about how things could potentially get fixed or at least bettered. And I welcome all of it because we love hearing the creativity. We love hearing the ideas, and we say it every week. You want your mail bag question answered, you can sign up for our Patreon. We'd love to have you and we'll answer your question. 01:06:26 Speaker 1: And now's the best time of year four too, because we have draft and deadline coming up, which are two very popular mail bag topics. As we go forward, the next couple of weeks, So the draft will be in about three weeks. 01:06:40 Speaker 2: Two weeks we'll be there. 01:06:43 Speaker 1: To no, three weeks, yeah, three weeks. 01:06:46 Speaker 2: We'll be there for it in Philly or at least nearby. 01:06:48 Speaker 1: Yeah, we'll be nearby in Philly. And then the deadline will be a couple weeks after that as well. So it's a good time if you want to get your questions answered. It has been as much as again, we love the submissions on every platform, but Patreon does get priorities, so if you want those answered, that's the place to go. Yes, it is all right. 01:07:06 Speaker 2: That just about wraps up this edition of the Marine Layer podcast. You guys know the drill. If you want to listen to the full form podcast, you can do so wherever you get your audio pods. Make sure to download these episodes. If you're listening, go rate and review five stars. It helps a ton if you do. If you're watching on YouTube, just go hit subscribe. Take a second to go do so. You can see the big red button in front of you, Just press it. You can find us on our website marine layerpod dot com. 01:07:29 Speaker 1: Merch is all there. 01:07:30 Speaker 2: That's our podcast. 01:07:31 Speaker 1: Merch. 01:07:31 Speaker 2: Patreon's there, all of our episodes are there again. That's over at marine layerpod dot com. And then on social media, we're everywhere. We're on basically every social media platform and we're posting content every single day at Marine Layer Pod. 01:07:45 Speaker 1: That's TJ. 01:07:45 Speaker 2: I'm Lyle. As always, we thank you guys for tuning in. We'll talk to you soon. 01:08:04 Speaker 1: Sta