What the #Mariners Do NEXT w/ Jon Morosi | #SeattleSports

What the #Mariners Do NEXT w/ Jon Morosi | #SeattleSports

Hey, what do what do we uh make of this move out of the gates? Mariners strike first in free agency with the with the big signing. I mean, I I think we all knew that. I mean, we did know. They told they said that’s our priority. We want to get this done. They made Justin Hollander made no secret of it and and I don’t even know if if Josh spoke to another team. I maybe his reps did, but I mean, he for the most part didn’t even really test free agency. I mean, this was this was quick and it was decisive and it was kind of unlike the Mariners in the Dotto era where they don’t tend to go big in the offseason. The biggest free agent deal they’ve ever signed under Jerry is Mitch Garver. Two years, $24 million. It was a great deal and it is the way that free agency should be. There is no sense in waiting around when the team that you want to play for makes you the offer you want and the fair offer. All right. I know Jeff Passen of ESPN reported that actually the Pirates had made a pretty serious play. Okay. Not quite at the level of the Mariners, but but somewhere close. The Pirates are trying to announce their legitimacy and and get back on the radar of the sport. It usually takes a few cycles of free agents and often you have to overpay to bring someone in to announce your arrival, which is the way it was for the Tigers coming off of 119 losses uh back in in 03 when they overspent for for P Rodriguez. You sometimes have to overspend. But I think it was emblematic of where the Mariners are that they made a strong offer, a good offer. I think Josh Naylor did very well, but the the Mariners didn’t have to give him two or three X of what another team would have done. And I think that is a tribute to how much Josh loved it in Seattle. And again, I I I want everybody, this is a a fan conversation, this is a front office conversation, manager, everything. When you create the right environment and when you win, you don’t have to try as hard or spend as much in free agency. When anybody ever asks why do teams spend on infrastructure, on coaching, on good travel, uh high performance, whether it’s physical therapists, mental health support, all the different things, the way they treat families, all the things that go into doing it the right way. When you do it the right way, often enough it comes back to you with times like this where the first major free agent that is signed is your guy and you get a chance to keep him. And and by the way, when you make the right signing, it also sets you up well. You get to retain your leverage a bit when you talk to Ahaneo Suarez or Jorge Palano or or others at those positions to where other teams now know you’re not desperate. You are operating from a position of strength because people want to play for you. So, this was evidence and and I’m glad it happened in the way that it did, the timing that it did. Obviously, Seattle and Seattle fans don’t love the way that game seven ended, but this is a really nice demonstration that people in the sport, especially those in their own clubhouse, were paying attention. Okay, October, it didn’t end the way that you wanted it to, but it still is giving you benefits. And the benefit is that notable guys that have a lot of respect and cred in the game like Josh Naylor does want to be Mariners and they don’t have to play a game and wait three months to make it happen. Ever heard of this uh with Josh Naylor doing like a he did like a scouting report and all kinds of uh like analysis and everything? I mean I I’ve never heard of a of a player doing that before. I mean that’s just above and beyond. Well, I I think I’ll say this, Dave, that that there are there are players that take a real uh studious approach. I remember uh when when when Zack Grankkey, this is uh years ago now, but when Zach was was going through the process that eventually led him uh to get traded for the first time when he went to to Milwaukee from Kansas City, that basically Zach was going around Major League Baseball that the the Royals had given him permission to talk with with teams and he basically was going to different GMs saying, “This is how I think you should run your organization.” And so on some level it’s it’s actually good. I know that Max Scherzer, some of the more studious players that have a lot of time and and and credentials in the game, they they take a very serious look. I know Scott Boris has done similar things. And by the way, somewhere in my office, I have to see if I can find it somewhere. It’s it’s on one of these shelves, I promise, is uh actually I have the old Prince Fielder binder. I I like Scott gave it to me as a souvenir which has the the presentation of why Prince Fielder was like, you know, the second coming of Garrick. And so it’s it’s in there, but but basically when when you do it the right way as an as an agent, um you prepare, but also the player prepares. And and by the way, what we heard in in the second half of the season when a lot of people around the Mariners were saying, “Wow, Josh Naylor has one of the highest baseball IQs of anybody that I’ve been around.” And and Jerry Dotto said the same thing at the press conference. Like they weren’t just saying it to say it, saying it to give him some flowers. It was real that that he pays attention to the game and he he knows what’s going on here. and he’s had the the fortune of now being a part of I guess this is now five organizations. So, he’s been around enough to to have played with people in different contexts to know what he likes, know what he doesn’t like. There’s no perfect organization. The Mariners aren’t perfect either, but they’re really good. They have built something sustainable and and you look around and and Josh says, “Listen, this pitching staff is going to be good for a while still. It’s maybe not as young or as cost-effective as it once was, but it’s still really good. Excellent closer. a place that people want to play, amazing fan support. There were still people I talked with that said, I mean, Toronto was really loud, but outside of that, Seattle was probably the best atmosphere anybody saw during the course of of October. It was just um it was a great environment and I think that Josh saw it. He’s smart enough to know what he was walking into and I think it says a lot about him and the Mariners that they got together so quickly. Well, and his signing in and as quickly as it happened, John told me that he got some level of assurance from the front office that we’re we’re going for this. We’re because of how and I keep saying this, everybody wants to win. Everybody in that clubhouse wants to win. But he’s he’s almost maniacal about baseball. Talking about Naylor, and I I think, yeah, money is great. He he wants to be paid properly and fairly, and that’s that’s huge. But I think the Pirates are probably a non-starter. Like, I’m I’m not going to win there. So, I I I’ve got to believe they gave him some level of assurance that, hey, it doesn’t end with you. We We are We were close last year. We got to get over the hump in order to do that. We’ve got to do our part. So, I don’t do Do you get that vibe? And we talked to Justin Hollander yesterday on the show and he talked about wanting to get another bat and then he brought up Palano or Suarez. And I’m like, that’s great, but I I would think another bat in addition to cuz your words are ringing in my ear that, hey, you’ve got work to do just to get back to where you were. So, you got to improve on what you were to end the season. And what you were to end the season, you had all three of these guys. So, you got to bring back maybe one of the two and then somebody else. Do you agree with that? I agree because let’s think about it. Player for player. Uh and again uh in fairness I I look at Williamson elite defender. Yeah. And and I I I think this too if you get enough uh and and Garver certainly he had some big moments for the Mariners uh in the in the postseason. He helped them get past the Tigers obviously in in game five. Kind of a quiet contribution but it was there and they probably don’t win the game without him. um is that they probably need more out of that roster spot, right? In terms of he’s basically signed to be a DH backup catcher. Is that Harry Ford? Um is is Williamson with the benefit of now one more full year? We know that he’s an elite defender. Is Williamson able to approximate? It’s really hard to approximate what Suarez does. It’s It’s not fair to ask Williamson to be Suarez. It’s not fair to ask Young to be Palano. It’s probably not even fair to ask Ford to be Garver. That so you need to do something with those three roster spots. Uh and and I I think you’ve got with Williamson, Ford, Young, you still have options to send to the minor leagues on all of them. And Ryan Bliss as well. And Bliss as well. Exactly. Now, in fairness, the Palanco ended up being one of their best signings and it was a very inexpensive signing and it was really late. Yeah. So sometimes you can play this thing out and and and get a good deal in February, but I would sure like to see the Mariners keep this momentum going and get one more significant bat before the end of the calendar year. Now, I’m not saying they’re going to go out there and get Kyle Tucker or Schwarber. I tend to think that Schwarber is probably going to go somewhere in, you know, east of the Mississippi at at this point, but there’s there’s a lot of different bats out there that I I do think would make a a significant impact. Um, and and again, they don’t have to be brand names, but I I would sure like to see a Ryan O’Harn in Seattle. I think he would be someone that is as a DH type. Again, maybe there’s a little redundancy there, but but there are bats that will make a big impact. And again, people were watching. They were paying attention um to what this team was able to do. And and Williamson, I I do love his defense. And and that is something where if I if I was Jerry Dotto and Justin Hollander and if I added enough offense and a couple different roster spots, I might feel comfortable with Williamson and his and his defense there and I could live with the with the lighter bat. Uh, but I would I would sure want to get one more really powerful uh player I think around the diamond that I felt confident could play every day before I I penciled in Williamson as my third baseman just because you you know there was still some growing that that bat has to do, right? And and I was talking about that saying if they decide Williamson’s our third baseman that maybe they do sign Palano or Gino and one of those two becomes their primary DH. Yeah, they can play third or or second depending on which one it is. But we’re going to go with Williamson. We’re going to live with his lack of damage, if you will, at least for now because we’ve got Palanco as our primary DH or we’ve got Gino as our primary DH. Could you see him doing that? Sure. And I and I also think that that Ford is somewhere in this conversation, too. I I think that um there are certain prospects that you hear about a lot and and it’s now been it’s now basically time for them to figure out who he is. Yeah. Uh I I’m not suggesting that they that they trade him, but it’s almost to the point where okay, you’ve got a spot now for a backup catcher DH type role. If if you’re if you’re not gonna trust him for this now, when are you going to trust him? Okay. the guy the guy that catches takes very few days off. Okay, as we all know. So, um this is basically the job. And if and if you can’t trust him for this job now, I I sort of wonder when are you going to trust him? And if and if you’re not going to trust him for this, maybe maybe you do move him on and and and think about some different possibilities and combinations that I I that’s to me that the Ford conversation is a big one because I I want to see what he can do in the big leagues. I hope it’s in Seattle. Uh but he’s obviously not going to catch 80 games this year. He’s just it’s unless some unless there’s an injury, which no one wants to see. So, I do think that conversation is a very interesting one. You could argue that that the best backup catcher for Cal is someone who was just an absolute ace defensively and say, “Listen, you’re going to play x number of games when Cal is dhing. Uh but we don’t need to we don’t need you to hit a ton. We just need you to catch this really talented staff.” Um, is that a veteran? It’s just that that that to me is the is the interesting push and pull here. Um, but I I agree with you. I I think that signing Gino to be a DH or or a bit more of a time share because you think about it, maybe Williamson takes the roster spot that once belonged to Garver if you look at it that way because obviously by the end of the year, Williamson was not on on the active roster to end the the normal portion of the season. So maybe look at it that way, like you’re adding Williamson believing that he can hit at least as much as Garver did. And obviously Mitch didn’t have a great offensive year and that Gino and Williamson sort of share that role. It’s it’s actually it’s a pretty good idea uh that they should have you be a special assistant, Bob. I’m sure I’m sure Jerry agrees with you. He loves me. That’s right. Yeah, that’s right. Hey, uh, between Williamson and and Young and and and maybe maybe Harry Ford, too, but I I mean I think people forget players develop all the time. It happens every year and so, but you know, you’re you’re quot you’re kind of leaning on, hey, is can Williamson, you know, be a power hitter? And, you know, they players develop in, you know, into those guys all the time. But which which one do you think is most likely? It’s a good question. Uh, I I think that of of those young guys, Williamson did play for a long enough time. I mean, he the way that he carried us up, again, I realize the numbers weren’t there, he arrived probably a little bit ahead of schedule, but I know that he impressed the Mariners coaching staff with just how he arrived at spring training and the way that he carried himself. And something about him, I I I just believe he’s going to be an everyday player. Uh, and and maybe it’s not going to be with the highest level of of offensive output, but I he looks like an everyday player for me. Um, and young. Listen, he’s he’s a he’s a very young player, obviously, to pardon the pun, but I I I thought that in general, he also acquitted himself pretty well. Um, and looks like the kind of guy that’s going to be able to play in the middle of the diamond. Emerson might actually have the higher ceiling. Um, and again, maybe his time is coming later on as as JP Crawford’s time with the Mariners winds down, whenever that happens. But I I think I’m I’m probably of the group just based on what I saw this past year. Um I I I think Williamson might have the the best chance to be a a consistent everyday player for them in the first half of this year with Ford and unless he hits enough to be the DH. The the question just keeps coming back to me. How much is he going to play? Yeah. And and that that is the dilemma for them is he’s probably too good to play AAA every day. um but is but he’s certainly not good enough to take at bats away from Cal Raleigh. So there there may be a team out there by the way that that needs a catcher. There’s actually this a bit of a catching carousel going on right now potentially. Um a team like the Angels with Oh, if they if if they end up flipping Oh, I think to me the big domino will be Philly. If Philly cannot resign Real Muto maybe they go out there and trade for Oh, Bailey Rutman. just mentioning different possibilities and then maybe one of those teams says, “Okay, now we need a catcher and we we believe in in Harry Ford to do that job.” Again, it’s it’s a there’s a multiplestep process here. But I I just think that if if the Mariners don’t view him as an everyday catcher, I wonder if there’s a team out there that does and and this might be the time to just evaluate that that prospect just because you’re behind one of the most important people in the entire sport. Now, that that being said, he’ll play more in spring training than he normally would if he stays with the Mariners because Cal’s going to be away playing for Team USA. So, there will be more at bats to be had. He’ll he’ll get a lot of he’ll be and now Harry might also, by the way, be playing for Great Britain. We have to see how that all plays out during the course of the Classic. So, um there’s a lot of different scenarios. And again, if if if Harry Ford is there in Houston, if he’s playing for Great Britain, against the US, and against Mexico, and in some pretty high-profile games, you also learn a lot about a young man in that in that setting as well. So, I think it’s going to be a pretty interesting spring no matter where uh Harry ends up playing. Hey, we’re up against the break, but just give me a quick thought on the bullpen because I don’t want to give that short shrift there. It’s important. They need they they worked the back end of that bullpen hard this season. and they they need help there. But am I being too cavalier and going, “Yeah, whoever they bring in, they’re going to turn him into somebody productive because that’s just what they do.” I mean, they’ve done it with these names. You either never heard of him or you look at their numbers and go, “What? He’s got a 52 RA. Who’s this guy?” And then he becomes Paul Seawald or he becomes Justin Topa or Spire or Bazardo or you can go down the list of guys that they’ve just turned into really productive arms there. So, we tend to just go, “Yeah, they’re going to figure out the bullpen. sign who you want cuz I know it’s going to more often than not work out. Am I Am I being too cavalier about that? Maybe a little bit. I would say maybe a little, Bob, because because they’re Now, what I’ll say is this. The Mariners, like all teams, have their characteristics that they see with with the highest spin rate fast ball as the verdy fast ball as we heard people talk about it. Uh different pitches that they that they believe have the right characteristics to get hitters out in big spots. Uh, but I if I’m them, I would want to add a lefty to help Spire a little bit to to be that other second option back there late in the game. Well, they just picked up a lefty from the Dodgers in a trade, I think. That’s right. They did. They did that. I I my philosophy is you you never you can never have too much good bullpen help. I also think that you need to prepare for the potential that some of the guys that you relied on a ton, whether it’s Brash or Muno’s, they they pitch deep into October. You sometimes need to help those guys out by giving them a bit more days off early on in the year. I’m not saying to go out necessarily and get Devin Williams, but someone that you believe can help you in leverage spots. I I think that’s a part of the club that you the Mariners, this is not breaking news. They play a lot of close games. Yeah. So So you need you’re calling these numbers a lot. So you can’t expect the relievers to be that great year after year unless your name is Mariano Rivera. Yeah. John, we always uh love the conversation, man. Look forward to it every week. We appreciate you. Have a great rest of your week and we’ll talk again next week. Thank you so much. I appreciate you. Uh

Jon Morosi of MLB Network joins Bob Stelton and Dave Wyman (Wyman & Bob) to share his reaction to the Josh Naylor deal and what that signals to the rest of baseball, what the team should do next, and what the future holds for catcher Harry Ford.

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0:00 – What to make of early Naylor signing
1:45 – Mariners creating the right environment
3:30 – Naylor’s scouting report
6:25 – Bringing in more bats?
10:25 – Who becomes M’s primary DH?
11:20 – Harry Ford’s use
13:07 – Prospect most likely to pop
16:30 – Bullpen thoughts

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