Jack Article via ESPN

[NWinAZ]

ESPN's Keith Law: Mariners offense "stinks," Zduriencik to blame



The Seattle Mariners, a team that boasts Robinson Cano, Nelson Cruz and Kyle Seager in the middle of the order, ranks last in the MLB with a .230 batting average. They're 32-39 through 71 games, and have largely been one of the biggest disappointments in baseball to this point.

It doesn't take an expert to determine that offense is the issue plauging the Mariners again this season. But who's to blame for the poor performance of the lineup? If you ask ESPN senior baseball writer Keith Law, it's the man who assembled the roster, general manager Jack Zduriencik.

"The offense stinks. That's really the bottom line. Jack Zduriencik has not been able to build an effective offense in seven years as general manager," Law told 710 ESPN Seattle's "Brock and Salk" on Tuesday.

Zduriencik has tried mightily over his tenure to build a formidable offense in Seattle, but even though signings of Cano and Cruz in back-to-back offseasons created a ton of buzz about the team, it hasn't translated in the win column. Cano is hitting .244 this season, 63 points lower than his career average, and Cruz has cooled off after a red hot start, hitting just .247 with two home runs over the last month.

In an attempt to provide some help for the struggling Mariners offense, Zduriencik traded for slugger Mark Trumbo earlier this month, and the early returns couldn't really be much worse – Trumbo is hitting .169 and has just one homer through 16 games with the team.

To Law, the Trumbo trade underscores a problem with Zduriencik's philosophy. He values power, which Trumbo has in abundance, over getting on base, which Trumbo (career .295 on-base percentage) has never been known for.

"He doesn't put together lineups that get on base, and it's hard for any team to score enough runs if you're not getting enough base runners," Law said of Zduriencik. "Power helps, power can certainly win you ballgames, but it's not gonna win you enough if you don't have guys on base."

So why does Zduriencik deserve blame over second-year manager Lloyd McClendon?

"I have said in the past, I don't think Lloyd McClendon is a particularly good tactical manager, but he doesn't pick the players," Law said. "Ultimately if you're looking for someone to blame, it has to be the general manager in this case. He assembled the roster, this roster is his responsibility, and all accountability for the players actually on the roster should go to him and zero in that situation goes to the manager."

And if the consideration that Zduriencik has simply been victim of bad luck is out there, Law is quick to shoot that down.

"Other than Cano having a disaster season, which I don't think you can blame on anyone ... what's bad luck there?" Law asked. "Trumbo was a terrible offensive player to begin with. It's not like you could have expected him to hit well. He has no track record of doing that. I look up and down this roster, I don't see bad luck in that sense ... It's an ineffective offense."

 

[seahawksfan234]

Unfortunately I have to agree. The lineup is just constructed very poorly. If you're going to build a team around high HR/low OBP players, at least surround them with high OBP players so that there are guys on base when they go deep. The Mariners have not done that.

Dexter Fowler and Alex Gordon could solve that problem this offseason. The money coming off the books with Rodney and Austin Jackson should clear almost enough space to add both of them.

 

[NWinAZ]

Dexter Fowler and Alex Gordon could solve that problem this offseason. The money coming off the books with Rodney and Austin Jackson should clear almost enough space to add both of them.

It won't happen. but 100% agree. Told my wife yesterday during game I wanted Gordon. Wasn't as big on Fowler til this year. Big fan now. Good call.

 

[seahawksfan234]

It won't happen. but 100% agree. Told my wife yesterday during game I wanted Gordon. Wasn't as big on Fowler til this year. Big fan now. Good call.

I wouldn't say it won't happen, just unlikely - I've got to keep at least a bit of hope. I really wanted Fowler when he left the Rockies. His performance so far has been meh, but I expect he will pick it up. I've always been a fan of high OBP guys. Find me a player with a high OBP and a non-terrible BA, and chances are I'd be in favor of landing him. Especially if they can run and play defense, two other aspects of the game that are difficult to quantify and as a result are undervalued.

I'd be thrilled if the Mariners landed either of them and traded for Ben Revere or somehow landed Nori Aoki.

I've been drooling over Brett Gardner for years. The Yankees grossly overpaid for Ellsbury, but I love the OF combo of Ellsbury and Gardner. Not sure how the Mariners rate in MLB in terms of defense, but the only three players I'd say are above average defensively on the Mariners are Cano, Zunino and Seager. Morrison and Jackson are average. Rest are below average. Too many times have I seen the Mariners give up hits that could've been outs if we had competent fielders. I cringe watching Cruz try to field a ball bouncing off the wall, and he's not fast enough to cover enough ground out there.

 

[NWinAZ]

I wouldn't say it won't happen, just unlikely - I've got to keep at least a bit of hope. I really wanted Fowler when he left the Rockies. His performance so far has been meh, but I expect he will pick it up. I've always been a fan of high OBP guys. Find me a player with a high OBP and a non-terrible BA, and chances are I'd be in favor of landing him. Especially if they can run and play defense, two other aspects of the game that are difficult to quantify and as a result are undervalued.

I'd be thrilled if the Mariners landed either of them and traded for Ben Revere or somehow landed Nori Aoki.

I've been drooling over Brett Gardner for years. The Yankees grossly overpaid for Ellsbury, but I love the OF combo of Ellsbury and Gardner. Not sure how the Mariners rate in MLB in terms of defense, but the only three players I'd say are above average defensively on the Mariners are Cano, Zunino and Seager. Morrison and Jackson are average. Rest are below average. Too many times have I seen the Mariners give up hits that could've been outs if we had competent fielders. I cringe watching Cruz try to field a ball bouncing off the wall, and he's not fast enough to cover enough ground out there.

Gardner is a gamer. I have always been a big fan.

Not sure how the Mariners rate in MLB in terms of defense,

I posted that yesterday in fact. Negative 18 runs saved compared to KC who is a plus 38 (I believe) in runs saved for an outfield.

 

[seahawksfan234]

Gardner is a gamer. I have always been a big fan.



I posted that yesterday in fact. Negative 18 runs saved compared to KC who is a plus 38 (I believe) in runs saved for an outfield.

Not surprised. Austin Jackson is average at best defensively, Cruz is bad defensively, and the left field rotation we've had is mediocre defensively.

 

[wazzu31]

Wasn't Gordon almost a Mariner during Jack's tenure? I can't remember where I remember it from but I thought there were talks about the Mariners swapping some player for Gordon cause he was looking like a big bust and the Mariners had some guy that was also busting and it was just going to be a swap like Ramirez for Montgomery.

 

[unlvmariners]

Jack Z is an idiot.

He shit the bed so hard this last off season.

 

[NWinAZ]

Wasn't Gordon almost a Mariner during Jack's tenure? I can't remember where I remember it from but I thought there were talks about the Mariners swapping some player for Gordon cause he was looking like a big bust and the Mariners had some guy that was also busting and it was just going to be a swap like Ramirez for Montgomery.

I know what you are talking about but KC pulled out and said they wanted to give him more time in the OF after moving him from 3B.

 

[wazzu31]

I know what you are talking about but KC pulled out and said they wanted to give him more time in the OF after moving him from 3B.

Ok, I couldn't remember how it happened but I believe it was maybe a Jose Lopez or something. Either way, just think of how great the team would've been last year with Gordon, had they actually signed Cruz and gotten Davis in the Lee trade over Smoak.

 

[NWinAZ]

Ok, I couldn't remember how it happened but I believe it was maybe a Jose Lopez or something. Either way, just think of how great the team would've been last year with Gordon, had they actually signed Cruz and gotten Davis in the Lee trade over Smoak.

I was thinking Lopez or Bettencourt. Wish we ave them both..lol.

 

[SeattleCoug]

Jack Z is an idiot.

He shit the bed so hard this last off season.

To be fair he's pretty much been shitting the bed for seven years.

 

[NWinAZ]

To be fair he's pretty much been shitting the bed for seven years.

Time to change the sheets.

 

[unlvmariners]

To be fair he's pretty much been shitting the bed for seven years.

That is true.

 

[AceKeptic]

Which is probably why he decided to replace hitting coaches this past weekend. I like Edgar and all, but I think it's more than just because he was a great hitter who could possibly try to teach them a new trick, give them a new mindset and all...

I think it's just an opportunity for Z to try and save his own sorry ass.

 

[NWinAZ]

More from Jack the genius.

The Seattle Mariners enter play Friday 33-40 and in a dogfight with the Oakland Athletics for fourth place in the AL West - but general manager Jack Zduriencik doesn't seem to anticipate making any more flashy roster moves.

He already recently brought in Mark Trumbo in an effort to bolster the club's sagging offense, and it has yet to really kickstart a turnaround. Despite this, he told Bob Dutton of the News Tribune that, “Our thought is the club is pretty much in place. We need to get them to produce. We’ll see what happens. Nobody would ever say no. But we brought in (Mark) Trumbo. So now, you look at the lineup, and it's a formidable lineup."

The trade deadline is coming up in a little over a month, but Zduriencik's quotes make it seem he doesn't plan on doing anything rash to continue to help improve the M's: “We tried to jump the market with the move that we did a few weeks ago (to acquire Trumbo and pitcher Vidal Nuno). We were active. We went and got a catcher (Welington Castillo from the Cubs). Then we flipped the catcher to bring in Trumbo and Nuno. so, there's a trade deadline, but we've already been ahead of it."

With the Mariners' lofty preseason hype and the expectations placed upon them this season, Zduriencik's stance is intriguing - and it will be interesting to see how his club responds from here on out.

 

[cezero]

it's a formidable lineup?

and he's ahead of the trade deadline?

 

[wazzu31]

He can't be serious can he? This is the exact type of team that needs to be active at the deadline, there is zero that Austin Jackson should be a Mariner after the deadline, the Castillo deal basically said Sucre isn't MLB quality. They have prospects and young guys that can be dealt. Without an active deadline then the franchise is still stuck in the praying that they can career years out of guys.

 

[Anointed One]

Castillo is better than Trumbo, Nuno and Zunino at this time...

 

[NWinAZ]

I still don't mind the trade. On paper we should have won the deal. What happens once they get here, who freaking knows.