Rickie Weeks - our annual reclamation project

[Sharkonabicycle]

I am somewhat shocked for the reason that this is a stupid signing and a clear waste of money. However I am not shocked that it was Jack Z that did this stupid shit. Weeks brings nothing to the team that the team doesn't already have.

You are right all this does is take away playing time from our younger guys, Jones, Romero, Taylor, Miller. I am disappointed. Pointless.

Huh? He's being brought in to either give some guys a rest or play if someone is injured. He was $2M a year (hardly a waste of money).

It does nothing but add some depth and he's easily expendable. At worst he's a Saunders replacement. I don't get your post at all.

 

[wazzu31]

Rickie is not blocking anyone just as WFB was not blocking anyone. If you are referring to Ackley, then yes, they have spent a bunch of time on a youngster to see if he can cut it. They may spend Spring training and a month or two more on him unless someone else proves without a doubt they are better. Romero and Jones have not so far, so I really am not sure who you are referring to that is being held back in the minors.

But everything you just said is a contradiction. How are they suppose to show they can? By garbage spring training time, doing well in AAA again? Bloomquist wasn't blocking anyone because he is the definition of a utility player and isn't a wasted roster spot which is exactly what Weeks is.

 

[unlvmariners]

Huh? He's being brought in to either give some guys a rest or play if someone is injured. He was $2M a year (hardly a waste of money).

It does nothing but add some depth and he's easily expendable. At worst he's a Saunders replacement. I don't get your post at all.

Spending $2M for a guy that doesn't improve your team is a waste. If he is easily expendable what is the point of signing him in the first place? Dumb. So he can hit lefties for Ackley, Seager, Morrison and Cano? By the way Weeks has never played any other position than second base in the major leagues, in fact he never played any other positions in the minors either. The only way this will make any sense is if Cano gets injured for the rest of the year or by some miracle he can play LF, first and third. The only reason this sign happened is because Jack Z still has a hard on for this guy since he drafted him.

 

[seattlefan75]

Ricki Weeks isnt blocking anyone other than DJ Peterson we really dont have any young bats that I would like to see get a lot of time in the majors we are in a WIN NOW mode praying that this will be the year we break the streak of not making it to the postseason. I really dont have much faith in stefan romero or james jones and who really knows whats going on at SS with brad miller and Chris Taylor. i would rather see some veteran players in the bottom of the lineup sense Jack Z has taken over he has ony brought up 1 hitting prospect (kyle seager) that performed well at the major league level, im not giving up on them I just dont want to expect them to perform with the team we have now to make a possible playoff push

 

[PolarVortex]

Ricki Weeks isnt blocking anyone other than DJ Peterson we really dont have any young bats that I would like to see get a lot of time in the majors we are in a WIN NOW mode praying that this will be the year we break the streak of not making it to the postseason. I really dont have much faith in stefan romero or james jones and who really knows whats going on at SS with brad miller and Chris Taylor. i would rather see some veteran players in the bottom of the lineup sense Jack Z has taken over he has ony brought up 1 hitting prospect (kyle seager) that performed well at the major league level, im not giving up on them I just dont want to expect them to perform with the team we have now to make a possible playoff push

If he only plays second base then he isn't blocking anyone.
But if he only plays second base then he is a ginormous waste of money. You guys who keep saying $2 million is chump change must have forgotten the way this organization has been pinching pennies for the last 6-8 years.

 

[octagondd]

Even the Eeyore of Mariners bloggery, USS Mariner, at least gives an ambivalent head nod for the move. Let's just see what they plan to do with him and if he can perform those jobs.

Regarding the youngsters, Jones and Romero still need work on pitch recognition and strike zone. They won't move forward in any meaningful way sitting on the bench at the MLB level. At least in AAA they are seeing 20+ pitches a night. Also, they may just end up being AAAA players. Good enough to play well in the minors, but not quite good enough for the show. If Ackley falters, then I guess it will be up to one of them. I doubt Weeks would take Ackley's spot full time in the OF.

 

[NWinAZ]

He, or any player for that matter, is only blocking someone if that player kept is worse than the one he is in competition with. His challenge, competition, is Montero, Romero, Taylor/Miller loser in my opinion. Maybe WFB if they decide to go with both Miller and Taylor.

4 Bench players usually kept:
1- Backup catcher
2- WFB or Taylor/Miller loser
3- Smith/Rug
4- Weeks/Montero/Chavez/WFB or SS loser/Jones

So #4 is the real competition.

 

[NWinAZ]

Per ESPN Insider:

The Seattle Mariners certainly do not have any shortage of outfielders on their roster as they begin the process of figuring out who might be in their starting lineup on a regular basis for 2015.

As Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune notes, the most intriguing possibility is Rickie Weeks -- but can the second baseman actually handle an outfield role? "Clearly, the Mariners think so, which is why they shelled out $2 million in guaranteed salary (with another $2 million in possible performance bonuses). Weeks must think so. Why else would he sign with the Mariners? There's no way he can expect to log much time at second base as long as Robinson Cano remains healthy," Dutton writes.

Dutton believes that Austin Jackson will be the team's center fielder, with Dustin Ackley competing with Weeks for playing time in left field. Right field should be a platoon between Seth Smith and Justin Ruggiano, with Nelson Cruz getting a few starts on days when the team wants to give another player a partial day off by inserting them as the DH.

 

[wazzu31]

Per ESPN Insider:

The Seattle Mariners certainly do not have any shortage of outfielders on their roster as they begin the process of figuring out who might be in their starting lineup on a regular basis for 2015.

As Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune notes, the most intriguing possibility is Rickie Weeks -- but can the second baseman actually handle an outfield role? "Clearly, the Mariners think so, which is why they shelled out $2 million in guaranteed salary (with another $2 million in possible performance bonuses). Weeks must think so. Why else would he sign with the Mariners? There's no way he can expect to log much time at second base as long as Robinson Cano remains healthy," Dutton writes.

Dutton believes that Austin Jackson will be the team's center fielder, with Dustin Ackley competing with Weeks for playing time in left field. Right field should be a platoon between Seth Smith and Justin Ruggiano, with Nelson Cruz getting a few starts on days when the team wants to give another player a partial day off by inserting them as the DH.

So they are semi compliment the Mariners for having a LF competition between two 2B who (Ackley at best) is a below average outfielder who has nearly 5 years more experience in the OF than Weeks?

 

[NWinAZ]

I said the same thing. Competition is great, but it varies greatly. The All-Star game has competition of outfielders competing to play, but doubt Ackley/Weeks and Rugg/Smith is on the same level.

 

[NWinAZ]

GMZ says Weeks and Ackley won't platoon they will team up in LF...lol. I actually like this in this case. Maybe Ackley's leash will be retracted a bit like it should. I wouldn't even mind an Ackley and Taylor for Hamels or Lee type deal and let Weeks and Chavez or the type man LF.

 

[unlvmariners]

GMZ says Weeks and Ackley won't platoon they will team up in LF...lol. I actually like this in this case. Maybe Ackley's leash will be retracted a bit like it should. I wouldn't even mind an Ackley and Taylor for Hamels or Lee type deal and let Weeks and Chavez or the type man LF.

LOL so basically we have a LF "team up" and a RF "team up"... Man I really hope this Rickie Weeks thing works out because I have almost zero confidence that it will. I am hoping that Ackley has a good season more though.

 

[NWinAZ]

I hope he does as well, but am tired of waiting for it. I am not sure what Weeks has left after two years ago. Another time will tell story.

 

[wazzu31]

GMZ says Weeks and Ackley won't platoon they will team up in LF...lol. I actually like this in this case. Maybe Ackley's leash will be retracted a bit like it should. I wouldn't even mind an Ackley and Taylor for Hamels or Lee type deal and let Weeks and Chavez or the type man LF.

I agree in a sense, I'd rather the Mariners take flier on a guy like Weeks if they swang and missed on Cabrera and Ackley wasn't already manning LF. It just seems asinine that the Braves wanted Ackley but the Mariners instead of getting trade value would rather platoon him.

 

[NWinAZ]

I agree in a sense, I'd rather the Mariners take flier on a guy like Weeks if they swang and missed on Cabrera and Ackley wasn't already manning LF. It just seems asinine that the Braves wanted Ackley but the Mariners instead of getting trade value would rather platoon him.

Good point. I didn't even think of that.

 

[wazzu31]

It just seems so odd that with holes that the Mariners have they have/had pieces to make some deals but instead would rather try the platoon and see such as in Ackley's case, their indecision on Miller/Taylor, Ramirez, Elias etc. Like I've said I'd rather them try and make some deals with prospects to bring in guys that don't pan out then just let their guys play like crap at the big league level and have zero value once they are finally done with the organization like Smoak.

I just don't get how he could trade an all star in Pineda but is so reluctant to trade Ackley. One of either Miller or Taylor do not have a future with the organization, with Lloyd as the manager it doesn't seem like Walker will have a future with the club either.

 

[Anointed One]

I've been waiting for this signing. I knew it was coming. It's tradition with the Mariners during the Jack Z regime.

In 2014 it was Corey Hart.
In 2013 it was Raul ibanez.
In 2012 it was Eric Thames.
In 2011 it was Caspar Wells.
In 2010 it was Milton Bradley.
In 2009 It was Ken Griffey.

Every year we have to have one of these guys. They steal playing time from younger players without really providing better results than the kids would have. Sure, Griffey and Ibanez worked out OK, so that's what, one out of every three? I don't like the odds. This year Weeks will be stealing playing time from James Jones and Stefen Romero. It does not matter how well Jones and Romero perform in Spring training or how poorly Weeks performs, he has a $2 million guaranteed salary, so he will coming north with the team in April.


However, Weeks is a strikeout machine, so maybe he'll fit right in. And last year whatever success he had can be directly attributed to the player's park that is Miller Stadium. He had a .948 OPS at home and a .656 OPS on the road.

To summarize, I think this signing sucks.

Good post... I remember a few years back we tried the same thing with Vince Coleman... Out of all those guys' you mentioned though, I like Weeks the best...

 

[wazzu31]

Good post... I remember a few years back we tried the same thing with Vince Coleman... Out of all those guys' you mentioned though, I like Weeks the best...

But to be fair, Vince Coleman had a hand in the Mariners first ever playoff run. I'm bias because I hated the Rickey Henderson project, that bastard led to me totaling my car.