Mariners offseason thread 2025-26

[Ruminator]

Maybe Ferrer's better than I was led to believe.



...and...



...and...



...and..

 

[Ruminator]

Interesting analysis on Ferrer; regardless, sounds like he's still in the beginning of his career and could get better:

 

[sutz]

Was a little iffy on this one. They say you should never trade a position player for a pitcher, right?

Hopefully, Cal stays healthy next year. He's a tough one, to be sure. We kind of desperately need LHP, hell I would love to get a LHP starter, though our 5 are pretty good. Ford should have a bright future. Pity it has to happen elsewhere. I think we all knew Ford would get traded. The real question was when? Now we have a new hole at backup catcher. Should be pretty easy to fill.

We've been known to do magic with pitchers. Our coaching staff for pitchers stays intact this year so far, so hopefully they can coach Ferrer up to our standards.

 

[Steve Hawk]

One of their biggest needs in the Pen, a power lefty. Not many teams can develop pitching like the M's. I am liking the trade, Ford will get a shot in Washington.

 

[NoGain]

Is he better than Fergie?

 

[sutz]

Is he better than Fergie?

Gonna go out on a limb and say: probably.

 

[SoulfishHawk]

Meh. Give the new dude a chance. It's a real possibility that Ford is flat out overrated. And he's not exactly known as a good defensive catcher. Kind of important at the position. Also, he wasn't going to get much playing time here. And if Ford is some future star, where are the teams lining up for his services?? I'm probably in the minority, kind of was tired of hearing about the promise of Harry Ford.

 

[bileever]

I'm guessing the Mariners decided that Ford wasn't going to make it as Cal's backup this year, and that they preferred getting a veteran catcher for that role. The Ms were ambivalent about whether Ford could be a good enough defensive catcher and tried him in left field for a few games in 2024. That's not a good sign.

 

[Wsumatt1982]

I like the move. Was never sold on Ford plus he’s blocked. Got a potentially very good left reliever with 4 years of control that won’t cost anything. Still have all the available cap space we had before the deal. Hope Ford does well in Washington

 

[AnimeAmore]

I hate this trade. Hate it hate it hate it.

It wasn't a lack of pitching that kept us from the WS, it was a lack of offense. We are in desperate need of offense, and our biggest signing was merely a *re-signing* of a player we already had when we failed to advance to the WS.
Polanco won't be worth whatever he gets from someone, and even if we re-sign him he is *another* player that we already had when we failed to advance to the WS.

We haven't gotten any better, and now an obvious solution to our biggest problem was shipped out to solve a problem we didn't really have.

Am I the only one who remembers 15 years ago when every GM was tripping over themselves to make a closer one of the top 2 or 3 paid players on their team? Everyone kept overvaluing closers and undervaluing players who play 162 games. The same thing is happening with relievers today.

When everyone else is being stupid, all you have to do is avoid being stupid with them and suddenly you have an advantage over everyone else. What we witnessed in the playoffs all around was a lack of offense from teams. The pitching wasn't the issue, it was lack of scoring. That's also why games that went into extra innings *REALLY* went into extra innings. No one was scoring.
0
0
0
0
0
0
No one was scoring a damn run, and somehow GMs still think the issue was that the pitching wasn't good enough.
HELLO! SCORE A RUN AND YOU WIN THE GAME BECAUSE THE OTHER TEAM CERTAINLY ISN'T SCORING ANY RUNS.

 

[SoulfishHawk]

Shocked they didn't ask you first

 

[Crizilla]

I hate this trade. Hate it hate it hate it.

It wasn't a lack of pitching that kept us from the WS, it was a lack of offense. We are in desperate need of offense, and our biggest signing was merely a *re-signing* of a player we already had when we failed to advance to the WS.
Polanco won't be worth whatever he gets from someone, and even if we re-sign him he is *another* player that we already had when we failed to advance to the WS.

We haven't gotten any better, and now an obvious solution to our biggest problem was shipped out to solve a problem we didn't really have.

Am I the only one who remembers 15 years ago when every GM was tripping over themselves to make a closer one of the top 2 or 3 paid players on their team? Everyone kept overvaluing closers and undervaluing players who play 162 games. The same thing is happening with relievers today.

When everyone else is being stupid, all you have to do is avoid being stupid with them and suddenly you have an advantage over everyone else. What we witnessed in the playoffs all around was a lack of offense from teams. The pitching wasn't the issue, it was lack of scoring. That's also why games that went into extra innings *REALLY* went into extra innings. No one was scoring.
0
0
0
0
0
0
No one was scoring a damn run, and somehow GMs still think the issue was that the pitching wasn't good enough.
HELLO! SCORE A RUN AND YOU WIN THE GAME BECAUSE THE OTHER TEAM CERTAINLY ISN'T SCORING ANY RUNS.

M's are in win now mode and they desperately needed another BP arm. Ford also has said he wants to be a full time catcher.
So far (so far) it's been a solid offseason...you lock up an all star firstbaseman and get a hard throwing lefty in the BP.

 

[IndyHawk]

You never heard me pumping Ford up, I just didn't feel like
he was anything but a future JAG, as one above said:
"where's all the teams lining up for him"?
That is a big point, if it was Montes, you think he's only getting
us that one guy?

 

[Azvacar]

I hate this trade. Hate it hate it hate it.

It wasn't a lack of pitching that kept us from the WS, it was a lack of offense. We are in desperate need of offense, and our biggest signing was merely a *re-signing* of a player we already had when we failed to advance to the WS.
Polanco won't be worth whatever he gets from someone, and even if we re-sign him he is *another* player that we already had when we failed to advance to the WS.

We haven't gotten any better, and now an obvious solution to our biggest problem was shipped out to solve a problem we didn't really have.

Am I the only one who remembers 15 years ago when every GM was tripping over themselves to make a closer one of the top 2 or 3 paid players on their team? Everyone kept overvaluing closers and undervaluing players who play 162 games. The same thing is happening with relievers today.

When everyone else is being stupid, all you have to do is avoid being stupid with them and suddenly you have an advantage over everyone else. What we witnessed in the playoffs all around was a lack of offense from teams. The pitching wasn't the issue, it was lack of scoring. That's also why games that went into extra innings *REALLY* went into extra innings. No one was scoring.
0
0
0
0
0
0
No one was scoring a damn run, and somehow GMs still think the issue was that the pitching wasn't good enough.
HELLO! SCORE A RUN AND YOU WIN THE GAME BECAUSE THE OTHER TEAM CERTAINLY ISN'T SCORING ANY RUNS.

I really hate we are limited to 1 trade per season... I agree with you.. with that one and only trade we are allowed.. this is terrible.. Harry Ford has shown hes worth 300m already and we gave him up for peanuts, for a needed LHP in the Bullpen who is under team control for 3 more years

 

[Azvacar]

M's are in win now mode and they desperately needed another BP arm. Ford also has said he wants to be a full time catcher.
So far (so far) it's been a solid offseason...you lock up an all star firstbaseman and get a hard throwing lefty in the BP.

Pundits forever concern on his draft was that they don't think he's abl eto be a full time catcher for a career...

Time will tell... but I am very fine with this.

 

[Glasgow Seahawk]

Thought we would have got more for Ford but is what it is.

 

[Glasgow Seahawk]

Wonder if they'll try get Marte now.

 

[SoulfishHawk]

If they could have received more, they would have by now. Ford wasn't nearly as valuable as he is made out to be.

 

[bileever]

This trade, plus cutting Garver loose makes me wonder if a deal for a solid free agent catcher is iin the works. Danny Jansen or Victor Caratini? Someone who could catch enough games so that Cal doesn't have to be behind the plate 130 games a year?

Of course, Jansen and Caratini aren't in the same league as Cal defensively, but they wouldn't be bad as backups.

 

[Wsumatt1982]

Jansen or Caratini would be nice gets for backup but I am pretty sure it will be Garver. Should only be for about $3-4 million though so not horrible.