Meet at the Mitt: A Seattle Mariners podcast

We recorded this podcast last week during Marco Gonzales’s final spring start but had some difficulties with the editing of it, because what else is new. Kate’s audio is weirdly quiet at times (and still cough-y) and John’s is fuzzy, but fear not: Kate’s replacement mic is on the way, and we will use some of our cut from the Mike Zunino shirts to get John an actual big-boy microphone. Speaking of said shirts, they are here and they are neat! If you would like to buy one, if you do it through this link we get a little money from that, so you are not only supporting our good boy Mike but also the site as well. 0 - 10:00: Kate and John talk dumplings and Marco’s final spring start. Kate makes a weird comparison between the night’s strike zone and Joan Rivers, and then later makes a weird comparison between Marco Gonzales and a Pokemon (which, to be clear, she has never seen), and then later, sings. It’s almost like you shouldn’t mix cough medicine and having a cocktail. 10:00 - 20:00: The only real news this week was bad news. Kate and John talk about how the bullpen shapes up sans David Phelps, and the overall bullpen composition. Some light roasting of the Mets takes place, with Kate dissolving into giggles while trying to explicate the Mets’ bullpen strategy before turning philosophical about the nature of change. Best and worst-case scenarios. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Kate and John get together for the first time in what feels like forever to catch up on Spring Training, Kate’s trip to Arizona, positional battles, and the current state of the injury-ravaged team. Our only guest stars include two barky dogs. 0 - 9:00: Joyful reunion. Kate relays stories of her trip to Spring Training and communicates some dislike for the Grand Canyon state, apologies to our Arizona-based fans. (NB: My dislike for the state might be related to the death-cold I caught while there. Apologies for the coughing throughout.) 9:00 - 21:00: As any discussion of Mariners Spring Training must, we turn to a discussion of the injury plague. John breaks them down, from most to least freakish. John poses the question: how much do we actually need to see from players in the spring? Kate talks about the difficulty of being conditioned by the 2017 season to panic about injuries, when there’s potentially not anything to be panicky about quite yet. There is also some gentle joking about Ariel Miranda’s fleeing hairline. 21:00 - 33:00: Spring is the season of love and Daniel Vogelbach. Kate and John discuss his breakout performance and theorize about what might be fueling his strong spring. They also analyze where Mike Ford is in his development, and what his future as a Mariner might be, considering the intricacies of the Rule 5 draft. 33:00 - 36:00: Continuing the positional battles discussion, Kate forces John to talk about Mike Marjama for a while. Okay, Kate talks. 36:00 -51:00: Summing up the outfield positional battles and discussing Ichiro. Kate is unsentimental about Ichiro while John is somewhat sentimental, but neither are exactly thrilled with the move. John offers maybe his hottest take of ever. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week Kate talks to Louis Boyd, the Vancouver native and University of Arizona product whom the Mariners drafted in the 26th round of the 2017 MLB Draft. A Blue Jays fan growing up, Louis talks about why the Mariners are a great organizational fit for him, and shares the unique story of his draft day. He talks about his love for defense, and his experience at the University of Arizona playing with fellow Mariner Nathan Bannister. NOTE: Louis is participating in Braden Bishop’s #Hits2EndALZ drive for Alzheimer’s research. If you would like to match Louis at a dollar per hit he gets in spring training, tweet to him, he’d love to hear from you: @LouisBoyd2. MUSIC: This week’s music is Louis’s selection, a Vancouver-based band called Redwoods. The songs are “On the Run” and “Twisted,” and you can find the band on Soundcloud here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tommy Romero was drafted in the fifteenth round by the Mariners in 2017. Romero led NJCAA Division I baseball in strikeouts and was fifth in ERA with a 1.13. His K/9 was practically 14 for the year. After college, as a member of the AZL Mariners, Romero pitched 43 additional innings with an impressive 10.59 K/9 and 3.12 BB/9 with an FIP of just 3.03. The Florida native joins us to talk about the progress of his baseball career and experiences in the Mariners organization so far. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jordan Cowan was drafted by the Mariners in 2013, making him one of nine longest-tenured players in the Mariners organization while still just 22 years old. The Kentlake product joins Kate to talk about growing up a Mariner fan, the surreal experience of being drafted by his hometown team, and his career so far with the Mariners. 0 - 6:00: Introduction, explanation of what the PTPA challenge is, and an injury update. 6:00 - 16:00: Origin story! Jordan cops to going for Bret Boone frosted tips in the early 2000s, relives his Little League glory days, and talks about the experience of having his childhood dream come true when he was drafted by his hometown team. 16:00 - 25:00: Jordan talks about being one of the longest-tenured Mariners, the biggest differences in the new regime, and what teaching and learning looks like in the organization currently. 26:00 - 40:00 : As a member of the 2017 Cal League Champion Modesto Nuts, Jordan details what made that team so special. He discusses how the team held together despite losing multiple key players to promotions and trades, and how the overall organizational philosophy of “be who you are” helped propel the team deep into a playoff run. Jordan also manages to overcome his natural humility to walk us through his go-ahead three run home run in the Cal League playoffs. 40:00 - 46:00: Jordan talks about moving from the minor league side of the clubhouse to the major league side, and admits to being a little starstruck by childhood heroes Félix and Edgar. He also discusses what he’s learned from being in big league camp 46:00 - end: Kate does an extremely terrible Australian accent that Jordan nicely pretends is fine as they transition into talking about his experience in the Australian Baseball League and what he learned from his time there. Australians are snappy dressers, it turns out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Since we spoke last, Yu Darvish has signed, Ryon Healy’s hand was spurred, and frankly that’s mostly it for big news. Thankfully, pitchers and catchers have officially reported, meaning blurry photos from beat reporters have been rolling in across the two states in the nation where Spring Training occurs. We decided to get together on Kate’s birthday to discuss the things we want, hope, and need to see from the Mariners in Spring Training. We also get into what, if anything, of value can be gleaned from Spring Training numbers. The answer: not much! But it’s not all noise. Kate gets enthusiastic about seeing Dee Gordon defensively, while John hurls several hats in the ring on behalf of the Mike Ford train... circus. Kate rails against the tyranny of her inept local garbageperson and the two learn the very different ways in which Valentine’s Day was celebrated at Lowell Elementary School vs. Our Lady Guadalupe Catholic School. We’re sorry, Saint Leroy. NOTE: We recorded this Wednesday, after the knowledge of Healy’s injury, but prior to its specifics. The tone of our treatment of the subject holds up pretty much in line with the ultimate diagnosis. Total Runtime: 1:15:28 Music: Thundercat - Them Changes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week Andrew Moore joins Kate and John to talk about serious baseball things and not-so-serious not-baseball things. Andrew talks about coaches he's had and how he became inovlved in Driveline, and how he's training this off-season. Andrew also talks about what he's working towards next year, what he learned from his first year in the bigs, and how he's grown as a pitcher and a person over the past year. Because this is a quasi-minor-leagues podcast, there is of course the requisite discussion of video games ranging from Madden to NBA Street to Fortnite. Andrew also offers a preview of his second career as a film critic, including a glowing review of the film The Disaster Artist, and submits to a wicked pop quiz regarding his Greek heritage (less Artist, more Disaster). Music: (Andrew's choices!) I Want You To Shake - Francis and the Lights; Children's Story - Slick Rick Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After several weeks of enjoying guest perspectives, Kate and John reunite to dig back into the nuts and bolts that make up the 2018 Mariners. They discuss the spring media luncheon and the heavy spin employed by Dipoto and co., the current sluggish state of the FA market, and, as is required by Mariners offseason podcast law, try to answer the eternal "will they sign a starter" question. The balance of the episode is devoted to answering listener questions. We talk about the supposed lack of space for another starting pitcher, the many bad coin flips of 2017, Jerry Dipoto’s Buffalo Exchange runs, Félix Hernández’s potential as a reliever, Ben Gamel’s remarkable faculty for performing well in the memorable moments, and Kate’s many microphones. We’ll be back early next week with another guest on the Mariners Spring Training Roster! Music: Carly Simon - Anticipation; Nu Shooz - I Can’t Wait Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

0 - 6:00: General introductions and the requisite "how do we say your name exactly?" Lindsey talks about his off-season regimen and learning from Andrew Moore (and I call Nate Yeskie "Ned" for some reason, please don't come after me Beaver fans) and getting involved in weighted ball training. 6:00 - 13:00: Lindsey talks about the adjustments he made from the first to the second half of the season that dropped his ERA from 5.91 to 2.08. Rather than attributing it to a mechanical change, he discusses the adjustments he made mentally, leaning on the Mariners' mental skills coach David (not James) Franco, and the mindset he brings to the mound that turned his season around. 13:00 -18:00: Lindsey gives a brief overview of his career and the injury that led him from the Dodgers organization to the Mariners. He talks about why he decided to return to baseball after being released, what he learned from being in Indy ball, playing in Venezuela, and why he feels fortunate to have had his journey lead him to being a Mariner. The word "logjam" gets thrown around a lot. 18:00 - 22:00: Lindsey expounds on the Mariners' organizational philosophies and what has struck him as the sharpest differences between being with the Dodgers vs. being with the Mariners, and why he's happy to trade free-range chicken for the opportunity to be given a set of personalized pitching goals. 22:00 - 30:00 Ben asks Lindsey about the lethargic minor-league FA market and why he decided to return to the Mariners, and Lindsey plays along with our refusal to say the name of a certain Japanese two-way player. We play a game of "name the injured pitcher," which is a sad and bad game and we're sorry, and talk about the kind of player that the Mariners seem to be targeting in their acquisitions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, John and Kate are joined by Casey Boguslaw of ForwardMile.com to talk some analytics and Statcast metrics, what to expect from the Mariners outfield, and about the fine city of Chicago. 0 - 5:00: Introductions and general tomfoolery. 5:00 - 13:00: Barrels and Barrels-FIP chat! Casey explains these metrics and analyzes the data to predict a couple of rebound candidates for the 2018 season. 13:00 - 16:00: Casey discusses Ariel Miranda's barrel problem, and James Paxton's lack of barrel problem. 16:00 - 26:00: Outfield defense. Casey talks about why the Mariners' 2017 outfield defense caught his eye. 26:00 - 30:00 : Casey offers a little bit of hope for Mariners fans regarding the Astros' acquisition of Gerrit Cole, and then promptly snatches that hope away by reminding us how good the Astros pitching staff is. 30:00 - 36:00: Defensive metrics chat! Casey talks about the importance of understanding the outfield as a unit, and analyzes a few of the best and worst defensive units around the league. 37:00 - 46:00: The risks and rewards of baserunning. Casey offers a surprising factoid about a Mariner who was actually better on the bases than you probably think. 47:00-53:00: John ties everything together with a discussion of how the outfield unit controls the running game, and Casey gives his analytics origin story (the villain is Robin Ventura). 54:00 - Listener questions! Music: Chicago - Saturday in the Park; The Donkeys - Lower the Heavens Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After a breakout season with the Mariners' High-A team, Art Warren burst onto the national radar with an AFL performance that saw him serve as the closer on a talent-stacked Peoria team that would go on to win the AFL championship and giving Warren the distinction of recording the final out in two separate championship games within the space of three months. Art talks about his draft day experience, his breakout season, embracing Jarrod Dyson's philosophy of champagne flow, and what he's excited about in spring training, where he'll be in big league camp. He also provides some key insights into the Mariners' organizational philosophies and his approach on the mound, and tells a pretty awesome story about getting some advice from "King Felix." As with any prospect podcast, there is a healthy discussion of video games, as well as Art's steadfast, and admirable, belief that the Cleveland Browns' day will come. Music: Belly - Man Listen, BROCKHAMPTON - GOLD Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Hot Stove continues to cook for Jerry Dipoto alone, as he sends off three prospects, including top pitching prospect Nick Neidert and high-ceiling shortstop Chris Torres to Miami in exchange for...center fielder Dee Gordon? Oh, and a million extra dollars in slot money, which gives the Mariners the most out of all remaining teams, take that LA. 0- 6:00: General freaking out 6:00: Ohtani talk, all our hopes and dreams, and some crushing words for the NY media 20:00: Oh yeah, Dee Gordon is here now and he's playing center field. Ian Desmond's name is invoked. 28:00: Positional flexibility and lineup optimization. The slowness of the middle of the order. Kate and Jordan get shouty about Ben Gamel. Contract discussions: Nelson Cruz aside, is this the lineup we will see for a while? 39:00: Discussing the Fangraphs piece on front office rankings. 47:00: Hot Stove talk and a weird metaphor for Tyler Chatwood. 48:00: How the trade affects the M's shot at Darvish; revisiting the Mike Leake trade. 1:00:00: Back to Dee Gordon! 1:09: Kate and Jordan tackle your questions! Music: G Cinco, "I'm the Man" (Dee Gordon's brother!), "King Kunta" Kendrick Lamar, "Get Dancin'" Disco Tex and the Sex-o-Lettes Note: the audio levels are janky here for John. I know and I'm sorry. Also it cuts off weirdly because for some reason my audio dropped out totally at the end. I promise we are working on these things but THINGS ARE KIND OF CRAZY RIGHT NOW OK. Also note: I realized I called him "Pat Cashman" and not "Brian Cashman." My apologies to Pat. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Hot Stove has dried up entirely, so we turned our attention to the two things holding everything up: Shohei Ohtani’s impending arrival and Giancarlo Stanton’s impending trade. We endeavor to fill out the questionnaire Ohtani and his agent put forward to all 30 MLB clubs on why they are the best fit. It’s the dating profile that everyone is holding their breath on, and don’t worry folks, we nailed it. 0:00 - 7:20: Thanksgiving recaps. Kate made a list, checked it twice, and made a dope casserole. John ate a leftover turkey leg this week. 7:20 - 14:00: Discussing the excellent revelations from the Wheelhouse Podcast with Jerry Dipoto and Aaron Goldsmith, and the enjoyable nature of following a team that is transparent, even when unsuccessful. 14:00 - 1:16:31: We go through all seven questions on Ohtani’s test, focusing most on player development, strength and conditioning, and fit, which struck us as the most important: 1:16:31-1:17:01: Break 1:17:01 - 1:44:00: Listener questions! How/should baseball and softball be in the Olympics? Are moves to improve pace of play consequential? What are some Ohtani backup plans? And what can the M’s do to break the curse of the Trident? Music: Wheels Fall Off - The Good Husbands (both beginning and end), Wagon Wheel - Old Crow Medicine Show (middle) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Hot Stove season has officially begun, and of course it's Jerry Dipoto leading the charge, trading away steady rookie reliever Emilio Pagan to address the team's need at first base. In exchange for Pagan and a teenaged infield prospect, Alexander Campos, the Mariners receive Ryon Healy, Oakland's young, power-hitting first baseman. 0 - 5:00: Jordan makes a long-awaited return to the podcasting world, and gets to do it with people who are as into Mike Marjama as he is. It's a great day all around. 5:00: Kate and John bemoan their already-dinged off-season plan (it's just a little less first basey! It's still good!), which the team just published the last major leg of today, Jerry, you stinker. John and Jordan recall the first time they laid eyes on Healy and Jordan somehow manages to slip a Rhys Hopkins mention in, because of course he does. 11:30: The trio investigate Jerry's insatiable yen for both Oakland Athletics first basemen and 26-year-old ex-prospects as a way to drag down the team's overall age, and discuss what Healy might bring to the team. We also hold a brief moment of silence for Daniel Vogelbach. 22:30: With every un-bendy power-hitting first baseman come some caveats. We discuss them, and look into how Healy slots into the Mariners' lineup. 30:00: John gives a brief overview of the right-handed first basemen who were on the market, and Mark Reynolds gives Jordan the vapors. 34:00: It's not Hot Stove season without someone shouting OVERPAY! The crew investigates the veracity of this claim. Jordan gets a little shouty about predicting prospects born in the year 2000. Kate reminds Jordan Evan White exists, flooding him with delight. Kate gets shouty about Chris Taylor (again). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The World Series is over and free agency has begun! We've had a lovely haitus but are refreshed and ready to discuss and debate how the Mariners can best improve themselves this offseason. Hopefully improved health will be a component, but improved talent would make us a lot happier too. Staff writer and offseason > regular season advocate Ben Thoen joins John and Kate to go over some of their desired pathways for filling the holes Seattle has at SP, OF, and 1B. There is, as there likely will be from every day until he signs, some Shohei Ohtani talk, but most of the focus remains on domestic free agents and trade targets. Ben dreams of Yu Darvish. Kate sets her sights on some of the mid-tier pitching options. John is really annoyed by how many former Mariners 1B are now their best choices once again. After a healthy discussion that gets into the Lookout Landing offseason plan, we take questions on specific moves, and somehow devolve into John explaining the concept of kaiju to the group. Kate designs a potential hit Mariners fan giveaway and Ben breaks his couch. Grab your earbuds, pull up a chair, and dream about the possibilities with us. Unless you're like Ben and your couch is broken. Maybe don't sit in that then. 0:00 - 8:50 - Intro and recounting the recent news (minor league free agents, waiver claims, mispronouncing Lindsey Caughel) 8:50 - 16:00 - What we expect other teams to be doing next year (The Astros/Cleveland/Yankees/Red Sox will be good. Everyone else might be bad?) 16:00 - 49:00 - The starting pitching options, internally and externally (Ohtani-watch, followed by more tangible options) 49:00 - 1:17:50 - Platoons?! 8-man bullpens? Wolfpacks? Tandem starts?! 1:17:50-1:18:20 - Break! 1:18:20 - End - Listener questions! Music: Dreams - Beck, Space Jam - Audio Jam ft. Lil Wayne Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I don’t know if the refrain I’ve heard often throughout the Mariners corner of the internet rings true for you about these playoffs feeling a vacation has rung true for you, but it sure has for us. This week John and Kate kick their feet up and chat about the scintillating first couple of World Series games between the Astros and the Dodgers. We discuss the Astros potential to appeal to future players with “internships” and what an exceptional time to be a baseball fan this is. We also talk about the Arizona Fall League and the Mariners prospects within. Eric Filia looks mildly intriguing! So do the Mariners' several hard-throwing relievers! The Mariners have shown some ability to maximize their mid-tier prospects, but both of us are very ready to watch Kyle Lewis, Evan White, and co. get extended action in 2018. After a bit of chatter on the coaching carousel hurling Joe Girardi, Dusty Baker, and John Farrell to the ground of the county fair, we discuss our feelings on Scott Servais (meh) and potential internal and external alternatives. We get sidetracked discussing the potential Halloween decorations of different Mariners bullpen members, and hypothesize a bit about Jerry Dipoto’s “wolfpack” theory. Finally, we let our eyes and mouths wander and dip a toe (a lot of body parts get involved, deal with it) into our hopes for the 2018 offseason. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hello! After a brief vacation/some technical issues with our recording software, we are regrettably back on our bullshohei—[John forcibly rips away the keyboard]okay I promise that’s the last one. This time we are joined by Kazuto Yamazaki, NPB expert and author at Beyond the Box Score, Deltagraphs, and elsewhere. Kazuto offers his insight on baseball in Japan, from both a technical and cultural point of view: how does posting work? And what is up with the older gentleman wearing a poop emoji hat? Kazuto profiles a few interesting players before digging into the subject which most piques our curiousity: Shohei Ohtani. Where will he choose to sign? What role will he play for his new team? Will he even come stateside for the 2018 season? We have none of these answers! But listen to us speculate wildly, say what we do know, and overall dream on what acquiring a player of Ohtani’s caliber would mean for a team. Note: if you are interested in learning more about Japanese baseball (if you happen to be a baseball fan who works nights/has a newborn/is up at 2 AM on the regular, it’s a real gift to Club Insomnia), Kazuto is an excellent follow on Twitter. You can also check out Deltagraphs, which is like the NPB version of Fangraphs, and maybe consider becoming a member there to help grow the site. Note: If you’re searching for the podcast to subscribe (and we would love it if you did) please be aware that it is listed as simply “Lookout Landing” and not “Lookout Landing 2.0” which is understandably confusing. We’re sorry. Music: Nippon Ham Fighters Theme Song Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The season is over for all intensive purposes, so John and Kate look ahead at what could be done to fix some of the holes for 2018. We discuss and debate the merits of rebuilding fully and tearing everything down as opposed to retooling around the current core, and lament the inability of this team to Just. Do. Everything. Well. At. Once. Ugh. Afterwards, they take listener questions on what should be done with Félix, first base, Servais, and health-inducing witchcraft. We also debate what constitutes chili and learn about a harrowing experience John had within the Seattle Public Schools system. Music: I'm On Fire - Bruce Springsteen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After a year of struggling to put together a cohesive pitching staff all season, this week Kate and John examine the starting pitching in the organization. After a brief recap of the Mariners’ current road trip, they peer into their crystal ball to look at the projected rotation for next year and discuss who might be headed for the bullpen. They rank the in-house options and discuss the futures of young players like Marco Gonzales and Andrew Moore, and John briefly forgets about the existence of one Erasmo Ramirez. They also cast an eye to the free-agency options and what type of pitcher the Mariners might be targeting and who said Shohei Ohtani? That was you, you said that, but okay, if you insist we talk about him...Kate talks about what non-baseball-question she’d like to ask Shohei Ohtani, which would be challenging as his English is limited and her Japanese, nonexistent. After a brief break, listener questions are answered that touch on topics ranging from a Yonder Alonso deal (John does not cry YONNNNNDEERRRR on the podcast, be not afraid) to who should start for the Mariners in a playoff scenario to how to break the Trident Curse. Kate says “we’ve wandered pretty far afield here...” at least five or six times before closing with an exhortation to #GoNuts. Please submit any of your future questions for the podcast to @LookoutLanding or leave them in the comments below. Note: If you’re searching for the podcast to subscribe (and we would love it if you did) please be aware that it is listed as simply “Lookout Landing” and not “Lookout Landing 2.0” which is understandably confusing. We’re sorry. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While the trade nearest and dearest to many hearts may be the Leonys Martin trade, conducted in the eleventh hour last night, the Mariners made another deal earlier this week that will impact their playoff odds this year and in the next few seasons more tangibly. The acquisition of Mike Leake was the second trade Seattle has made with the Cardinals to acquire a starting pitcher in the last two months. Kate looked at St. Louis early on as a good trade partner, but Jerry has gone back to the well. To better understand who the M's have gotten in Leake (and Marco Gonzales), we tracked down an expert. Craig Edwards is the managing editor of Viva El Birdos, SB Nation's Cardinals community, as well as a contributor for Fangraphs. We revealed to him how broken we were by weeping for joy when he mentioned Leake usually was only good for 5-6 innings, and inquired on what the experience is of seeing a franchise player you loved like Albert Pujols struggle so mightily for someone else. If you want to find more from Craig, you can find him on Twitter at @craigjedwards. Please submit any of your future questions for the podcast to @LookoutLanding on Twitter or email them to [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We apologize for the delay in getting this week’s podcast up—we had some technical issues that couldn’t be resolved over the weekend because apparently some people don’t work on the weekend [glares in the general direction of Cast]. This is a lengthy one but we cover a lot of ground. We recorded in three parts, which is how we recommend listening: Part One (23:22): the Leonys DFA, reviewing the Barves series, the team’s unfortunate proclivity for injury, previewing the Yankees series (spoiler alert: John is Nostradamus) and discussing the Orioles series, and what makes last year’s Orioles so much like this year’s Mariners. Part Two (23:22 - 44:35): an interview with Casey Catherwood, in-game entertainment manager for the Tacoma Rainiers and overall delightful human. Casey talks about his love for Tacoma and his passion for record stores that lead to Hi-Voltage Night (which conveniently overlaps with LL Night at Cheney this year). He also gives us an insight into the twisted mind of The Inspector, and provides live updates on the ballpark wedding rehearsal he’s watching. Part Three: Questions! We talk September callups, Ben Gamel’s struggles, Mitch Haniger’s future, and HAHAHA NOPE LIES. This audio just doesn’t work at all and until Cast gets back to me [glares harder in general direction of Cast] this is just going to have to chill the heck out. But in the interest of getting this published before LL Night/Record Store Night at Cheney, I’m sending this out in the world now, with hopes we can eventually recover the audio with the questions later. Get your act together already, Cast. Music: "Love on Me," Galantis & Hook N Slink; "Since I Left You," the Avalanches; "Day I Die,” the Nationals Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

John is off finding himself in some wild west town or some bullshit, so staff writer Zach Milkis and fellow book enthusiast joins Kate this week. They talk “Deadgar Weekend” (™ John) and try to wrest a tiny bit of joy out of what was truly a remarkable suckfest, with mixed results. Speaking of suckfests, Zach and Kate revisit their Curse of the Amazon and ponder if that's the reason for the Mariners' recent struggles. They also make fun of Parker Bridwell’s name for a while, because you make fun of things so they can't hurt you, and discuss the Orioles series, which was...a win? We guess? The duo take a moment out to appreciate the Mariners' women in baseball night, and then look over the upcoming series. Hint: here be dragons. But there might be good things coming in Haniger's return (which might mean bad things for Ben Gamel), Marco Gonzales might be fun, and Emilio Pagan (aka Zach's homeboy) definitely is. Other topics include: book shaming, Matt Christopher, the potential for a Mark Twain/Joyce Carol Oates twitter takedown, and how Jerry Dipoto might sign a ten-foot alligator (only if it had options, natch.) For some reason, Kate discusses the 1995 film Showgirls on not one, but multiple occasions. Music: "Fuego," Bomba Estereo; "We Can Work It Out," Stevie Wonder; "If There’s A Hell Below (We’re All Gonna Go)," Curtis Mayfield Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Mariners have clawed their way, inexplicably, to possession of a Wild Card spot, at least for the moment. John and Kate express their tempered optimism, their fears about the rotation, and appreciation for Ben Gamel and the entire offense. Since we had a flood of great questions we decided to make this an all listener questions episode. We take questions on potential ways to bolster the rotation, the fear of Lollablueza 2.0 this weekend, additional historical versions of the King's Court/Maple Grove, which Player's Weekend jerseys need fixing, and much more. We also discuss how meaningful Edgar's retirement ceremony will be to us, personally, and Kate shares a wonderful story she was told about Shawn O'Malley's generosity. We recorded before last night's loss, so while we do tangentially discuss Servais and his bullpen usage, we do not have any blistering takes on that. Music: Fire - Big Sean, Crash Bandicoot Rap - JT Machinima Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

John and Kate return after technical difficulties kept our episode featuring Grant Bronsdon from seeing the light of day. As they both bake in Seattle’s smoggy heat wave, they assess how the M’s stack up against their likely contenders in the suddenly real Wild Card race. The Tampa Bay Rays are essentially the 2014 Mariners, in style and in literal roster construction, we conclude, while the Kansas City Royals are probably hiding Kendrys Morales somewhere in Kauffman Stadium. They debate a potential Jarrod Dyson extension, the mixed bag that was the Rangers series, and some of the strange comforts and frustrations of this bizarre season as it enters the final third. Afterwards, to beat the heat, we play a quick game checking in on some of the biggest free agent signings that the Mariners didn’t make. Music: "Smooth" - Santana; "Fire" - Big Sean; "Louvre" - Lorde Please submit any of your future questions for the podcast to @LookoutLanding or leave them in the comments below. Note: If you’re searching for the podcast to subscribe (and we would love it if you did) please be aware that it is listed as simply “Lookout Landing” and not “Lookout Landing 2.0” which is understandably confusing. We’re sorry. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

John bails on Kate this week because he is "moving," so Jamey Vinnick of Scout.com joins the show to talk about the Mariners' latest trade. They talk about the power of seeing Tyler O'Neill in the flesh, break down Andrew Moore's recent tough start, and talk about the new (old) Felix Hernandez. Jamey, who has spent time in Everett and Tacoma watching Brayan Hernandez and Brandon Miller, gives his evaluation on what the Mariners gave away, and Kate discusses who she thinks might amount to the most valuable piece in the trade. They analyze what David Phelps brings and discuss his strengths and weaknesses, and speculate about whether or not he could potentially help the Mariners rotation in 2018. They also watch the Mariners make Felix feel like his old self by giving him no run support over seven strong innings. That part is less fun. You can skip it. Finally, they take some Twitter questions and are simultaneously struck by a craving for Capri Sun and Fun Size Snickers (Kate) and pepperoni pizza (Jamey). Music: "I Just Can't Get Enough" - Depeche Mode; "Only God Can Judge Me" - Tupac Shakur; "Louvre" - Lorde Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

John and Kate are joined by Jen Mac Ramos to discuss their experiences following the Mariners most successful minor league team this year - the High-A Modesto Nuts. Jen is fairly new to Lookout Landing but far from new to baseball or baseball writing. They can be found writing for Beyond the Box Score (Sabermetrics), McCovey Chronicles (Giants), Purple Row (Rockies), as well as working as a stats intern at Baseball Prospectus and contributing to The Hardball Times. They also filmed a group of minor league baseball players chasing chickens for us this year. Together we discuss the experience of learning to love minor league baseball, finding a connection to a team when it can change entire organizations in a single year, and the impression this year's dominant Modesto team has had on all of us. In an organization slim on high-end talent, we discuss at a few players who have made adjustments this year to improve their value, including OF Braden Bishop, OF Eric Filia, OF Luis Liberato, and OF/3B/C Joe DeCarlo. We also discuss the delight of home run derbies, be they in Miami, Tacoma, or, as Jen was witness to, on an aircraft carrier. Afterwards, we take your Twitter questions, including Tyler O'Neill future possibilities, Yankee Candle education, and VERY MIXED REVIEWS of Rich Aurilia. Music: Let's Go Crazy - Prince, You're a Wolf - Sea Wolf, Modesto, the Home I Know - Mick V. Rubalcava Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As John and I record: Sam Gaviglio melts down, the Mariners forget how to run the bases, and overall look like a garbage team next to the Oakland Athletics as the losing skid at home reaches eight. It’s pretty clear the Mariners won’t be buyers at the trade deadline, so we talk sweet sweet trading action, baby: who has value, who does not, what pieces might come in return, who we think will be traded and should be traded, and who the team will choose to build around. We also dip our toe into talking about some potential trade partners. We head off into talking about morticians vs. funeral directors for a while and John tells a pretty horrifying story about his time spent playing youth baseball and the sweet smell of death, which seems appropriate while watching this particular game. After a quick break, we take some Twitter questions and discuss the Mariners in a post-apocalyptic world, this time in a joking manner. We admire Tony Zych’s Camo Thursdays Everydays and fret about Felix attempting to navigate towards his bungalow in the Maldives in the wake of a zombie apocalypse. Speaking of Felix, we discuss what we think the future of the King’s Court might be, and things get a little somber for a while, as they usually do when talking about Felix nowadays. We try to end on a cheery note, with each of us talking about what is keeping us invested in watching the team at this moment, as we determinedly wrest some joy out of the 2017 Mariners. Later, as I mix the podcast, I will listen to Bread’s “Everything I Own,” decide it’s about Felix, and cry fluently. Music: Good Old War - It Hurts Every Time; Big Deal - Dream Machines; Bread - Everything I Own Please submit any of your future questions for the podcast to @LookoutLanding or leave them in the comments below. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

John Trupin and Kate Preusser return to discuss the highs and lows of the past week and project what the Mariners may do in the next month with their roster. 13-3 win over the Astros! Losing four straight. Andrew Moore's debut! Edwin Díaz's struggles. Who do the Mariners best fit with as a trade partner for this year and next? What even do the Mariners have to buy or sell? Does a pitching machine with a smiley face taped to it count as a 4 starter? Some cathartic rehashing of a couple weeks that showed the best and worst of Mariners baseball. Music: Kurt Vile - Wakin on a Pretty Day, Goldlink - Palm Trees. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kate and John are reunited and bring on LL's minor league expert Ethan Novak to recap and discuss the signs of life shown by the Mariners in the last couple weeks (0:00) that brought some folks back from the brink of declaring the season over. After discussing Mike Zunino, DEFINITELY FIXED HITTER, the absolute absurdity of the AL standings, and the Jean Segura extension, they turn to the main focus of this week: the 2017 MLB Draft (13:10). Evan White is interesting but Ethan wanted several someone elses. Sam Carlson wasn't even supposed to be here. 5th round pick David Banuelos gets compared to everyone's favorite new Rays catcher. 8th round pick Billy Cooke zips his way up Kate's personal prospect rankings. What is up with honor picks? Are any of these guys even good? Why did so many people get picked from places with Olive in their name? Should you even care about rounds after the top-10? WHO IS KEVIN SANTA? After the break (1:01:50) Twitter questions are fielded on potential Hall of Fame players on the Mariners, types of bears, the rest of the division's drafts, and more. Intermittently, breaks are taken to remark on the M's 6-4 win over the Twins that was happening during the recording, since we have the attention span of toddlers. Alas. Please submit any of your future questions for the podcast to @LookoutLanding or leave them in the comments below. Also, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Lookout Landing podcast with your favorite purveyor of podcasts. Music: Cheap Trick - Want You To Want Me, Drake - Draft Day, Flamingosis - Football Head Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mariners' speedy outfield prospect Ian Miller joins Kate and co-host Eric Sanford to talk about the joys and trials of life in the minor leagues. He offers a dugout-level view on spring training and what he thinks makes big leaguers stand apart, a discussion of the swing chanes that have led to him seeing a tremendous jump in his numbers this year, and explains the shift in organizational philosophies post-Dipoto-regime from a player's point of view. Other topics covered: imaginary girlfriends, the irresistible allure of Chick-Fil-A breakfasts, and "which guy are you in the fight?" Music: "Kashmir" by Led Zeppelin, "Space Oddity" by David Bowie (both Ian's choices); "Run On" by Moby Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kate Preusser and John Trupin are joined by musician, songwriter, and lifelong Mariners fan Ben Gibbard. After sprinting at full speed through the unpleasant of the Toronto series, Gibbard reveals the origins of his unfortunate lot in life vis-a-vis baseball fandom, including a chance childhood encounter with Alvin Davis on the Bainbridge Island ferry. We discuss the challenges of finding the balance between hope and realism, how Gibbard’s baseball talent stacks up against the current injury-laden roster, the incredible experience of watching Ichiro play and listening to Dave Niehaus, and what the hell is wrong with players and their taste in walkup/entrance music. Afterwards, we take Twitter questions and delve into Gibbard’s burgeoning passion for ultra-running and how he got embroiled in a run involving eating Dick’s cheeseburgers in the midst. We also look at potential musical renditions for the 2017 roster, why our Seager(s) is(are) the best Seager(s), whether Dipoto should blow it up or run it back, which opposing fan bases are the most miserable to interact with, and much more. Music: Minor Threat - Out of Step, Ben Gibbard - Ichiro’s Theme, Randy Houser - We Went Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kate and John are joined by staff writers Isabelle Minasian and Jake Mailhot to debate the fantastic production of the Mariners' outfield so far. Jake champions Ben Gamel, John claims Mitch Haniger, Isabelle campaigns for Guillermo Heredia, and Kate takes the task of defending The Field. They debate the season so far, the best moments of each player, and their future gifts. Kate is distracted by minor league push notifications. Afterwards, Twitter questions are taken on the outfield of the past, present, and future, as well as mountain climbing races, potential catcher replacements, and situational acrobatics. Other Topics Include: How Bad Was Casey Fien?, How to Keep a Mariner Safe, Parents Ruining Players, Danny Valencia Knowing a Guy, The Crimson Chin, and more. Music: TheSportReel - That's What Speed Do, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Riding (Day), The National - The System Only Dreams In Total Darkness Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kate Preusser and John Trupin are joined by WFAA Texas Rangers beat writer and storyteller Levi Weaver to preview the upcoming series between the Rangers and the Mariners. Tales of bullpen heartache and Tom Wilhelmsen adoration are traded, and Levi discusses his unconventional pathway to a career in baseball writing. Kate and John do their best to avoid divine judgment while recording in the middle of a thunderstorm and Levi reveals himself to be the black sheep of a family of cowboy church preachers and the head of your new favorite Twitter account. Twitter questions are answered as always, including a Rangers' perspective on the delightful Félix-Beltré friendly rivalrly matchups, and A.J. Griffin's pacifism, and Jerry Dipoto as a dessert on the share table at lunch. Other Topics Include: Life Lessons Through Sheep Riding, Two Turtle Coaches, Joey Gallohmygod, The Island of Dr. Morneau, Camaraderie(?), and more. Music: Lyle Lovett - That's Right (You're Not From Texas), Rainbow Kitten Surprise - Devil Like Me Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A slightly loopy Kate Preusser and John Trupin convene late at night after the Mariners series win over the Detroit Tigers to discuss how the M's can recuperate from their injuries and who has already stepped up. They look at the upcoming schedule, celebrate Leonys Martín's return, and debate if the team will be able to remain a contender while shorthanded. Later, they take Twitter questions, shame their history teachers yet again with poor geographical and mythological recall, and design the perfect bobblehead for Seattle's utility sensation Taylor Motter. Other Topics include: Sprockets, Rainy Springs and Hot Aprils, Lloyd McClendon in the Land of the Soviets, Obsessions with Boogs, Helsinki Syndrome, and more. Music: Farruko - Visionary, Oh Land - Voodoo, Shad - Wild. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kate Preusser and John Trupin are joined by staff writer Jake Mailhot to discuss the surprising starting pitching (both good and bad), the Mariners' excellent homestand, and M(VP)itch Haniger. They also debate if an 8-man bullpen is necessary anymore, recount some favorite Ichiro memories, and Jake decides Yovani Gallardo is where he's going to make his stand. Afterwards, they take questions from Twitter on fun deliveries, Jean Segura's mischief, ice cream analogies, and more. Please submit any of your questions to @LookoutLanding Topics include: Ceilings, Floors, and Beating Down the Doors, CB Bucknor Up Buttercup, Sexy Rum Raisin, and more. Music: NxWorries (Anderson Paak) - Livvin, Kendrick Lamar ft. Zacari - LOVE., Bonnie McKee - Bombastic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Seattle Mariners have started the season out playing so-so baseball and getting so-sad results. Kate Preusser and John Trupin are joined by fellow LL editor Zach Sanders to discuss the curiosity of the 8-man bullpen, 1st base struggles, and realistic expectations for this season after the pit the team has fallen into in the standings. Afterwards we take questions from Twitter, as always, which you can submit to @LookoutLanding Topics include: Fire, Hellfire. Boozy Ice Cream. Burned Out Grasshoppers. Trader Jerry's Next Fix. Basic Math. Music: Novelists - Souvenirs, Cheldon McQueen - Big, Tegan and Sara - Walking With a Ghost Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After a rough opening series, Kate Preusser and John Trupin discuss the Mariners' seemingly leaden bats and potential silver linings. Afterwards, they take questions from listeners, and debate Houston's lousiness and if the Mariners will ever have two consecutive hits with runners in scoring position. Other topics include: Cricket Flour, Dashing Smiles & Mischieveous Grins, Scots and Pirates, and more. Music: Run the Jewels - Talk To Me. Russian Futurists - Precious Metals. Rakim - It's Nothing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After a leave of absence due to one of our hosts getting hired to work for the Mariners (Congrats José!!!!) we are back on our weekly schedule. Managing Editor Kate Preusser and Editor John Trupin convene to discuss what defines a successful season, the players they're excited for and worried about, and their expectations for the AL West. Keep an eye out for our call for questions for next week's episode - we record every Wednesday or Thursday. Music: Run the Jewels - Talk To Me, Redbone - The Witch Queen of New Orleans, Cousin Stizz - Big Fella Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we're joined by LL's resident MiLB aficionado Ethan Novak, as well as site intern Ben Thoen. We discuss some of the major storylines heading into Spring Training: Felix, World Baseball Classic, and the youth movement on the 2017 roster. Music: Thundercat - Friend Zone, DJ Premier Ft. Miguel - 2 Lovin U, Future Islands - Ran Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Kate and Jose are joined by biz savant, Zach Sanders, and LL intern, Luke Mounger. They break down the good and the bad of each AL West team, as well as which team could be a threat to Seattle's playoff chances. This week's music: (Intro) Talk to me - Run the Jewels, Sleep - City of Souls, Night's On Fire - David Nail, idyllwild - Mia Dawson, Pure Comedy - Father John Misty Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In episode four of the Lookout Landing podcast, Kate and Jose are joined by fellow staff contributors, John Trupin and Grand Bronsdon. We discuss the awfulness of Mariners past, the cautious optimism of the present, and the somewhat unknown future. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the second part of Episode three, we continue our conversation with site writers John Trupin and Jake Mailhot about the Mariners pitching staff. We focus primarily on the bullpen and then we wrap things up with our weekly listener's questions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're joined by staff writers John Trupin and Jake Mailhot to discuss this year's starting rotation until your ears fall off. (Note: This was a lengthy conversation so we broke the episode down into two parts. Part 1: Starting Rotation, Part 2: Bullpen.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Managing Editor, Kate Preusser, is joined by site contributors Jose Rivera and John Trupin. They discuss potential position players projections for the 2017 season. John also professes his love for one Mitchell Evan Haniger. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the first episode of the NEW Lookout Landing podcast, Kate, Ethan, and Jose go over the insane amount of transactions Jerry Dipoto has made during the offseason—which, by the time you finish reading this sentence, means he probably made another trade. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices