Meet at the Mitt: A Seattle Mariners podcast

0:00-1:00: Kate makes another weird noise and does a callback to a different time when we were funny online. 2:00-11:00: Praises for the Mariners’ 10-run explosion on Cleveland, Erik Swanson’s dominance, and a comment on…climate change? Stick with us, folks. During this segment Kate says “protracted battles” and “peak Leake”. 11:45-26:00: Diving into the offense, which John thinks includes Tim Anderson. Seattle took advantage of bad pitching on Sunday but were vexed by a backup catcher and his eephuses. The take-having trio goes through the entire lineup and diagnoses their issues. The conversation starts with Omar Narváez, who has been the best catcher in baseball not named Realmuto, Grandal, or Contreras. Is Edwin Encarnación the Mariners’ best first baseman of the decade? Are the Mariners structuring their lineup to limit the amount of running Daniel Vogelbach has to do? 26:30-41:30: The discussion of Ryon Healy starts with John doing a big ol’ sigh. While Healy is still struggling, John and Kate have noticed some improvements, and Matthew turns baseball into a life lesson. Nobody is worried about Mitch Haniger. Domingo Santana and the center fielders, though, are a horse of a different color. Some words are exchanged about asses, torsos, things of that nature… 44:40-47:20: Who gets traded first? Fetch us a nice return, Jerry. As long as we don’t have to play Kendrys Morales every day like the A’s, I guess we’re alright. We make it nearly 47 minutes before talking about Fernando Rodney. 53:00-1:02:30: Twitter questions! Thank you as always to those who asked us things on Twitter dot com. This week’s involves karaoke, beaches, and cocktails. 1:03:00-1:18:10: A special guest from Staten Island joins John and Kate for a spirited discussion about the New York Yankees. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we sacrifice some audio quality for the spontaneity of recording an in-person pod at an unnamed Local Irish Bar to talk the latest happenings in Mariners-land and answer some listener questions. 0 - 8:00: The gang gets their Irish bona fides out of the way and catches up with where the team is on their first off day in over two weeks. Kate points out that both Houston and Cleveland brought their A-games to Seattle, but everyone agrees the Astros proved they’re still the class of the division. John discusses the Mariners’ propensity to take close pitches and offensive strategy at the plate and why that might have backfired against pitchers whose last names rhyme with Beerhander. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

John, Kate, & Matthew are in awe of the size of these leads. With a soon-to-be 10-2 ballclub and a Rainiers game in the background, we attempt to find words for what has been one of the most surprising starts in Mariners history. 0 - 6:00: In honor of the Mariners' bold decision to be the best team in baseball, Kate mixes up a famous Atlanta musical group with a tasty Latin breakfast dish, we discuss the film Free Solo, which Matthew recently enjoyed, and the naturally tall John deems horror content. 6:00 - 16:20: We marvel at... **gestures in all directions**. Seriously, y'all. Kate accepts the glory of dingers into her heart and we discuss the many changes we've seen in approaches that have helped the M's take the league by storm in the early going. Kate and Matthew generate the highly scientific Eeyore-to-Tigger scale to track Ryon Healy's offensive mindset. 16:20 - 24:00: So... are they for real? And is the word "playoffs" something we should consider? We chuckle at the mess that the rest of the American League has been so far before and delight in the way the new arrivals have overtaken the vibe of this Mariners season. Kate also talks some smack about Dylan Moore, who appeared to have heard a pre-release of this episode. 24:00 - 1:00:47: Weaving listener questions in, we discuss a variety of good problems to have. How long of a West Virginia vacation can we send Kyle Seager if this team still is tearing it up in June? Will Jay Bruce and Edwin Encarnación stick around if they stay hot, and which will be the first to go? We fix baseball scheduling and issue an ultimatum to the Midwest. John comes to a hearty defense of Mitch Haniger. Oh, and of course, VOGEYYY Music: No Words by Big Wild; A-HA//KENDRICK LAMAR - Take on Backseat (n04h Mashup) by n04h Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kate, John, and Matthew get together to talk about a surprising first week in Mariners baseball and award the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly to the season so far. 0 - 13:00: Because this is a Mariners podcast, we start with the Ugly, which, as John rather ominously intones, “comes out at night.” Dylan Moore’s adventures in the infield are gone over and judged to be significantly worse than the 1987 classic film Adventures in Babysitting. But this is not Dylan Moore’s Ugly to wear alone: in true esprit d’corps, the whole team has come together to record some truly eye-bleeding errors. 13:00 - 23:00: On to the Bad, which is pretty clearly the Bullpen of Terror, but not in the good way you want a bullpen to be terror. Kate proposes there’s a Quantum Leap/Freaky Friday scenario going on with Cory Gearrin. The crew ponders the question: “which reliever most terrifies you when their name comes up on the Dial-a-Reliever?” Kate and John debate the merits of Texas’s development system and if there’s maybe something to be done with Connor Sadzuck. Zadseck. Sedzuck. Look, we just started getting Brandon Brennan’s name right, you’re going to have to wait your turn, Connor. 23:00 - 39:00: Finally, THE GOOD! First, some light shading from Kate about the Red Sox potentially not being very good, an assertion Matthew and John quickly shut down. We also introduce Kate to the wonders of macaroni penguins, and talk about our favorite guys on the team. 39:00 - 59:00: Digging into listener questions! Which position player gets called up first? Unsung heroes of the young season? Is the King washed past the point of no return? The crew also makes some prescient remarks about Anthony Swarzak closing games. 59:30: Matthew’s DM’s are super open. Music: If It Makes You Happy by Sheryl Crow; Mr. Tillman by Father John Misty Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

0 - 7:00: Kate and John have a brief power struggle over who gets to intro the podcast. Matthew only cares about the G&G offered at the ballpark this year, which is gin and grape Kool-Aid, for those of you not familiar. Kate isn’t happy with the exhibition games at T-Mobile feeling like they short-circuited Opening Day, and Matthew proposes a new location for exhibition games. John comes up with a plan to lay turf on an aircraft carrier to make an exhibition game, which Kate sees as an opportunity to dispose of one of her least-favorite players. 7:00 - 14:00: Japan Series talk! The trio ponders how the Angels got to swipe left on having to go to Japan, and discuss how the team we saw in Japan might be emblematic of the Mariners team we watch this season. 14:00 - 20:00: Having recently returned from two disappointing exhibition games, Kate asks if there’s anything to be concerned about in the Mariners’ anemic offensive performance. Matthew puts on his scientist lab coat and points out the effects of jet lag, while Kate and John discuss the number of plate appearances given to the Mariners’ still-shaggly farm system. 21:00 - 30:00: Kate & Matthew would both be happy with a 70something-win season, while John is hoping for something more in the B+ range. Cs get degrees, John. Nevertheless, the crew agrees the most important thing is seeing players like Santana, Sheffield & Crawford take a step forward. 30:00 - 40:00: Guest star Grant “Bongos” Bronsdon arrives! The newly minted foursome goes over their breakout candidates and those they’re concerned about. 41:00 - 53:30 : Questions! We talk extensions, fantasy team names, and chess? 1:02:00 - 1:17:00 : The podcast ends with some scorching predictions for 2019. Music: Begin the Begin by REM; Keep the Car Running by Arcade Fire Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

2:00 – Ice cream, nachos, and St. Patrick’s Day: a devil’s playground. 5:00 – The weirdness of the Tokyo games seem fitting for this Mariners’ season. 9:20 – What are the logistics of watching a baseball game in the middle of the night? 11:25 – What can Major League Baseball learn from Japanese baseball? 23:30 – Pay the minor leaguers, please and thank you. 26:00 – Kate reports back from her time watching the Mariners at Spring Training. Tidbits include Dylan Moore’s slim waist, the best way to say Brandon Brennan’s name, David McKay’s lowered arm slot, Matt Festa and Braden Bishop’s newfound confidence, and the Julio & Jarred Show. 40:30 – John comps Shed Long to a certain bat-waggling slugger from the 90s. The podcast trio comes to an agreement about Long’s defensive plan. 44:00 – I can comfortably guarantee that this is the only Mariners’ podcast that also mentions Johnny Gaudreau and Nate Robinson. This body-positive episode continues with an appreciation for Noelvi Marte’s massive hands, and the way Keegan McGovern stands in the box. 53:55 – Shout out to minor league pitcher Cody Mobley and pizza delivery drivers. According to Kate and catcher prospect Jake Anchia, 2018 first-round pick Logan Gilbert’s stuff looks pleasing. 1:03:00 – A listener wants to know if Julio Rodriguez is in fact our savior, launching Kate into a Shakespearean monologue. 1:13:15 – Hot takes regarding the upcoming regular season games in Japan against the Oakland Athletics. #SaintPreusser #JackCongratulations 1:21:15 – Is a Bob Dylan walk-up song ever acceptable on a baseball diamond? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

1:30 – We discuss 2 Chainz’ new album and how rich people hate paying taxes. 4:40 – The Mariners’ commercials are here. Which one is the best? Which one is the worst? How long has Wade LeBlanc been hiding his comedic talents? Will Kyle Seager host SNL this year or next year? 16:40 – The overwhelming weirdness of the Mitch Haniger commercial, and a breakdown of its mechanics. 20:30 – Three guys with no television production experience try to punch up the Hanimal ad. 24:30 – Let. Dee. Cook. 31:05 – A natural pivot to a real conversation about baseball, which was ostensibly the point of this conversation in the first place. Jordan matches our excitement about the Mariners’ rugrats. 34:50 – Pleasant surprises from Cactus League action. Jordan reveals himself to be a Shed Long hipster. 43:00 – Remarking about the National League’s revival as an ex-Mariner circuit. 45:05 – Which Mariner on a new team will make you the saddest? 52:35 – Carl Pavano stans, please show yourself. 57:25 – The obligatory Julio Rodriguez discussion. Will Jordan hitchhike from NYC to West Virginia to watch him and Jarred Kelenic in person? 1:02:20 – Jordan praises some minor leaguers who he’s taken to in his experience working for MLB. 1:07:30 – The podcast ends with Jordan eviscerating John’s alma mater. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

1:55 – The podcast begins with some troubling news about Shed Long’s nutrition habits, some praises for Capri Sun and Sunny D, and John introduces us to the horrors of Buzz Ballz. For more information on Buzz Ballz, please click this link. 9:20 – Someone needs to teach Brandon Nimmo how to cook. Matthew hopes it’s Action Bronson. 12:00 – We get back on track by transitioning into the Mariners’ relief pitchers, who are the subject of this week’s episode. 17:30 – Can I interest you in a Cory Gearrin or a Zac Rosscup? 20:00 – Gerson (pronounced Hair-sen) Bautista could occupy either end of the reliever effectiveness spectrum. 25:20 – A riveting discussion of Dan Altavilla’s nutmeg slider and the origin of that term. 31:00 – Get well soon, Tui, and get here soon, prospects. 41:30 – Bullpens are very weird, as demonstrated by last year’s Houston Astros. Remember when Ken Giles punched himself in the face? We remember. 44:30 – Picking some possible entrance songs for the Mariners’ 2019 relief pitchers. 56:00 – The non-Michael McDonald questions come pouring in. 1:02:00 – Ruben Alaniz and Ricardo Sánchez are both people who exist and might pitch for the Seattle Mariners this season. 1:03:20 – Some talk about the bullpen’s hairstyles. 1:05:10 – Tyler Danish is filling a very specific niche. 1:07:50 – John introduces us to Tayler Scott, a South African pitching prospect. You can familiarize yourself with Tayler Scott on his Twitter page or at his Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

2:00 – We start with a Manny Machado discussion, as the very rich infielder got even very-richer this week after signing with the Padres. 9:00 – A brief rundown of the National League, which is now rife with intrigue and fun players. 13:50 – We decide to actually talk about the Seattle Mariners! This week’s podcast is focused on the organization’s starting pitching. 15:35 – The Wade LeBlanc-Joe Ingles crossover content you didn’t know you needed. We also debate the utility of oatmeal and Kate accuses Matthew and John of gaslighting her. 18:50 – What to watch for in Marco Gonzales’ 2019 starts. 27:30 – What is Kikuchi’s ceiling in Major League Baseball? 30:05 – Matthew frames the Mariners as a wistful college student searching for their true identity. 37:00 – We eulogize Félix Hernández’s run as a dominant pitcher. What will this year bring from the King? 45:45 – What are we supposed to do with Mike Leake? John sees a fit in a certain coastal city. How much can Leake avoid human interaction this season? 53:55 – We move to listener questions. The first inquires about Justus Sheffield and his timeline toward stardom. 59:40 – Are the Mariners now Team Cutter? Should any of the young guys test out a cutter? We delegate to Jake Mailhot before taking some stabs at it on our own. 1:06:50 – How will the change at catcher affect the pitchers? Will they miss Mike Z as much as the blogosphere will? 1:11:50 – The gang addresses the Martín Maldonado to Seattle rumors. 1:13:20 – John and Kate field a wide-ranging question about the starting pitchers in the minor leagues, starting with a Logan Gilbert-centric conversation. 1:18:50 – John ends with a shameless plug for Lookout Landing dot com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

John, Kate, and Matthew preview the Mariners outfield, take listener questions, and deliver some opinions on snow you won't find anywhere else. 0:00 - 10:00: Y'all this snow, though. Kate debates which of her cats to eat for sustenance, Matthew describes a bad pond to sled by. 10:00 - 17:30: The gang discusses the outfielders that we used to know, lamenting the departures of Guillermo Heredia and Denard Span, who we did adore, and Ben Gamel, who did actually hit well. We also wax poetic on the numerous NL teams we're enthused about. 17:30 - 40:00: These outfielders! John outlines the future of Mitch Haniger. Domingo Santana earns heavy praise and enthusiasm for his gigantic arms and even bigger dingers. We wonder about the many center fielders in the system and targetedly do not discuss Jay Bruce. 40:00 - Finish: Questions! We attempt to matchmake new love and new fits for those who miss old players. Matthew roasts Taylor Motter and we can't finish with anything better than that Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

0:45: We talk about surviving #Snowmageddon, and Kate brags about Philadelphia's snow protocol. 2:39: Matthew breaks down the concept of this podcast series, examining every position group on the Mariners. Matthew would like you to know that this idea was his. 4:15: A brief destruction of Howard Schultz's presidental run and a ringing endorsement for Gary Payton. 6:15: We begin our trip around the infield by examining the first base position, and then try to enter Jerry Dipoto's mind. 10:00: Everyone's rooting for you, RyOn. 13:00: Who do you trust more with a first-base glove, EE or Vogey? 20:11: Tim Beckham, utility guy? and the the value of positional versatility. 24:50: Kyle Seager: bounce back candidate? Kate says no, but mentions blast motion data. John bemoans Kyle's inability to beat shifts and the Mariners' third base prospects. 35:33: Kate drags the White Sox' dirty laundry across town. Matthew debuts a terrible Hawk Harrelson impression. 38:27: John questions the validity of salisbury steak. 42:00: Mariners' catching depth and a tribute to Tuffy Gosewich. 55:40: A requiem for Bryson Brigman and discussion of Ketel Marte, centerfielder. 63:00 A discussion of the Mariners' potential 2021 infield and Matthew challenging Blake Griffin to a fight. 68:00: We end with wild predictions! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We are back, baby, after a long hiatus caused by the deadly trifecta of the holidays, Hall of Fame craziness, and Kate forgetting that it was her turn to edit the podcast. But Kate, John, and Matthew are back, with a Frankenstein pod stitched together from bits of the forgotten pod and this newer version [ummm the podcast was actually the doctor?]. 0 - 30:00: Intro and apologia and EDGAR MARTINEZ IS OFFICIALLY A HALL OF FAMER. We make some sounds! Kate waxes long (very long) about her love of Edgar Martinez and community service, and wonders why not all baseball players don’t follow Edgar’s advice to just hit the ball where it is. Matthew describes the creamy skin of Alex Rodriguez, for some reason. John’s mic makes a weird popping noise at one point, sorry about it. Also Kate accidentally refers to Albert Pujols’s career in the past tense, and she is very sorry about it. 30:00 - 50:00: Media Day rundown. Kate recaps the highlights and summarizes the major takeaways from the day, as observed by someone sitting at home in front of the computer, including a renewed push to Control the Zone, the farm system and Andy McKay, and the first public comments by members of the front office about Dr. Martin’s accusations. Matthew looks at the players who spoke during Media Day and notes that the Mariners are infringing on Chris Rock’s copyright. Kate points out how diverse the team is getting, especially at the lower minors (and invokes this adorable moment of Taiwanese prospect Jingyu Chang hanging out with 2018 draftees Cal Raleigh and Logan Gilbert), and points out that with the departure of Nelson Cruz, Dee Gordon seems to have become the de facto clubhouse leader. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week Kate and John are joined by staff writer Matthew Roberson, who—shameless plug alert!—tells jokes in a stand-up capacity, and will tell them in your general direction if you are so inclined. Just tweet him (@mroberson22) if you’re interested in hearing some jokes. 0:00 - 6:00: For some reason we spend a lot of time talking about the Utah Jazz, and invent a player named Arvin Harmonica, including giving him player characteristics and a nickname. Sweet cross-stitched croissants, we need pro basketball back in Seattle. We also talk some baseball because apparently this is a baseball podcast, starting with the Jean Segura trade. We remark upon the fact that the entire back end of the 2018 Mariners bullpen is exploded with fire, and try to make the best of it. John is looking forward to seeing promising young arm Joey Gerber rocket through the system; Kate is excited to see Matt Festa and his high socks throw a bunch of relief innings and crossing her fingers Art Warren doesn’t get snatched up in the Rule 5 draft; Matthew is ready to see new-ish Mariner Sam Tuivailala rebound and then summarily get traded, because he apparently hates fun and doesn’t want to see Tui installed as closer with the attendant song Fu-gee-la. 6:00 - 15:00: Hey, wow, Carlos Santana is a Mariner, as is J.P. Crawford. We discuss what J.P. Crawford might bring to the club, why he might have struggled in Philly, and John reports on what he’s seen from an exhaustive study of J.P. Crawford’s errors. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

John Trupin and Kate Preusser convene to discuss the many major deals going down in Mariners land. Of note, the rumored deal of Robinson Canó and Edwin Díaz to the New york Mets for OF Jarred Kelenic, RHP Justin Dunn, and RHP Gerson Bautista leads to hand-wringing over other people's checkbooks and prospect envy. 0:00 - 10:00: Kate and John outline the major news of the moment and compare Jerry Dipoto and Brodie Van Wagenen to a pair of Raki drinking competitors. How did we get here? Who is being traded? Why is this weird trade not going to change but somehow still has yet to happened? 10:00 - 49:00: We get into the implications of the deal, and go deep with the prospects returned in the proposed deal with the Mets. Kate chastises John for pronouncing Kelenic similarly to "colonic", John shoots back by insisting Waukesha cannot be pronounced "Wah-keesha" a la Keisha Phillips. Where do prospects like this put Seattle's system, and what does this mean exactly for 2019's roster? (It's gonna be rough, y'all) 49:00 - Finish: Questions! We do address the Colomé-Narváez deal, look into whether Seattle moves Jean Segura, Kyle Seager, Mitch Haniger, and the other remaining noteworthy players on the M's roster. John embarrassingly refers to Maikel Franco as the Braves' 3B and not the Phillies (the Braves now have Josh Donaldson in addition to Johan Camargo)! Kate searches for non-sexual/scatalogical terminology for strong forearms, we hint at the good and bad of rebuilds, and the comparisons between the Mariners of 2019 and the Marlins of 2018. Yikes. Music: Cat Stevens - Wild World, Eric Church - Desperate Man Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After a long hiatus, we back baby! John is busy with other things this week so Kate is joined by staff writer Matthew Roberson to go over all the news...and boy, is there a lot of news. 0 - 13:00: After wasting as much time as possible talking about gyms, Kate and Matthew dive right into the major news of the Mariners’ off-season: Dr. Lorena Martin’s accusations of racism and sexism against the Mariners. Kate explores her feelings of betrayal and sadness regarding the situation, Matthew points out that no one will come out of this situation looking good, and both come down firmly on the side that the proper amount of racism to be in order to keep one’s job is “none.” 13:00 - 20:00: New stadium naming rights for the pending T-Mobile Park. Matthew pre-emptively cancels all “bad Servais” jokes and offers to workshop new ones, and converts Kate to accepting an all-magenta park might not be so bad. 20:00 - 44:00: Trades-a-palooza. Kate examines the wisdom of trading one of the best defensive catchers in baseball for...not a catcher, and Matthew runs down the available free agent catchers, and discusses the weird roommate situation the Mariners seem to have with the Rays. Moving to the Paxton trade, Matthew bemoans Justus Sheffield as the first Mariner who will be younger than him, while appreciating the proprietary #AssFat hashtag. 44:00 - 1:00: Trade rumors time! Kate and Matthew rebrand the Mariners’ “fire sale” as a “smoke sale” or a “heat-induced bazaar” and spend some time roasting the Mets trade scenario that’s been making the rounds on Twitter. Kate talks about a possible landing spot for Canó, and Matthew brings up some of the Cardinals trade rumors. 1:00 - end: Questions! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Driveline Baseball’s founder Kyle Boddy has been described, kindly, as an industry disruptor, a visionary, an innovator; and less kindly, as abrasive, off-putting, egocentric and dickish. Appropriately, this week’s podcast jumps right into conversation with Boddy describing his setup at Driveline—no music or soft lead-in. Over the course of the conversation, and building off Levi Weaver’s excellent series of articles on Boddy in the Athletic, Boddy reveals himself as a polymath who’s been, in turns, a mathematician, philosopher, economist, classically trained pianist, scientist, entrepreneur, professional poker player, Magic the Gathering enthusiast, Little League coach, and Warped Tour bassist. He also presents himself as a more mellowed-out version of his earlier, swaggering online presence, an objective scientist who lets data win out over ego. More than anything, Boddy is a visionary who uses data in all its forms to create a holistic model for building a better baseball player. The conversation flows quickly and recursively, at times doubling back on itself to reinforce ideas or clarify concepts, and therefore we won’t be providing a full minute by minute listing of topics, because there are often multiple topics covered over a span of just a few minutes. Some of the things touched upon: why scouts don’t know what to do with Driveline; Blackberry vs. iPhones; Driveline’s staff of “miscreants”; why the most important question for successful people to ask is “what next?”; why teams should operate more like professional poker players; Mike Trout’s boring effectiveness; and what one thing he wishes all Driveline trainees would walk in the door understanding, and why most of them never will. Listen to all of it. We promise you’ll learn something. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With Kate on the DL (aka partying too hard), John Trupin calls on staff writers Grant Bronsdon and Zach Gottschalk for an all Garfield High School episode. Let's get angsty. 0-2:30 - Introductions, and the confession that we are all using #OneMic. 2:30-19:00 - A recap of the Mariners' recent escapades. Do we trust any relievers? Does a 6-4 road trip feel okay? It's the first off day after 20 straight games! Where should Canó play? Does Zach hate NUMBERS? 19:00-1:05:48 - Questions! How would a pitching staff of exclusively Edwin's Díaz fare? Which NBA player once pulled Grant's shirt over his head mid-crossover in a game of 3-on-3? Is Willy Wonka Bad? Does getting scowled at by a sitting Senator hinder John's political aspirations? Can any Mariners learn to walk? Music: Youth - Glass Animals, Family (feat. Vic Mensa) [Blended Babies Remix] - Chance the Rapper Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week Kate and John are joined by staff writer Matthew Robeson to talk the current state of the team, the slumping offense, and a bunch of other nonsense because talking about the team isn’t super-fun right now. 0 - 12:00: Matthew and John offer a preview of their TED talk, How to Watch Mariners Baseball: a Primer. Matthew is outraged the team rosters both Nick Vincent and Zach Vincej, although for how much longer, who knows. The current state of the offense is discussed, and the word “brutal” is used a fair amount of times. Matthew is forced to revisit the long interview he just wrote up with prospect Bryson Brigman, traded for Cameron Maybin the day the article was set to publish. 12:00 - 24:00: Discussing Maybin and the trade deadline. Matthew invokes the name of Austin Jackson and some heavy magical thinking. John raises the question of what the Mariners’ best-ever trade deadline acquisition was, and Matthew makes a good argument that it might be Denard Span. Kate tries to delineate between loyalty to Félix and wanting accountability for things the King could have done better, and inadvertently causes Matthew to black out. 24:00 - 38:00: Looking down the stretch and assessing the panic levels for all teams not named The Boston Red Sox. Discussing the A’s bold trade deadline strategy of doing nothing and whether or not their heavily-taxed bullpen can continue to support starters who can’t make it through the seventh, assessing the sustainability of their offensive production, and examining their schedule compared to ours. 38:00 - 45:00: Assessing panic levels. John points out that the fanbase has a longer memory of the Mariners’ longterm failure than almost anyone who is currently playing for the Mariners. Sometimes not having any homegrown prospects is good! Matthew notes that in that way, the fanbase reflects the city itself. 45:00 - end: Questions! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

0 - 5:00: Whining about the heat because we are Seattle Wimps and some general weekend catching-up. Eric talks about a beer festival he was at over the weekend and gives Kate a severe case of FOMO. Is it FOMO? Suprisingly, this is not the first time our over-30 podcast duo will fail to nail a moment in the cultural zeitgeist. 5:00-15:00: Bemoaning the lack of offense against the White Sox and establishing which threat level we are at for the current state of the offense: higher or lower than the nation’s airports? Kate wonders who the hero will be who’s finally able to drive in Dee after he triples. Some general pooh-poohing of visiting fans flooding into Safeco is done because tickets for the Maple Grove are currently going for forty bucks, which is ridiculous. Kate tells a story about being annoyed by Giants Tech Startup Bro Fans at Spring Training this year, and Eric mentions Paul Konerko, because he’s apparently on some kind of rewards program. 15:00-22:00: Breaking down the offensive struggles a little more and examining Nelson Cruz’s recent slump. Kate argues this is actually the best time to extend Nelson Cruz. 22:00 - 31:00: Talking the Scott Servais extension and debating Heyman’s bizarre claim that Servais isn’t well-liked in the clubhouse. Kate tells a heartwarming anecdote about Servais that is only slightly emotionally dinged when she mixes up team surgeon Dr. Khalfayan and Wiz Khalifa. Using professional experience from each of our careers, Eric talks about Servais’s management style, and Kate talks about Servais’s philosophy as a teacher. We might not nail every reference but there are some benefits to being Olds. 31:00 - 34:00: Catching up on the BP at the Ballpark night event and Jerry Dipoto’s use of the word “turds.” 34:00 - end: Questions! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

0 - 10:00: Apologia, the pain of moving, Kate provides a map to (Mariners) stars homes, and John gently reminds everyone this is a baseball podcast. 10:00-24:00: Winning the games you’re supposed to win, the run differential, and how the Mariners are good conservationists. Marveling over the Mariners and Competent Baseball. Kate invents a stat called RUET [“Are you even trying?”]. John casually obliterates the Astros. 24:00 - 50:00 Previewing the upcoming 12 game/2-team series. Are the Angels broken beyond repair? What’s wrong with Colorado’s offense, and will they give us Jon Gray if we ask really nicely? Also Kate and John play everyone’s favorite new game: Where in the World is Roenis Elías? 50:00 - end: Questions! Music: Good Vibrations (the Beach Boys); Rocky Mountain High (John Denver); Going Back to Cali (the Notorious B.I.G.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kate, John, and Isabelle convene this week to talk about the Mariners’ recent hot stretch, including a split against the Astros, a series win against the Rays, and a sweep of the Angels at home. They preview the upcoming road trip, and answer some listener questions, which involves Kate doing a bad trumpet impression. 0 - 12:00: General discussion of the recent winning streak and the streaky players who have made that streak possible. One run magic forever. John mistakingly believers “shindig” is synonymous with “skulduggery.” Isabelle rejoices over the team not falling on its face in a high-profile situation at home 12:00-20:00: Glorying in the sweep over the hated Angels. Isabelle introduces the idea of “player sequencing.” Hand-waving about team chemistry is indulged in by all. 20:00-33:00: Reviewing why winning the off-season isn’t everything and reflecting on the Mariners’ reluctance to commit to a starting pitcher this off-season. The gifts a strong bullpen can give. Erik Goeddel’s name is invoked with reverence. A weird noise that sounds like cards being shuffled pops up for reasons we cannot explain, and we are sorry. 33:00-50:00: Previewing the Red Sox series, as well as the Big Bad East Coast Road Trip. Isabelle worries that the Orioles are infectious, and the specter of Chris Sale looms large and scissor-y, but as John points out, the team’s banked wins mean they have some string to play with over this miserable road trip. 50:00 - on: Questions! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After weeks of complaints pertaining to audio quality, we've decided to lean into the struggle - John, Isabelle, and Zach G. take the show on the road and record the first ever in-house episode of the Lookout Landing Podcast live from Safeco Field. Discussed are... Marc Rzepczynski's need to depart the roster (which he now has), Félix Hernández's struggles and the hopes of salvation (not imminent), and the miracle that is Wade LeBlanc. Despite the best efforts of multiple Safeco Field ushers, we managed to handle a wonderful wave of questions, including Mariners' church choir bona fides, our biggest breakout surprises, how Dee Gordon is all that is right with baseball, and much more, if you can hear it over the in-house PA system of Safeco Field. Let us know if you'd like us to do this again on Twitter, or if you're interested in something like this. Alternatively, if the auditory experience was absolutely appalling, well, Kate should be back soon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Kate and John are joined by staff writer Matthew Roberson, who makes us laugh a lot. 0:00 - 8:00: (John burped very loudly, which doesn’t come through on the podcast audio but definitely happened, and it results in the earliest F-bomb in the Kate/John podcast era, so milestones all over the place.) Some names are discussed, Matthew’s and J.P. Sportman, who I swear is a real player, and the crew tries to rename certain baseball players whose names don’t seem to fit them. Matthew points out the secret shame of the Trout/Subway deal, and Kate reminds everyone that Simpsons creator Matt Groening hid his initials in Homer’s ear, so minds are blown all over the place. 8:00 - 16:00: Reviewing the series against the A’s, or as Kate calls them, “the plucky little Athletics.” Kate and Matthew assert this series revealed the Mariners are better than the A’s, and John disagrees, so everyone please welcome my new podcast co-host Matthew! Some shade is thrown at the Nationals regarding Blake Treinen, which certainly cannot hurt us karmically later on, and Matthew tells an incredibly endearing story about his great-aunt. 16:00 - 38:00: It’s not an LL podcast until we shoehorn in some Chris Archer trade talk. Matthew offers a particularly dark vision of what Jerry Dipoto might be doing with that pizza oven in his backyard. Because any talk of Chris Archer leads to Kevin Millwood, Matthew tells the story of being in-house for two of the most recent Mariners no-hitters. Kate proposes an out-of-the-box solution to land Archer, which is what it will take at this point. 38:00 - 45:00: Discussing The Opener, the baseball strategy not the vicious dental tool. John explains why it is working well for the Rays, and how it might be slightly more difficult to translate that success to the Mariners. 45:00 - 60:00: Pleasant surprises on the season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“There are a lot of feelings? I have a lot of feelings. All the things happened, all the feelings were felt...If you are a Mariners fan, you will get simultaneously patted on the head while being punched in the mouth. Such is our lot.” 0:00 - 11:00 - SECRETS REVEALED. John just comes right out and admits that LL is a house divided. Kate threatens him with her newfound ability to zap dissidents into tomorrow, and posits that maybe this could be a gelato podcast? The road trip is discussed, Beyoncé is sung, Kate and John declare the Mariners clearly superior to the Wild Card contending (?) Blue Jays but not...to...the Tigers? Much shade is thrown at the Midwest. Kate compares the Tigers to her 2005 Toyota Corolla, which is a way sicker burn than you think it is. 11:00 - 19:00 - The Canó suspension, some dragging of the New York Post, and a discussion about identity. Playoff implications are discussed. 20:00 - 33:00 - Banking wins and the upcoming schedule. Potential acquisitions with all that sweet extra salary Canó’s suspension frees up. John advocates for an infielder or outfielder; Kate advocates for pitching, specifically CHRIS ARCHER because she read the Secret recently and made a vision board. 34:-00 - 43:00 - Some much-needed Ryon Healy appreciation, and All-Star chat (no, not about Smashmouth, sorry.) 44:00 - end - Listener quetions! Kate and John use the extra Canó money to invent SkyTarp!, Kate reveals the unpleasantness of the communal uniform pants box, Kate dubs Wade LeBlanc the Merchant of Junque, and the Facebook broadcast is discussed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Y’all we went a little overboard. After a week and a half of silence, Kate and I brought on fellow editor Isabelle Minasian to assess the Mariners at the ~1/5th mark of the season. Less dedicated podcasters might adjust the content of the audio to ensure a similar amount of audio is produced in totality by speaking less individually, but we are not here to half-ass things (you’re on notice, Marc Maron). The result is well over an hour of mostly cohesive/non-time sensitive discussion of the left fielders of the Mariners professional baseball association, Ryan Rowland-Smith, the concept of silent reading time in schools, Fergie, and whether anyone really knows what minerals are. Enjoy. 0:00 - 7:00 - John forgets his last name and various ways of cooking shrimp and chicken are detailed. 7:00 - 30:00 - Somehow an exceptionally thorough discussion of Matt Harvey that precedes any evaluation of players actually on the Seattle Mariners currently, followed by a delightful discussion of RyOn Healy’s war against C’ing the Z and pitching hand-wringing. 1:04:00 - BREAK 1:04:30 - End - Questions! We preview the Blue Jays and Tigers (and Twins) series with great mixtures of confidence and confusion. The merits of different cotton candy formats are appraised. Guillermo Heredia and Ben Gamel are the subject of the most intense scrutiny imaginable, including Heredia’s budding friendship with Daniel Vogelbach. Also, Laffy Taffy. MUSIC:1. Fergie: Glamorous; 2. Sia: House on Fire; 3. Steve Aoki, Daddy Yankee, Play N Skillz, & Elvis Crespo : Azukita Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last week, for a multitude of reasons, not the least of which being John’s schedule and a mutual disinterest in granting the team the time of day after the conclusion of the Houston series, we missed an episode! We’re back today, however, with some good baseball vibes before the weekend finally embraces us. Of note: Do road trips ever end? Are any of the Marinersstarters good? Does the Mariners’ fixation with one-run victories have staying power? Was Pythagoras an old coot who didn’t know anything anyways? 0:00 - 8:00 - Intro and general lamentations of the weirdness of the Mariners schedule this week. 8:00 - 49:00 - Grading the road trip! Starting pitching fares poorly, as does the offense, but the bullpen has saved the day. Minor expressions of frustration with the roster moves thus far, alongside a continued remembrance of how drastically better this has been than last year. 49:00-49:30 - BREAK 49:30 - End - Questions! Sad understanding of Vogelbach’s demotion, Rzepczynski’s continued presence, and trust issues with starters. Kate nearly punches John in the face for disrespecting her childhood yet again. We invent the new and improved Mariners mascot, with an assist from the Street Sharks. We also discuss Wyatt Mills and other potential in-house bullpen upgrades. MUSIC:1. Rebelution: Attention Span; 2. Daddy Yankee: Dura; 3. Janelle Monae : The Way You Make Me Feel Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

0:00 - 10:00 - Discussion of the road trip, fretting over opportunities lost or taken 10:00 - 24:12 - Previewing the Mariners upcoming homestand, lamentations about the Angels, fretting over pitching. 24:12-24:42 - Break! 24:42 - End - Questions! What to do with Ichiro? Who will use Ben Gamel hats for evil? Movie recommendations from our childhood. Kate describes Fortnite. A surprising amount of singing. We get a B- in Pop Culture class. MUSIC: Nicest Kids in Town - Hairspray; Pray For Me - The Weeknd ft. Kendrick Lamar; Be Careful - Cardi B Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this, our first podcast of the 2018 season, Kate and John rehash, re-live, and generally glory in the Mariners’ opening series win against a tough team in Cleveland 0 - 8:00: Injury updates. Hopefully at some point this isn’t a regular feature of the podcast. At the time we recorded this the Cruz DL decision hadn’t been made, and at the time I started typing this article it still hadn’t. We make our best predictions about how things will play out over the coming week if Cruz has to miss time. 8:00 - 16:00: Reviewing the surprises of Opening Weekend, which aside from the injury part, were quite pleasant! We discuss new-look Felix, innings-eater Mike Leake, the strong bullpen performance, and the struggles of James Paxton. That surprise was admittedly not so pleasant. There’s also some Lineup Chat! Kate manages to only say “it’s really early” five or six times before declaring this team More Fun Than 2016. John throws some subtle shade at the bottom of Cleveland’s lineup. 16:00 - 29:00: Previewing the coming road trip. John throws some not-so-subtle shade at San Francisco’s entire lineup, and both Kate and John outright shade the vagaries of MLB scheduling. John points out that for a team like the Mariners, cloaked in uncertainty, getting off to a strong start means a little more, and Kate counters with the need to have realistic expectations against the Twins. Kate also cackles with glee at the prospect of Dee Gordon and Jean Segura breaking all of Brian Dozier’s unwritten rules, and makes a BOLD prediction about the first game in the series. 29:00 - 32:00: General basking in the light of a series win and how much giddity goldarn FUN this team is. John points out the team doesn’t always show up at home during big moments—cue whistling past the graveyard of Deadgar Weekend—adding to the FUN of Opening Night. 32:00 - end: Questions! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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