Meet at the Mitt: A Seattle Mariners podcast

Hello Seattle Mariners fans! Trader Jerry has been working the hot stove to the bone, but now that the dust have settled, the 2022 Mariners team has come into stark focus. Out are prospects, most notably Noelvi marte and Edwin Arroyo, but also Andy Thomas, Michael Stryffeler, and the release of Jack Larsen; in are Luis Castillo, Matthew Boyd, Curt Casali and Jake Lamb. A frontline starting pitcher (an All Star no less), swingman insurance, a bench right handed bat and a proper backup catcher. Not bad. Not earth shattering after Castillo, but not bad. These are useful pieces for the team in 2022, on that there is no debate. After the wildest trade deadline in a while, it begs the question though, was it enough? Should the Mariners have traded from their outfield prospect "depth" instead? The legendary trio of John Trupin, Kate Preusser and Evan James are here to break down all the hot, spicy trade talk, and tell you if your Seattle Mariners are indeed primed and restocked for playoff glory. https://twitter.com/LookoutLanding https://twitter.com/JohnTrupin https://twitter.com/KatePreusser https://twitter.com/EvanJamesAudio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hello Seattle Mariners fans! Urgent news is obviously that Jerry Dipoto has once again managed to strike an iron forged in the hot stove. The Mariners traded two of their top prospects in Noelvi Marte and Edwin Arroyo, another highly regarded starter in Levi Stoudt, as well as 2021 draft pick Andrew Moore for Cincinnati Red's starter Luis Castillo, who slides in as arguably the team’s best pitcher immediately. While Marte and Arroyo are an extremely high upside pair to trade for only 1.5 years of control, Castillo is undoubtedly an upgrade in the short term and the kind of impact at a position of weakness the team needed to break the playoff drought. The future is the future and therefore uncertain, so the playoffs in 2022, and the rest of the season ahead of the team, is what takes greatest priority. A bird in the hand is two in the bush, and the Mariners traded two in the bush today for one of five key fingers on the fist that will punch their ticket to a playoff spot and hopefully flip the Houston Astros the bird as well. Kate, Grant and Evan are here to break down the latest Mariners addition, look ahead to brighter days out of Texas and the coming series against the juggernaut New York Yankees in the bronx. https://twitter.com/LookoutLanding https://twitter.com/JohnTrupin https://twitter.com/KatePreusser https://twitter.com/EvanJamesAudio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hello Seattle Mariners fans! The team is off for the All Star week after tearing through the league en route to a 14 game win streak. John Trupin, Evan James and Isabelle Minasian convene to discuss Julio’s legendary performance at the 2022 home run derby. We collectively marvel at how the 2022 MLB All Star Game and home run derby have felt like both an American awakening to Julio, but also his birth as an international star. We hand out first half grades for the team across various topics like MVP (duh), most surprising vs disappointing, and flowers for the pitching staff. We collectively marvel at Ty France and JP, who have already assumed the roles of quietly excellent veterans amongst a very young squad. We look ahead at the future and make some bold predictions about where the Mariners might find themselves in October. Lastly there is much discussion of another young star, yet to take off and what his future might hold in Seattle, or elsewhere? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hello Seattle Mariners fans! The Mariners rolled into the All Star break with a 14 game win streak, and Julio Rodriguez hit 81 dingers in the Home Run Derby. But in other, more forward looking news, the Mariners completed their 2022 draft, and special guests Nick Vitalis and Kyle Geller join Kate Preusser to break down all the biggest picks. The crew first examines Jerry's draft comments and perspective through John Trupin's patented "JD Truthiness scale". Kyle and Nick break down the big picks: Cole Young, Tyler Locklear and Walter Ford, and marvel at Cole's twitter chops so early on. Hogan Windish gets some love for both his prospect status and incredible baseball name. 12th Rounder Troy Taylor gets a primer on why he might be a steal, and Nick sees a major league future for 13th rounder Darren Bowen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hello Seattle Mariners fans. My how the mighty have fallen, and the chosen have risen. Yes indeed, the Seattle Mariners, after bottoming out at 10 games under .500 in May, have miraculously rattled off 14 wins in a row to ride off into the All Star break at a brisk 51-42, a game ahead of the Toronto Blue Jays for the second wild card spot. For this special episode (noted Abe Toro fan) Jacob Parr and Grant Bronsdon take over for John, joining Kate and Evan to celebrate the Mariners historic streak. The crew takes listener questions about key moments from the win streak and favorite games in particular. We highlight specific players who have turned it up in July and deserve some flowers, notably Cal, Sam Haggerty? And Carlos Santana. We ponder a trade for Juan Soto in Mariners teal, and make some bold predictions for the home run derby. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hello Seattle Mariners faithful! What an absolute roller coaster ride of a week it has been. The Mariners have rocketed back into contention with an 8 game win streak and taking 16 of their last 19. After a May that was so dreary most of us had largely written the team off, they find themselves rolling into the All Star break with their lone representative, a rookie on a 6 win pace, and comfortably sitting in wild card position. Isabelle Minasian joins Evan, Kate and John to dig into the new, good Mariners. Collectively the crew stands in amazement of the turnaround the Mariners have conjured, while acknowledging works remains to be done. Isabelle assets that now is a key time to spend and invest in the team, especially since they have thrust themselves back into contention and she advocates for Toro to get the lions share of playing time at second base for the next few weeks to see if he can’t catch fire and ignite his way into a trade. Kate and Evan look at some potential replacements for Frazier in the infield and coverage for Kirby’s future innings in the rotation. Lastly, we collectively marvel at the good fortune that has rolled the Mariners way after a dreadful first quarter of the season. It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish, and the Mariners are looking to finish strong. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hello Seattle Mariners fans! This week John, Kate and I look at the surging Mariners, fresh off of beat down series against the hapless Baltimore Orioles and the sinful Los Angeles Angels. After a win last night against the w”A’s”hed Oakland Athletics, the Mariners find themselves a mere 4 games under .500, with winnable series ahead and some injured stars returning. We assess the Mariners spot in the second wildcard hunt and try to envision what the trade deadline might look like for a team in this position. We collectively emerge from the covid fugue state to answer twitter questions from our diehard fans. John digs into Jarred’s Tacoma Rainiers stat line and identifies improvements. We look at the Mariners pitching situation and who might cover Kirby’s rookie innings gap over the final quarter of the season. We barely even mention Julio because he’s so good that functionally he has become a separate entity entirely. Long live the J Rod Show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hello Seattle Mariners fans! We have been away, and ill, as two of our fearless podcast hosts have come down with the ‘Rona over the past week. We collectively remind everyone to get boosted if you can, mask up, stay healthy, because being sick is neither fun nor fiscally beneficial. In the interim, the Mariners finished off a good stretch of play by dropping a series to the Angels in pitiful fashion. There has been real anger and discontent amongst the fan base, and whispers for change (read: firings) have grown louder as the team has tumbled. Kate digs into her article about the Mariners leadership and the persistent faith we have in Scott Servais as a manager. We touch on Abe Toro, Jesse Winker and some of the other Mariners who have most underperformed so far, and perhaps what can be done about it. We try to understand just where we are, how we got here, and what a path forward looks like. Full disclosure, this is a deeply sober podcast, reflective of some tangible disappointment with the team. Yet even in the darkest hours, there remain reasons for true and honest optimism: Taylor Trammel’s hitting, Cal’s hitting, Julio’s everything, Logan’s command, George’s entourage. Baseball is a marathon, not a sprint and there are miles left to run. Are the Mariners still “in it”? Not reasonably, no, but they remain one of the youngest teams in the league with more baseball in front of them than behind. Last year Ryan Divish was on the podcast about this time and the parallels were made between the 1995 and 2021 Mariners squads. If that was the case, 2022 has some resemblance to the step back of 1996 before the team truly came into its own in 1997. Development is rarely linear, and in the midst of this current struggle, it is important to recognize how far we have come as a team, an organization and a fan base. If Cal Raleigh can hit anything is possible. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hello Seattle Mariners fans! Fresh off an absolute shelling of the much maligned Baltimore Orioles, John, Kate and myself sit down to compare and contrast the Mariners rebuild to their modern contemporaries (Orioles and Kansas City Royals specifically). We break into listener question on pressing topics: Trammel’s hot start, Cal Raleigh 2.0, the continued development of George Kirby and just who is Zach DeLoach? We look at whether or not the Mariners are still in the hunt and need reinforcements at the trade deadline or if they can hold out till the winter. I take immense relief in knowing that Kyle Lewis is only injured in one way, instead of several. Kate reveals that despite all appearances, the Mariners playoff odds are not as dire as they may seem. With six weeks to go before the All Star break the team needs to turn it up against the A’s, Angels, Orioles and Rangers to stay afloat. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hello Seattle Mariners fans! A little delayed this week, but we are back. The Mariners are in something of a free fall in the standings, gliding comfortably into last place, and there is understandable disappointment. Yet despite the grim outlook from a playoff perspective, there are clear reasons for optimism in the performance of the kids growing their way into full time roles: Cal, Ty, Julio, George, Penn and Wyatt. Things have gone wrong, but things have gone right too, and it’s important to recognize both sides. Kate and John look at the Mariners from a financial perspective, and give a sober assessment of the competitive position relative to the on field investment; it ain’t pretty. John and Kate talk bullpen, and wonder what the immediate future holds for Penn Murphy in the absence of Drew Steckenrider. Lastly we zoom out and try to understand the wider context for the wilderness in which the Mariners find themselves, and what it means for the team, the organization at large and us, the fans. It’s been a mixed first quarter of the season to say the least, but there is much to be watching out for on the horizon. Note: apologies for Kate’s audio being super flat, there was some static interference that only cleaned up with a hard EQ. As a result, the perceived volume feels a bit disperate at times, but I did what I could to level it all together, though I know it's not perfect. There’s also a hard conversation pivot at about 21 minutes where John starts talking about the bullpen and we lost a little bit of the audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hello Seattle Mariners fans! After Tuesday’s Souzapalooza/Souzening/Souzyphus on Mt. Vesouzavius, the Mariners sit five games under .500 at 16-21 and spirits are a little low. John breaks down the introduction of the automated strike zone into the PCL while Kate details her experience witnessing it firsthand. John and I try to understand the details of the new system, specifically the two dimensional zone. We zoom out and examine the state of the team relative to the rest of the AL West (not great), but John breaks down why the Mariners schedule has been torrid and better performances could be ahead. Kate breaks down the Los Angeles Angels and Houston Astros dominant early showing and tries to foresee a future where the Mariners might compete? Maybe? We look at Kirby and the pitching in general, trying to wrap our heads around the confusing results over the first quarter of the season. All three of us take a shot at guessing a roster move or tweak, anything to provide a spark. We also collectively lament at how the outfield depth has been tested while expressing both hope and serious doubt that Trammel, Lewis and Mitch can be the solution this season. Zooming all the way out, we examine whether or not the Mariners “plan” for the roster going into the season was sound given the early returns and immediate competitive outlook. Lastly we uncover Manfred’s secret plot to sabotage all of baseball in returning the Yankees to the MLB throne. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hello Seattle Mariners fans! After a ghastly road trip, the Mariners decided to go on spring break instead of play the Rays, and slide into the first game of the series with the Philadelphia Phillies with a resounding 9-0 drubbing. We stumble out the gate to remain composed, but ultimately find the focus to dive deep into the state of the team both literally (in the standings) and mentally (spiraling). Our twitter faithful ponder the meaning of life, joy and suffering as it relates to the Mariners, but also existentially. We collectively try to understand the Mariners through the lens of the new dead baseball and the strange new offensive environment that skews our ability to comprehend the statistics in usual ways. John talks about physicist Dr. Meredith Wills, her research on the changes to the baseball over the past several seasons and the secrecy behind that information. We thank Kevin Cash for his crucial role in snapping the Mariners losing the streak and giving the team a much needed victory. John previews his upcoming article breaking down new, new, new look Jarred? We defend Jarred’s base running in the early going, while acknowledging it has not been ideal. We praise Julio who is perfect. We refuse a reunion with Robinson Cano unless it’s in the bullpen. Kate and John assess Robbie Ray’s early returns and wonder if we have seen the signs that the best is yet to come. Lastly, we assess the mood music choices most befitting the current Mariners squad. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hello Seattle Mariners fans! Today Matt Brash faces off against Justin Verlander, capping a particularly rough road trip for the team. After a brief respite as the best hitting team in baseball, the offense has gone into freefall….all the way down to 5th in wRC+. Hitting across the league is WAY down to such a degree that it is skewing many of the offensive statistics. Will this correct over time? Will baseball change the ball to restore lost offense? Who knows, but we look at some possibilities and try to figure out what’s real and what’s not in the early numbers. John talks Kelenic’s bat, and how he might be making some mechanical tweaks at the plate. Evan wonders how long Jarred’s leash is, after struggling so mightily. John reminds us that in fact, no one is hitting, and one of the bright sides of the current offensive drought league wide is that it buys some of our younger players more time to turn it on. We look at the first few starts for Matt Brash and try to figure out just what he is. Starter? Reliever? Major league pitcher? The future is uncertain. Lastly we give Logan Gilbert his flowers, as he currently is the most qualified Mariners pitching and development success story of the Dipoto era. ERA is considered to be an empty metric by the sabermetrics community, but Logan setting the Mariners ERA record for the month is nonetheless an impressive feat, and a welcome success in what so far has been a deeply uneven season. Note: Craig failed us again, but I was able to salvage the discussion. There is a hard transition from the outfield discussion to John talking about Kelenic and his swing, but it’s mostly all there, sorry for any confusion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hello Seattle Mariners fans! Last night was surreal. After two weeks of slowly heating up, finally, at long last, Jarred and Julio went back to back driving in big runs for a signature Mariners win. Yes it’s just one game, and yes it’s just one night, but it was the first night we got to see the kids come together and put the team on their shoulders. It feels like we’ve been waiting to see what we saw last night since the rebuild began, and it is cathartic, healing even, to bask in the glow of Jarrulio. Anyways…John, Kate and I enter the podcast fugue state to dig into some of the hot starts on the team, namely Matt Brash, JP Crawford and even perhaps one Chris Flexen. We answer Twitter questions about who are the bigger surprises so far and what to make of the 3 man catcher rotation. We talk George Kirby, who he might replace (or not?) and what a potential timeline could be for his arrival to the show. We eat Eugenio Suarez flavored crow and admit, albeit happily, that it does appear the shoulder is healthy and he can still rake. I despair to myself and the pod about Kyle Lewis, who is still very far away, and I encourage the fans to find greener pastures to rest their hopes in for now. Lastly, we assess Kate’s deeply controversial definition of a “sandwich”, and the pod barrels into chaos head first. Kate tries to argue that a pot pie is too goopy to qualify as a sandwich but John offers to freehand one to demonstrate its ergonomic viability, make of this what you will. Note: during the Kirby discussion around 20 minutes there is a skip. I edited it down but you will notice the hard shift where Craig dropped the ball. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hello Seattle Mariners fans! The Mariners are right at .500 after taking the home opening series against the Houston Astros to sit comfortably at 5 – 5 through 10 games. Today we are blessed with the return of Looking Landing Podcast prodigal son and New York Daily News writer, Mr. Matthew Roberson, fresh of a dunking from Buck Showalter and an elevator ride with Chris Christie. We have Matthew reveal all the secrets and behind the scenes tips from a true baseball media insider. We look around the league and analyze the returns from the Minnesota Twins and Chicago White Sox series. We get explicitly political as the ambient sounds of New York envelop the podcast. Kate and John dig deep into the emergent legend of Matt Brash. We overwhelmingly concur that Ty France played Yu Gi Oh. Matthew outs himself as a Verlander Truther and we collectively dismay that JV has returned to haunt the Mariners into eternity. Lastly, we look ahead to the Texas Rangers series, kicking off with (maybe) Gray vs Ray, the battle of the century, as the Mariners will get their first look at the Rangers expensive new offense for the first time, while Matthew predicts a bright future for the Mets in the East. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hello Seattle Mariners fans! The team has returned to T-Mobile Park for the home opener with a record of 3 and 4, taking 2 out of 4 games from the Minnesota Twins and losing the series to the Chicago White Sox 1 to 2. The returns are early, maybe too early, but we are here to dig in to the admittedly brief results. Who’s raking? JP. Who’s not? (everyone else) That’s besides the point! Baseball takes some time to stabilize the data, and currently the Mariners stand in the midst of a free for all of decent starting pitching, elite bullpen work and meager hitting. Will this continue? Is Matt Brash really the monster the analytics nerds have made him out to be? Is Marco cooked? Will Flexen repeat? How worried should we be about the tepid starts from Julio and Jarred? Kate, John and I are here to assuage your concerns, to talk you off that ledge, to wrap you in a warm blanket and remind you that come snow or shine, the Mariners do indeed have another *checks notes* 150+ games to play before any sweeping conclusions can be etched in stone; but that doesn’t mean we can’t get a head start. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hello Seattle Mariners fans! With the big Julio related news out of the way, we return to our Hope Springs Eternal miniseries for a second and final episode. With the Mariners story entering the season well told by this point, we shift gears and take a look at the competition in the AL West, and the league at large to see how the Mariners fit in. Everyone takes a guess at the best and worst team in the west, with John and Kate agreeing that the Oakland Athletics post fire sale are the likeliest to occupy the basement, and Houston still way out in front of the pack. We dig first into The Los Angeles Angels, and try to parse whether or not, after a decade of treading water, they can finally put it all together and maximize on their stars and scrubs talent mix. We talk Houston Astros, our hated rival, and try to squint to see a fall from grace while knowing that even should they stumble, it’s still a long way to fall back in line with the rest of the division. We pick over the carcass of the Oakland Athletics fire sale, and cautiously wonder what on earth the Texas Rangers have cooked up. Lastly we put our names on the line and predict the end of season outcomes by collectively pondering our orbs and gazing deep into the abyss of the American League. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hello Seattle Mariners fans! Today is a beautiful day. At long last, after years of hearing rumors, myths, legends of his minor league dominance, the Mariners biggest prospect in an era has finally arrived. Yes indeed, Mr. Julio Rodriguez, number 44 has made the Mariners out of Spring Training, and it’s hard to feel anything but sheer, unbridled excitement about this late stage of the rebuild. Aside from maybe a Kirby, the kids, for the most part, are here, and ready to roll. Saddling up next to uber prospect J-Rod is rising star Matt Brash, who won the 5th rotation spot with an electric camp. We talk about Julio’s absolutely bonkers 4 win projections and try to parse what is and isn’t real, and how to cage expectations while still being excited. We do some rough player comparisons for Julio and discuss the things they get right and wrong about projecting our young star. We look at his role on the team both short and long term for 2022, and how different the team looks with him on it. For this special episode, instead of the regular intro we are going with Julio’s walk up music: Grindin’ All my Life by Nipsey Hussle. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hello Seattle mariners fans! Spring Training is finally here, baseball is in season, and all is (mostly) right in Mariners world. Things have started to settle in nicely and as we prepare for the upcoming season, we wanted to take an episode (or two) of the podcast to reflect on the positives, and find out “what could go right”. Despite some mixed feelings about the specific upgrades the Mariners made individually, there is a ton to like about the competitive position the team finds itself in, especially as it relates to the young core of prospects rising from the minor leagues. I personally (me, Evan) wanted to come up with a list of things that you, as a Mariners fan, should 100% unequivocally feel good about moving into the 2022 season, because there are numerous reasons to be excited. There will come a time to worry about the Mariners, but today is not that day. Today hope springs eternal, as all potential futures are laid out in front of us and anything, even a ring, is possible. Part 1: 1. The Season of Julio 2. Matt Brash Gets Out Righties 3. Kirby’s Air Ride 4. The Kids Are Growing Up: Gilbert, Kelenic and Cal can take a step forward 5. Winker Is The Mariners Best Hitter… 6. Robbie Ray Is The Mariners Best Pitcher We will be doing a part 2 hopefully later this week to elaborate on even more things we think could go right for the Mariners. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hello Seattle Mariners fans. So this is podcast #3 this week, because the Mariners be shakin and movin and doing all of the things. Today we are honored to be joined by Wick Terrell of SBNation sister site "Red Reporter", who helps illuminate this weeks trade from the other side of the mirror. The general sentiment from the last podcast was that we were, and I quote, "Too Negative", so we wanted to bring onboard someone who might be able to enlighten us otherwise. Wick is very high on both Winker and Suarez, and has only good things to say both personally and professionally about the Mariners two trade acquisitions, so if you were looking for the upside perspective on the trade, we got you covered. We also talk about the various prospects the Mariners traded to Cincy (Fraley, Dunn and Williamson specifically) and why Reds fans should be excited by the young assets the team has acquired. Let me be clear: There are many, MANY reasons to like the trade. The podcast negativity yesterday had less to do with the trade/return and more to do with Jerry saying the team is done making moves. The Mariners are objectively better after the trade, and better than the squad that exited spring training last year. They are also, according to the metrics, still the third best team in the AL West, and comfortably about .500, maybe +5 or +10 games, but still very clearly below the +19 threshold they finished 2021 with. We like this trade. We like the two players we have acquired to varying degrees. We like Robbie Ray and generally speaking, we also think Frazier is good. The Mariners have improved, but it is completely fair to wonder if this is it, if it's enough. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hello Seattle Mariners fandom! Well, here we are. The team did it. After intense speculation, hot stove rumors that burned us all, and a seemingly lack of real free agent acquisitions, the team has address the biggest holes in the lineup with two the Cincinnati Reds biggest stars. While this doesn’t necessarily preclude the team from otherwise making a big spending splash, Jerry seemed to admit on Monday that free agent quests “hit dead ends” and this seems to be more or less the infield/outfield we should expect going forward, or at least for now. There’s no question at all that the team is better today. We on this pod have openly advocated for moving Jake Fraley, and Williamson has long been seen as the most pliable prospect on a team littered with quality arms up and down the farm system. But is this the fleecing some are making it out to be? And with Suarez in particular, what kind of performance can we expect going forward? The only way to find out is to listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hello Seattle Mariners Fans! After 99 long days locked out of the sport we all love, the chains have come off the doors and it is time to come home to baseball. Yes indeed, the players union has reached an agreement with Major League Baseball that was confirmed earlier this afternoon (Thursday, March 10th 2022), an as of 3PM PST free agency is back open for business. Kate is here to bring us into the big news with myself (Evan James) and prospect expert Joe Doyle to break into the juicy details behind the new agreement. This includes things like the Universal DH appearing for the first time in 2022, a major pay increase for young players, and a new competitive balance system aimed at penalizing teams for repeating losing seasons. We talk about some of the major changes in the new CBA, and how some of the tendrils could affect the Mariners operations moving forward, especially as it relates to highly regarded prospects. We dig into a wealth of twitter questions about potential trades or free agent signings by the team, but ultimately hit the pause button on that speculation while the hot stove heats back up over the next 24 hours. Be on your toes fam, we will be back with another impromptu emergency pod when the Mariners sign Kris Bryant. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hello Seattle Mariners fans, baseball fans, sport enthusiasts and workers rights advocates. Today is a hard day. John, Kate and I were hoping to discuss the terms of the new agreement between the players and the league. After 9 consecutive days of negotiating, including deep into the morning hours on March 1st, the two sides ultimately did not come to an agreement. I don’t want to get too deep into the general notes about those disagreements, as I am reading the same news as everybody else, but the short version is that the league continues to seemingly act in bad faith, pushing the players to the edge of self-imposed deadlines and then resisting substantive changes. This sucks. After sorting through that mess of news, we move on to some Twitter questions regarding expectations for the team in 2022, the minor leagues, and whether or not some of baseball’s biggest stars might go overseas to play in the interim. It’s always darkest before the dawn, but it feels very dark right now in regards to baseball and all the social systems intertwined with the sport. We all feel extremely lucky to be able to congregate and talk to you guys, the fans during such a tumultuous time, and we thank you for sticking with it while we navigate these uncharted waters ahead. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hello Seattle Mariners fans! Last night John Trupin, Kate Preusser and myself (Evan James), stayed up late hoping to catch the wave of breaking news that a new agreement had been reached between the players union and the league. Needless to say, that glorious moment did not occur, but we did witness a flurry of activity up to and including an extension of the deadline to cancel games, with both sides hurdling towards a deal in the 11th hour. We dig into the rumored changes to the agreement that have floated around online, specifically the Passan and Nightengale tweets. We talk about the expanded playoffs, and how it might affect the competitive landscape both in MLB at large, and hopefully for the Mariners. This is a somewhat abbreviated podcast, as we decide to wrap early (11PM), and call it a night, so we can get back to the grind, hopefully for an emergency podcast when a deal is ultimately agreed to on March 1st. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hello Seattle Mariners fans! While Major League Baseball continues to be locked out with little genuine hope on the immediate horizon, minor league baseball is the flavor of the season. Who might be Mariners? The prospects! The prospects might be Mariners. John, Kate and prospect whisperer Joe Doyle break down why now is the best time there has ever been to get into following minor league ball, especially for Mariners fans who want a peek at the #1 FARM SYSTEM IN BASEBALL. The crew breaks down the Mariners more recent international spending and picks, reading in between the lines about how the Mariners scouting strategy has evolved in recent seasons. Joe talks about the Mariners scouting hierarchy and details some of the changes to personnel that could be significant in influencing some of those directional shifts within the organization. After that, they break into the prospects: - Frankie Montas - Felnin Celesten - Lazaro Montes - Are the Mariners a hot destination for Latin prospects? - The Challenges of International Scouting - Martin Gonzalez - Who is the Mariners best defensive shortstop prospect? - Miacol Arroyo - Milkar Perez - The ethics of Anglosizing player names - Do the Mariners regret not taking any specific players over Hancock? - What’s up with Emerson Hancock and the prospect shade? - Minor League Spring Training - COVID Testing for minor leaguers and potential logistical complications - Ranking the top 3 prospects in baseball: o Adley Rutschman o Bobby Whitt Jr. o JULIO! - Prospect ranking consistency, and how to gauge prospect reviews - Which of the Mariners pitching prospects is the best hitter? - Sam Carlson: Tik Tok Star? - The Return of Isaiah Campbell There is a small edit about 60 minutes in where Craig cuts out and I had to stitch two sections together somewhat bluntly, but it was nice to stop in and say hi! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hello Seattle Mariners fans! Baseball remains locked out, but it appears slow, if begrudging progress continues on that front. The players association appears to be making some major concessions, and both sides have narrowed their focus down to core sticking points. John, Kate and I are here to dig into listener questions regarding the lockout, the Mariners free agent pursuits, and the general lack of baseball vibe at large. John dives into his article on the 14 team expanded playoffs and breaks down some of the pros and cons of such an alignment, and how it might change the way teams operate in terms of tanking/going all in for the postseason. We ponder the remaining names on the free agent market, and Kate extolls the potential value of Carlos Rodon. We pick over the carcass of the Oakland Athletics, and try to come up with a trade for some of their more spare parts that might fill holes on the Mariners roster. Apologies to any twitter listeners with questions we did not get to, I responded to a few personally, but we will save a few key ones to answer on a future pod. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hello Seattle Mariners fans! This week we are extremely pleased to bring on special guest star, former Mariners first round (12th overall) draft pick, Mr. Harry Ford. The Mariners have put Harry on the fast track to the big leagues behind the dish as their catcher of the future. Harry recounts the draft day experience, and the surprise of getting drafted by the Mariners. We chat about his hopes for the upcoming season, his affinity for catching and answers a few rounds of the most pressing questions we had for the future star. He gets a crash course in Seattle lore, and gives us his favorite Atlanta hip hop stars. Harry reveals which teammate has the most drip, and gives a peak at his future potential walkup music. We discuss his Braves fandom and his Georgia baseball career, what led him on this path to the majors. We get to know who won the footrace between him and Johnatan Clase. Harry recounts the highs and lows of his rookie season, and talks about improvement with the benefits of breathing right. Lastly, we look ahead to Harry heading out for the 2022 season in Modesto, with Everett on the horizon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hello Seattle Mariners fans! It has, once again, been incredibly quiet on the baseball front. As the holidays rapidly approach, the general consensus is that baseball is shut down for 2021, and negotiations on a new agreement between the league and players association won't be taking place until at least January. That, sucks. In the meantime, to counter the dreaded silence across the sport, we are here with Santa’s grab bag full of reader questions to bring the hard hitting knowledge straight to your dome piece. Assorted Musings: · Mariner gifts for Christmas · CBA Negotiations · The most depressing Mariners trivia of all time · Cal Raleigh, stud? · What to do with Evan White? · Who is the oldest tenured Mariners prospect? · Witty banter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hello Seattle Mariners faithful. It has been quiet these past several weeks. Real quiet. Too quiet. Baseball remains locked out and there has been little, if any news on that front, regarding either a new contract to be negotiate or continuing negotiations on whatever has already been drafted. Essentially, we know nothing, and it sounds like we won’t know anything until next year at the earliest. Anyways, John, Kate and I dig into the Bryant/Story discussion and weigh the pros and cons of signing one of the two remaining superstars on the market. We briefly discuss the Mariners new minor league hitting coordinator, and the changes to the major league staff. We dig into user questions about whether or not Julio is a future center fielder, and the more immediate narrative on Jarred Kelenic. John pushes back on the push back about Kelenic worries, and admits that the zips projections do not love him as much as we do. We ponder what exiting season might lie ahead for our two most heralded prospects. Lastly, we dig into the Rule 5 draft selections that got taken from the Mariners org, and exactly what we may have just given away. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hello Seattle Mariners fans! We are back with an emergency podcast, fresh from the hot where our beloved nautical baseball team has wrangled a big fish. Soon after trading for nondescript (but still a clear upgrade) Adam Frazier the Mariners swooped in to sign reigning AL Cy young winner Mr. Robert Ray to the rotation. It feels like the first of two shoes to drop, even more so after Shannon Drayer indicated a big trade may be on the horizon. A collective sign of relief was let out upon signing Ray, but the team still has holes to patch in the infield and outfield, with names like Bryant, Story and Correa still on the board. And what on earth are the Texas Rangers, Oakland Athletics and Los Angeles Angels doing? We take a look around the AL West and assess the competition. Assorted Musings: Robbie Ray! Bring back James Paxton Comp pick banter What are the Rangers doing? Are the Angels going to be good? The Ray deal vs the Gausman deal Is the opt out a good thing What other moves will the Mariners make? No Seagers in Seattle // Two Seagers In Texas? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hello everyone! Happy thanksgiving, or holidays, whatever you celebrate, however you celebrate or if you don’t celebrate, I hope whatever you do this week, you have some days off. That’s really all we want anyways, right? Anyhow, it’s been awfully quiet in the world of the Seattle Mariners. There’s been banter and speculation and all kinds of rumors abounding about shortstops getting PAID, but in terms of real action it’s been all but silent. But fear not! We are here to give you the Mariners content you crave. Assorted Musings: · Who will the Mariners sign? Will they break the bank? · Evan loses power and goes into the void but John returns from a haunted mansion to give analysis · Snoop Dog’s blunt roller · Would anyone like a gently used Jake Fraley? · Tyler Anderson chatter · Movements in the pitching market · Joe talks us down from the “big splash” ledge · Suzuki, Mariner? · The mixed results of international signings · The merits of keeping Mitch Haniger · Who gets traded? · Would the Mariners like one gently used Byron Buxton? · What kind of free agent deal does Buxton get? · Nelson Cruz homecoming tour? · Jarred Kelenic 2022 · JP Crawford, gold glover, crypto investor, bunker owner · Thanksgiving banter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hello everyone! We are back! After a slow couple of weeks for the Seattle Mariners, the MLB season has wrapped with the Atlanta Braves defeating the notorious cheaters and karma recipient Houston Astros. After a quiet few days, the calm before the storm has begun to dissipate as the hot stove cranks up. Kate is in Arizona scouting the fall league this month, so we have prospect guru and baseball maverick Joe Doyle here to dig into the slowly heating hot stove. Jerry has been running the press circuit over the past few weeks name dropping free agents and players of interest, and we look at the who and the how much when it comes to those potential players. We talk who the Mariners might be looking at on both shorter and longer deals. We say goodbye to Yusei and ponder who might take his spot in the rotation (Sheffield? Dunn? Paxton? Matt Brash?). We talk Bryan Reynolds, former and potential future Mariners trade target. We spend a fair amount of time breaking down the outfield situation, and we each see a variety of possible scenarios moving forward depending on whom the Mariners import in the coming weeks. We talk Matt Brash, Kyle Lewis, Evan White and other guys who could be on the team out of camp but likely need a brief minor league stint for one reason or another. Lastly Evan gets philosophical on the nature of success, failure, and baseball prospects. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hello! It’s been a quiet offseason so far in Seattle Mariners land, but there are some small developments to discuss. The Mariners have brought a Mariners legend into the front office fold to help oversee the rise to contention. A few notable names have been designated for assignment and will be moving on, opening up 40 man roster spots for future Mariners yet to come. But most of all, the Oakland Athletics have begun a painful dismantling process that the Mariners just might be in a position to benefit from. Assorted Musings: - KGJ returns to the team in an ownership capacity - The Kraken, the Seahawks, and the landscape of Seattle Sports - LJay, Ryan Webber, Sam Haggerty, Shed Long, Jake Bauers, others DFA’d - Will Jake Fraley pass through waivers? - Punching down on the disintegrating Oakland Athletics - Shaking out the future of the AL West - Trading from the Mariners prospect surplus? - Potential trades in the bullpen (Sadler, Steckenrider) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

John Stolnis, Kris Willis and Ashley MacLennon set the table for the World Series showdown between the Atlanta Braves and Houston Astros! Presented by T-Mobile Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hello Everyone! After a much needed sabbatical, the crew is back to dish out Lookout Landies, our much anticipated, highly acclaimed Seattle Mariners season awards. A little time off has given us all time to decompress and process what was an utterly incredible season on almost every front. There are overachievers to praise, underachievers to chastise, surprises both good and bad, and most of all, the thing the Mariners need the most: development and experience for young players. Despite no playoffs, there are still abundant reasons for optimism about the performance of the young team on both sides of the ball. The bullpen is mostly intact moving forward. The rotation has a cadre of elite arms lurking just below the surface. Jarred is here and Julio might be by the time the team next plays a real game. Progress can be hard to measure but we attempt to do so and give out flowers where appropriate. MVP Cy Young (rotation) Cy Young (bullpen) Rookie of the Year Biggest Surprise Biggest Disappointment Play of the Year Game of the Year Most forgotten Mariner Biggest comeback Minor League Player of the Year Minor League Cy Young Most Improved Minor Leaguer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hello everyone! This week John, Kate and Joe Doyle are back to review the AA and AAA minor league season. Arkansas Travelers Matt Brash Brandon Williamson Emerson Hancock George Kirby 40 Man Spots / Rule 5 Talk Julio Rodriguez Arkansas as the most run suppressing park in AA, one of the highest in the sport Jersey & uniform talk! Tacoma Rainiers Jose Marmolejos, best hitter in minor league baseball? Taylor Trammel! (*crickets*) Arizona Fall League Roster Rundown Who is interesting? who is less interesting? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Talent from all around SB Nation come together to preview the MLB AL Playoffs as John Stolnis, Ashley MacLennon and Andrew Mearns debate all the biggest topics and make their predictions! Presented by T-Mobile Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hello Seattle Faithful! It has been a whirlwind few days in Mariner land. The team pulled into a tie for the second wild card for a brief moment, before ultimately being eliminated during the final game on Sunday. It was a wild ride with basically the entire lookout landing staff in attendance in some capacity, on multiple nights. The Seattle fans kept their end of the bargain and showed up en masse, selling out the stadium for the final home stand and providing the city with a playoff atmosphere that hasn’t been felt in an era. From Pete Carroll extolling the virtues of Scott Servais on the radio, to the “Mitch For Mayor” campaign, this has felt like one of the most special times in Mariners history, even without actual playoffs to seal the deal. When all is said and done, the 2021 Seattle Mariners completed their miracle season 18 games over .500, taking meaningful, can’t miss baseball down to the final outs on October 3rd. Thank you to every fan who has listened to the podcast and supported both the site and the team during this strange, wonderful time. Assorted Musings: · Initial emotions at the end · Matt Calkins article · Is the future ace of this team on the free agent market? · Bring back James Paxton · Luis Torrens · Toro at 3B? · The maturation of Jarred Kelenic · Who plays CF? · Kyle Lewis! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hello everyone! We are back under incredible circumstances. John has fixed his microphone, the Mariners are a half game out of the playoffs, Chris Pratt is Mario, Dr. Dre is doing the super bowl halftime show, and I feel like my brain is literally melting under the weight of adulation and deep confusion. Anyways, the Seattle Mariners are half a game back in the wild card after grinding the pitiful Oakland Athletics underneath their heel for what feels like the 47th time this season. With only one series remaining against the rival Angels, the team looks to crank up the fun differential for one last ride that will catapult them into the postseason. Naturally, this is perhaps the most fun podcast of the year, as we’ve all felt the enthusiasm around the team rise to the occasion in dramatic fashion. The team appears to be selling tickets to the final home stand rapidly, and Lookout Landing will be there to represent in epic fashion. After a long, dark playoff drought, no matter what the outcome, this has been an unexpected and wondrous few weeks for fans, and we have much to dig into as the final bend approaches. Assorted topics · Milli Vanilli · Are the Oakland As cooked? · Is Matt Chapman cooked? · Are front office changes in store for Oakland? · How dangerous are the Angels and Astros next year and beyond · Kate & Evan playoff memories · When did the Mariners become this new entity we all love? · Who pitches for the Mariners in a one game playoff? · Jarred’s thick thighs & Cal Raleigh dumper appreciation · Team MVP JP Clutchford · Sean Doolittle: good? · Remember Daniel Zamora? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hello everyone! In direct response to our skepticism the last couple weeks, the Mariners have gone on something of a tear. Taking the series in Kansas City and now sweeping the recently feeble Oakland Athletics, the Mariners find themselves a mere 2 games out in the wild card hunt. Yet questions abound, and we are here to answer all the pressing issues facing the team. Noted Topics: · Will the Mariners make the playoffs? · How do the next 9 games need to go for the Mariners to make the playoffs? · What has happened to the Padres? · The Kids are alright? · What to do with Yusei Kikuchi? · Do the Mariners have any other viable starters? · Is it time for Julio or Matt Brash to join the big league team? · How fun has the season been? · Is this the end for the Mariners and Kyle Seager? · Shannon Drayer drops a live bombshell that demands our attention John’s audio is a little cut-y for the first 13 minutes or so, but we make an adjustment that alleviates it for the most part from there on out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hello! This week Kate, Jon and Joe are back with another riveting look at future potential Mariners, After a strong year across the organization in terms of prospect performance, the crew digs into the lowest levels, the youngest of the young prospects. Starting with a look at the kids in the Dominical Summer League, followed up with the newest draftees tearing up the Arizona League. Lastly, they dig into the Modest Nuts; a roster housing some of the high upside young prospects in the entire organization. DSL Roundup AZL Mariners Harry Ford Danny Chang Edwin Arroyo Blake Townsend Joe's Sleepers Modesto Nuts Noelvi Marte Alberto Rodriguez Sam Carlson Conner Philips Joe's Sleepers Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hello! What a dreadful pun for this episode title. This week we check in on the seemingly but not mathematically "out of it" Seattle Mariners with only 16 games remaining. We lament the players the mariners could have, maybe should have signed to be the separators when the team needed it most. We discuss how much fun this team was this season, all the way up until the end, and compare the watching experience to some of the other recent Mariner teams. We look at Ty France who has struggled a bit since getting pegged by Kendall Graveman earlier this month. There is a listener question about Evan White, and we all agree he very much still has a role with the team moving forward, through probably starting 2022 in Tacoma. We dig into the bigger news of the week: the 2023 all star game will be held at T Mobile Park! We each pick something about the event we are excited for and express our enthusiasm for the event and the week long extravaganza it seems destined to be. We talk new uniforms and a general team makeover and the chances the team might see some new asset designs in the near future, particularly with newcomer Katie Griggs at the helm of those decisions. Assorted Musings: · Jersey/Uniform talk · Ownership discussion · Future Mariners All Stars for the 2023 summer classic · Things to look for in the final 16 games · Promote Julio to AAA? I also managed to call Kevin Martinez "Kevin Mathers" on both this and INSIS on two consecutive days, but I'm chalking it up to PTSD and Mariners/Mathers induced trauma. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hello Everyone! We are back with another hot, spicy episode of the lookout landing podcast. This week is particularly exciting for several reasons. First off, the Mariners are done playing the Houston Astros until next season (unless we meet our dreaded rivals in the American League Championship Series of course). Secondly, because after defeating the pitiful, husk of a baseball team that is the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Mariners sit with an identical 77-64 record to the Oakland As, and are a single game out of the second wild card spot. Obviously the competition both within the division from the As and from the rest of the league remains stiff, with critical series against the Red Sox on the horizon. But the biggest topic for todays episode ponders the question you, the fans, have been clamoring about for some time: IS IT JULIO TIME? Kate brings her wealth of Julio specific expertise to the discussion, as we approach all angles, pros and cons of promoting the best prospect in the organization to the big leagues for a playoff chase. We also dig a bit into some of the existing and upcoming holes in the roster, and some interesting names of potential future Mariners to fill said holes. We talk briefly about the short stop and starting pitcher markets, but ultimately lament the high risk nature of such endeavors as it pertains to the Mariners. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Two Podcasts in Two Days? Incredible. But in all seriousness, John, Kate and prospect maverick Joe Doyle collide in this episode to break down the current state of the Mariners most heralded young prodigy, and what potentially ails him. Joe breaks down his controversial piece that has taken lookout landing and the greater internet Mariners community by storm. Is Jarred's stance fixable? Is he broken? Why so serious? The only way to find out is to let us break it down. Other assorted musings from across the farm: The Young Arms Cometh Kirby and Hancock continue to gently build innings, but where will they end up? Matt Brash; hottest prospect in the system Alberto Rodriguez continues to impress at the plate and in the field Noelvi Marte's improving defense Every Mariners minor league affiliate has a winning record, but what does this really mean? Players to watch going forward! Cade Marlow Luis Curvello Milkar Perez The good, the bad and the mostly just pretty good of the early returns from the 2021 draft class So, so much more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Well hello! We are back, and it's been a little while. Despite about a month off the podcast, it feels like so much yet so little has changed. The team sits a mere 3 games back of the second wild card spot as of this writing, with games against the feeble Diamondbacks and the freefalling (but still ahead of the team in the wild card standings) Red Sox over the coming week. On Tuesday night, Abraham Toro became the first player in MLB history to hit a grand slam off of (mole and Mariners insider saboteur Kendall Graveman) the player he was traded for. It was also the Mariners sixth go ahead grand slam of the magical and absurd 2021 season. The following morning the announcement many have long expected was finally made: Jerry and Scott each receiving a multi-year extension from the Mariners. After consecutive seasons with a (the?) top ranked farm system in baseball and a season where the major league team has outperformed both expectations and a dismal -56 run differential to swim 10+ games above .500, ownership opted to keep the band together. Evaluating Jerry at this stage in the rebuild still feels incomplete, but we dig into to our generally positive feelings about the move, and what it all could mean going forward. Does this mean the Mariners will spend? What's the deal with Jerry's fancy new title? Will anyone else be joining the organization? We provide all the sultry, juicy details you desire. Assorted musings: Scott Servais - Manager of the Year? The Mariners still can't hit, what should they do about it? Jarred Kelenic and the trials of a rookie Logan Gilbert - finding sustained success? Mitch Haniger - Professional Streaky Hitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's been an up and down few weeks for the Mariners, who have ultimately played pretty well but sit below .500 at 3-5 since the Kendall Graveman trade. After taking two of three from the Rays, all the way from Tampa, Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times joins us to dig into his article regarding the trade and the reaction from inside the team. Ryan provides an inside look at the team on the ground level before and after the trade, and provides context for his story, which has turned out to be one of the major narratives around the Mariners so far this season. We tie it all back to Kevin Mather's preseason comments and dissect whether or not we think these are isolated or endemic issues. We discuss the state of the team, the immediate and long term futures, and what we would do if we had to steer this team to victory. Assorted musings: Katie Griggs Abe Toro Trades that didn't happen Merrifield Berrios Who would the Mariners have traded if the season had gone another way? Would we extend Jerry Dipoto? Would we make personnel changes within the baseball operations department? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Mariners roared into the deadline fronting a big game and came out with mostly a swap of relief pitchers, and a good infield prospect, but not the marquee name fans had hoped for. We dive into the return for Kendall Graveman and discuss our evolving feeling about what was a very contentious trade for the team. We reflect on the Mariners clutchness. so far and ponder whether or not it can survive such a drastic cultural shift. However, we also examine Graveman's role on the team, and conclude, as we did several weeks earlier, that he was always expendable given where he stood on the roster. We also briefly touch on the Mariners trade with Tampa Bay for Diego Castillo, whom we all like a great deal. We also wonder what on earth the Astros see in Montero, and are concerned the Rays will turn Austin Shenton into a bonafide star (if he can find a position). We touch on new Mariners president of business operations Kate Griggs and express excitement at her role within the organization. We conclude with a look at the wider trade environment in baseball, and why perhaps the Mariner chose to make the moves that they did, given the prices on the trade market. Apologies for the sound on this one, John's audio is a bit skippy here and there, and I smoothed it over as best I could, but its not perfect. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Max Rieper of Royal Review guest stars to talk about The Royals and the trade deadline, and how they might be a good trade partner for the Mariners. Max provides a look at where the Royals stand, the promotions they are set to make, the prospects in their system and why it could mean Merrifield in particular gets moved. Kate dissects the return options for the Royals, and gives some insight into whom the Mariners might trade for Whit. Joe provides further insight on said players, and why perhaps Royals fans could get excited. Everyone agrees a package will probably be headlined by one of the Mariners MLB adjacent outfielders: Trammel, Fraley or Deloach specifically. Joe offers up some potential packages including other prospects as well. Assorted musings: Nori Aoki slander Cal Raleigh - The Last Undiscovered Prospect Royals Competitive Timeline Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hello everyone! We are back with another hot, sizzling podcast as the red hot Mariners roar into the trade deadline with pieces to sell, or maybe buy? Who knows, you’ll have to listen to find out where we stand on that junction. The team has played well as of late, spirits are tepid and fragile but still high, and we go over a number of hot topics as the team reaches a critical nexus in the season: The Oakland and Houston series and how they will shape the season going forward, and the Mariners buying versus selling of particular assets at the deadline THE CLEVELAND GUARDIANS?! Hot or not? we have differing takes on both the logo and the new feng shui of of the Cleveland baseball team. Do the Mariners need a rebrand? We discuss the merits of changing things like the team name, colors or uniform variants to maybe give the team a whole new vibe, or perhaps a new spin on a classic vibe (nautical). TRADE DEADLINE - Who stays? Who goes? Who buys? Who sells? Who do we like? Who do we think the team maybe likes? What can we actually get versus what to we actually want? How deep into the team’s reserves of coveted prospects is it appropriate to dive into for help? We discuss all this and more. Literally between recording this at 10AM and posting it at about 6PM the team DFA’d Rafael Montero, so to all those who clamored for such a move, congratulations? Sorry Mikey! How different competitive, do or die, all on the line baseball feels compared to the casual, tortoise pace of Mariners baseball that has been so prevalent in losing seasons and how we manage to cope (or not cope). Assorted musings (BOOOO Jake Fraley) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 2021 MLB Draft has come and gone, and the Mariners drastically altered their draft strategy, taking three high school players in the first three rounds for the first time in General Manager Jerry Dipoto's tenure. Kate, John, and Joe discuss what this shift in strategy means for where the club views itself in the cycle of contention, and offer analysis on most of the 20 picks selected over the three days of the Draft, including who they view as having the highest upside, who profiles to make it to MLB first, and what later-round picks might have the most impact. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices