Again most likely a 3-way platoon between Mark Lowe, Tyler Walk and Miguel Batista. I don't know what Walker did, but he went from being the leader for the position to being behind the others almost over night.
pepino wrote:Mark Lowe - 75% Batista - 0% All others - 25% By the end of the year, it may be Josh Fields, their #1 pick from Georgia.
Considering what a train wreck Lowe was in is last shot as closer I would say Batista is likely the leading candidate for saves.
Manager Don Wakamatsu said Sunday that Miguel Batista is in the mix to be the Mariners' closer. Batista has been ruled out as a rotation candidate after going 4-14 with a 6.26 ERA last season, but trading J.J. Putz and then Aaron Heilman has left the Mariners without a clear favorite to close if Brandon Morrow is starting. Batista saved 31 games for the Blue Jays in 2005, but allowed opponents to hit .298/.398/.510 last season. Source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer
pepino wrote:Mark Lowe - 75% Batista - 0% All others - 25% By the end of the year, it may be Josh Fields, their #1 pick from Georgia.
Considering what a train wreck Lowe was in is last shot as closer I would say Batista is likely the leading candidate for saves.
Manager Don Wakamatsu said Sunday that Miguel Batista is in the mix to be the Mariners' closer. Batista has been ruled out as a rotation candidate after going 4-14 with a 6.26 ERA last season, but trading J.J. Putz and then Aaron Heilman has left the Mariners without a clear favorite to close if Brandon Morrow is starting. Batista saved 31 games for the Blue Jays in 2005, but allowed opponents to hit .298/.398/.510 last season. Source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer
The manager is just being nice. There is NO WAY Batista will close for the Mariners. Once the new coaching staff sees him pitch, they will never want him in a game where the score is close. Even if, by some miracle, Batista closes some games, you do not want him on your team. High ERA, loads of walks, few strikeouts, etc. etc. etc.
I don't think it will happen either but Lowe really isn't any better of an option, and his countless elbow surgeries also makes him a huge injury risk. Best way to look at it, is regardless of what happens in the M's bullpen, just stay away. The handful of saves you get will in no way be worth the resulting damage to your other stats.
I am from Seattle and honestly no one knows around here either. I want Lowe because he has another off-season worth of rest from his elbow surgery which was more like microfracture surgery than a TJ. The beat writers around here think his velocity is back but his slider still isn't all the way back so far this spring. He obviously has the highest upside if returned to 2007 form. Batista is SP/RP eligible and I think that he starts the season as the closer. He had 2 broken bones in his back last year and seems to be healed. Also he has experience doing the job w/ 31 saves for Toronto one year and is gaining momentum for the job. Walker has no buzz right now locally and I don't know why it stopped. Cochoron's value seems to be soley based on JJ Putz's comments about how he should be the closer now that he is gone. Aardsma is the dark horse but also has no buzz right now. It is a mess.
Here is my roster right now:
C - Salty 1b - Fielder 2b - Kendrick 3b - Gordon SS - Reyes OF - Hamilton OF - Bruce OF - J. Upton Util - ?
SP - Liriano SP - Hernandez Sp - Wang SP - Carmona SP - Kershaw RP - Zumaya RP - Corpas RP - ?
So far in my 20 team keeper league 7x7 I am in the 17th rd of the draft and I have every spot filled with a quality player I like except Closer and UTIL. I have Zumaya and Corpas so far as potential closers and as you can imagine 340 picks in or so their isn't much there. I am looking at this group of players right now. Who would you prefer,? Usually I go with best player available and I think it's Okajima, Smoltz, Hudson right now. Thanks again to everyone who's responded.
O. Hudson 2b J. Smoltz SP H. Okajima RP A. Iwamura 2b A. Casilla 2b D. McPherson 3b B. Hall 3b M. Lowe RP M. Batista SP/RP J. Guillen OF G. Sheffield OF K. Griffey OF J. Rivera OF A. Reyes SP/RP J. Guthrie SP T. Buchholz RP J. Cruz RP R. Betancourt RP S. Olsen SP E. Jackson SP
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by terribletetrick » Wed Feb 25, 2009 6:43 pm 
