I Greatly Dislike Bill Bavasi

Before you read this post, you have to understand a couple things.

1. The Mariners have lost six in a row and I am frustrated. Extremely frustrated.
2. Pat Gillick left the Mariners in bad shape. No doubt about it. He did not draft well and he signed older players.
3. Bill Bavasi is horrible at his job.

Now I am usually a fairly positive sports fan. I will defend current management or at least give them a chance. Also I am not ready to give up on the season and I understand that the Mariners have only played 14 games. I also know they are a small winning streak away from being in first place.

At the same time, I have been hearing for the last couple years how bad Bill Bavasi is as a General Manager. I never really did the research myself. Until now. Oh my God.

Bavasi signed on to be the GM on November 7, 2003. The Mariners just two years before won 116 games and went to the ALCS. They didn’t exactly flounder in 2002 or 2003, winning 93 games both years. The M’s did not make the playoffs either year and the fans were ready for change. Be careful what you wish for.

For the first time in club history, the Mariners have finished last for three straight seasons. They lost 99 games in 2004, 93 games in 2005, and 84 in 2006. Yes, the record improved each year. No, things don’t look good thus far in 2007.

Bavasi does a decent job drafting and the Mariners have good international scouts. But how about trades?

Carlos Guillen to Detroit for Ramon Santiago and Juan Gonzalez.

Jeff Cirillo and Brian Sweeney for Kevin Jarvis, Wiki Gonzalez, and Dave Hansen.

Freddy Garcia and Ben Davis to Chicago for Miguel Olivo, Jeremy Reed, and Mike Morse.

Brett Boone to Minnesota for nothing

Randy Winn to San Francisco for Jesse Foppert and Yorvit Torrealba

Miguel Olivo to San Diego for Nathaniel Mateo and Miguel Ojeda

Ron Villone to Florida for Yorman Bazardo and Mike Flannery

Matt Thornton to Chicago for Joe Borchard

Adsrubal Cabrera to Cleveland for Eduardo Perez

Eddie Guardado to Cincinnati for Travis Chick

Jamie Moyer to Philadelphia for Andrew Baldwin and Andrew Barb

Yorman Bazardo to Detroit for Jeff Frazier

Travis Blackley to San Francisco for Jason Ellison

Raphael Soriano to Atlanta for Horacio Ramirez

Emilio Fruto and Chris Snelling to Washington for Jose Vidro

All those trades and do any of them stand out as good? The only one I even think is decent was the Moyer one. Baldwin is pitching decent in AA and Barb is good in A ball. Moyer is only going to be around this year and maybe next.

The Villone trade would have been good but they shipped Bazardo off. He is in AAA with Detroit’s organization. Vidro is decent right now, but Snelling is playing in the majors and Fruto is 1-1 with a 2.25 ERA in AAA as a starter. Think the M’s could use a starter right now?

Randy Winn, Miguel Olivo, Joe Borchard, Freddy Garcia, Matt Thornton, Jamie Moyer, and Carlos Guillen are all starting on major league teams. The Mariners do not have one player on their Major League roster in return. Not one! In fact the only players left in the organization from these trades are Barb, Baldwin, Jeremy Reed, and Mike Morse.

Part of Bavasi’s reasoning for getting rid of Guillen was his tendency to get injured. Well Guillen hit .318 with 20 HR and 97 RBI that first year. Then did get hurt and hit .320 in 87 games. Yet came back to play a full season last year hitting .320 with 19 HR and 85 RBI.

Who did Bavasi sign to replace Guillen? Rich Aurilia.

I repeat. Rich. Aurilia.

Look at this list of free agents signed: Scott Spezio, Rich Aurilia, Ron Villone, Jeff Nelson, Aaron Sele (not when he was good), Pokey Reese (never played), Matt Lawton, Carl Everett, and this year’s all-stars: Miguel Batista, Jeff Weaver, Jose Guillen, and Arthur Rhodes.

He signed some players who have been good: Raul Ibanez, Kenji Johjima, Richie Sexson, and Chris Reitsma.

The jury is still out on Adrian Beltre (too much money) and Jarrod Washburn (too much money). The issue is that Beltre makes $12.9 million per year. Carlos Guillen makes $5 million per year. He could be playing third base right now for $8 million less and hitting the same!

Washburn makes almost $10 per year. Weaver makes $8.3 million. Batista $6 million. Guillen $5 million. Sexson $15.5 million. Dear Lord.

Sexson .170 with 3 HR, 11 RBI (.264 with 34 HR and 107 RBI last year)
Beltre .241 with 3 HR, 12 RBI (.268 with 25 HR and 89 RBI last year)
Guillen .217 with 1 HR, 3 RBI
Batista 1-2 with 8.83 ERA (3 starts)
Weaver 0-3 with 13.91 ERA (3 starts)
Washburn 0-2 with 4.42 ERA (3 starts)

The Mariners have the sixth highest payroll in baseball at over $100 million. And they are paying some of their worst players the highest salaries.

What good has happened with Bavasi?

He drafted Matt Tuiasosopo (hitting .357 in AA) and Mark Lowe (good set up man before getting hurt last year) in 2004. He drafted C Jeff Clement in 2005. Although he is batting under .200 while Ryan Zimmerman is starting at 3B for the Nationals. Brandon Morrow is on the roster from the 2006 draft and there are some strong young arms in single A Wisconsin from that class.

They have added to the Major League roster with players such as Yuniesky Betancourt, but Bavasi did not sign him alone. The reality is that Bavasi has not improved this ball club much at all. Felix Hernandez, J.J. Putz, and Jose Lopez were already prospects in the system. Ichiro was here. What else is there aside from his two bright spots, Ibanez and Johjima?

Another last place finish most likely and hopefully it costs him a job in the process.