Tag Archives: Marcell Ozuna

Jerry Dipoto And Mariners Setting the Offseason Bar

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If there is one thing we can say about new Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto, it’s that he has a vision, and he’s not wasting any time turning that vision into a reality.

Fresh off completing his fourth trade of the offseason – acquiring shortstop Luis Sardinas from the Milwaukee Brewers for minor league outfielder Ramon Flores – and sixth overall transaction since the start to free agency on November 2nd, rumors of a possible Mariners-Marlins deal involving outfielder Marcell Ozuna heading to the Mariners in exchange for one of their young starting pitchers – Taijuan Walker, James Paxton, Roenis Elias or Nathan Karns – is lighting up the hot stove.

Now, we here at Mission Mariner don’t need to go into great detail about our thoughts of an Ozuna acquisition. We championed that idea over a year ago, and then again at last year’s trade deadline.  So it goes without saying that the idea of Ozuna patrolling the outfield is a strongly welcomed one, even if it means parting with Walker.   And before people take to their pitchforks over the thought of trading away Walker, let me just say that yes, Walker is a talent.  And, yes, Walker might be the next coming of Felix Hernandez.  But Ozuna is also a talent, and may be the next Carlos Gomez.  And when it comes to choosing between a future Felix Hernandez or a future Carlos Gomez, one is better off acquiring the player that will be playing every day rather than the player who will play just once every five days.

That said, should an Ozuna deal go down, it would highlight an incredible first month of roster-makeover activity from Dipoto.  It would punctuate a divergence from former GM Jack Zduriencik’s deliberate “wait out the market” approach.  Dipoto’s more aggressive “know what you want and go get it” style has already resulted in the acquisition of nine new players, at least seven of whom figure to be on the 25-man roster.  So far, Dipoto is this year’s A.J. Preller, but with a bit more restraint and pragmatism.  Consider:

In contrast, it was expected for Zduriencik not to get into the offseason game until the December Winter meetings or thereafter.   While this usually had no repercussion if one was targeting a blue chip free agent, it often meant that many of the second and third tier free agents – players often in the Mariners’ targeted price range – would be off the board by then.  This often resulted in ill-advised trades (see the Pineda deal), or signing low risk players who hopefully could provide high rewards (see Jack Cust).

Below is a list of Zduriencik’s first offseason transactions in each of his seven years as GM:

Of course, not all the deals were bad.  Kendrys Morales proved to be a productive hitter, and J.A. Happ provided solid innings as a middle of the rotation arm. The rest? A mixed bag mostly of disappointing returns.

More to the point, however, is the timetable of initial deals in contrast to what we are seeing now with Dipoto.

Zduriencik’s earliest notable offseason deal happened last season with the December 3rd trade of Michael Saunders, just over one month later than Dipoto’s first deal this offseason.  In 2012, it wasn’t until January 23rd – roughly two and one half months later than this year’s first transaction – when Zduriencik made his first notable offseason deal.

So what does all of this mean?  Well, for one, its clear Dipoto has a plan and he is quickly acting upon it.  Zduriencik might have had a plan as well, but, for whatever reason, he did not have the same urgency to put it into motion.  More importantly, though, by getting a jump on the offseason, Dipoto is getting the players he wants.  Conversely, it appeared most often that Zduriencik acquired players after most had already been picked through by the rest of baseball.  This seemingly was the result of Zduriencik choosing to wait out the market and then target players left over who could be signed at a lesser cost.

For seven years, that strategy never reaped much success.

Time will only tell if Dipoto’s “fast and furious” manner will provide the success he is looking for, and the results fans are expecting.  But whatever the outcome, Dipoto’s success or failure will rest with the players he wanted, not with players he didn’t.

And that, if anything, should be a welcomed change.

A Second Chance At Marcell Ozuna? Mariners Should Take It.

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Last year about this time, we here at Mission Mariner offered our take on who Jack Zduriencik and the Mariners should be targeting as the trade deadline neared.  That player was young Miami Marlins center fielder Marcell Ozuna.

At the time, Ozuna was slashing a .276/.323/.463, 15 homeruns, a 117 wRC+, and putting up solid defense with a DRS of 9.  With highly touted Jake Marisnick knocking on the centerfield door, it was a prime opportunity to nab someone whom we felt could be the next Carlos Gomez.

But instead, the Mariners dealt for the Tiger’s Austin Jackson and, well, we all know how that has worked out.  Not that Jackson has been horrible, but he has been far from the player that he was when he was with the Tigers.  And with Jackson set to leave as a free agent at the end of the year, and with no MLB-ready prospects in the pipeline to take over, the Mariners will soon find themselves in the exact situation they were in heading into the 2014 season.

Luckily, sometimes life gives you second chances.  And for the Mariners, they may have a second chance at Ozuna.

On July 5th, Ozuna was sent down to the Marlins Triple A affiliate after falling into a slump that saw him go from a .289/.362/.439 on May 11th, to just a .249/.301/.337 just 48 games later. (a .224/.260/.273 over that 48 game stretch).  And recent reports have now surfaced indicating the Marlins may be willing to deal Ozuna for young pitching.

Around this time last year, we suggested a package of Taijuan Walker and D.J. Peterson for Ozuna.  With Ozuna’s recent struggles, perhaps a straight Walker for Ozuna could get the deal done?

While Ozuna’s recent struggles may warrant some reasonable questioning, the fact is that all young players go through slumps.  For most, it’s a natural progression. Ozuna has already had success at the MLB level, and it should be expected that he will continue to do so.  Last year, we also advocated that the Mariners look into the young and talented – yet struggling – Aaron Hicks.  All Hicks has done this year is bounce back by providing solid defense and a .299/.364/.437 as the Twins’ center fielder.

There’s no reason not to believe Ozuna won’t get back to the 3.7 WAR player that he was last year.

The other day we suggested that the best trade deadline move for the Mariners was to do nothing.  But second chances don’t come around often.  As such, Zduriencik would be a fool not to grab this one while he can.

Forget Giancarlo Stanton, Mariners Should Deal for Marcell Ozuna

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With the All-Star Game now concluded, the July 31st non-waiver trade deadline looms large on the horizon. The Mariners find themselves holding one of the two wild card playoff spots, and are reportedly scouring the list of possible players that could be acquired to help them in their quest to make the post season for the first time since 2001. While trading for a starting pitcher is a need, the Mariners have been offensively-challenged for most of the season, and obtaining a (right handed) hitter to go with Robinson Cano and Kyle Seager should be the priority.

The outfield is the obvious area of need, and the Mariners have been linked to a handful of players who would serve as immediate upgrades. Marlon Byrd, Alex Rios, Matt Kemp, Josh Willingham, Dayan Viciedo and Ben Zobrist are just a few of the names the Mariners have been rumored to be showing interest in. Each of these players would be welcomed second half additions, and would provide sorely needed pop from the right side.  What the Mariners are willing to give up in return is the unknown question. It’s been reported the Mariners either want a young player who can be a part of the future, or a veteran with an expiring contract. Either way, the Mariners have the blue chip prospects – Taijuan Walker, James Paxton, Nick Franklin and D.J. Peterson – to land virtually any available player on the trade market.

Of course, the biggest name out there is the Miami Marlins’ Giancarlo Stanton. The 24-year old outfielder has been the most sought-after player the past few seasons. And while the Marlins have thus far been reluctant to move him, most figure it’s just a matter of time before Stanton is traded.

Stanton, obviously, would be an incredible addition for the Mariners. A Cano-Stanton-Seager middle of the order would be one of the best hitting trios in baseball.   But Miami has made it clear that Stanton is staying put this season, and any ideas of a trade is simply wishful thinking. Even if Stanton were available, the bidding war that would surely ensue would almost certainly require the Mariners to part with most of their top prospects, and maybe a young major leaguer or two. And after spending years rebuilding their minor league system, it’s hard to imagine GM Jack Zduriencik depleting his farm for just a single player.

The Marlins, however, do have another outfielder on their roster who isn’t just a fantastic notion, who wouldn’t cost nearly as much as Stanton, and who is the player the Mariners should be targeting above all others. That player is centerfielder Marcell Ozuna.

For the Mariners, centerfield has been an Achilles heel this season. First, it was the failed experiment of rookie Abraham Almonte. After producing a disastrous .198/.248/.292 in his first 27 games, the Mariners demoted Almonte and called up fellow rookie James Jones to take over the centerfield duties. While Jones has been an improvement offensively, slashing a .287/.318/.352, his defensive metrics (so far) grade out to being below average to poor with a -5.8 UZR and a -10 DRS.

A quality defensive centerfielder with offensive upside should have been the first priority for Zduriencik during the offseason. At the time, we here at Mission Mariner believed there was a window of opportunity for the Mariners to try and deal for the Brewers’ Carlos Gomez. With the Brewers now leading their division, any chance of landing Gomez has vanished. But with Ozuna, the Mariners may have another opportunity to solidify centerfield and upgrade the offense with a player who could be as good as, or even better, than Gomez.

Entering 2013, the, then, 22-year old Ozuna was ranked 75th on Baseball America’s Top 100 Prospects list. He was called up near the end of April after Stanton was placed on the disabled list, and in his 70 games thereafter, Ozuna produced a respectable .265/.303/.389, a 90 wRC+, and provided above average defense in centerfield (2.7 UZR, -2 DRS) and right field (6.9 UZR, 4 DRS).

This season, Ozuna was named the starting centerfielder for the Marlins over Jake Marisnick (more on him later) and is currently slashing a .276/.323/.463, has hit 15 homeruns, and is tied for 7th among all MLB centerfielders with a 117 wRC+. Ozuna has shined on defense as well, ranking 3rd among all MLB centerfielders with a DRS of 9.

Naturally, one would have to ask why the money-conscious Marlins would want to part with a young, up-and-coming, cost-controlled player who won’t be eligible for free agency until 2020? One look would tell anyone that Miami’s outfield is set for the foreseeable future with Christian Yelich, Ozuna, and Stanton.

Enter, Marisnick.

Marisnick is a five-tool player rated as the top hitting and defensive outfield prospect in the Marlins’ minor league system. Coming into this season, the 23-year old was ranked 79th on Baseball America’s Top 100 Prospects list, and is the player most within the Marlins organization consider to be the team’s centerfielder of the future. With Marisnick now ready to break into the Marlin’s starting lineup, Ozuna could be expendable especially if it means obtaining top MLB ready prospects in return. The Marlins have been said to be seeking a young, cost controlled pitcher as well as a second baseman of the same stature.  The Mariners have both at their disposal.  

To obtain Ozuna, the Mariners could put together an attractive package centered around top prospects Walker and Franklin, both of whom could contribute immediately for the Marlins. Given the fact the Athletics recently traded the #14 rated MLB prospect plus some secondary pieces to acquire Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel, trading the #11 MLB prospect in Walker plus last year’s #79 rated MLB prospect in Franklin should be enough to acquire Ozuna’s services.

However, Ozuna’s age, upside, and success at the MLB level could compel the Marlins to try and leverage the Mariners to part with, say, Walker and Peterson. Is Walker and Peterson too steep a price to pay? Possibly. But with all-star Seager entrenched at 3B, Peterson will ostensibly have to move to 1B, thereby decreasing his overall value to the Mariners. If Seattle were to be reluctant to include Peterson, they could sweeten the deal by throwing in a second tier prospect such as 3B Patrick Kivlehan, or perhaps include another young MLB arm with upside like Erasmo Ramirez or Brandon Maurer to go along with Walker and Franklin.

Giving up such players may seem a bit steep.   But the Mariners would be trading from positions of organizational strength to fill an area of organizational weakness. As the old adage goes, one has to give up talent to acquire talent. And Ozuna, at a very young age, is showing to be the kind of talent that can not only help the Mariners win today, but help them win for many years to come.

And that is a price worth paying for.