When the Mariners acquired Aaron Heilman as part of their multi-player haul for J.J. Putz, it was widely assumed that the changeup specialist would take his place in Seattle’s remodeled rotation. That won’t happen now–not after the M’s traded Heilman before he even threw a pitch for them, sending him to the Cubs for infielder Ronny Cedeno and failed Oriole Garret Olson. Long desiring a rotation role, Heilman almost certainly would have started for the Mariners, but now he’ll have to battle for the fifth starter spot in Chicago, all while doing so for an impatient manager named Lou Piniella. I have my doubts as to whether Heilman will succeed. He’s basically a two-pitch pitcher–featuring that dandy change and a passable fastball–but he’ll need to come up with an improved third pitch to succeed as a starter. He’ll also have to show off the ability to shake off the emotional effects of a horrid 2008, a season that saw him become the No. 1 punching bag in the Mets’ putrid bullpen…
With the addition of Cedeno to a team that already has Jose Lopez and Yuniesky Betancourt, the Mariners continue to collect middle infielders of questionable hitting ability. There’s been plenty of talk that the M’s will move Lopez to first base; if so, Seattle would have one of the worst offensive infields of the last 20 years. (It would also be reminiscent of the days when Dan Meyer, Julio Cruz, Craig Reynolds, and Bill Stein formed an anti-Murderers’ Row infield for Seattle in 1978.) Although Lopez enjoyed career highs with 17 home runs and 89 RBIs in 2008, his on-base percentage remained a problematic .322. As a second baseman, Lopez can be an offensive asset; as a first baseman, he’s probably an average player at best…
Up until now, I’ve resisted writing anything about Joe Torre’s revealing and provocative book on his years with the Yankees, and will continue to reserve final judgments until I’ve actually read the volume. (My wife has already placed an order with a local bookstore in Cooperstown, but actual arrival will not take place until next week.) I will say this, though. I’m very curious to read Torre’s defenses and/or explanations of his decisions to use Jeff Weaver in the 2003 World Series, his failure to use an effective Chris Hammond in that same postseason (except for a lone two-inning scoreless stint), and his refusal to run against Jason Varitek and Tim Wakefield during the 2004 collapse to the Red Sox. I’d also be curious to hear what Torre has to say about the lack of effort that plagued Yankees players during the first halves of the 2006 and 2007 seasons.
