The Wheelhouse, with Jerry Dipoto (2018 Mariners)

[jaa36]

AG: Welcome back to a very special edition of The Wheelhouse. This is the All-Star break edition. Jerry, glad to have you with us.

JD: Glad to be here.

AG: And I feel like a broken record here, but the Mariners head into the break after another incredible week. Five wins against one loss. The Mariners now stand at 59-38 overall. That's three and a half games in front for the first Wild Card spot in the American League. Here's an obvious question: are you happy with the team's performance?

JD: I'll give you an obvious answer. Yes, absolutely. From top to bottom, I couldn't be happier with how these guys have come out and performed so far.

AG: We should get into the team as a whole, but let's look at a few games from the last week. First of all, what a way to go into the break, with a ninth-inning comeback in yesterday's game.

JD: We had a lot of baserunners against the Rockies, but couldn't push anything across the plate for the first eight innings. But you just had a feeling that something was going to happen, and it sure did.

AG: With the team down 2-0, what a ninth inning. Wade Davis on the mound. Two on, two out. Mitch Haniger at the plate, he lines a ball to left field to score Robinson Cano, and Nelson Cruz, not the fastest guy on the bases, stops at third base.

JD: I tell you what, it's probably a good thing I'm not the third base coach, because I would've sent him. But Scott Brosius has a cooler head than mine and held him. Which turned out to be a pretty good decision the way things turned out.

AG: Then Ryon Healy grounds a ball to the shortstop Pat Valaika, who muffs the transfer and the ballgame's tied up.

JD: I will admit I pumped my fist at that point.

AG: And the 2018 Mariners, not a team to leave well enough alone, take a 5-2 lead when Mike Zunino blasts a three-run home run to the opposite field. Edwin Diaz closes things out quickly in the ninth, and the Mariners head into the break coming off a very successful road trip.

JD: It's really proven to be a team that can beat you in a million different ways.

AG: The day before had a great moment as well, with Robinson Cano capturing his 2500th career hit. Tell us a little bit about that hit.

JD: Robbie doing was Robbie does, going with the pitch and taking it the opposite way. You can see how mature a hitter he is now, like the game just slows down for him. Really a great moment for him, and of course, it was in the middle of a rally that gave us a six-run lead.

AG: Robbie now with an 18-game hitting streak. His average now up to .320. Somehow that wasn't enough to make the All-Star team. But let's talk a bit about the players who did make the team, Kyle Seager, Dee Gordon and Edwin Diaz.

JD: Kyle just had an incredibly consistent first half of the year at third base. We haven't talked about him much on this podcast, but he's been as good as any third baseman in baseball. Kyle's a guy who has just gotten better and better every single year, and this year so far is his best yet. A .361 on-base percentage and a .518 slugging percentage are career highs. On pace for career highs in home runs and doubles. The other two we've talked about quite a bit. Dee's now up to 77 stolen bases this season, so technically on pace for 129 on the season, which would be one off the all-time record. And Edwin Diaz, putting up just silly numbers out of the bullpen.

AG: A lot of what we've seen has really been a clear plan that has come together the way you've hoped. What's been the biggest surprise so far this season?

JD: Hmm, tough one. Certainly Dee's stolen bases and the way he's taken to center field have been up there. James Pazos in the bullpen would be another one. Another one would be how well Marco Gonzales has performed in the fifth spot in the rotation. Marco's now 6-1, 2.39 ERA, and has given us everything we could ask for from him going two or three turns through the lineup. But probably the biggest one is our overall team health. We've had a few guys suffer some minor injuries here and there. But knock on wood, we have been an incredibly healthy team so far. We've had six guys play in at least 90 of our 97 games so far. Our top five starting pitchers have started 90 of 97 games. That's just unheard of in this day and age, and what a difference from a year ago.

AG: Under the radar, one notable signing for the Mariners, international prospect O'Neill Manzueta from the Dominican Republic, who signed with Seattle for $2 million earlier in the week. What do you expect from O'Neill?

JD: Like most players we would get through that route, O'Neill is extremely raw, but has terrific power potential. He's fast and should turn into a pretty good outfielder. His swing still has some holes, and he can certainly work on his plate discipline, but he could be a real asset to our team in years to come.

AG: Well, why don't we go for a question from the fans. This one coming at you from Bob in Corvallis, Oregon. The question is, what do you see as Ichiro's role the rest of the season?

JD: We have seen Ichiro play less as the season's gone on. That's not because Ichiro has played poorly- he's done pretty much exactly as we would have expected. It's more that we've had Ben Gamel knocking down the door to get more playing time. We'll certainly see Ichiro get into some games, either in left field or as a pinch hitter. And I wouldn't count Guillermo Heredia or Taylor Motter out of the outfield mix either the rest of the season.

AG: Well, Jerry, a much-deserved break for the players. How about you, how are you spending the all-star break?

JD: I'll be going home with the family for a few days myself. Don't worry, I'll keep my phone on.

AG: With the deadline coming up, the Mariners have to be buyers, so I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of magic you can work.

JD: I'll tell you, I don't have a whole lot of areas to improve, which is a great problem to have!

AG: Well, Jerry, thanks so much for being with us.

JD: Thank you.

AG: And we'll see you in the second half on the next episode of The Wheelhouse.

[jaa36]

AG: Welcome back to The Wheelhouse. I'm Aaron Goldsmith, and with me as always is Jerry Dipoto. Jerry, welcome.

JD: Thanks Aaron.

AG: Well, an eventful week. Let's start with the All-Star Game. Not the best performance by the American League!

JD: Yeah, the game was kind of a dud! I watched it for a bit, but then I turned it off and watched a rerun of Two and a Half Men instead.

AG: Really, Jerry?

JD: (laughs) It's an underrated show.

AG: Well, I'm grateful that your talent evaluation is stronger than your evaluation of television shows. Nonetheless- a 12-0 win for the National League. Not much happening for the Mariners in the game, Dee Gordon, Kyle Seager, or Edwin Diaz.

JD: Nope. Edwin got the crowd excited with a couple 100-mph fastballs, but otherwise, pretty uneventful.

AG: Jerry, I neglected to ask you last week. Did you ever make the All-Star team?

JD: Surprisingly, Aaron, I did not ever make a major league All-Star team. I did a few times in Little League, but not in the pros.

AG: Did you get up to anything else for the break?

JD: Mostly spent the time with the family. Worked the phones a little bit for some potential trades...

AG: Anything you can talk about?

JD: (laughs) No, sorry, Aaron. You're gonna have to hold your breath on this one.

AG: Fair enough. Well, then back to business for the second half. You opened against the White Sox, took two out of three.

JD: Yeah, and as I've said, we're always happy to win a series, no matter who we're playing.

AG: We saw a nice comeback win on Friday. Kyle Seager and Mitch Haniger hitting big home runs to help the M's along. And the bullpen really pitching well to bail out an early exit from James Paxton.

JD: Yeah, James got hit around a bit that day. As far as the bullpen, really quite an outing from Nick Vincent, who got five strikeouts and gave us two and two-thirds innings. Amazing what he can do with a 90-mph fastball.

AG: And the bullpen continued on in fine form the next day, with Edwin Diaz and James Pazos finishing up a strong start from Felix.

JD: Felix has been pretty strong lately, giving us consistently good outing that have kept us in the game. He's really done everything we could've asked of him this year.

AG: The Sunday game a bit of a letdown, as Mariner pitchers gave up 13 runs. But Robbie Cano keeps hitting, with his hitting streak up to 21 games.

JD: Yeah, Robbie has just remained locked in, even through the break. It's a travesty he didn't make the All-Star game, but Robbie will be the first to tell you, he's had plenty of opportunities to play in that game.

AG: Now, next week, two games agains the Giants, then a stretch of 20 consecutive games, starting with a trip to Anaheim on Friday. How does a team prepare for a stretch like that?

JD: It'll certainly test our stamina and our depth. We'll make sure to keep our guys fresh, rotate players in and out as needed, especially our pitchers. I think we'll be ready for it.

AG: OK- listener question time. How about this one, from Taylor in Seattle. Taylor's question is, what do I have to do to get more playing time?

JD: (laughs) Taylor, glad you're listening, buddy! A good way to kiss up to the boss. Listen, Taylor Motter could not be doing anything more than what he's doing. We're going to work him into the lineup against lefties a little more to spell Ben Gamel and Ichiro. It's a good problem to have, too many good players.

AG: All right, Jerry. Well, let's finish up for this week. Good luck to you, with the trade deadline approaching.

JD: Thanks Aaron.

AG: We'll see you next week on The Wheelhouse.

[Tieran]

I have 2 questions.

Are you at all worried about Nelson Cruz? He looks like age might be finally catching up to him.

What do you consider the biggest position of need for this team to address at the deadline?

[jaa36]

AG: Welcome back to The Wheelhouse- the Trade Deadline edition! With me as always is Jerry Dipoto.

JD: Hey Aaron, glad to be here.

AG: I wanted to do something a little bit different this week, and I think you'll see why in a minute. Let's take some mail to start the show.

JD: Whoa, Aaron! I can't handle this kind of change! Slow down, buddy!

AG: (laughs) Easy, Jerry. You'll be all right. We got a lot of questions about the trade deadline this week, so let's start there. The question comes from Tieran, who you may remember several months ago asked if we could post the stats on the podcast, even though that is technically impossible.

JD: I remember that! Tieran, what's up buddy!

AG: All right. Tieran asks, what do you consider the biggest position of need for this team to address at the deadline?

JD: Yeah, good question. I touched on this a bit last week, that really we are in pretty good shape across the whole diamond. But we did make a couple of moves this week, and the biggest one was bringing in Kevin Pillar from the Blue Jays.

AG: Pillar was a big add, and really quite a coup for the Mariners to get a player of his caliber. Hitting a career-high .280, career-high .329 on-base percentage, career-high .419 slugging percentage... it's been a great year for him.

JD: It sure has, Aaron, and that doesn't even begin to touch all the things he can do. He's a great baserunner, and his outfield defense is second to none. Plus, he's a guy we have under team control for this year and the next two, at a pretty reasonable rate, so he's not a rental.

AG: And he came right into the mix with five hits, including two home runs in his first three games with the Mariners.

JD: He's a huge addition for us, no question. And as it is for players of his caliber, the cost was high, but we think worthwhile.

AG: You've put him in left field the first three games here. Clearly an outstanding center fielder as well, and one with a lot of experience out there. Any thought to shifting Dee Gordon over to left?

JD: We considered that, but in the end we thought it would be a bit cruel to Dee to learn yet another new position this season. And Kevin can play left field with the best of them too, so either way, we've got two outstanding defenders out there, or three if you include Mitch Haniger.

AG: It's been a common theme for you to trade away highly-regarded prospects. This time the main piece going the other direction was Kyle Lewis. Are we going to be rueing this day five years from now as the day Jerry Dipoto traded away Kyle Lewis?

JD: (laughs) Well, it's possible there will be some rue-ing. You'll notice that I also traded back for Tyler O'Neill this week, who I traded last year, to try to neutralize some of the negative ju-ju coming from Mariners fans.

AG: I did notice that! That was quite a move, parlaying Travis Denker into O'Neill and a couple of pitchers.

JD: Yeah, we'll come back to that one in a minute. But yeah, losing Kyle Lewis hurts a bit. He had a really good year with the bat at Modesto this year, and he plays a good center field even after the knee injuries. But you've seen my philosophy on this. The game, and fans and the media in particular, tend to overrate prospects these days, and underrate players who are already contributing at the big-league level. I feel really confident that Kevin Pillar is going to give us two and a half years of above-average major league production. And as accomplished as Kyle Lewis is at the age of 23, I feel much less confident that we'll get that type of production from him in the future.

JD: The other pieces going to Toronto were Ben Gamel and Nick Vincent, both of whom had really played major roles on this team the last couple of years. What was it like to trade them?

JD: Really tough, honestly. Nick Vincent was, and is, just a guy who consistently gave us good innings in the bullpen, even last year when the rest of the pitching staff was in shambles. I don't know if you noticed, but he's walked only four guys this season. Four! In sixty innings! He's been terrific, and it's hard to lose him, but we needed to find a way to even out the salaries for Pillar, and we do have a very deep bullpen. As for Ben, obviously he was coming off the injury earlier this year, and played really well in Tacoma, but hadn't carried that production forward to the big-league team. The future is bright for him, and we're certainly sorry to lose him, but to be honest, he wasn't going to get much playing time with Kevin coming on board here, so it's a better opportunity for him in Toronto.

AG: The other acquisition coming over with Pillar is catcher Reese McGuire. Tell us a little bit about him.

JD: Well, our catching depth in the minor leagues hasn't been one of our strengths, and that changes quickly with Reese on board. He's sort of a post-hype prospect, a former first-round pick who reached double-A at the age of 21, and then he got traded and his progress sort of stalled a bit. He's an excellent defender, and we think we'll be seeing him in the majors, probably as a backup to Mike Zunino, a few years down the road. Really, to be honest, a guy whose prospect stock is equal to that of Lewis.

JD: Another move that you made this week was to trade first baseman Brock Stassi, who you had acquired earlier in the year, and outfielder Ian Miller to the Royals for reliever Richard Lovelady and infielder Nicky Lopez. Walk us through that deal.

JD: Stassi did nothing but hit for the month he was with us. As you remember, we acquired him the same day we re-acquired Mike Ford, and we felt a little better about Mike going forward, but Stassi turned into a real asset for us, and we were able to flip him to Kansas City for a couple of potentially very valuable players in Lovelady and Lopez. Richard is young, six years of club control left, and similar to a lot of guys we've picked up over the years, doesn't necessarily do it with just his fastball. He's got a really good changeup, and tends to get a lot of ground balls. He just tore through the minors the last few years, and he struggled a bit with Kansas City earlier this year, but we think he could be a very important part of our bullpen in the years to come. And Lopez is a good natural shortstop who just has a knack for getting on base. We may groom him for a utility role in the upcoming seasons.

AG: You touched on the Tyler O'Neill deal. Were you trolling Mariner fans with that one?

JD: I got a lot of negative reactions when I traded O'Neill to get Marco Gonzales last year. Now Marco's pretty much the king of Seattle- apologies to Felix, of course- and we have Tyler too. And in addition to him, we got John Gant, who's just had a sensational year in Triple A, and Austin Gomber, and both of them help our depth quite a bit moving forward.

AG: So where does the merry-go-round stop, Jerry? Are you doing wheeling and dealing?

JD: (laughs) You know me, Aaron, my phone's always on. I may have completed another deal by text while recording this.

AG: What?!? Really?

JD: (laughs) No. But we're always looking to upgrade wherever we can. Obviously Mike Leake and Erasmo Ramirez have struggled the last few turns through the rotation. I'd love to add another guy I could slot in after James and Felix.

AG: Let's keep the question coming from Tieran. He also asked, are you at all worried about Nelson Cruz? He looks like age might finally be catching up to him.

JD: Tieran probably wasn't watching our games last week. Nelson has definitely had a down year, with a two-month stretch where he was hitting well under .200, but he's certainly been turning it around recently. Two long, long home runs, and five for his last sixteen. I'm not worried about Nelson. Like a lot of power hitters, he is streaky, and he can hit home runs in bunches. I think he'll finish the year north of 30 home runs and a hundred RBI.

AG: OK, Jerry, since we're working backwards here, let's finally talk about the games this week. Two pretty good wins against the Giants, then three pretty bad losses to the Angels.

JD: The Angels losses were particularly difficult given that Kevin had given us such good games- we kind of wanted to make a better first impression than that. But seven home games coming up, so we'll turn it around this week.

AG: OK, Jerry. Well, we spent a lot of time on the deadline deals, so let's call it a podcast.

JD: So be it, Aaron.

AG: Thanks for being with us. And thanks to all of you for listening. We'll see you next week, on The Wheelhouse.

[jaa36]

AG: Welcome back to The Wheelhouse. I'm Aaron Goldsmith, and here with me as always is Jerry Dipoto. Welcome, Jerry.

JD: Thanks Aaron.

AG: Well, after a lot of activity last week, a pretty quiet last couple of days before the deadline for you.

JD: Oh, believe me, they weren't quiet on my end. We had a lot of deals we were looking at, and we were pretty close to swinging a deal for a starting pitcher, but just didn't quite pull one off.

AG: A lot of the big names that people expected would be traded actually stayed put- Chris Archer, Marcus Stroman. Were you in on either of them?

JD: We were, for sure. Cole Hamels was another guy we actually came pretty close to swinging a deal for. But in the end, the asking prices were just too high. And to be honest, we've got a pretty good starting five to being with.

AG: Well, the week itself started off pretty good. What was it like to sweep the Houston Astros?

JD: Oh, it was amazing! The Astros are the best team in the league, and there's nothing better than beating the best. The offense was really clicking, 15 runs in one game, 11 runs in the next. It was a terrific stretch. Dee Gordon was all over the bases. Mitch Haniger had four hits in a game. Robbie hit two home runs.

AG: And then there was Jean Segura!

JD: Jean was fantastic, and won his second Player of the Week award this year. 13 hits, a home run. He's just been the steady heartbeat of our offense all year long.

AG: The 15-5 win on Tuesday was especially exciting, with the team getting down 3-0 in the first, but clearly the offense wasn't having any of that.

JD: Nope. They got right back into it in the bottom of the first, and just kept the pressure on the rest of the game.

AG: Was the second half of the week a let down, losing three of four to Toronto?

JD: I'll be honest, it was, a little bit. We started pressing a bit on offense, and we really got shut down by a couple of lefties in Jaime Garcia and J.A. Happ. We'll get right back at it this week, though, no problem.

AG: Was it weird to see your team hitting against Nick Vincent?

JD: And Tony Zych! Yeah, it was. Their whole bullpen was pretty exhausted, so we put up a couple of runs on him. We know the secret to hitting his mysterious elevated cutter.

AG: I can imagine, Jerry. Within your bullpen, a rough week for Juan Nicasio, who gave up seven runs in three innings. Is he wearing down as the season goes on?

JD: I don't think so, to be honest. He had some trouble locating the slider the other night. He's spending a little extra time with Mel Stottlemyre Jr. this week to work that out. It's always hard to coax Juan out of the weight room for things like that, but this week he's been up for it.

AG: Today's the first day of a ten-day road trip now, heading to Texas tomorrow. A cool 85 degrees in Texas today. Would you say you're glad it's not 20 degrees warmer?

JD: It easily could have been, Aaron. I remember those games down in Texas, and in Miami, and it could be just broiling some days. We'll have plenty of Gatorade on hand this week, but it could have been worse.

AG: You say we, but you aren't traveling with the club this week, are you, Jerry?

JD: No, I'm not- this is a good opportunity to see some of our minor league affiliates, so I'll be in Tacoma today and tomorrow, Modesto on Wednesday and Thursday, and then Everett for Friday and Saturday. The schedule works out really well to do that.

AG: Anyone you're looking forward to seeing play?

JD: Well, for nostalgia's sake, Hisashi Iwakuma with the Rainiers, though he's had a pretty rough season. Guillermo Heredia and Daniel Vogelbach are of course down there as well. With Modesto, Sam Carlson's our top pitching prospect, and really gathered a lot of interest at the trade deadline, though he's had a tough year this year. And in Everett, it would be Joe Rizzo, who's off to a great start this year.

AG: Well, let's take a listener question here. This week's question comes from Katie in Covington, who writes, who on the Mariners would win in a contest of brains, brawn, and beauty?

JD: Wow, great question, Katie! Well, let's see... For brains, you've got a lot of contenders. I think Ichiro, with how cerebral he is with his approach at the plate, would probably be the guy. Brawn, well, Juan Nicasio is on the short list, but it's gotta be Nelson Cruz. And for beauty, I think I would lean towards James Pazos and his mustache.

AG: I can't quibble with any of those answers, Jerry. Well, we'll finish up here. Good luck with the road trip, and we'll talk to you next week.

JD: Thanks Aaron.

AG: See you next week on The Wheelhouse.

[jaa36]

AG: Welcome back, everybody, to this week's edition of The Wheelhouse. I'm coming to you here with Jerry Dipoto. Jerry, welcome back.

JD: Thanks Aaron, good to be here.

AG: Jerry, how were your travels last week?

JD: Oh, the minor league trip? Pretty good, thanks. Always good to see some future Mariners.

AG: I hope you got out of town before Everett lost 24-6 on Sunday?

JD: Yeah, I missed that one- I think my presence probably would have made that experience somehow even worse for everybody.

AG: Well, let's focus on the major league club for a bit. Not the best week for the Mariners, who won just two games and lost five.

JD: It was not a good week. And really, we weren't even competitive in three of the games, just getting down earlier and never getting back into it. A tough week for the rotation, with Mike Leake, Erasmo Ramirez, Marco Gonzales and even Felix all having a rough go of it.

AG: Erasmo hasn't made it past the second inning in two of his last three starts. Is his spot in the rotation in jeopardy?

JD: You know, we're always looking at getting our best five in there, and obviously we've got some good candidates for the fifth spot in Doug Fister, Andrew Moore, Casey Lawrence, or even John Gant, who we just picked up. For now we're good with Erasmo going every fifth day. He's struggled in the last few weeks, but when he's got all three pitches working, he's tough to beat.

AG: We saw a couple of Mariner pitching debuts this week in Gant and Richard Lovelady. How did they look to you?

JD: Richard had couple of key strikeouts against left-handed hitters, though then gave up a homer to Tommy Joseph. And Gant, we know it's too soon to put him into high-leverage situations, so we'll get some good innings out of him with his change-up.

AG: Despite all the losses, it was a good week on the base paths for the Mariners, with 11 steals and no one getting caught. But Dee Gordon with the knee injury- is it time to give up on the chase for 130?

JD: (laughs) I think so. That was a bit of a long shot, anyway. But you know, he's up to 90 steals on the season. We'll let him take it easy for another week or so, but he shouldn't have any trouble cracking the century mark.

AG: The game last Monday is worth looking back at. This was one where the M's took an early 5-0 lead, with Felix on the mound... What happened?

JD: Usually five runs with Felix on the mound is pretty much a lock cinch. In this case, Felix was out in the fourth inning, having given up six runs. We went to the big guys in the bullpen early, in James Pazos and Edwin Diaz, and I think it was the right call because the game was so close, but even they couldn't keep the runs off the board and there we were at 8-8 after 6.

AG: Juan Nicasio, Nick Rumbelow and Mark Rzepczynski then went the rest of the way and really gave the M's three good innings.

JD: Sure did- they were excellent. And Ryon Healy really saved our bacon with the home run in the top of the tenth.

AG: So let's take a question from one of our listeners here. This one is from Alan in Olympia, Washington, who asks what has been the best trade you've made in your career?

JD: You know, that's a tough one. I think in a few years, the Kevin Pillar trade might be the one. The other contender is getting Mitch Haniger and Jean Segura for Taijuan Walker and Ketel Marte- that's one that has really helped both teams, and Taijuan and Ketel have played pretty well too. I think overall, though, getting James Pazos for a minor leaguer has been pretty darn good.

AG: Well, the lengthy road trip finally ends with a trip to Oakland this week, then back at home to Seattle against the Dodgers at the end of the week. What's the plan to get the M's back to their winning ways?

JD: Oh, nothing too complicated, I don't think. We just need our starters to keep us in the game a little longer, and the offense should do the rest.

AG: Sounds good, Jerry. Well, thanks as always...

JD: You're welcome, Aaron.

AG: We'll see you next week on The Wheelhouse!

[jaa36]

AG: Hello, I'm Aaron Goldsmith, here with me is Jerry Dipoto, and once again, this is The Wheelhouse. Jerry, thanks for being here.

JD: Glad to be here.

AG: Well, it had been a bit of a slide for the M's, with seven losses in eight games, but is the team back on track with three wins in the last four games?

JD: I think so. Every team has a tough couple of weeks here and there. I think we're still in very good shape, still three games up on Boston for the second Wild Card.

AG: Overall it's a really strong field of contenders this year, with the Red Sox having won eight straight games, and the A's just two games behind them. And meanwhile, a couple of teams that have really struggled in the Tigers and the Orioles, who are both well on their way to a hundred losses.

JD: Things have been a bit more polarized than usual this year. In a lot of year, a record of 72-53 like we are would get you first place, but we're twelve and a half games behind the Astros at this point!

AG: A really good week for Kyle Seager, who won the AL Player of the Week after hitting .417 with four home runs. That was actually the sixth time a Mariner had won the award this year- not too shabby! What's Kyle doing at the plate these days?

JD: Yeah, he hit those home runs in four consecutive games. Halfway to Griffey's team record. He's just given us consistent at-bats all season. He went through a bit of a cold spell at the beginning of August, but he's right back at it, hitting a lot of balls in the air to right field. Having him and Mitch Haniger playing well really gives our lineup some length.

AG: A couple of stressful wins this week, and probably none more so than Wednesday's game. You got five good innings out of Marco Gonzales, and then right to Juan Nicasio.

JD: Well, since we had gotten blown out so much recently, our best relievers were pretty well rested! So yeah, we went with Juan and then Edwin Diaz for more than an inning each, and I don't know if it was rust or just good at-bats from the A's, but both of them got hit around a bit.

AG: The end result was that a four-run lead had evaporated heading into the ninth, but then Dee Gordon managed to get one deep enough to score a run on a sac fly, and it was back to Diaz in the ninth.

JD: And I think we saw angry Edwin Diaz there. Struck out the side and really made them look silly.

AG: Speaking of the bullpen, what a month it's been for Nick Rumbelow! Two saves this week, the first two of his career. Now twelve consecutive scoreless innings.

JD: Nick's really been a great addition to our pen. His change-up has been just devastating, a real weapon against righties and lefties, and it's allowed Scott Servais to trust him even when the game's on the line. We've been very pleased with his work this year.

AG: It's been almost five months at this point, and other than Erasmo Ramirez starting the season a couple of weeks late, we've got a pitcher in the rotation missing a few turns for the first time in Mike Leake. It's actually his first trip to the DL in his life. What's the prognosis?

JD: Mike has really been durable over the course of his career. As you know, he came right out of college into the majors years ago almost a decade ago and has just given his teams innings from day one. He's got some forearm tendinitis- we don't think it's a major injury, he just needs a little bit of rest, and it's actually an opportune time because we can get by with just four starters the next week or two because of the way the off-days fall.

AG: Jerry, the Mariners heading into the last month of the season in good shape to potentially break their 17-year postseason drought. What's your best pennant-race story?

JD: Sad to say, Aaron, among the Indians, Mets and Rockies, I never really had a true pennant race. 1994 would have been a dogfight with the White Sox, but you know how that year turned out...

AG: A real shame that the strike came when it did, for your team's sake. Well, looking ahead, you've got three games at home against Houston, then three in Arizona. With the addition of Kevin Pillar, will we see Nellie Cruz out in left field again?

JD: (laughs) Nellie would love to play left field every day. We'll see if we can fit him in against a lefty. And if not, he'll be a pretty good weapon off the bench.

AG: OK, Jerry. Before we end up, let's take a question from the audience. This one coming at you from J.D. in Vancouver, Canada. The question is, who do you see making an impact with the club after September call-ups?

JD: Great question. It'll really help us to get some more arms in the bullpen, and a few more reserve options to give our starters a break. We picked up a young catcher named Tomas Telis recently who's played a bit with the Marlins, and he should see some time with us. Dan Vogelbach and Guillermo Heredia will be back. Jon Jay is another guy we picked up as a minor-league free agent after he was let go by the Royals earlier this year. Among the pitchers, we're not totally sure yet, but Dan Altavilla will be back, at a minimum.

AG: OK, Jerry. Well, good luck with the remainder of the dog days of August. Thanks for joining us again.

JD: You bet.

AG: Until next week, this is The Wheelhouse.

[jaa36]

AG: Welcome back to The Wheelhouse. I'm Aaron Goldsmith, and with me once again is Jerry Dipoto. Jerry, welcome back.

JD: Thanks Aaron.

AG: Well, the word of the day is HOT. It was sweltering in Arizona, over a hundred degrees at game time both yesterday and the day before, and I think the only thing hotter was the Mariners themselves. After what had been a kind of difficult August, the M's reel off a five-game winning streak against the Astros and the Diamondbacks, two pretty good teams. Jerry, how you feeling?

JD: (laughs) Pretty, pretty good. You are right, it was hot, and I am glad to be in somewhat less-sweltering San Diego now. It's been great to see the team firing on all cylinders again like we were earlier in the season. I'll tell you, I think this team will be tough to beat in a one-game playoff, let alone a five or seven game playoff. We really saw pretty good outings by all the starting pitchers this week, we saw some really good plate appearances from our hitters, and the bullpen came in and cleaned things up.

AG: There's been a lot in the news in the Statcast era about exit velocity and launch angle. Is that something the Mariners have talked about as an organization much?

JD: It sure has, Aaron. We'd be foolish if we didn't think about that, given the improvements that a lot of hitters have made in the league. "Elevate and celebrate" is the phrase that we use- we even put it on a t-shirt, if you'd like one.

AG: I'm a child's small, please and thank you, Jerry.

JD: (laughs) Mitch Haniger is a guy that's very consciously adopted this strategy. Nelson Cruz has been doing it that way for years. Kevin Pillar has been driving the ball in the air more and is having a career year. It's absolutely something we work on.

AG: Speaking of Nellie, a big milestone for him, getting his 1000th career RBI this week.

JD: Yeah, that was great to see, and a really impressive career tally for a guy who wasn't playing regularly until he was 28 years old. There aren't many guys in the league that have been as productive after age 30 as Nelson Cruz.

AG: We've talked a lot about James Pazos this season. This week, three more wins, in five scoreless innings, striking out six, no walks. His record on the season now 14-4, which is not far off the all-time record for relief wins in a season, which is 18. Is he going to break the record?

JD: I wouldn't bet against him the way he's going! James has been absolutely electric. 110 strikeouts this season in 65 and a third innings. Having him, Edwin Diaz and Juan Nicasio at the back end of the bullpen has really shortened games, and the way that Scott Servais has used them aggressively, if our starter has the lead after five innings, we're almost certainly going to win the game.

AG: Can we get a nickname for James? I guess Big Game James is taken. Something about his mustache?

JD: Caterpillar?

AG: Caterpillar. Jerry, that is perfect. I love it.

JD: Thanks, Aaron.

AG: Let's talk for a bit about a guy that actually didn't play that much this week, but played pretty darn well when he did, Mike Ford. Mike had three hits on Tuesday's win against Houston. His on-base percentage is now .424, in 85 plate appearances. How about what he brings to the table?

JD: We've been able to plug him in about half the time against righties, and the mix of him and Ryon Healy has really been productive. Mike has always gotten on base in the minors, and he's old for a rookie at 26, but he's done exactly what we expected him to do this year, which is to work long counts and hit the pitches that he likes. It's been a great start for him.

AG: Why don't we take a question from the fans here. This one coming from Luis in Snoqualmie. The question for you, Jerry, is how much longer do you expect to see Robinson Cano at second base?

JD: Thanks, Luis. That's a good question. We feel like we're pretty prepared with our depth to move people around if we need to. Robbie's still got enough range to play the position well, and no one turns the double play quite as well as he does. Down the line, I could see us moving Robbie to first base or DH, and shifting Jean Segura to second, but we're a few years away from that point.

AG: Well, as you said, heading to San Diego now, and then to Oakland to close out the week. You've now got a five and a half game lead in the Wild Card standings. You've gotta be feeling pretty good, Jerry.

JD: I do, but I also know better than to look too far ahead. There's a lot of baseball to be played still, and we've got to keep playing the way we've playing all the way through September.

AG: That sounds good to me. The Mariners with a cushion heading into September- what a concept! Well, Jerry, thanks for being here, as always.

JD: Welcome.

JD: And we'll see you next week on The Wheelhouse.

[jaa36]

AG: Jerry, I'm so excited I can't even get through our introduction properly. This is The Wheelhouse and welcome to the show.

JD: (laughs) Thanks, Aaron, I'm excited too.

AG: Five more wins against just one loss. The Mariners have now won 10 of 11 and lead in the race for the first Wild Card for two games, and are six and a half games in front of Boston, who trails Minnesota for the second Wild Card. It's a good time to be a Mariner fan!

JD: It sure is. Our guys have really executed in the way we want them to. This week we weren't just winning, we were blowing teams out.

AG: We got two vintage starts from Felix this week. On Tuesday, he came within one out of the first complete game and first shutout by a Mariner pitcher this year, but gave up a homer to Wil Myers to end that bid. And then on Sunday, six shutout innings, nine strikeouts.

JD: It's been great to see that. He's been firing on all cylinders lately. As you know, Felix's never been in a playoff game, and you've gotta believe he's ready for it. He's made a big change this year with trying to use the upper part of the zone more, and the results speak for themselves.

AG: Well, how about the offensive outpouring we saw this week? Twelve runs in two games, eleven in one, nine in another...

JD: A lot of really good at-bats going on, and the team strung together some really good innings. In yesterday's game, we had just a four-run lead before we got eight runs in the eighth inning to put the game away. And that was just an example of keeping the pressure on, four singles and four doubles and a walk. We really got the A's bullpen on the ropes, and once that starts to happen, it's hard to recover.

AG: One of the exciting moments of this week was, of all people, Hisashi Iwakuma emerging from the bullpen on Friday night. We had gone into this season thinking, eh, maybe he'll be back and give us something in the rotation, but then he had a really rough go of it in Triple A, with a 2-8 record, 6.49 ERA. Tell us a little about the decision to bring him up.

JD: Well, Hisashi's obviously got a long history with our team, and he's worked incredibly hard to get back from some shoulder problems over the last few years. We were in a real bind with our bullpen after Marco Gonzales had to leave the game after the first inning the day before with an injury. And while we might have had a couple of guys higher on the depth chart to bring up from Tacoma, maybe Dan Altavilla or Austin Gombert, Hisashi was rested and ready to go, and he came right up and gave us two and a third innings in the bullpen.

AG: You mentioned Gonzales's injury. When do you expect him and Mike Leake back?

JD: Both of them are doing OK, and more than anything we've kept them out as a precaution. Marco has some soreness in his shoulder- we've really been cautious with him this season, and at 114 innings, he's right about where he was last season, so we think it's actually good timing to give him a bit of a break now and then hope for 30 more innings out of him through the rest of the regular season and postseason. Mike Leake is also on the mend, and he should be back next week as well. We'll probably see a spot start from Andrew Moore this week, and at least one turn from Doug Fister in the rotation as well before those two get back.

AG: Did they ever ask you to make a spot start in the majors, Jerry?

JD: (laughs) Thankfully, it never came to that, even in Colorado. I was a starter all the way through Double A, and even a little bit in Triple A, but the writing was on the wall at that point, that I'd be a bullpen guy.

AG: Well, why don't we take an audience question. This week it comes from Brad in Walla Walla, who asks, how do you see Ichiro's role changing in the future?

JD: Great question. Obviously Ichiro's playing time has gone down with Kevin Pillar joining the organization. Ichiro has been an incredible asset to our team, both on the team and off the field. He's been really clear in saying that he wants to play until he's at least fifty, and you can see what an impact he makes on our guys in the clubhouse, where he'll kind of set up shop, and then you've got Dee Gordon there with him, and Mitch Haniger, and Jean Segura, and everybody just soaking up the knowledge that he's got from over four thousand major league hits. We're really hoping that he stays with the club next year and beyond, perhaps in a coaching or special assistant role of some kind, but it's really up to Ichiro and what's a good fit for him.

AG: One other thing I wanted to bring up. All seven minor league teams finished their seasons this week. All seven finished below .500. Should we be worried?

JD: I don't think so. You know, two years ago, all seven teams were above .500, so it's a little bit cyclical. We've very consciously shifted our resources towards the major league team in the last few years since we've thought of this as our window of contention, and we're not worried so much about minor league records as we are developing the skills we think guys will need as they reach the major leagues. I'll put it this way. I'd rather have our seven minor league affiliates losing and our major league team winning than the other way around.

AG: Yeah, good point. Well, the Mariners return for an eight-game homestand. Any plans for the week?

JD: We've got Bark in the Park this week- that's always a favorite- and then our Salute to Kids day over the weekend.

AG: You've mentioned your dog before, will Louie make an appearance?

JD: Louie will be there, and would love nothing better than to curl up near the heater in the dugout.

AG: Very good. Well, Jerry, good luck this week, and thanks for being with us.

JD: Thank you Aaron.

AG: We'll see you next week on The Wheelhouse.

[jaa36]

AG: Welcome back to The Wheelhouse. I'm Aaron Goldsmith, and here with me as always is Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto. Jerry, thanks again for coming on the show.

JD: You bet, Aaron.

AG: Well, the M's inch closer to the postseason with three wins, three losses this week. One game that I wanted to highlight up front was James Paxton's performance in the game on Monday. A complete-game shutout, the Mariners' first of the season, striking out 13, walking just one, giving up two hits.

JD: It was just a stunning performance. When James is on, pumping in 98-mile per hour fastballs at the letters, there's no one better. He's been a very good pitcher when he tries to keep the ball down in the zone. This year, like a few of other guys, he's very consciously tried to use the top of the zone, and in that game, it really paid off for him.

AG: A season-high 119 pitches for him. Were you surprised that Scott Servais brought him back out for the ninth?

JD: Not at all. Certainly we want to make sure James is still throwing well and not risking injury. But we also want him to get a chance at some career accolades. A complete-game shutout is a rarity in today's game, to the point that there have only been 16 of them all season. It's great to see the Big Maple add one to his resume, and with a seven-run cushion, I wasn't worried at all.

AG: We also saw Erasmo Ramirez give the club six shutout innings, his best outing of the season. What do you expect out of him the rest of the year?

JD: Erasmo's had a tough year, leaving too many pitches out over the plate, so he's given up his share of home runs. I think as long as he's locating his offspeed stuff, the slider and the change-up, he should be OK. And with Marco Gonzales still out for a bit, we really would love to see him step up in the last month of the season.

AG: Dee Gordon had another hot week, with 11 hits, three triples, and three stolen bases, leaving him just two under the century mark. Are we going to see him swipe bag number one hundred this week?

JD: Almost definitely. It's been a stellar all-around year, and it's easy to forget that he's still just learning center field. He's now hitting .317, with career highs in doubles, triples, and obviously stolen bases. Just an excellent season for him.

AG: Speaking of doubles, we've also got Kyle Seager with a career high 42 doubles to lead the team, and he's up to 29 home runs, about to tie his career high of 30. I know we've mentioned this before, but he is having one of the all-time under-the-radar excellent seasons for the Mariners.

JD: Yeah, he's been as steady as a metronome, both at the plate and at third base. I would put him up there as one of the most underrated players in baseball. He's been shifted a lot this year, and it really hasn't mattered since he's gotten the ball into the outfield so often.

AG: You've now got a seven-and-a-half game lead over the Red Sox for the second Wild Card. Is it time to start resting your starters? Or do you keep your foot on the gas?

JD: Well, there's still a lot of baseball left to be played. We're going to try to keep winning, and hopefully stay ahead of Minnesota so we can play the play-in game at home instead of at Target Field. I know our fans would really appreciate having the first playoff game in Seattle in 17 years.

AG: I know I would. But I'm sure there's a balance to be struck, where you don't want any of your guys getting hurt...

JD: Sure. But we'll keep playing our game for now, and see where we're at in the next few weeks.

AG: Let's take a question from Rick in Maple Valley. Rick is asking, do you foresee any changes in the coaching staff next season?

JD: Finally, an easy question! No, I don't. Mel Stottlemyre Jr. has done a fine job with the pitchers, and Edgar's been phenomenal with the hitters. Obviously Scott Servais has been terrific and has got to be in the running for Manager of the Year. No, I'm sure hoping they all come back.

AG: Well, a couple games against San Diego, and then to LA to play the Angels. Anything we should watch for?

JD: Nothing new. It's a good chance for me to go to my old stomping grounds in Anaheim.

AG: How is it to see Mike Scioscia and Arte Moreno?

JD: I'm filled with rage whenever I think about them or talk to those chumps, but I hide it behind my calm, steely demeanor. Wait, did I say that out loud? Can you edit that part?

AG: Sorry, Jerry, no can do. Don't worry, you're in the trust zone. I'm sure no one is really listening anyway.

JD: Um, OK, Aaron.

AG: Well, let's wrap things up here. Jerry, good luck as the season winds down.

JD: Thanks, Aaron.

AG: We'll see you next week on The Wheelhouse.

[jaa36]

AG: Welcome once again to The Wheelhouse. I'm Aaron Goldsmith, with me as always is Jerry Dipoto, and man, there are a lot of games in a season, aren't there, Jerry?

JD: There sure are, Aaron. 162 of them every single season.

AG: Seems like there could be fewer.. Anyway, a little bit of a rough patch for the Mariners this week, losing four of six, but no problem really, still way out in front in the Wild Card standings.

JD: Yeah. Even the best teams have weeks like this every now and again.

AG: The M's offense shut down by a few pitchers without necessarily the longest of best track record, like Scott Diamond, Dinelson Lamet and JC Ramirez this week.

JD: Well, Scott Diamond is a pretty good baseball name, I've gotta say.

AG: What do you think is the best baseball name you ever played with, Jerry?

JD: It's got to be Quinton McCracken- played with him in Colorado in 1997, I think it was. And McCracken could really hit!

AG: For me, almost as good as Coco Crisp, that's a name that's hard to top. Anyway, kind of slow week for the offense, though we did see Kyle Seager with another home run and three more doubles, and Robinson Cano with a good week with the bat as well.

JD: Yeah, are veteran core is looking really strong heading into the last few weeks of the season. It's been great to see all of them, Robbie, Kyle, Jean, Dee, Nellie hold up so well this year. It's looking like all of them plus Mitch Haniger will play at least 150 games this year, which is a real accomplishment to keep all those guys healthy and playing well.

AG: Right, the rotation has been impressively durable, but even that isn't quite as impressive as the health of the regular lineup.

JD: Absolutely. Every year you expect to lose a few guys for parts of the year, if not the whole year, and that really hasn't happened. I give a lot of credit to our training staff and our new High Performance department, which certainly led to a lot of unwarranted cannabis-related puns, but in reality they've made great efforts to keep our guys on the field.

AG: Seven more steals for Dee Gordon this week put him above the century mark, now with 105 on the season. We saw a couple of double steals with Jean Segura, including the one that got him to a hundred. He's now the first player since Vince Coleman to steal a hundred bases in his season, and he did 31 years ago, in 1987. What an accomplishment for Dee!

JD: It really is. And he's done it with remarkable efficiency, too, getting caught just 18 times. By our metrics, he's added more value on the bases than any other player in baseball, and most of that comes from the stolen bases. The stolen base is a weapon that has really fallen out of favor in the modern era, but with him and Jean Segura, and to a lesser extent even Kevin Pillar and Ichiro this season, we've been able to get guys into scoring position, avoid the double play, and put pressure on the pitcher.

AG: Right. What a world we live in, where the Mariners lead the league in stolen bases and are just 12th in the AL in home runs despite having seven guys in double figures, and three likely to finish right around 30 home runs in Nellie Cruz, Kyle Seager and Mitch Haniger.

JD: Yeah, it's a different game than twenty or thirty years ago, that's for sure.

AG: We saw two more pretty good starts from Erasmo Ramirez, and he's knocked his ERA down a full run from a month ago. Marco Gonzales rejoins the rotation this week. Any other lingering injuries on the team?

JD: You know, knock on wood, not really. We'll probably give each of our starting five two more turns through the rotation and then see where we're at, and maybe turn to some of our other guys like Andrew Moore, Austin Gombert, maybe even Hisashi Iwakuma to close out the year.

AG: Well, why don't we take a question while we've got a moment. Here is Donna from Capitol Hill, right in downtown Seattle. Donna would like to know, who do you match up best with in the postseason in the AL, and which team would you worry about playing?

JD: Honestly, I don't worry too much about anybody. This has been a great year for our team, and at the same time, I'm not a fool, and I know that the Yankees, the Astros and the Indians have all run away with their divisions, and speaking realistically, any of those three teams would be favored against us in a series. That said, we've played pretty well against the Astros this year, winning 9 and losing only 6 so far, and I think our guys have been able to keep their right-handed bats under wraps pretty well this year, and put up some runs against a good pitching staff.

AG: You play your last series against the Astros this week, then the Rangers, then back home for the last week of the season.

JD: Yeah, it'll be a good way to close out, and hopefully to clinch a playoff berth in front of our home fans.

AG: Any other thoughts before we finish up this week, Jerry?

JD: Don't think so, Aaron, just looking forward to getting to the end of the season.

AG: All right. Well, thanks as always for being with us, Jerry.

JD: My pleasure.

AG: We'll see you next week on The Wheelhouse.

[jaa36]

AG: Welcome back to a very special episode of The Wheelhouse. Back with me as always is Jerry Dipoto, Jerry, thanks for being here.

JD: Happy to do it as always.

AG: And I say a very special episode because this is the first time in 17 years that I can say the phrase "playoff-bound Seattle Mariners." How does that feel?

JD: Oh man, it's a huge relief, and a huge weight of all of our shoulders. Now obviously, the work is far from done, the work starts here, and we'll look forward to the play-in game against Minnesota next week and hopefully many more games after that.

AG: The Mariners record now stands at 92-63, and after a little dip the week before, once again the team has won five in a row. You've got seven more games, and with a game and a half cushion over the Twins for the opportunity to host that play-in game. What's been the key to the team's success this week?

JD: You know, it's really been a remarkable team, and won that just has not quit in games, even after clinching. We've won at home, with a 43-31 record at Safeco. We've won on the road, we're 49-32 away. We've won the close games, 24-17 in one-run games. We've won in extra innings, as you saw in the last two games. We've had at least a .500 or better record in every month. It's just been consistent, solid effort from start to finish.

AG: Let's look at the game on Saturday, the one where the Mariners actually clinched. A lot of the same things we've seen from Scott Servais all year long. Felix gets the start and goes four innings, but is not sharp, allows two runs and five walks against just one strikeout, so Scott goes to the bullpen early in James Pazos. James naturally strikes out four of the five batters he faces, hands things off to Juan Nicasio, who also gives you a perfect inning. Richard Lovelady struggles a little bit in relief of Juan, and Edwin Diaz comes in with two on and one out in the bottom of the eighth, and uncharacteristically struggles, giving up a double, a single and a sac fly to give the Rangers a lead heading into the ninth. Now a lot of teams would roll over in that situation. Not the Mariners, though, right Jerry?

JD: After it happens so many times you sort of come to expect it. So even when we were down to our last out, I still had a lot of confidence that we'd come through, and we did.

AG: With one on, two out, Robinson Cano and Nelson Cruz both single to tie the score. Mark Rzepczynski and Nick Rumbelow are both perfect in relief. Two innings later, Dee Gordon gets on base and steals both second and third, and Robbie says you didn't need to do that, and blasts a home run to give the M's a lead.

JD: It was truly a great way to officially get into the postseason. And yesterday's game was the same way!

AG: I'll spare our listeners the details- they saw it, after all- but in that one, the M's fritter away a 6-0 lead, before Mitch Haniger homers to give the team yet another win.

JD: It's really a different guy every single night. Robbie had a really big day too, and he's up to a hundred RBI, and another eight-game hitting streak for him.

AG: Well, I wanted to touch on a scary moment too, with Kyle Seager. Kyle took a ball off the temple and had to come out of the game on Wednesday, and then had some blurred vision. How's he doing?

JD: Well, you saw he was able to get back in the lineup yesterday, which was a great sign. We've been exceptionally cautious with him, and thankfully his vision is back to normal, no headaches, really no other problems, so we think he'll be fine for the last week of the season.

AG: A huge relief, to have him healthy.

JD: Absolutely. He's been absolutely exceptional this season.

AG: We're getting to the last few days of the season, and one of the remarkable stories of the years has been Dee Gordon on the basepaths. Nine more stolen bases this week. Now up to 114 on the season, which is the third-highest total since 1900, behind just Rickey Henderson with 130 in 1982, and Lou Brock with 118 in 1974. What a story!

JD: Dee has just been incredible. And it's not just the sheer numbers, it's the efficiency with which he's been doing it. He's been caught just 18 times, which almost makes you think he should be stealing more!

AG: Jerry, I want to keep this brief today, I know you're a busy man, preparing for the postseason. Why don't we take one question from our listeners. Bob from Bainbridge Island- asks who would be faster, Dee Gordon and Jean Segura tied together sack-race style, or Nellie Cruz?

JD: (laughs) I would not bet against Dee and Jean in that one.

AG: The Mariners come home for a series against the A's and then against the Rangers. What kind of reception do you think they'll get?

JD: It is going to be deafening in Safeco this week. It's been a long time since we've packed this many people into that place, and it's going to be hopping leading up to the playoff game, which, fingers crossed, will be at home.

AG: Well, congratulations, Jerry, and good luck with this week.

JD: Thanks. More than anything, we want to make sure everyone stays healthy and in good shape.

AG: We'll wind things up here. Thanks, Jerry, and we'll see you next week on The Wheelhouse.

JD: Thanks Aaron.

[jaa36]

AG: Welcome back to The Wheelhouse: PLAYOFF edition. I'm Aaron Goldsmith, and with me once again is Jerry Dipoto.

JD: Thanks Aaron, and it is great to be with you still podcasting about the Mariners in October.

AG: It sure is! What a thrill to be heading to the postseason. As I've mentioned, the first time in 17 years that the M's have played meaningful baseball in October.

JD: It's terrific. And our team couldn't be playing any better in the last two weeks.

AG: The M's head into the playoff game against the Twins with a five-game winning streak, and 11 wins in the last 12 games. The only team hotter might be the Twins, who have won seven in a row themselves, and 10 of 11!

JD: A clash of the Titans! The whole American League was incredibly top-heavy this year. I can't remember a time where the fourth and fifth best teams in the league won 98 and 97 games respectively.

AG: Not to mention all three of the division winners winning 104 games or more. The Mariners are a great team, but the path through the playoffs is daunting, to say the least.

JD: I guess you could say that. But the other way to look at it is everybody is starting at 0-0 now, and we like our chances against any team.

AG: And let's take stock of this team and some of its many accomplishments this year. 98 wins is the second-most in team history, behind only the 116-win 2001 team, the last in Mariners franchise history, to make the postseason. The Mariners led the league in stolen bases with 172 stolen bases, 117 of those coming from Dee Gordon, which was the third-highest total since 1900 and the most since Rickey Henderson in 1982. They were fifth in the league in scoring and fourth in run prevention. The top three hitters in the lineup, Gordon, Jean Segura and Robinson Cano, all hit .300 and had at least 200 hits. The top six hitters in the lineup, which goes through Nelson Cruz, Kyle Seager and Mitch Haniger, all played in at least 150 games. Gordon, Cano and Seager all exceeded five WAR apiece. On the pitching side, James Paxton finished second in the league in WAR with 6.0 and strikeouts with 241. Edwin Diaz pitched 103 innings in relief, the first time a reliever had pitched more than 100 innings in a season since 2006, and really functioned in a "stopper" role, with 153 strikeouts, a 2.27 ERA, 20 saves and 14 holds. Juan Nicasio and James Pazos both struck out over 100 in relief as well.

JD: You could go on and on with both the individual and the team accomplishments. It's been a terrific year.

AG: You now head into one game, winner take all, against the Twins at Safeco Field on Wednesday. James Paxton will be fully rested and ready to go. How do you match up against the Twins?

JD: I think pretty well, actually. Minnesota has a lot of left-handed hitters, which is great for James and allows us to leverage James Pazos against them as well late in the game. Plus their pitching staff is very thin on left-handed pitchers, so it gives Robbie Cano, Kyle Seager and Dee Gordon an opportunity to hit with the platoon advantage.

AG: There's some uncertainty from Minnesota about who's going to pitch in that game, with Paul Molitor not yet naming a starter because Jose Berrios, their ace, is dealing with a mild oblique strain. How does that affect your preparation?

JD: It doesn't, really, we'll be ready for Berrios, or Ervin Santana or Lance Lynn if they decide to go in that direction.

AG: Well, exciting times for you and the Mariners, Jerry. What's your plan for watching the game?

JD: I will be furiously biting my nails in the team box, Aaron. That's the plan, anyway.

AG: Let's take one question from the audience. This one coming from James in Yakima. James's question is, how does Scott Servais's approach change in the postseason?

JD: Good question. If anything, the hook for the starting pitchers is even shorter. I'd anticipate even James Paxton will just get two turns through the lineup before we turn it over to the bullpen, and we'll rely even more heavily on our big arms there in Diaz, Pazos and Nicasio. But for the most part, Scott has been managing with that mentality even through the regular season. The main difference is we have more off-days in the postseason so we can push even more innings onto the bullpen.

AG: All right, Jerry, I'll let you go, and we'll look forward to doing this again next week, with the M's into the next round.

JD: That's my hope as well.

AG: Thanks for being with us, Jerry, and we'll see you next week on The Wheelhouse.

[jaa36]

AG: Welcome back to The Wheelhouse. Jerry, the Mariners live on!

JD: Alive and well, I would say, Aaron!

AG: The M's played a classic game against the Twins to advance to the Division Series, where they stand tied at a game apiece with the Houston Astros. Let's work backwards, and get back to that incredible game at Safeco Field in a bit. The Astros, of course, a tough matchup, but one that your team actually played pretty well against this year, going 11-8 against them in the regular season. What's made you so tough for the Astros to beat this year?

JD: I think it's been a number of things. We've played them during some of our hottest stretches of the year, so that's helped. We've found a way to get to their pitchers, including that 15-run game at the end of July where we put up eight on Justin Verlander. Our starters have performed really well against their lineup. And we've sort of seen the same hold true so far in this series.

AG: Game one against Houston, a tough matchup against Lance McCullers Jr.- well, they're all tough matchup- but hard for the M's to square up his curveball.

JD: It's just a blizzard of offspeed stuff with him, and he located it really well that day. No surprises there. I felt like our best hope was when we got into their bullpen, and with Kevin Pillar's home run we were within two, but we just couldn't close the gap all the way.

AG: A.J. Hinch managing aggressively, like Scott Servais would, and putting in Ken Giles for two innings to close things out. He ended up throwing 42 pitches, but with adrenaline running high, he was able to strike out the side in the ninth.

JD: Yeah. It was smart of A.J. to put his best guy out there for as long as he could go to win that game.

AG: This was, of course, Felix's first playoff start in his long career. What was that like for him?

JD: Well, certainly exciting, though I know he was disappointed in the outcome. His command wasn't as sharp as we've seen this year, and he ran up some counts and walked guys early. If we end up going to game five, he'll be our guy again though.

AG: The second game was a kind that I feel like we've seen a lot this year, where the M's get a lead and just keep piling on. Kevin Pillar just extraordinary thus far in the series, with a three-run home run and falling just a double short of the cycle. You think he's excited to be in the playoffs?

JD: He's been there before, with the Blue Jays in 2015 and 2016, but he really didn't play too well in the latter year, so he's thrilled to be back. He's just such a fiery, competitive guy, and he's been a tremendous addition to our team.

AG: And just as important to the cause was Robbie Cano with his two home runs. Postseason play was something of an annual tradition when he was with the Yankees, but it's been six years since he's been in the playoffs as well.

JD: He's thrilled as well. He's been such an important leader for this team.

AG: A little bit of a surprise to have Marco Gonzales start game two over Mike Leake, who was expected to start. Tell us about the thought process there.

JD: Honestly, it was practically a coin flip for Scott. I think in the end he went with Marco because his numbers had been better this year, and he matched up a little better against their lefties. James Paxton should start game three, and then Mike will be out there for game four.

AG: Gonzales pitched very well early in the game, as he has all year, but got into some trouble in the fifth, which led to the bullpen parade which has been so successful this year. And with the stakes at their highest, Scott goes to his closer, Edwin Diaz, in the fifth inning. Which would be crazy, except for what Scott had done in the Minnesota game a few days earlier, which we'll come to shortly.

JD: We felt like that would be the highest leverage point of the game, with a three-run lead, two on and nobody out. Edwin did give up a couple hits that brought the game within one, but he also gave us two innings that we needed there, and was able to hand things over to Juan Nicasio for two more and then Mark Rzcepzynski to get the last three outs after the game was pretty much out of reach.

AG: So the M's head back to Safeco for two more playoff games there. Pretty exciting for the city!

JD: It sure is. I can't remember an atmosphere quite as electric as the one at Safeco for the Minnesota game. It was louder than a Seahawks game, just incredible.

AG: Let's come back to that game. This was James Paxton versus Lance Lynn. Neither one fares particularly well. By the third inning you have a 3-3 tie, two on, two out for the Twins, Paxton scuffling a bit and already up to 76 pitches, and here comes Edwin Diaz. In the THIRD inning! I have seen it all.

JD: And it worked, did it not?

AG: I can't argue with that. The M's bullpen was just lights out, as Diaz and six other relievers came on over the remainder of the game and did not give up a run. Simply incredible. Now, the Twins' bullpen wasn't too shabby either, so not much happening over the next few innings. But one of the big differences between Scott's approach as compared to Paul Molitor's approach with his bullpen, was that it looked like Molitor was going to leave his closer Trevor Hildenberger out there until his arm fell off.

JD: Trevor was pretty darn good out there, but yeah, he was clearly tired when he was out there to start the 11th inning. And you saw what happened.

AG: Dee Gordon walks. Reliever Ryan Pressly comes on. Dee, of course, steals second base. Two outs later, Nelson Cruz hits a rocket up the middle, Dee is going for home all the way, scores relatively easily, and Safeco just explodes.

JD: I loved it. I loved having Dee start things up and Nellie finish things off, just like they've done it over and over again this year. So exciting for our franchise, our city, and for this group of guys.

AG: Well, as mentioned, game three tonight, with James Paxton going up against Collin McHugh. We aren't going to talk about food or any other nonsense, or even any listener mail. I want you focused on the task at hand, Jerry.

JD: Thanks, Aaron.

AG: So get back out there and beat the Astros, willya?

JD: Fingers crossed.

AG: Well, thanks as always for joining us Jerry, and we'll see you next week on The Wheelhouse.

[jaa36]

AG: Welcome back to The Wheelhouse, as our series of bonus episodes continues as the Mariners keep on rolling through the playoffs! Jerry Dipoto, glad to have you back with us for yet another week.

JD: Thanks, Aaron! I'm absolutely thrilled to be doing this with you again.

AG: Well, exciting times for the Mariners, who are now in the ALCS for the first time since 2001, breaking what had been the longest streak in Major League Baseball to get this far, and hoping to reach the World Series for the first time in franchise history.

JD: It's been an exciting ride. I think our guys are sort of building on the underdog status. They haven't got a lot of acclaim nationally, especially when you consider how good the top tier of the AL has been this year, and their kind of using that lack of respect as bulletin-board material.

AG: Let's go back to the Division Series for a minute here. When we left off, the M's and Astros were tied at a game apiece. James Paxton didn't have his best stuff in game three, and it was one of those few games that the bullpen didn't have a great game, with Edwin Diaz and Nick Rumbelow both giving up two-run home runs. The big exception being James Pazos, who struck out four of the five batters he faced. How were you guys feeling down two games to one in the series?

JD: Honestly, pretty confident. I think our guys feel like they don't have anything to lose, and again, being the underdog, you're sort of expected to lose. Now, we don't expect to lose, and we expect that if we play our kind of game we'll win just about every series.

AG: Game four pitted Mike Leake against Justin Verlander, and neither of them started off very well, with the Astros scoring two in the first, and then the M's come back to pummel Verlander with five hits as well as Nelson Cruz reaching on a crucial error by Alex Bregman. Must have been a good feeling to go up two runs on Verlander.

JD: It was. And he pitched pretty well the rest of the way, so those runs were really important to us.

AG: Edwin Diaz and James Pazos both perfect in relief. Juan Nicasio made things a little interesting, giving up a three-run homer to Marwin Gonzalez in the ninth, but the M's hold on for a 7-5 win to tie the series.

JD: Yeah. We've really tried to shorten games as much as we can, and you saw that play out in game five, even with Edwin Diaz not available for that game.

AG: Felix was back, looking to atone for a lackluster first postseason start, and really came through for you.

JD: He sure did. Five and a third shutout innings, just one hit and one walk, and no question he could have gone longer.

AG: That brought on the parade of bullpen arms, with Nicasio, Pazos, Rumbelow and Mark Rzepcyznski shutting down the Astros the rest of the way to close out a 2-0 win and take the series. Kevin Pillar deservingly given the MVP, with nine hits, including two doubles, two triples and two home runs, and eight runs batter in. How big has he been?

JD: Oh, he's been incredible. You know, we've kept him down at the bottom of the lineup but he's been an incredible sparkplug for us. So exciting for him to be a part of it, and our guys have loved having him around. I don't want to toot my own horn too much, but he was a huge addition at the trade deadline.

AG: So with your division rivals vanquished, the Mariners have a day to celebrate, and then on to Cleveland for the LCS. And game one is no easy feat, matching up your ace James Paxton against their ace Corey Kluber.

JD: It was one of those rare times that we are able to get to Kluber. He made a number of good pitches but our guys were able to get a piece of a number of pitches and score some runs off him.

AG: An unusual first inning for the M's, with Dee Gordon reaching on an error, Kluber hitting Jean Segura with a pitch, both advancing on a wild pitch and then scoring on Robbie Cano's single to give the M's a 2-0 lead three batters into the game. And then Kluber ended up allowing 11 hits, but just one more run. How did James Paxton look?

JD: You know, pretty sharp. Struck out six, didn't walk anybody. He really deserved the win, but we went to the bullpen early, as usual, who shut things down.

AG: The combo of Edwin Diaz, James Pazos and Juan Nicasio gave you 4 1/3 innings pitches, one hit, four strikeouts, no walks and no runs allowed.

JD: We kind of expect that from them at this point. The Indians have a great group as relievers as well in Andrew Miller, Dellin Betances and Cody Allen, but even Terry Francona isn't quite as aggressive with his use of those guys in the postseason as Scott Servais is.

AG: I should mention also- Dee Gordon, three stolen bases in that game. Now with 12 in the postseason, caught just once. Is anyone gonna slow him down?

JD: (laughs) I don't think so.

AG: The Indians come back to tie the series in game two behind two home runs by Franciso Lindor. The M's make it close late with home runs by Kevin Pillar and Mike Zunino, both of whom have been blistering hot in the postseason, but end up falling 6-5.

JD: We know we can't win all of them, though when we got Jean Segura to third base in the ninth inning with one out we felt like we had a pretty good shot at that one. But we're still in a really good position, going back to Safeco for the next three games with the series tied.

AG: Felix goes up against Danny Salazar in that one. Well, Jerry, want to take a listener question?

JD: I do!

AG: This one comes to you from Kevin in Everett. Kevin's question is, how did you decide to postseason bullpen, and was there any consideration to having Doug Fister and John Gant on the roster instead of Dan Altavilla, Richard Lovelady or Erasmo Ramirez?

JD: Yeah, any of those guys would have been reasonable choices, and although Doug gave us some useful starts over the course of the season, we didn't really need a long reliever in the playoffs. Likewise, John gave us some good innings in the bullpen, but we just felt that Dan was a more consistent part of our pen. Richard gives us another lefty to match up with in the late innings. And Erasmo's stuff plays up a bit in shorter outings in the bullpen. But again, we could have easily put Doug or John on the roster.

AG: Well, we'll wind things up here. Jerry, good luck to you with the rest of the series, and hopefully, we'll be coming to you next week with the M's heading to the World Series.

JD: That's the goal! Thanks Aaron.

AG: Thanks for listening, and we'll see you next week on The Wheelhouse.

[jaa36]

AG: Welcome back to The Wheelhouse. I'm Aaron Goldsmith, and with us once again is Jerry Dipoto. Jerry, thanks for being with us after what I can only imagine was a difficult couple of days.

JD: It was, Aaron, but you know, even if we didn't win the series, I'm really pleased with how our guys played overall. Beating the Indians was a tough order, and we came pretty close. And we'll always have Game Four!

AG: Game Four was one I don't think anyone in Seattle will forget any time soon, and we'll talk some about that, as you would imagine. How's the mood with the team overall?

JD: You know, they're pretty broken up about it. I think it hit Felix the hardest, as he really wanted a chance to pitch in game seven with the series on the line. Robbie Cano and Nellie Cruz were both pretty disappointed. And Juan Nicasio, that was really tough for him to give up the ninth-inning home run to Jason Kipnis in Game Six to put the game into extra innings.

AG: Let's look at that game for a bit, and come back to Game Four a little later. We could spend all day on that one. Game Six, the series is back in Cleveland, with the Indians up three games to two. Marco Gonzales pitched an absolute gem, giving up one run and getting into the sixth inning before turning things over the bullpen. And Kyle Seager with a huge home run to give the M's the lead.

JD: This was the kind of game we had won all year long, and this time we came close. Edwin Diaz and James Pazos locked things down as usual, but they were both pretty gassed from the last couple games so we couldn't get quite as many innings as we usually would out of them.

AG: And Juan Nicasio, who was well rested, just left a pitch a bit too much over the plate for Jason Kipnis, who hit a rocket out to right field to tie the score- Kipnis's second home run off Juan in the series.

JD: I think if we had gotten to a Game Seven we would have learned our lesson: do not let Juan Nicasio pitch to Jason Kipnis. But it was disappointing, we really thought this was a day we'd get their bullpen, too. Andrew Miller was running on fumes, and with Dellin Betances and Chad Allen out of the game already, we figured we had a good shot, but it didn't work out that way.

AG: The Indians eventually loaded the bases off Nick Rumbelow in the 11th inning, and Roberto Perez, who had loomed so large in Game Four, ended up driving in the series-winning run.

JD: That moment was really hard. I don't think I'll ever forget that feeling. But I think this just gave us a taste of things that we hadn't gotten before, and I think we'll be right back in it last year.

AG: The game before that one, Corey Kluber threw an absolute gem- a complete game, allowing one run, striking out seven, and doing it all in just 87 pitches.

JD: Yeah, beating Kluber twice in a series would have been a tall order, even with James Paxton on the mound. He'll probably win the Cy Young this year, and with good reason.

AG: And Game Three was, like most of the series, the Francisco Lindor show, as he homered and drove in three against Felix Hernandez.

JD: It was a tough start for Felix. Their lineup is just so deep, and Lindor was certainly a deserving series MVP, .348 with 9 RBI.

AG: So let's come back to Game Four. One of the most exciting games I've ever seen. And one that will go down in the annals as perhaps on par with the 11th-inning Edgar Martinez in 1995 to beat the Yankees.

JD: That was a great game. I hate the Yankees.

AG: But in this one, the M's jump out to a 4-0 lead after Kyle Seager doubles home two in the third inning. Mike Leake is looking pretty solid, but the wheels fall off quickly in the fifth with three straight singles and then a home run by the aforementioned Roberto Perez to tie the score.

JD: It was tough for Mike. He was really looking good, but as you know, we're very content to leave the game in the hands of our bullpen.

AG: Then in the sixth, a move we've seen Scott Servais make a lot in this postseason- a single by Mike Ford, Taylor Motter comes in to pinch run and steals second base, with Ryon Healy coming on as a defensive replacement later on.

JD: Yeah, that's worked well. Taylor gives up some speed off the bench, and he was able to get us the go-ahead run when Kevin Pillar singled him home.

AG: The bullpen holds the one-run lead into the ninth, and James Pazos walks Yandy Diaz, strikes out Lonnie Chisenhall, and up comes bleeping Roberto Perez.

JD: Bleeping Roberto Perez.

AG: Who homers for the second time in the game to give the Indians a one-run lead and silencing the Safeco crowd. Perez not really known as a threat with the bat, but he had himself quite a series. Then in the bottom of the ninth, Andrew Miller on the mound, Nelson Cruz singles with one out, and 44-year-old Ichiro Suzuki comes on to pinch run and promptly steals second base!

JD: Yeah, that's why Scott brought him in.

AG: With the crowd going crazy, Kyle Seager singles and Ichiro- holds at third base! Did third base coach Scott Brosius think about sending him there?

JD: Thought about it. The odds weren't too good and with just one out he decided not to send him, which I think was the best choice.

AG: So Mitch Haniger strikes out. Ryon Healy at the plate with two outs, takes a strike, and then Andrew Miller spikes a slider into the dirt and Ichiro scampers home to tie the score!

JD: What a moment for Ichiro, and for everyone. We couldn't have drawn it up any better for him, and as you know, his night wasn't quite over yet.

AG: The top of the tenth saw Jason Kipnis's other home run off Juan Nicasio. Then in the bottom of the inning, two outs, Dee Gordon at the plate, who, in rapid succession, bunts for a hit, steals second base, and scores on a Jean Segura single.

JD: Yeah, how many times did that happen this year, like a hundred?

AG: Well, the bunting for a hit was a little different, but the rest of it was pretty identical. Then the next inning, Ichiro bunts for a hit too!

JD: We'll do anything we can to get on base against Andrew Miller.

AG: Game rolls on to the twelfth inning. Finally Kevin Pillar singles with one out, steals second, advanced to third on a ground out, and comes home on yet another Jean Segura single. Ball game, series tied, for the moment.

JD: It was so exciting. A tough game on our bullpen but what a way to win a ballgame.

AG: So the Indians head to the World Series to play the Dodgers. Neither team has won the series in quite some time, but of course the Mariners' streak is forever.

JD: That is true, Aaron, thank you for reminding me.

AG: I know you're exhausted, Jerry. What's the plan heading into the offseason?

JD: I'm going to sleep for a few days, and then I'll probably make a bunch of trades. Hey, Aaron, do you mind if we cut back the frequency of these podcasts by quite a bit? They take a long time to record.

AG: Oh- uh, OK, Jerry. I'm sorry, was it something I said?

JD: It's not you, Aaron, it's me. I just need a little space. I mean, you're great and all. I just feel like I need to work on myself for a little bit.

AG: Oh- Jerry, I wish you had said something.

JD: Well, now it's out there.

AG: You aren't- you aren't podcasting with someone else, are you?

JD: What? No, Aaron, I'd never do that to you.

AG: OK, Jerry. I really want this podcasting relationship to work out.

JD: Aaron, I've gotta go. Don't call me for a bit, OK?

AG: Jerry- maybe you need to get some rest for a bit? When can we podcast next?

JD: I don't know, Aaron. Maybe next week, maybe a month from now? Stop being so clingy, all right?

AG: Jerry, I- I'm kind of hurt. This all seems like it's happening so fast.

JD: Well, my team did just lose the ALCS in heartbreaking fashion. It's not always about you, Aaron.

AG: No, I- I didn't mean- losing the ALCS hurt me too, Jerry.

JD: Oh come on, Aaron, you wouldn't understand what that's like! Have you ever played professional baseball?

AG: Well, no, but-

JD: Easy for you to sit back from your broadcast booth and criticize the team whenever they lose a game! Why don't you try to do my job for a minute!

AG: Jerry, this is getting a little out of control. Do you need a Xanax or something?

JD: NO, I don't need a XANAX! I need you to chill out and get off my case already! (rips off headset and storms out)

AG: JERRY!!! JERRY!!!! NOOOOOOO!!!!!!! (sobs uncontrollably) This has been The Wheelhouse, with Jerry Dipoto, who... may or may not be coming back. I'm Aaron Goldsmith, with my heart smashed to a million little bits, and we'll see you on the next edition of The Wheelhouse, should it ever return.

[Tieran]

Is this the end? If so I really enjoyed this.

[jaa36]

AG: Welcome back to The Wheelhouse. Back with me after a long hiatus, I think, is Jerry Dipoto. And Jerry, I'm going to do things a little backwards today, and start with a listener question, from frequent contributor Tieran, who asks, is this the end? What do you say, Jerry?

JD: (deep sigh) Well, Aaron, I'm honestly embarrassed about how I behaved the last time. But since then, I think I've changed. I've gone to anger-management classes. I've taken up yoga. I stopped playing Fortnite. I think I've taken some positive steps in my life, and I think I'd like to see where this could go.

AG: Jerry- I'm touched. I've been very lonely, with no one to podcast with these last five months...

JD: Don't get all mushy on me, Aaron.

AG: Do you want to- talk about the Mariners?

JD: We can do that. But my therapist says I need to me more assertive. Do you think- No, let me try that again. I want to podcast less frequently. Like once a month.

AG: Oh, man, that's not very often. But if that's what you need right now, Jerry, that's what we'll do.

JD: Thanks, buddy.

AG: Well, let's talk about the Mariners then! What was your approach this offseason?

JD: My main goals this offseason were to retain the excellent core that we already have, and to improve our versatility, and I think we achieved both of those goals.

AG: The starting lineup one through nine is the same as last year. The rotation is the same as last year. Everybody is a little bit older. What's different this year?

JD: Well, first off, while you're correct that the lineup is the same, I don't know that that will necessarily remain the case over the course of the year. Some of our veterans like Nellie Cruz and Robbie Cano, who've been such a huge part of our team over the last several seasons, are getting up there in years, and we likely won't see them playing quite as much this season as they have in the past.

AG: One thing we've heard about this offseason is Robbie and his hypertension. Is Robbie's blood pressure under control?

JD: Good question, Aaron. We know that when Robbie's hypertension is under control, he plays much, much better. He uses a somewhat atypical treatment called furosemide, that he gets from one of the finest physicians in the Dominican Republic, who in turn provides adequate documentation that he receives the furosemide for the medical condition "hypertension" and not some other reason. It's been so helpful for him that some of our other players, including Nellie and Dee Gordon, have gone to that doctor to get their blood pressures under control too!

AG: Getting your blood pressure under control is a totally admirable goal, and one that I would think Major League Baseball is in full support of. Well, some other changes in the works as well. We saw a few players getting reps at other positions this year- Dee Gordon playing in left field, Robbie at first base, Jean Segura at third...

JD: Right, we're trying to give ourselves more options defensively. Dee is going to play in left field this year, with Kevin Pillar in center- I think that kind of optimizes our defense. Robbie will start the season at second base, but may see some time at first or at DH, and Jean or Dee can help us out at second base at well.

AG: Not too many offseason acquisitions this year. The two biggest names are Tim Beckham, Charlie Tilson and Jake Diekman. What do you expect out of them?

JD: All three of them are role players for us. Beckham comes to us as a free agent, after hitting 23 home runs with the Orioles last year playing third base. He'll be our utility infielder. Tilson we acquired for Taylor Motter and also Casey Gillaspie, a minor-league first baseman whom we're high on. Charlie is a speedy outfielder, good defender, who can get on base, and played really well in limited time last year. And Jake Diekman really fills the role that Mark Rzepczinski was in last year, situational lefty, but one who throws a lot harder.

AG: One of the strengths of this club seems to be its depth. With all the relievers, you've got Dan Altavilla, Richard Lovelady and Andrew Moore all starting the season at Tacoma. Was it hard to leave them down there?

JD: Well, we know we'll see them frequently over the course of the season. Last year was a really nice aberration, with so few injuries, but we know we can't count on that this year.

AG: Not too many injuries during the offseason- the biggest one was to Greg Holland, who had signed a minor-league contract but will miss the season with Tommy John surgery.

JD: Yeah, that was a disappointment. Greg was coming off a rough season with the Phillies and we thought he could have given us something, but it won't be this year.

AG: One of the other storylines over the winter was Ichiro's retirement. How was that for you?

JD: Oh, bittersweet, I guess. Ichiro would certainly still play if we'd let him, but I think he's been realistic about where he's at. We've offered him a sort of unusual position in our front office, where he does most of the things a baseball player would do, like take batting practice, hang out in the clubhouse, watch video on other pitchers. We're just not going to let him play in games.

AG: OK. That sounds- weird, but OK. Well, Jerry, you've got a pretty good team here. How do you like your odds this season?

JD: Well, the Astros are still pretty good, and they picked up Andrew Miller this offseason. I think we're in the same ballpark as them, no pun intended, and we hope to be right there in October like last season.

AG: No need to remind you, but that was the first Mariners playoff team in 17 years. You know, the prognosticators at the BNN have you guys winning just 73 games this year!

JD: 73 games? F*** those guys! Oh- wait- let me take a breath. Yes, that is a pessimistic projection. We think our team is better than that.

AG: Additionally you were ranked as the worst farm system in baseball for the second year in a row.

JD: Aaron, are you trying to antagonize me here? I'm going to step out here before I divert this too far from being a family-friendly podcast.

AG: OK, Jerry, we'll let you go. Thanks a million for coming back with us.

JD: You're welcome.

AG: And we'll see you- next month, I guess, on The Wheelhouse.

[jaa36]

AG: Welcome back to The Wheelhouse, everybody. Once again I'm Aaron Goldsmith, and here with me as always is Jerry Dipoto. Jerry, it's been a while.

JD: It sure has, Aaron. Thanks for doing this.

AG: No, thank you, Jerry. Well, a month into the season. The Mariners stand at 14-11, which is good enough for first place in a lackluster AL West. What are your thoughts on the team thus far?

JD: You know, I'm pleased with where we're at. You can't argue with first place. We went through a rough stretch near the end of the month, but overall, it's been a pretty good month.

AG: The M's looked absolutely dominant in the middle of April, reeling off an eight-game winning streak, sweeping two division rivals, the A's and the Angels, in the process. What was the team doing right during that week and a half?

JD: Pretty much everything was clicking. The pitching was excellent, with James Paxton throwing 12 1/3 scoreless innings over two starts, and Mike Leake with one run over 13 innings. And in all the other games, our starters at least kept us in the ballgame. And we got offense from a lot of different places- Tim Beckham, Mike Ford, Jean Segura. The whole streak was really a team effort.

AG: One of the biggest differences so far between last season and this season has been the glut of injuries in the first month. Tell us a little bit about what's happened and what the plan is to get the team healthy.

JD: It's been difficult. We know that it's incredible rare for a team to get through a season as cleanly as we did in 2018, but this has been a tough start to the year. Nellie Cruz banged up his knee and missed all but the first week of the season. We expect him to come back next week, but he didn't have the most mobility to begin with, and I do worry we won't see quite the same Nellie as we've seen the last few years. And Nick Rumbelow, who was so good for us out of the bullpen last season, has some inflammation in his elbow. He could be out a while- we anticipate about two months- which leaves a big hole in our bullpen. And that's not including Tomas Telis, our backup catcher, who tore a quad and is out for six weeks.

AG: That's a lot to get through. But I suppose with any adversity comes some opportunities for other players. A couple of Mariners have made their debuts this season, and have played pretty well!

JD: You bet. Tyler O'Neill came up in part to fill in for Nelson, and he's hit well, mostly against left-handed pitching. And Casey Gillaspie got an opportunity last week when we sent down Ryon Healy, who really got off to a rocky start this season. So for now, we've got Mike Ford, Gillaspie and O'Neill all sharing time at DH and first base. When Nelson comes back, Tyler will probably go back down to the minors, but he's gotten some quality at-bats with our team so far.

AG: The bullpen carousel has been spinning pretty quickly, in part because of two extra-inning games in which the next day's starter had to be pressed into duty. The first one was a 13-inning game against Texas in which James Paxton recorded his first career save. The second one was a 16-inning affair in which the Rangers returned the favor, this time with Marco Gonzales taking the loss. Is this the downside of Scott Servais's pull-the-starter-early strategy?

JD: Well- yes and no. It's possible we would have won the second game if we had let James Paxton go a little longer, but he was already at 98 pitches by the time Scott pulled him in the sixth. And our bullpen was already gassed. I'm not sure there was much else we could have done in that one. Plus, I think we've won a lot of games we otherwise wouldn't have by taking our starter out early. Now, the downside of using our bullpen so heavily, coupled with the extra-inning games and the injuries, is that we've had to go deeper into our pool of reserves than I would have hoped at this time of the season.

AG: You're up to 18 pitchers already, with Tyler Thornburg set to make his debut. And Jairo Labourt lost to the waiver wire, with John Gant potentially to receive the same fate.

JD: We're just trying to get some arms that are fresh and ready to pitch. I don't know why this was so much easier last year!

AG: In typical Jerry Dipoto fashion, you found a way to swing a deal in the first month of the season. A little surprising that you were able to acquire a guy like Blake Snell for Rob Whalen, wasn't it?

JD: You know, Blake was a pretty good prospect a few years ago with the Rays, and actually wasn't too bad with the Yankees last year either. I'm not sure why New York was willing to get rid of him, but their loss is our gain. Blake gave us a few good innings out of the bullpen already, and he'll definitely be back with the big club soon as a left-handed pitcher who can start and relieve, and most importantly, still has a minor-league option this season.

AG: Now, I've been dying to ask you about this for the whole podcast, but for me, the most interesting storyline of the Mariners season is, will Dee Gordon somehow find a way to steal even more bases this season?

JD: He's certainly on his way! Somehow Dee managed to pick up 33 steals in the first 25 games of the season. I don't think even he can keep up that pace, but he might get even more than the 117 he got last year. I think for this month, we ran into a lot of teams with catchers that didn't have the strongest arms, so it may be a little harder to exploit the defense in the next month or two.

AG: I would say one of the biggest disappointments of this season so far has been Robinson Cano, hitting just .246, no home runs so far, and playing really only against right-handed pitching. What's going on with Robbie? Is his hypertension acting up?

JD: Yeah, I think so. He really would likely benefit from medically-sanctioned treatments for his hypertension. High blood pressure is truly a silent killer.

AG: Meanwhile, a couple of relatively recent additions have helped out the offense quite a bit. Kevin Pillar off to a strong start once again. And Tim Beckham, hitting .325 with a team-leading four home runs in part time play.

JD: Tim's been a terrific addition, and just a great story, that he's finally put things together so late in his career. He'll be getting plenty of starts at second base this year, especially against left-handed pitching.

AG: I wanted to take one listener question before you go, Jerry. This one coming at you from Kyle in SeaTac. Kyle's question is, what devil magic can you come up with to combat the Mariner first base black hole vortex? It seems like anyone who plays first base for the Mariners is good before they come here, then plays badly, then is good again when they leave.

JD: It's a good question. Many a first baseman has succumbed to this affliction previously, including Justin Smoak, Logan Morrison, Kendrys Morales... I could go on. Ryon Healy was good, until he wasn't. Daniel Vogelbach is Vogelbad. Mike Ford has been really solid so far, so maybe he'll break the curse, or maybe he'll go 0 for his next 73.

AG: A surprisingly candid answer, Jerry, thank you. Well, any thoughts as we head into May?

JD: No, we're just going to try to keep on winning series, I guess.

AG: OK, Jerry. Well, thanks for being with us, and we'll see you next month on The Wheelhouse.

[jaa36]

AG: Welcome back to The Wheelhouse. I'm Aaron Goldsmith, and back with me after another month is Jerry Dipoto. Jerry, how are things?

JD: Well- they could be better, I guess. We've lost six games in a row!

AG: That's true. Kind of a rough end to what had been a pretty good May, and a pretty good season overall. Even with all the losing recently, the M's are still in first place in the AL West at 30-23. What's been going on with the team lately?

JD: Well, I think more than anything, we've got a really tired team right now. We're in the middle of a stretch of 20 games in a row without a day off. And to make matters worse, we played consecutive 12-inning games against the Indians right at the beginning of that stretch.

AG: It's led to an incredible 27 pitchers making an appearance for your club already this season, as you've had to constantly sending guys down to the minors to bring up fresh arms. Let me hit you with some names here: Nathan Bannister, Bobby Wahl, Gerson Moreno, Framber Valdez, Max Fried, Tyler Thornburg, James Farris. Be honest. How many of those guys had you heard of before the season started?

JD: Um- maybe a few of them? Isn't a Framber Valdez something you can get at Starbucks?

AG: Remarkably, though, the M's have put together the best bullpen ERA in the league at 2.86. How does that happen?

JD: Well, obviously you've got to give the lion's share of the credit to the back end of the bullpen. Edwin Diaz has been spectacular as usual, with a 1.88 ERA in 38 1/3 innings, and Juan Nicasio has been even better, at 1.32 and with 54 strikeouts and just five walks in 34 innings. Not to mention Jake Diekman, who's had a 0.72 ERA in 25 innings, taking over for Mark Rzepczynski from last year.

AG: Another guy who's really exceeded expectations this year is Erasmo Ramirez, with a 2.77 ERA in 52 innings, and a 38 to 8 strikeout to walk ratio. A real turnaround from last year, when he had a 5.06 ERA.

JD: You said it. Even during last year, you could tell that Erasmo had the ability and the raw stuff to succeed, and this year he's just strung together a lot of good innings. It's been a nice turnaround for him.

AG: Now on the other hand, one guy who really put it together last year was Marco Gonzales, but he's off to a poor start this year, with a 6.16 ERA. Is his spot in the rotation in jeopardy?

JD: We really believe in Marco, and we think he's more like the guy you saw last year than the guy you've seen so far this year. But at the same time, eventually you've got to show it on the field, and we really have a pretty good stable of guys in Tacoma who have a similar profile to Marco in Blake Snell and the Maxes, Fried and Povse, so it's possible one of them could get a longer look if Marco continues to struggle.

AG: Let's talk for a minute about Tim Beckham. What a year for a guy who really is only a part-time player at this point!

JD: Right. We signed Tim with the idea that he would be a backup infielder, and get some starts at second base against left-handed pitchers. Well, he's jumped out of the gate with just an incredible start, and has really earned more playing time, managing to lead our team with 11 home runs in just 104 at-bats, not to mention a .327 average. He's been an incredible addition, and it's wonderful to see him putting together a season like this where he's truly reached his potential.

AG: And another storyline we're following this year is Dee Gordon's quest to break the single-season stolen base record. I've gotta say, I didn't think it would be possible for him to exceed the 117 he had last year. But here we are with just two months down, and he's already halfway to the record of 130, with 65 steals and caught just four times.

JD: I don't know what to tell you other than that every time he's on base, he gets the green light. He's had a couple of times this year when he's stolen bases even when there's a pitchout. He's just a thrill to watch, all around, and he's picked up left field really well for us this year.

AG: Now on the other hand, what's going on at first base? Ryon Healy was sent down because, let's face it, he was terrible, hitting .157. His replacement, Casey Gillaspie, was just as bad at .161. Mike Ford has filled in a lot at DH when Nelson Cruz was on the shelf, and he's been nothing special either? What does a GM like Jerry Dipoto do about that?

JD: Well, usually I would make a trade, but I don't have much money, and I'm not sure if I want to bring Justin Smoak back, because he'll probably become terrible as soon as he puts on a Mariner uniform again. So, we'll see how the summer plays out.

AG: Ominous words, Jerry. Well, on a more positive note, how about extending Felix Hernandez for three more years at $9 million a year!

JD: Yeah, I felt good about that. Obviously it's wonderful to be able to keep a guy like Felix in Seattle for the next few years, and we hope he'll end up playing his whole career with the Mariner organization. After a couple of injury-filled years, he's actually proven to be a durable, mid-rotation pitcher this season and last, and while we can't get seven innings a start out of him like we used to, we can get five pretty good ones, and that's a valuable commodity in the league today. I'm thrilled to have him around after this season.

AG: Well Jerry, let's take a question from one of our listeners. This comes from Dave in Ballard. Dave's question for you today is about the Mariners' overall roster-construction philosophy, and he's wondering, if you've ended up needing 27 pitchers this year, wouldn't it make more sense to have a bullpen of eight guys rather than seven?

JD: Yeah, that's a fair point. Obviously with this stretch we would have been better off that way. And to be honest, I think that a random bullpen arm might have hit better than Healy or Gillaspie. I think in principle, Scott and I like having four guys on the bench, because it gives us the option to pinch-hit against a tough left-hander or bring in a pinch runner. And that's been the difference in a few games this year. On the other hand, if you're relying on some random triple-A arm that you have literally never heard of like Nathan Bannister- apologies to Mr. and Mrs. Bannister- that's probably not good either, and we might not have needed to do that if we had started off this stretch with eight guys in the pen. Anyway, mistakes were made, and I'll probably just keep doing what I'm doing until someone makes me stop.

AG: Sounds about right, Jerry. Well, you finish up your series against Detroit, and then it's out to Houston and Oakland. How are you going to turn this sinking ship around?

JD: Well, usually playing the Tigers is a good solution. Hopefully we'll be able to shorten games like we were doing earlier in the season, getting out to a lead and then letting our bullpen finish things off. We know we've got to win the intradivision games.

AG: OK, Jerry. Well, thank you again for being with us, and we'll see you next month on The Wheelhouse.

JD: Thanks Aaron.