The Wheelhouse, with Jerry Dipoto (2018 Mariners)

[jaa36]

AG: Welcome back to The Wheelhouse. Once again, I'm Aaron Goldsmith, and Jerry Dipoto is here with me. Jerry, howya doin?

JD: Not bad, Aaron, I'm doing OK.

AG: It was not a bad month for the M's, another winning month, and the team's now 45-34 overall, which is just a game back of the Astros in the West, and good enough for a Wild Card spot for now. How's the team been doing it?

JD: Kind of our usual formula, I think, getting a few good innings out of our starting five and then going to the bullpen early in the game to close things out. It's really a recipe that's worked for us, and the bullpen has somehow been even stronger this year than last year.

AG: You're not kidding, Jerry. A 3.27 bullpen ERA the best in the American League. Edwin Diaz is on pace for another 100-inning season and has a 2.63 ERA. Jake Diekman has been lights out, with a 0.95 ERA in 38 innings. But neither of them quite compare to what we've gotten out of Juan Nicasio thus far- a 1.18 ERA in 53 1/3 innings, 80 strikeouts against just eight walks, and 2.5 WAR, which is actually second best in the American League.

JD: Juan has been spectacular. He was really solid last year in a high-leverage role, and this year everything has been clicking for him. It's really a four-headed monster in the bullpen this year between the three you mentioned and James Pazos, and we feel like we can match up against anybody in the late innings these days.

AG: Well, not to be lost in the amazing bullpen exploits would be the Big Maple, James Paxton, who won the American League Pitcher of the Month. Anything different with James this month?

JD: Well, not really, to be honest. He could probably win Pitcher of the Month a lot of months. This one he just happened to go 5-0. He's just a consistent ace, a guy we know who can give us six good innings, get a bunch of strikeouts, and we've got a really good shot whenever he's one the mound.

AG: Another guy I want to mention is Robbie Cano, whom I had sort of left for dead as he started to lose playing time to Tim Beckham. But Robbie has had a bit of a renaissance as the year has gone on, hitting .392 in June and now up to .319 on the season.

JD: He's just banged out a bunch of hits recently, putting the ball all over the field. That's always what Robbie's done, and I think people expected he would have lost some bat speed at this point, but it hasn't really affected him much to this point in his career. I am certain that good nutrition and hard work account for his success, and not performance enhancing drugs.

AG: Interesting comment, Jerry. Well, last month we talked about the struggles at first base, and a couple of weeks ago, you, being Jerry Dipoto, made a trade to fill the gap. Now, I'll remind you that at the time, you said that you might bring back Justin Smoak, but that he would probably instantly become terrible once you got him.

JD: (shifts his tie) I never said that, Aaron.

AG: You.. well, I could play you the tape, Jerry, you said it on the podcast...

JD: I think you're reading too much into the words I may or may not have said, Aaron.

AG: Well, there's no may or may not, you definitely suggested that Justin Smoak would be terrible and....

JD: I NEVER SAID IT! AARON, WOULD YOU GET OFF MY CASE ABOUT WHAT I SAID WHEN I DIDN'T...

AG: Jerry, man- take a breath. Use your skills...

JD: (pauses for several seconds) OK, Aaron. Let me put it this way. I can understand Mariner fans' concerns about having Justin Smoak back on the team. He was a festering sinkhole of crappiness for four and a half years in his last stint with the team. But, you know, he's a much better player now. He actually fits in well with our mindset of going after hittable pitches early in the count, and he's really figured out how to drive the ball in the last few years. I'll take a .290 hitter with 19 home runs any way I can get him.

AG: And to your credit, you really didn't have to give up much. Tony Zych also returned to the club, and going the other direction were Blake Snell, who had been acquired just two months before, and minor leaguer Luis Alcantara.

JD: And the best part was that the Blue Jays are paying his whole salary this year!

AG: Do the M's have more moves in them this year?

JD: We'll see, Aaron. We don't have a lot of wiggle room with salaries at this point, so we'd have to be pretty creative.

AG: Let's talk about the draft a little bit. First round pick was Jaden Brown, a high school infielder. What do you see in him?

JD: Really good hitter for his age, and can hold his own in the middle infield. We were very pleased he was still there midway through the first round of the draft and we were happy to jump on him.

AG: It was a very high-school heavy draft for you, though you weren't able to bring in a couple of guys who were asking for pretty hefty bonuses.

JD: Yeah, with Isaiah Bennett and Jacob Meador, we thought we were offering them enough to get a deal done, but it wasn't. Despite that, we do think we got a pretty good group of players into the fold this year.

AG: Well, why don't we go to a listener question. This next one comes from Casey in Sequim, Washington. The question is, what is Brock Holt's role with the team going to be?

JD: Thanks for the question, Casey. Yeah, we signed Brock as a minor league free agent, and he's been excellent so far. We can pretty much put him anywhere on the diamond to fill in, which gives us a bit more flexibility. For now we'll have him as a reserve, particularly in the outfield, and also a defensive replacement for Robbie when we have a lead.

AG: OK, Jerry. Well, let's wind things up here. Good luck as we head into the all-star break, and thanks for being with us.

JD: Thank you, Aaron, and talk to you soon.

[jaa36]

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

JD: Hiya, Aaron.

AG: Well, Jerry, it's been a while, hasn't it?

JD: About a month, like usual, Aaron.

AG: Right. Well, a pretty good month the Mariners put together, going 16-8. They now lead the AL West by a game over Houston, and have the third-best record in all of baseball at 61-42. That's a pretty good spot to be in.

JD: It sure is, Aaron. It's been a fun year so far, a lot of really good performances.

AG: And a nine-game winning streak that extended over the All-Star break, and marked by three blowout wins.

JD: We've really been clicking on all cylinders. I think, as before, a lot of it comes back to the bullpen. It's really hard to beat us when we go into the late innings with a lead.

AG: Three all-stars from that bullpen this season, in Edwin Diaz, Juan Nicasio and Jake Diekman- that's a real accomplishment. And Nicasio continues to have just a remarkable season, going 6-2 with a 0.92 ERA, and 3.3 WAR, tied with James Paxton for best in the American League.

JD: It's hard to believe, for a reliever, but he's making a real case for the Cy Young. I'm not quite sure how he's doing it, but he's just been unhittable all season long. And the rest of the bullpen has kept up the pace with him.

AG: Now, last month I spent some time making fun of you for acquiring Justin Smoak. I guess you could say the Smoak's on me, because here we are a month later with Justin Smoak the reigning American League Player of the Month. Justin hit .341 with 12 home runs and 33 RBI. He had an unbelievable stretch at the beginning of the month when he homered in six consecutive games, and had three consecutive two-homer games, so a total of nine home runs in those games. This guy is a beast!!

JD: Well, we knew we were getting a pretty good hitter in Justin, a guy who's really changed his approach from his first tenure in Seattle. He's got a little bit of an injury that he suffered the other day, and we hope it doesn't keep him on the shelf too long, but he's been a great addition to the offense.

AG: Speaking of additions. We just hit the trade deadline, and in true Jerry Dipoto fashion, we saw quite a a few deals transpire. It looks like you and the Mariners are all in for this season- acquiring three pretty big names in Paul Goldschmidt, Jose Quintana, and Jorge Estrada.

JD: Well, yes and no, Aaron. We definitely are playing to win this year. But at the same time, Quintana's under contract for next year as well, and I don't think we hurt our minor league system too badly in any of the deals.

AG: Let's take the Quintana deal first. Were you surprised to see him on the block?

JD: I really was. The Cubs aren't too far out off first place in a pretty tight NL Central. We had to give up Erasmo Ramirez, who's really pitched well for us this year, and Mike Ford, who's been pretty good for us at first base, but coupled with the deal for Goldschmidt, we could afford to lose both of them. And Quintana's been great over the years, a real workhorse who actually led the NL in innings pitched last year and had a 2.84 ERA in 2018, 3.30 this year before coming to us. Plus, the Cubs picked up a third of his remaining salary this year.

AG: That sounds like a real heist! And the Goldschmidt deal seemed a little too good to be true also.

JD: Sure was. He hasn't been as good this year, but we're talking about a five-time all-star in the last year of his contract, and we got him for Joe Rizzo, one of our top prospects but a guy who didn't figure into our immediate plans, and a couple other guys we didn't have a lot of current use for in Ryon Healy and Tony Zych. And again, with Arizona picking up 40% of the contract.

AG: So a couple of pretty bold moves, without a huge cost to either the payroll or the farm system. And that led to the last move, which I imagine was the hardest one, the deal with Houston that sent Nelson Cruz to the Astros in exchange for reliever Jorge Estrada.

JD: Yeah, that was tough. Nelson's been a huge part of our team for almost five years now. The reality was that with both Goldschmidt and Smoak on the team, it was hard to get him at bats this year, and it's definitely been a down year for him, hitting just .235 with 5 home runs. Now Estrada is big addition to our bullpen- he's 33, this is his first year in the majors after coming over from Cuba last year. But he's got a 97-mph fastball and a wipeout slider, and his stuff plays well against both righties and lefties. So with him, Diaz, Nicasio, Diekman and James Pazos, you are looking at one unstoppable bullpen in the postseason.

AG: Yeah, I can see why you would pull the trigger on that deal. So really a remade lineup as you head into August. How has that affected clubhouse chemistry?

JD: It's hard to lose Nelson, no question. But winning breeds good chemistry, and we've still got guys like Dee Gordon and Jean Segura to keep things light in the clubhouse.

AG: Speaking of Dee, he's slowing down a bit, with only 20 steals in the month of July. Now up to 107 on the year, and with two months to go, he's pretty much a lock to break Rickey Henderson's record of 130, isn't he?

JD: Well, don't jinx him, but provided he stays injury-free, yes, pretty much.

AG: Well, Jerry, so much to talk about. Let's go to the mailbag for a bit. This is a question from Jennifer in Mukilteo. Her question is, how does a team like the Mariners adjust to all of the changes in the group in season?

JD: I guess we touched on this a little bit already. It's always a balance, and we really try to vet the players that we bring in to know that they'll work in the clubhouse. Justin, of course, had been here before. Paul Goldschmidt is known as one of the nicest, most self-effacing guys in the game. Jose Quintana is just a super hard worker. And Estrada we don't have quite as much info about, but by all accounts seems like a good guy to be around. And I think too, the players notice when you're trying to win. Felix is always like a kid in a candy store around the trade deadline, he gets so excited about who we're bringing in.

AG: Well, two more months of the regular season, and then, fingers crossed, back to the playoffs for the second year in a row.

JD: Well, let's not get too far ahead of ourselves. There's a lot of baseball yet to be played here.

AG: OK, Jerry. Thanks for being with us, and we'll see you next month.

JD: Thanks Aaron.

[jaa36]

AG: Here we are once again with The Wheelhouse, and as always, I'm Aaron Goldsmith, and here's Jerry Dipoto.

JD: Thanks for having me, Aaron.

AG: Well, the post-trade deadline Mariners have become a juggernaut, a true force to be reckoned with, entirely unstoppable in the AL West. They reeled off another eight-game winning streak, won 18 out of 24, and went 20-8 overall in August, and they now have a three-and-a-half game lead in over the Astros in the division. What kind of devil magic are the Mariners using to befuddle their competition?!?

JD: Well, let's keep in mind that this was already a team that won 98 games last year, and then added the likes of Tim Beckham, Jake Diekman, Justin Smoak, Paul Goldschmidt, Jose Quintana and Jorge Estrada, with our only substantial loss to the big-league team being Nelson Cruz. That is an influx of talent that is simply remarkable, and really demonstrates our organization's commitment to bringing a championship to Seattle.

AG: And those acquisitions have not disappointed. Beckham we've talked about before, and he's got 2.5 WAR, which is second only to Dee Gordon among the position players even though he only starts every other game. Diekman has turned into a shut-down left-handed reliever, and has a 1.56 ERA. Smoak unfortunately missed all of August with a strained ACL, but obviously was just dominant in July, and he should be back in a week or so. Goldschmidt, who we uncreatively like to call "Goldy," has ten home runs since he came to the Mariners just over a month ago. Estrada has stepped right in and has a 0.82 ERA and 37 strikeouts against two walks in his first month in Seattle. Quintana hasn't gotten off to a great start with the Mariners, but obviously big things expected of him as well.

JD: Right. He should make a really solid one-two punch with James Paxton, and with our stable of relievers we know we can shorten just about any game.

AG: One of the big stories has been the number of big outbursts by the offense. In the last two weeks alone, there have been six games where the M's have scored nine runs or more. What have the M's been eating?

JD: A heaping diet of performance-enhancing drugs. Wait, can you edit that part out? OK, thanks... can you roll that again? They've been eating a well-balanced diet of fruits, vegetable and protein, all organic and locally sourced.

AG: Good to hear that everything is on the up-and-up, Jerry. Well, not that we were speaking of enhanced performances there, but what about Dee Gordon? Dee hit .347 on the month, now has his average above .300 for the season, and even flashed some power, with two home runs in August, including an extra-inning game-winner against the Yankees. But of course the big story is Dee on the bases, and he's now up to 126 stolen bases, just four off Lou Brock's all-time record, so he should break that, oh, within the week I suppose. Anything special the M's are going to do for Dee?

JD: We're putting out a special commemorative bobblehead this week, in which the head bobbles, but the feet do too. It's pretty classy. We're really proud of Dee and impressed with everything that he's done for us over the last few years. Kind of lost in all of this is the fact that he's become one of the top defensive left fielders in all of baseball this season.

AG: A couple of other guys who came alive this month have been Jean Segura and Mitch Haniger. Mitch in particular had had something of a difficult year, but what have they been doing differently in the last month or so?

JD: I think for Mitch, it's just getting back to his regular approach. He had been pressing a bit in the first half, but you've seen a lot of very patient at bats from him. As you remember, he had that monster game a few weeks ago with five hits, including the home run and three doubles, and we were ribbing him a little bit about not stretching one of those into a triple to get the cycle. Jean has had a couple of monster games this month too, including the two-homer game in which we beat the A's 9-0.

AG: And I've gotta give a little shout-out to my man Marco Gonzales. We were worried about him potentially losing his spot in the rotation earlier this year, but he was dominant in August, going 4-0 with a 1.06 ERA.

JD: And he even had an RBI double against the Diamondbacks! We love Marco's all-around athleticism, and he's been a big part of our rotation this year despite the early struggles.

AG: So the M's head into September in very good shape in the division. Healthwise, there are a few guys on the DL, but do you anticipate any of these will affect the team in October?

JD: Not really, Aaron. I mentioned Smoak will be back next week, and that'll give even more length to our offense. Kevin Pillar hit the DL with a strained elbow, but Corey Ray's been filling in pretty well in center field for now, and we expect Kevin back before the end of the regular season. Juan Nicasio missed a good chunk of August with a hamstring strain but he should be back in a few weeks, and honestly the layoff may do him some good as we approach the playoffs.

AG: It seems- strange for us to be discussing the playoffs so matter-of-factly. But really, have more or less locked up a slot, it's just a question of whether they can hold off Houston for the division or not, isn't it?

JD: Right. It's helpful to have a three-and-a-half game lead on them. We've played them even this year, to a 6-6 record, and we've got seven more games against them, so that should settle things.

AG: OK, Jerry, let's take a question from the audience. This coming from John in Rainier Beach. His question for you is, what do you see as Robinson Cano's role on the team next season and beyond?

JD: Well, right now we're focused on this season, so it's hard to say what will happen in 2020. Robbie is obviously getting paid a lot of money to be a part-time player, but he's played pretty well this season in that role, hitting over .300. The defense is not what it used to be, and you've seen him play a little bit of first base this year and DHing a lot. What we're hoping above all else is to win a championship with Robbie and Felix on the team. That makes any other decisions going forward a lot simpler.

AG: Now Jerry, you're obviously a student of baseball history. One segment we're introducing this month is one I like to call "Stump JD," in which I try to stump you on a bit of baseball trivia. Are you ready?

JD: I feel like I'm going to be blown away by your intellect here, Aaron.

AG: Here we go. I'm proud of this one. I know you are a fan of baseball, but also good comedy. I'm going to take you back to the year 1992. Can you name all of the major-league players on Mr. Burns's softball team on the Simpsons?

JD: Excellent question, Aaron- I think so. Darryl Strawberry, of course. Ken Griffey Jr., of course. The pitcher was Roger Clemens, pre-steroid, and the first baseman was Don Mattingly. Jose Canseco was in there. Ozzie Smith was in there.

AG: Right so far.

JD: The second baseman was... Steve Sax.

AG: You've got seven of them, right off the bat, no pun intended.

JD: Wade Boggs at third base.

AG: Yup.

JD: And the catcher was... it wasn't Mike Scioscia, was it?

AG: Mike Scioscia! Well done, Jerry! A true student of the game.

JD: Thanks Aaron.

AG: Well, Jerry, best of luck in September...

JD: Thank you, Aaron.

AG: And that for being with us again. We'll see you next time on The Wheelhouse.

[jaa36]

Just started the September 1 game. Mariners jumped out to a 13-0 lead by the fourth inning. Game crashed for the first time in this dynasty. This game is not designed to handle the Mariners playing well.

[jaa36]

AG: Welcome back to the Wheelhouse. Once again I'm Aaron Goldsmith, and here with me as usual is Jerry Dipoto.

JD: Hey there.

AG: Well, here we are in October, and the M's have locked up a postseason berth with six games to play. How are you feeling, Jerry?

JD: Good, really good. Obviously are work is far from over. We still want to take the division, and the American League is stacked again this season, so the playoffs won't be easy.

AG: You go into those last six games with a 95-61 record, which is four games ahead of the Astros. The Rangers came on like a house on fire in August and September but are still three games behind Houston. You've got four more games against the Astros to close out the season. Any thoughts?

JD: Well, that's the way you want it to be, to have to go through the team that won 107 games last year and too the division last year. And the trade that we made with them earlier this year just upped the stakes.

AG: That one was a really interesting deal, sending away the very popular and very accomplished Nelson Cruz for a 33-year-old reliever without much of a track record, but it's really paid off thus far, with a 1.87 ERA and 58 strikeouts in 33 2/3 innings.

JD: We thought that we saw something in his mechanics that we could unlock, and we were right. It's rare that we're the ones fixing something that Houston didn't see! But since he's gotten here, he's cut his walk rate and his home run rate in half, and he's been one of a handful of guys in our bullpen who have been just dominant.

AG: Do you anticipate Scott resting some of your starters down the stretch?

JD: Well, if we've already locked up the division, absolutely. But it's a huge advantage to go into the postseason as a division winner rather than as a wild card, like we were last year. And for that matter, the Indians are just three games ahead of us, and we'd love to have the home-field advantage if we were to play them again.

AG: Let's look at the injury front for a minute. You were expecting to get Mike Leake back in August, but when he was on a rehab assignment after an ankle injury, he ruptured his biceps and will miss the rest of the year.

JD: Yeah, that was disappointing to lose him. He's been a guy who has stayed really healthy over the course of his career, but has been hit with a few injuries this year and last. He should be able to make it back either by or near the start of next season, and in the meantime, we've kind of mixed and matched with Max Fried and Sal Romano to kind of make it through the order a couple of times.

AG: Kevin Pillar remains out also. What's his timetable for returning at this point?

JD: To be honest, we're not sure. His elbow's still bothering him, and it's certainly better than it was, but not back to 100%. Fortunately, Corey Ray has stepped in played really well, with some surprising pop and good defense out in center field. But Kevin was just a huge part of our team last postseason, we'd sure like to have him back for the playoffs this year.

AG: Speaking of outfielders. This was a foregone conclusion, but Dee Gordon did indeed break the single-season stolen base record. It would not surprise anyone to hear that he didn't stop after breaking the record. Now up to 159 stolen bases!?! Holy mackerel!

JD: I don't know what to tell you. He is a marvel. He said the other day that he wants to end up over 162 so he can say he stole over one base per game.

AG: That trade with the Marlins a couple of years ago looks pretty good now!

JD: Yeah, we really thought Dee would be something special, and he's just such a hard worker. We've asked him to learn a new position two seasons in a row now, and he just hasn't missed a beat. Really a remarkable athlete and a remarkable competitor.

AG: Now we could go on and on about the bullpen. Juan Nicasio and Jake Diekman have just had stellar years. Edwin Diaz and James Pazos a tick worse than last year, but tremendous as well. Estrada just makes that group deeper. Let's face it, this is the best bullpen in baseball, isn't it?

JD: The stats would say so, Aaron. A lot of that credit goes to Scott for putting guys in roles in which we think they'll succeed. They've thrown a lot of innings- Eddie is over a hundred again this year- but they haven't thrown many innings when they're tired.

AG: Do you think James Paxton wins the Cy Young this year?

JD: Wouldn't be a bad choice. The Big Maple's been great all year, and best of all he's stayed healthy and should end up right around 200 innings fo the second season in a row. It's great for us to have him and Jose Quintana at the top of the rotation.

AG: OK, Jerry. Let's go to the mailbag for a minute. Got a question from Jen in Sitka, Alaska. Jen wants to know, what do you think about Felix's Hall of Fame chances?

JD: Felix has sort of settled in as a mid-rotation pitcher these last few seasons. He's been good, but certainly nowhere near his overall peak. I think at this point he can probably give us this kind of production for at least three or four more seasons- at least that's what I was thinking when I signed him to that extension. I think, honestly, his odds are pretty good, especially if he can add to his postseason resume a bit this year.

AG: All right, Jerry. Are you ready for the next round of Stump JD?

JD: I gotta say, I'm a little nervous, Aaron. I've got a lot to live up to from last month.

AG: This question, I'll be honest, it's a little bit of a softball, but it's in honor of Dee Gordon and the stolen base record. The question is, can you name the other players who have stolen a hundred bases, and how many times they've done it?

JD: Ooh, that's pretty good, Aaron. Well, Dee's obviously done it twice now. Rickey Henderson did it three times. Vince Coleman I believe did it three times as well.

AG: Right.

JD: And we aren't counting pre-1900, are we?

AG: Good clarification. No, we are not.

JD: Lou Brock did it once.

AG: Yes.

JD: And of course, the old record holder, Maury Wills. And- I think that's it?

AG: You got it, Jerry. Well done, two in a row.

JD: Thanks Aaron. I feel smarter for the experience.

AG: Well, best of luck with the last six games of the season. Will we get a postseason edition of this podcast?

JD: Eh, I'm kind of liking this monthly schedule. We'll see.

AG: Good enough for me, Jerry. Thanks for being here, and we'll see you next time on The Wheelhouse.

[jaa36]

AG: Welcome back to The Wheelhouse. This is Aaron Goldsmith, and with me as always is Jerry Dipoto. Jerry, thanks for being on the show, in what we might say are difficult circumstances.

JD: Thanks Aaron, it's nice to get to talk to someone on the outside.

AG: Of course, for those of you living under a rock for the last month and a half, Jerry has been arrested and is currently being held in the King County Correctional Facility for multiple instances of aiding and abetting the use of performance enhancing drugs...

JD: Multiple ALLEGED instances of aiding and abetting the use of performance enhancing drugs!

AG: Right, Jerry. Thanks for the clarification. Those instances came to light in part due to some lackluster editing within this podcast, which tipped off the feds to some of these issues. Where do things stand with your case?

JD: Well, there's no proof that I did any of those things, and I'm pretty sure that the court will see that it was all "locker room talk." My lawyer Mr. Giulani seems to have a good grip on the case.

AG: Well, we wish you the best of luck with that situation. Now of course, the Mariners have fired you since then. Assuming you end up back on the outside, what's next for you?

JD: Well, I've always had an interest in parasailing.

AG: Take me through the Mariners' postseason experience this year. It was a bit of a disappointing ending.

JD: Sure was, Aaron. It was the second year in a row in which the Indians beat us. I think you can pretty well summarize the experience with two words: Corey Kluber.

AG: Kluber was pretty dominant, pitching a complete-game shutout in the first game, and then allowing one run in 5 1/3 innings in the final game of the series.

JD: We just didn't have an answer for him. Once he gets ahead in the count, the Klubot is tough to stop.

AG: And the powerful Cleveland lineup was difficult to contain as well, with the Indians hitting seven home runs in the series.

JD: Right. They're a great team, and Nick Williams, Francisco Lindor, Jose Ramirez, Bradley Zimmer and Edwin Encarnacion all had great seasons for them. It's hard to lose to them two years in a row, but you can understand when it's a team like that.

AG: Jake Diekman was a bit of a bright spot, winning both of the games the Mariners took, and striking out five in 3 1/3 innings.

JD: Yeah, we had a few good performances between him and Kyle Seager.

AG: Now I know you can't talk about what happens next to the Mariners, since you've been fired and all that. But a pretty rough situation for them, with eleven players being suspended for using performance-enhancing drugs.

JD: Allegedly using performance enhancing drugs. Yes, Robbie Cano the biggest name in the bunch, but quite a few other big names in Dee Gordon, who of course set the single-season stolen base record with 166, Justin Smoak, Tim Beckham, Nelson Cruz, who of course is no longer with the team, Felix Hernandez, and then quite a few relievers in Eddie Diaz, Jake Diekman, James Pazos, Jorge Estrada, and Juan Nicasio.

AG: Yeah, it looks like it could be a rough season for the Mariners next year.

JD: Well, they're still not as bad as the Royals or the Marlins, after all.

AG: But a few bright spots for the Mariners in the award voting. Kyle Seager won his second consecutive Gold Glove and third in his career.

JD: Kyle gave away quite a few runs with his bat this year, but sure was solid with the glove. I'll tell you, I was disappointed that James Paxton didn't get much support in the Cy Young voting.

AG: A late slump may have doomed the Big Maple there. Well, Jerry, overall, give us your impression of the 2019 season.

JD: You can't argue with 98 wins and a division championship. Sure, I'd have loved to have won it all, but there were a lot of great teams out there.

AG: Any words of wisdom for the next general manager of the Mariners?

JD: Uhh... Let Dee Gordon run wild. Don't let Felix or Marco Gonzales past the fifth inning. Trade for expiring contracts at the trade deadline while the OOTP trade algorithm undervalues them.

AG: All solid words of wisdom. Well, let's take a question from the audience here. This is from George in West Seattle. He'd like to know, what do you think the odds are that you are back running another major league team at some point in the future, and will you continue this podcast now that you're no longer employed.

JD: That's a hard no on the second question. As to the first, well, now that Mike Scioscia's been axed in Anaheim, I could see myself ending up back there again.

AG: OK, Jerry, let's play one final round of Stump JD. This one, you'll be thrilled to hear, has a prison theme!

JD: Well played, Aaron.

AG: The question is, can you name the all-time stolen base, home run, wins, and saves leaders among players who have served, or will have served, at least three years in prison?

JD: Excellent question, Aaron! Well, let's see... for stolen base leader, you've got to have Ron LeFlore.

AG: Yup.

JD: And sticking with the Tigers theme, let's go with Denny McLain for the wins leader.

AG: Also correct.

JD: Saves, would probably be a guy from not that long ago, Ugueth Urbina.

AG: You got it. And the home run leader?

JD: That's tougher. I'd think about Lenny Dykstra, Willie Aikens... maybe Doug DeCinces?

AG: That's it, Jerry! Well done! You do know your prison-baseball history.

JD: Thanks, Aaron. I'm pleased to get one more win under my belt before doing some hard time.

AG: Well, Jerry, I've gotta say, I've really appreciated all your time over these last few years. I have no doubt that the next GM will be significantly more boring and less accommodating than you've been. Best of luck with the trial, and all that.

JD: Thanks, Aaron, much appreciated.

AG: And with that, we'll sign off one final time from The Wheelhouse.

[Tieran]

That's the end? Great ending. Obviously the Mariners can only actually be good with PEDs for everyone.

[jaa36]

Originally Posted by Tieran

That's the end? Great ending. Obviously the Mariners can only actually be good with PEDs for everyone.

Right. The lesson is, if you are Mariners fan, things will never be good and you should anticipate failure for the rest of your life forever.