Terrific deal. The Bavasi era was worth it if it meant getting Jack Z.

This seems like a steal at that price.

Seems?
The only downside is that it confirms that Branyan is gone, which had already been indicated.

Seems?

The only reason I'm hedging is that I thought Garko was really going to help the Giants last year- and I was wrong*. That said, this is a very nice pick-up.

*The circumstances- especially the price- are obviously different.

Wasn't meant as criticism, but to confirm.

Nice pickup.

The only downside is that it confirms that Branyan is gone, which had already been indicated.

Branyan's departure became forgone when the Marines acquired Kotchman. At that point, there was no way he could fit on the roster, as long as Griffey was around.

I'm sure that Branyan is now regretting that he didn't take the one year + option deal from the Mariners that he turned down back in November.

I've never been a huge Garko fan. He's a decent but not great on-base guy, unspectacular power for a first baseman, all the defensive ability of a side of beef with a mitt, and has the baserunning skills of the aforementioned carcass.

But all that said, he's a hell of a stopgap and the price makes him that much more useful. He's not going to win you anything, but he'll hold the fort down nicely until they can come up with a longer-term solution. Even as a relative Garko naysayer, I don't have any choice but to give this deal an unqualified thumbs up for Seattle.

Eric Byrnes is going to absolutely love Tacoma.

While fine (or even good) in isolation, I'm not a big fan of this signing in context. This makes the Ms roster quite inflexible. You've now got:

Kotchman: good defensive 1B but not a corner OF; below-average bat
Garko: average or worse defensive 1B, not a corner OF; average bat
Byrnes: seems to still be a good defender, below-average bat
Bradley: fragile, probably a below-average corner OF these days even when healthy, best at DH
Griffey: no defensive value whatsoever, best at "DH"

On any given day, you've (generally) got Garko/Kotchman and Griffey on the bench plus the backup C and just one backup IF. If two of 2B/SS/3B turn up lame on the same day, you're screwed (Byrnes at 2B?). If Gutierrez gets an owie that causes him to miss a few days, you're looking at an OF of Byrnes/Bradley/Ichiro (not sure if Ichiro or Byrnes would play CF) which looks pretty ick. Basically the team is carrying 4 guys to cover DH/1B and don't have a 4th OF. That can't be good. And dropping Byrnes doesn't really help things.

Presumably the Ms think Bradley's healthy and mobile enough to play LF most of the time. I've got serious doubts about that but assume it's true. While that makes it tenable to keep this roster, you're still carrying 3 guys to cover DH/1B who have no positional flexibility. Byrnes beomes 4th OF or platoon DH or something, Griffey or Garko (vs. RHP) gets too many PA and you still have one backup IF and one backup C. That's still not good 21st century 25-man roster flexibility.

That is, if Bradley can play LF most of the time:

vs. LHP: Byrnes LF, Bradley DH, Garko 1B (that's not bad if Byrnes is healthy)
vs. RHP: Bradley LF, Kotchman 1B, Garko/Griffey DH (that's not so good)

if Bradley can't:

vs. LHP: Byrnes, Bradley, Garko (no 4th OF on the bench)
vs. RHP: Byrnes, Bradley, Kotchman (no 4th OF on the bench)

Somebody's got to go ... and, barring a declaration of the first Sunday home game as Griffey Farewell Day, it seems to me it has to be Garko ... and that still leaves Byrnes as a starting OF (and no 4th OF on the bench) or Griffey as a starting DH or a single backup IF.

Oh god, they don't really think Griffey can still play OF do they?

Is Branyan's back really that shot? I'm certainly rooting for the guy. What sort of deal is he going to get at this point, and who are the likely destinations? His reputation is that of a good glove man, but if the back is shot, that may restrict him to whoever needs a DH, which at this point is -- Texas?

Repeat after me: Eleven man pitching staff. It's the only way to go. Which, by the way, is an excellent argument for a cheap contract to Washburn. With Felix, Lee, and Washburn swallowing 650 innings, you shouldn't need 9 other guys for the remaining 800 or so.

Heck, I'd be tempted to go ten, and have Josh Wilson on the bench along with Langerhans.

Repeat after me: Eleven man pitching staff.

Simply not going to happen.

Repeat after me: Eleven man pitching staff.

Simply not going to happen.

According to USSM, Jack Z mentioned during the meetup that a 11 man staff would be ideal, but that it would depend upon how things shake out during spring training.

So Kotchman's gone already? That was quick work. What a loser this dude is.

So Kotchman's gone already? That was quick work. What a loser this dude is.

What do you mean by this? Did he get cut or traded already?

Oh god, they don't really think Griffey can still play OF do they?

No. He played only 11 games out there last year- a couple at the beginning of the season when Ichiro was hurt and then a few after Endy Chavez got hurt and before they traded for Langerhans. It's pretty clear they would use him in the field only in emergencies. As for why he's on the team at all, I have no idea. They really hamstrung themselves by signing him because he adds no value at all in any way. At this point, Branyan might end up signing for the approx. $3 million that Griffey got. It is a real shame that they signed him. He had his farewell tour last year, nobody is owed 2 farewell tours, especially when he's as terrible as Griffey.