Ryon Healy: The Newest Seattle Mariner

I meant to post earlier this week but I had a job interview the day the trade was finalized.

Well... the Mariners General Manager Jerry DiPoto didn't wait long...he's doing his job. I really love this move of acquiring first baseman Ryon Healy. He is a younger version of Logan Morrison, who incidentally is a free agent and looking for @ $10-20 mil long term deal. Some experts thought that the Mariners might try to bring him back, as he was with the Mariners in 2014 & 2015. But with this young man from Oakland, they get a 25 year old with a $500,000 contract who had a good season last year (25 Home Runs, .270 batting average), his first full year in the majors. It looks like he is Danny Valencia (who Healy replaced in Oakland, ironically) at the very least, and Healy is a possible budding star for years to come. He also played 3rd base and 1st base, so it gives the Mariners some flexibility and a possible rest day for regular third baseman Kyle Seager against a tough Left handed pitcher. But the best part? For once in my lifetime the Mariners aren't paying millions for someone on the downswing portion of their career. The team upgrades without spending free agent dollars, and frees up payroll to spend in other areas (pitching and outfield help).

Having said that, I really liked Emilio Pagan as well, and I'm sure Seattle hated to give him up in the deal. He really did well last year and was arguably the Mariners best reliever the last two months of the season with a lot of upside left in the tank. But you are NOT going to get a player with the talent that Healy possesses for nothing, The only reason he was even available, was that the Oakland Athletics has a log-jam at 1B-3B-DH with their new top prospects needing to play there who they consider ready to go and future stars themselves.
There of course is risk in any move, and we all know Seattle's god awful track record (Please don't make me mention Jason Varitek again...), but I LOVE THIS MOVE and sure didn't see it coming.... NO ONE expected this. By the way, Oakland fans are quite angry, trading away arguably their best full-time player for a part-time pitcher.
THE 3 BASIC POSITIVES:
1) The Seattle Mariners got way younger at a position of need with a legitimately good young player, with MLB experience (unlike Daniel Vogelbach, who has been disappointing to put it mildly)
2) They didn't constrict themselves with another long term over-pay contract (examples: Robby Cano & Felix Hernandez)
3) The Mariners traded away from their one area of depth, if not strength, which albeit has some inconsistency. But, they still have Edwin Diaz, Nick Vincent, Dan Altavilla, Tony Zych, David Phelps and Shae Simmons (the last 3 here all battled injury last year, but when healthy have been fairly effective). They also have young talent in that area that is trending upward. A prime example would be Art Warren, who is pitching well in the Arizona Fall League at the time of this blog entry.
THE LONE NEGATIVE [for my stepdad]:

He went to College at the University of Oregon. That's it.