PHOENIX — They type of journey in packs and gown equally — stretchy golf pants, quarter zips, generally with their crew logos, and generally a cap for solar safety. Although within the climate-controlled air of Chase Subject, there isn’t a necessity for a hat.
They seem at major-league and minor-league parks all through the season, carrying backpacks stuffed with notebooks hooked up to clipboards, laptops and radar weapons. Like an endangered species, they’re fewer in numbers than years previous, significantly post-COVID.
However within the days main as much as the MLB commerce deadline, skilled scouts from many of the 30 groups are in all places. With groups both seeking to be consumers, sellers or each, the scouts use the valuable few days to see potential commerce targets in particular person for one final glimpse and report.
So many instances, far too many to recollect, it’s a commerce by no means consummated, a goal by no means acquired and a wasted report that goes with the remainder.
On Friday, a big group {of professional} scouts from opposing groups — most of them contenders — have been in attendance to observe the Mariners decide up a 5-2 victory over the Diamondbacks.
An analogous variety of scouts have been with the Mariners throughout the earlier three-game collection in Minneapolis, with some groups sending a recent set of eyes to Arizona to observe potential commerce targets.
Most have been there to see Logan Gilbert make his 21st begin of the season. The lanky right-hander and former first-round decide might or might not be accessible in a commerce — relying on who you ask.
But when Jerry Dipoto, the Mariners president of baseball operations, is open to transferring Gilbert, there could be loads of contenders and a few noncontenders wanting so as to add a confirmed starter with 4 years of membership management earlier than he reaches free company.
“Not likely serious about it,” catcher Cal Raleigh mentioned of the crew’s document and path. “We all know we wish to be consumers on the deadline. We wish to compete. We wish to hold going on this factor. It’s nonetheless removed from over and we’ve performed lots of good baseball currently and we’ve simply bought to maintain it going. We all know that we’ve gained some video games earlier than and backtracked. We’ve got to maintain our head down and hold profitable video games.”
Why would the Mariners wish to commerce Gilbert? They don’t. He’s a participant they drafted, developed and depend upon.
However even with a 3rd straight win that pushed their document to 53-50, which is just the second time this crew has been three video games over .500 this season, the Mariners are a flawed crew. They’re missing an offensive punch with no upper-level participant prospects of their system who’re prepared to assist this yr, subsequent yr or probably 2025.
So if a crew have been to overwhelm them with a proposal for younger, controllable position-player expertise, at the least two, and perhaps a pitching prospect, the Mariners must hear. And that may not be excessive sufficient, in accordance with reviews.
Why not rookies Bryce Miller or Bryan Woo? Nicely, each have restricted expertise and workload points that wouldn’t permit them to be speedy assist to a contender.
Whereas he doesn’t hunt down the data, Gilbert has household, buddies and teammates who learn and relay the reviews.
“You hear issues,” he mentioned. “It’s a part of the enterprise. I’m not too frightened about it. I simply type of hold my head down and belief in God’s plan and what he’s bought for me. That’s just about it.”
Gilbert made 32 begins final yr, pitching 185 2/3 innings. He’s poised to pitch near 200 innings this season. He’s bought energy stuff that’s nonetheless evolving.
Scouts watched as Gilbert improved to 9-5 and lowered his ERA to three.83, holding the Diamondbacks scoreless over the primary six innings whereas permitting seven hits with 5 strikeouts.
Given a 4-0 lead earlier than he threw a pitch, Gilbert relied closely on his fastball and splitter — significantly to left-handed hitters.
He was faraway from the sport with one out within the seventh and Seattle main 5-0, after permitting a single to Jose Herrera and a double to Geraldo Perdomo.
When Matt Brash uncorked a slider within the dust that bought previous Raleigh, Herrera raced residence for Arizona’s first run of the sport. Raleigh’s throw to Brash, who was protecting on the play, was offline and bought previous him and rolled towards second base. It allowed Perdomo to race residence with the second run, reducing Seattle’s result in 5-2.
Each runs have been charged to Gilbert. Brash managed to restrict the harm to only the 2 runs.
Was it his remaining begin? It appears unlikely to occur, although the early offers verify that it’s shaping as much as be a vendor’s market. Ought to the Mariners promote? It’s not simply Gilbert. Nearer Paul Sewald is one other excessive commodity and catcher Tom Murphy, who’s a free agent after the season, additionally will entice curiosity. Sewald had a save and Murphy continues to hit properly.
The Mariners aren’t positive what Dipoto thinks of this crew. A yr in the past, they knew he would add. This yr, they know they’ve performed themselves right into a purgatory. A yr in the past, it might have appeared unattainable for the Mariners to commerce Gilbert. It nonetheless appears that solution to him and his teammates.
“We’re closing in on it,” Gilbert mentioned. “I like it right here. That is all I’ve recognized, so it’s bought a particular place in my coronary heart. Hopefully I’ll keep right here, however simply given the whole lot I’ve, and I really like the fellows, too, so it’s simply what I’m used to. Hopefully in a number of days, I’ll be previous it.”
The Mariners jumped on Diamondbacks starter Tommy Henry actually from his first pitch of the sport, which J.P. Crawford ripped into proper subject for a leadoff double. Julio Rodriguez adopted with a single to left and stole second. After Eugenio Suarez struck out, Teoscar Hernandez was walked to load the bases.
They didn’t stay loaded for lengthy.
Batting right-handed, Raleigh pulled a tough floor ball simply contained in the third-base bag and down the left-field line for a double that scored two runs. Getting the beginning at designated hitter, Murphy laced a double into the hole in left-center to attain two extra runs for a 4-0 lead.
Henry would settle in after the first-inning debacle. Turning to his slider, which the Mariners don’t like, he retired 17 of the following 19 batters he confronted.
The Mariners picked up one other run within the high of the seventh. Jose Caballero walked, stole second and scored on Suarez’s delicate single to heart.
Ryan Divish:
206-464-2373 or rdivish@seattletimes.com; on Twitter: @RyanDivish. Ryan Divish covers the Mariners in Seattle and on the highway. Search for his ‘Additional Innings’ podcast and weekly Sunday mailbag throughout the season.
