As the whole world knows by now, the Yankees decided to rent Ichiro Suzuki for three months, as they traded two middle-of-the-road prospect pitchers to the Mariners to acquire him on Monday.
Suzuki is a free agent at the end of the season, and his numbers have been in steady decline the last two years. He's 38 years old, with a .261 BA and a .281 OBP, going into last night's game. (Or as Allan at Joy of Sox calls him, "Mike Aviles without the power.") But he wants a shot at a ring, and he clearly won't ever get that in Seattle again.
I don't have any problem with this trade. It could work for both parties, or it might not. And probably just for the remainder of 2012. (Jerry Remy, on last night's Red Sox-Rangers game, said that Suzuki finally wanted to play on "a winner." I guess he doesn't remember that in Suzuki's first season in Seattle, 2001, the Mariners set the all-time AL record for wins in a season, with 116. But they didn't win the World Series. Or even make it to the Series. That team is totally forgotten now, a mere footnote in baseball history.)
But I find the timing VERY curious. They traded for two prospects, two guys who may help them down the road. Why would you make this deal BEFORE the series started? Why didn't Seattle wait until AFTER this series was over, AFTER the Yankees left town? The trading deadline is a week from today, so there was no pressure to do it immediately. Looks like they really don't care much for winning this series, as they made the Yankees better (if just slightly) with the trade.
I can only guess that by putting Suzuki in pinstripes, it will put more fannies in the seats for this three-game series, as more Mariners fans would want to come out to say goodbye to him, or just for the curiosity factor.
Once again, it's a case of money talks, BS walks.
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