Lookout Landing

Hello Seattle Mariners fans! The Mariners are right at .500 after taking the home opening series against the Houston Astros to sit comfortably at 5 – 5 through 10 games. Today we are blessed with the return of Looking Landing Podcast prodigal son and New York Daily News writer, Mr. Matthew Roberson, fresh of a dunking from Buck Showalter and an elevator ride with Chris Christie. We have Matthew reveal all the secrets and behind the scenes tips from a true baseball media insider. We look around the league and analyze the returns from the Minnesota Twins and Chicago White Sox series. We get explicitly political as the ambient sounds of New York envelop the podcast. Kate and John dig deep into the emergent legend of Matt Brash. We overwhelmingly concur that Ty France played Yu Gi Oh. Matthew outs himself as a Verlander Truther and we collectively dismay that JV has returned to haunt the Mariners into eternity. Lastly, we look ahead to the Texas Rangers series, kicking off with (maybe) Gray vs Ray, the battle of

Hello Seattle Mariners fans! The team has returned to T-Mobile Park for the home opener with a record of 3 and 4, taking 2 out of 4 games from the Minnesota Twins and losing the series to the Chicago White Sox 1 to 2. The returns are early, maybe too early, but we are here to dig in to the admittedly brief results. Who’s raking? JP. Who’s not? (everyone else) That’s besides the point! Baseball takes some time to stabilize the data, and currently the Mariners stand in the midst of a free for all of decent starting pitching, elite bullpen work and meager hitting. Will this continue? Is Matt Brash really the monster the analytics nerds have made him out to be? Is Marco cooked? Will Flexen repeat? How worried should we be about the tepid starts from Julio and Jarred? Kate, John and I are here to assuage your concerns, to talk you off that ledge, to wrap you in a warm blanket and remind you that come snow or shine, the Mariners do indeed have another *checks notes* 150+ games to play before any sweeping conclusion

Hello Seattle Mariners fans! With the big Julio related news out of the way, we return to our Hope Springs Eternal miniseries for a second and final episode. With the Mariners story entering the season well told by this point, we shift gears and take a look at the competition in the AL West, and the league at large to see how the Mariners fit in. Everyone takes a guess at the best and worst team in the west, with John and Kate agreeing that the Oakland Athletics post fire sale are the likeliest to occupy the basement, and Houston still way out in front of the pack. We dig first into The Los Angeles Angels, and try to parse whether or not, after a decade of treading water, they can finally put it all together and maximize on their stars and scrubs talent mix. We talk Houston Astros, our hated rival, and try to squint to see a fall from grace while knowing that even should they stumble, it’s still a long way to fall back in line with the rest of the division. We pick over the carcass of the Oakland Athletics fi

Hello Seattle Mariners fans! Today is a beautiful day. At long last, after years of hearing rumors, myths, legends of his minor league dominance, the Mariners biggest prospect in an era has finally arrived. Yes indeed, Mr. Julio Rodriguez, number 44 has made the Mariners out of Spring Training, and it’s hard to feel anything but sheer, unbridled excitement about this late stage of the rebuild. Aside from maybe a Kirby, the kids, for the most part, are here, and ready to roll. Saddling up next to uber prospect J-Rod is rising star Matt Brash, who won the 5th rotation spot with an electric camp. We talk about Julio’s absolutely bonkers 4 win projections and try to parse what is and isn’t real, and how to cage expectations while still being excited. We do some rough player comparisons for Julio and discuss the things they get right and wrong about projecting our young star. We look at his role on the team both short and long term for 2022, and how different the team looks with him on it. For this special episode

Hello Seattle mariners fans! Spring Training is finally here, baseball is in season, and all is (mostly) right in Mariners world. Things have started to settle in nicely and as we prepare for the upcoming season, we wanted to take an episode (or two) of the podcast to reflect on the positives, and find out “what could go right”. Despite some mixed feelings about the specific upgrades the Mariners made individually, there is a ton to like about the competitive position the team finds itself in, especially as it relates to the young core of prospects rising from the minor leagues. I personally (me, Evan) wanted to come up with a list of things that you, as a Mariners fan, should 100% unequivocally feel good about moving into the 2022 season, because there are numerous reasons to be excited. There will come a time to worry about the Mariners, but today is not that day. Today hope springs eternal, as all potential futures are laid out in front of us and anything, even a ring, is possible. Part 1: 1.     The Seaso

Hello Seattle Mariners fans. So this is podcast #3 this week, because the Mariners be shakin and movin and doing all of the things. Today we are honored to be joined by Wick Terrell of SBNation sister site "Red Reporter", who helps illuminate this weeks trade from the other side of the mirror. The general sentiment from the last podcast was that we were, and I quote, "Too Negative", so we wanted to bring onboard someone who might be able to enlighten us otherwise. Wick is very high on both Winker and Suarez, and has only good things to say both personally and professionally about the Mariners two trade acquisitions, so if you were looking for the upside perspective on the trade, we got you covered. We also talk about the various prospects the Mariners traded to Cincy (Fraley, Dunn and Williamson specifically) and why Reds fans should be excited by the young assets the team has acquired. Let me be clear: There are many, MANY reasons to like the trade. The podcast negativity yesterday had less to do with the tr

Hello Seattle Mariners fandom! Well, here we are. The team did it. After intense speculation, hot stove rumors that burned us all, and a seemingly lack of real free agent acquisitions, the team has address the biggest holes in the lineup with two the Cincinnati Reds biggest stars. While this doesn’t necessarily preclude the team from otherwise making a big spending splash, Jerry seemed to admit on Monday that free agent quests “hit dead ends” and this seems to be more or less the infield/outfield we should expect going forward, or at least for now. There’s no question at all that the team is better today. We on this pod have openly advocated for moving Jake Fraley, and Williamson has long been seen as the most pliable prospect on a team littered with quality arms up and down the farm system. But is this the fleecing some are making it out to be? And with Suarez in particular, what kind of performance can we expect going forward? The only way to find out is to listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit po

Hello Seattle Mariners Fans! After 99 long days locked out of the sport we all love, the chains have come off the doors and it is time to come home to baseball. Yes indeed, the players union has reached an agreement with Major League Baseball that was confirmed earlier this afternoon (Thursday, March 10th 2022), an as of 3PM PST free agency is back open for business. Kate is here to bring us into the big news with myself (Evan James) and prospect expert Joe Doyle to break into the juicy details behind the new agreement. This includes things like the Universal DH appearing for the first time in 2022, a major pay increase for young players, and a new competitive balance system aimed at penalizing teams for repeating losing seasons. We talk about some of the major changes in the new CBA, and how some of the tendrils could affect the Mariners operations moving forward, especially as it relates to highly regarded prospects. We dig into a wealth of twitter questions about potential trades or free agent signings by

Hello Seattle Mariners fans, baseball fans, sport enthusiasts and workers rights advocates. Today is a hard day. John, Kate and I were hoping to discuss the terms of the new agreement between the players and the league. After 9 consecutive days of negotiating, including deep into the morning hours on March 1st, the two sides ultimately did not come to an agreement. I don’t want to get too deep into the general notes about those disagreements, as I am reading the same news as everybody else, but the short version is that the league continues to seemingly act in bad faith, pushing the players to the edge of self-imposed deadlines and then resisting substantive changes. This sucks. After sorting through that mess of news, we move on to some Twitter questions regarding expectations for the team in 2022, the minor leagues, and whether or not some of baseball’s biggest stars might go overseas to play in the interim. It’s always darkest before the dawn, but it feels very dark right now in regards to baseball and all

Hello Seattle Mariners fans! Last night John Trupin, Kate Preusser and myself (Evan James), stayed up late hoping to catch the wave of breaking news that a new agreement had been reached between the players union and the league. Needless to say, that glorious moment did not occur, but we did witness a flurry of activity up to and including an extension of the deadline to cancel games, with both sides hurdling towards a deal in the 11th hour. We dig into the rumored changes to the agreement that have floated around online, specifically the Passan and Nightengale tweets. We talk about the expanded playoffs, and how it might affect the competitive landscape both in MLB at large, and hopefully for the Mariners. This is a somewhat abbreviated podcast, as we decide to wrap early (11PM), and call it a night, so we can get back to the grind, hopefully for an emergency podcast when a deal is ultimately agreed to on March 1st. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello Seattle Mariners fans! While Major League Baseball continues to be locked out with little genuine hope on the immediate horizon, minor league baseball is the flavor of the season. Who might be Mariners? The prospects! The prospects might be Mariners. John, Kate and prospect whisperer Joe Doyle break down why now is the best time there has ever been to get into following minor league ball, especially for Mariners fans who want a peek at the #1 FARM SYSTEM IN BASEBALL. The crew breaks down the Mariners more recent international spending and picks, reading in between the lines about how the Mariners scouting strategy has evolved in recent seasons. Joe talks about the Mariners scouting hierarchy and details some of the changes to personnel that could be significant in influencing some of those directional shifts within the organization. After that, they break into the prospects: -         Frankie Montas -         Felnin Celesten -         Lazaro Montes -         Are the Mariners a hot destination for Latin

Hello Seattle Mariners fans! Baseball remains locked out, but it appears slow, if begrudging progress continues on that front. The players association appears to be making some major concessions, and both sides have narrowed their focus down to core sticking points. John, Kate and I are here to dig into listener questions regarding the lockout, the Mariners free agent pursuits, and the general lack of baseball vibe at large. John dives into his article on the 14 team expanded playoffs and breaks down some of the pros and cons of such an alignment, and how it might change the way teams operate in terms of tanking/going all in for the postseason. We ponder the remaining names on the free agent market, and Kate extolls the potential value of Carlos Rodon. We pick over the carcass of the Oakland Athletics, and try to come up with a trade for some of their more spare parts that might fill holes on the Mariners roster. Apologies to any twitter listeners with questions we did not get to, I responded to a few persona

Hello Seattle Mariners fans! This week we are extremely pleased to bring on special guest star, former Mariners first round (12th overall) draft pick, Mr. Harry Ford. The Mariners have put Harry on the fast track to the big leagues behind the dish as their catcher of the future. Harry recounts the draft day experience, and the surprise of getting drafted by the Mariners. We chat about his hopes for the upcoming season, his affinity for catching and answers a few rounds of the most pressing questions we had for the future star. He gets a crash course in Seattle lore, and gives us his favorite Atlanta hip hop stars. Harry reveals which teammate has the most drip, and gives a peak at his future potential walkup music. We discuss his Braves fandom and his Georgia baseball career, what led him on this path to the majors. We get to know who won the footrace between him and Johnatan Clase. Harry recounts the highs and lows of his rookie season, and talks about improvement with the benefits of breathing right. Lastly

Hello Seattle Mariners fans! It has, once again, been incredibly quiet on the baseball front. As the holidays rapidly approach, the general consensus is that baseball is shut down for 2021, and negotiations on a new agreement between the league and players association won't be taking place until at least January. That, sucks. In the meantime, to counter the dreaded silence across the sport, we are here with Santa’s grab bag full of reader questions to bring the hard hitting knowledge straight to your dome piece. Assorted Musings: ·     Mariner gifts for Christmas ·     CBA Negotiations ·     The most depressing Mariners trivia of all time ·     Cal Raleigh, stud? ·     What to do with Evan White? ·     Who is the oldest tenured Mariners prospect? ·     Witty banter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello Seattle Mariners faithful. It has been quiet these past several weeks. Real quiet. Too quiet. Baseball remains locked out and there has been little, if any news on that front, regarding either a new contract to be negotiate or continuing negotiations on whatever has already been drafted. Essentially, we know nothing, and it sounds like we won’t know anything until next year at the earliest. Anyways, John, Kate and I dig into the Bryant/Story discussion and weigh the pros and cons of signing one of the two remaining superstars on the market. We briefly discuss the Mariners new minor league hitting coordinator, and the changes to the major league staff. We dig into user questions about whether or not Julio is a future center fielder, and the more immediate narrative on Jarred Kelenic. John pushes back on the push back about Kelenic worries, and admits that the zips projections do not love him as much as we do. We ponder what exiting season might lie ahead for our two most heralded prospects. Lastly, we di

Hello Seattle Mariners fans! We are back with an emergency podcast, fresh from the hot where our beloved nautical baseball team has wrangled a big fish. Soon after trading for nondescript (but still a clear upgrade) Adam Frazier the Mariners swooped in to sign reigning AL Cy young winner Mr. Robert Ray to the rotation. It feels like the first of two shoes to drop, even more so after Shannon Drayer indicated a big trade may be on the horizon. A collective sign of relief was let out upon signing Ray, but the team still has holes to patch in the infield and outfield, with names like Bryant, Story and Correa still on the board. And what on earth are the Texas Rangers, Oakland Athletics and Los Angeles Angels doing? We take a look around the AL West and assess the competition. Assorted Musings: Robbie Ray! Bring back James Paxton Comp pick banter What are the Rangers doing? Are the Angels going to be good? The Ray deal vs the Gausman deal Is the opt out a good thing What other moves will the Mariners make

Hello everyone! Happy thanksgiving, or holidays, whatever you celebrate, however you celebrate or if you don’t celebrate, I hope whatever you do this week, you have some days off. That’s really all we want anyways, right? Anyhow, it’s been awfully quiet in the world of the Seattle Mariners. There’s been banter and speculation and all kinds of rumors abounding about shortstops getting PAID, but in terms of real action it’s been all but silent. But fear not! We are here to give you the Mariners content you crave. Assorted Musings: ·     Who will the Mariners sign? Will they break the bank? ·     Evan loses power and goes into the void but John returns from a haunted mansion to give analysis ·     Snoop Dog’s blunt roller ·     Would anyone like a gently used Jake Fraley? ·     Tyler Anderson chatter ·     Movements in the pitching market ·     Joe talks us down from the “big splash” ledge ·     Suzuki, Mariner? ·     The mixed results of international signings ·     The merits of keeping Mitch Haniger ·     Wh

Hello everyone! We are back! After a slow couple of weeks for the Seattle Mariners, the MLB season has wrapped with the Atlanta Braves defeating the notorious cheaters and karma recipient Houston Astros. After a quiet few days, the calm before the storm has begun to dissipate as the hot stove cranks up. Kate is in Arizona scouting the fall league this month, so we have prospect guru and baseball maverick Joe Doyle here to dig into the slowly heating hot stove. Jerry has been running the press circuit over the past few weeks name dropping free agents and players of interest, and we look at the who and the how much when it comes to those potential players. We talk who the Mariners might be looking at on both shorter and longer deals. We say goodbye to Yusei and ponder who might take his spot in the rotation (Sheffield? Dunn? Paxton? Matt Brash?). We talk Bryan Reynolds, former and potential future Mariners trade target. We spend a fair amount of time breaking down the outfield situation, and we each see a varie

Hello! It’s been a quiet offseason so far in Seattle Mariners land, but there are some small developments to discuss. The Mariners have brought a Mariners legend into the front office fold to help oversee the rise to contention. A few notable names have been designated for assignment and will be moving on, opening up 40 man roster spots for future Mariners yet to come. But most of all, the Oakland Athletics have begun a painful dismantling process that the Mariners just might be in a position to benefit from. Assorted Musings: -         KGJ returns to the team in an ownership capacity -         The Kraken, the Seahawks, and the landscape of Seattle Sports -         LJay, Ryan Webber, Sam Haggerty, Shed Long, Jake Bauers, others DFA’d -         Will Jake Fraley pass through waivers? -         Punching down on the disintegrating Oakland Athletics -         Shaking out the future of the AL West -         Trading from the Mariners prospect surplus? -         Potential trades in the bullpen (Sadler, Steckenrider

John Stolnis, Kris Willis and Ashley MacLennon set the table for the World Series showdown between the Atlanta Braves and Houston Astros! Presented by T-Mobile Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices