Meet at the Mitt: A Seattle Mariners podcast

The Hot Stove has dried up entirely, so we turned our attention to the two things holding everything up: Shohei Ohtani’s impending arrival and Giancarlo Stanton’s impending trade. We endeavor to fill out the questionnaire Ohtani and his agent put forward to all 30 MLB clubs on why they are the best fit. It’s the dating profile that everyone is holding their breath on, and don’t worry folks, we nai...

The Hot Stove season has officially begun, and of course it's Jerry Dipoto leading the charge, trading away steady rookie reliever Emilio Pagan to address the team's need at first base. In exchange for Pagan and a teenaged infield prospect, Alexander Campos, the Mariners receive Ryon Healy, Oakland's young, power-hitting first baseman.  0 - 5:00: Jordan makes a long-awaited return to the podcastin...

The World Series is over and free agency has begun! We've had a lovely haitus but are refreshed and ready to discuss and debate how the Mariners can best improve themselves this offseason. Hopefully improved health will be a component, but improved talent would make us a lot happier too. Staff writer and offseason > regular season advocate Ben Thoen joins John and Kate to go over some of their des...

I don’t know if the refrain I’ve heard often throughout the Mariners corner of the internet rings true for you about these playoffs feeling a vacation has rung true for you, but it sure has for us. This week John and Kate kick their feet up and chat about the scintillating first couple of World Series games between the Astros and the Dodgers. We discuss the Astros potential to appeal to future pla...

Hello! After a brief vacation/some technical issues with our recording software, we are regrettably back on our bullshohei—[John forcibly rips away the keyboard]okay I promise that’s the last one. This time we are joined by Kazuto Yamazaki, NPB expert and author at Beyond the Box Score, Deltagraphs, and elsewhere. Kazuto offers his insight on baseball in Japan, from both a technical and cultural p...

The season is over for all intensive purposes, so John and Kate look ahead at what could be done to fix some of the holes for 2018. We discuss and debate the merits of rebuilding fully and tearing everything down as opposed to retooling around the current core, and lament the inability of this team to Just. Do. Everything. Well. At. Once.  Ugh. Afterwards, they take listener questions on what shou...

After a year of struggling to put together a cohesive pitching staff all season, this week Kate and John examine the starting pitching in the organization. After a brief recap of the Mariners’ current road trip, they peer into their crystal ball to look at the projected rotation for next year and discuss who might be headed for the bullpen. They rank the in-house options and discuss the futures of...

While the trade nearest and dearest to many hearts may be the Leonys Martin trade, conducted in the eleventh hour last night, the Mariners made another deal earlier this week that will impact their playoff odds this year and in the next few seasons more tangibly. The acquisition of Mike Leake was the second trade Seattle has made with the Cardinals to acquire a starting pitcher in the last two mon...

We apologize for the delay in getting this week’s podcast up—we had some technical issues that couldn’t be resolved over the weekend because apparently some people don’t work on the weekend [glares in the general direction of Cast]. This is a lengthy one but we cover a lot of ground. We recorded in three parts, which is how we recommend listening: Part One (23:22): the Leonys DFA, reviewing the Ba...

John is off finding himself in some wild west town or some bullshit, so staff writer Zach Milkis and fellow book enthusiast joins Kate this week. They talk “Deadgar Weekend” (™ John)  and try to wrest a tiny bit of joy out of what was truly a remarkable suckfest, with mixed results. Speaking of suckfests, Zach and Kate revisit their Curse of the Amazon and ponder if that's the reason for the Marin...

The Mariners have clawed their way, inexplicably, to possession of a Wild Card spot, at least for the moment. John and Kate express their tempered optimism, their fears about the rotation, and appreciation for Ben Gamel and the entire offense. Since we had a flood of great questions we decided to make this an all listener questions episode. We take questions on potential ways to bolster the rotati...

John and Kate return after technical difficulties kept our episode featuring Grant Bronsdon from seeing the light of day. As they both bake in Seattle’s smoggy heat wave, they assess how the M’s stack up against their likely contenders in the suddenly real Wild Card race. The Tampa Bay Rays are essentially the 2014 Mariners, in style and in literal roster construction, we conclude, while the Kansa...

John bails on Kate this week because he is "moving," so Jamey Vinnick of Scout.com joins the show to talk about the Mariners' latest trade. They talk about the power of seeing Tyler O'Neill in the flesh, break down Andrew Moore's recent tough start, and talk about the new (old) Felix Hernandez.  Jamey, who has spent time in Everett and Tacoma watching Brayan Hernandez and Brandon Miller, gives his...

John and Kate are joined by Jen Mac Ramos to discuss their experiences following the Mariners most successful minor league team this year - the High-A Modesto Nuts. Jen is fairly new to Lookout Landing but far from new to baseball or baseball writing. They can be found writing for Beyond the Box Score (Sabermetrics), McCovey Chronicles (Giants), Purple Row (Rockies), as well as working as a stats...

As John and I record: Sam Gaviglio melts down, the Mariners forget how to run the bases, and overall look like a garbage team next to the Oakland Athletics as the losing skid at home reaches eight. It’s pretty clear the Mariners won’t be buyers at the trade deadline, so we talk sweet sweet trading action, baby: who has value, who does not, what pieces might come in return, who we think will be tra...

John Trupin and Kate Preusser return to discuss the highs and lows of the past week and project what the Mariners may do in the next month with their roster. 13-3 win over the Astros! Losing four straight. Andrew Moore's debut! Edwin Díaz's struggles. Who do the Mariners best fit with as a trade partner for this year and next? What even do the Mariners have to buy or sell? Does a pitching machine...

Kate and John are reunited and bring on LL's minor league expert Ethan Novak to recap and discuss the signs of life shown by the Mariners in the last couple weeks (0:00) that brought some folks back from the brink of declaring the season over. After discussing Mike Zunino, DEFINITELY FIXED HITTER, the absolute absurdity of the AL standings, and the Jean Segura extension, they turn to the main focu...

Mariners' speedy outfield prospect Ian Miller joins Kate and co-host Eric Sanford to talk about the joys and trials of life in the minor leagues. He offers a dugout-level view on spring training and what he thinks makes big leaguers stand apart, a discussion of the swing chanes that have led to him seeing a tremendous jump in his numbers this year, and explains the shift in organizational philosop...

Kate Preusser and John Trupin are joined by musician, songwriter, and lifelong Mariners fan Ben Gibbard. After sprinting at full speed through the unpleasant of the Toronto series, Gibbard reveals the origins of his unfortunate lot in life vis-a-vis baseball fandom, including a chance childhood encounter with Alvin Davis on the Bainbridge Island ferry. We discuss the challenges of finding the bala...

Kate and John are joined by staff writers Isabelle Minasian and Jake Mailhot to debate the fantastic production of the Mariners' outfield so far. Jake champions Ben Gamel, John claims Mitch Haniger, Isabelle campaigns for Guillermo Heredia, and Kate takes the task of defending The Field. They debate the season so far, the best moments of each player, and their future gifts. Kate is distracted by m...

Kate Preusser and John Trupin are joined by WFAA Texas Rangers beat writer and storyteller Levi Weaver to preview the upcoming series between the Rangers and the Mariners. Tales of bullpen heartache and Tom Wilhelmsen adoration are traded, and Levi discusses his unconventional pathway to a career in baseball writing. Kate and John do their best to avoid divine judgment while recording in the middl...

A slightly loopy Kate Preusser and John Trupin convene late at night after the Mariners series win over the Detroit Tigers to discuss how the M's can recuperate from their injuries and who has already stepped up. They look at the upcoming schedule, celebrate Leonys Martín's return, and debate if the team will be able to remain a contender while shorthanded. Later, they take Twitter questions, sham...

Kate Preusser and John Trupin are joined by staff writer Jake Mailhot to discuss the surprising starting pitching (both good and bad), the Mariners' excellent homestand, and M(VP)itch Haniger. They also debate if an 8-man bullpen is necessary anymore, recount some favorite Ichiro memories, and Jake decides Yovani Gallardo is where he's going to make his stand. Afterwards, they take questions from...

The Seattle Mariners have started the season out playing so-so baseball and getting so-sad results. Kate Preusser and John Trupin are joined by fellow LL editor Zach Sanders to discuss the curiosity of the 8-man bullpen, 1st base struggles, and realistic expectations for this season after the pit the team has fallen into in the standings. Afterwards we take questions from Twitter, as always, which...

After a rough opening series, Kate Preusser and John Trupin discuss the Mariners' seemingly leaden bats and potential silver linings. Afterwards, they take questions from listeners, and debate Houston's lousiness and if the Mariners will ever have two consecutive hits with runners in scoring position. Other topics include: Cricket Flour, Dashing Smiles & Mischieveous Grins, Scots and Pirates, and...