Olson makes strange faces when he throws,
but he was a strikeout machine in the minors.
The Mariners made another move to get younger yesterday when they traded 30-year-old Aaron Heilman for two 25 year olds, Ronny Cedeno and Garrett Olson. By now it should be clear what GM Jack Zduriencik is doing with this team. They're getting younger and hoping enough of these guys pan out for a real run at a penant a few years down the line.
That means you should probably get ready to say goodbye to players like Adrian Beltre and Kenji Johjima (that may not be too hard for some of you). Zduriencik seems to be applying the "mud" against the wall theory of player talent. Where if you accumulate enough young players yet to reach their potential, then you should be able to find some real gems there. Of course, he's not just grabbing anybody 26 or younger, but he's certainly placed a premium on that age group.
Enter Ronny Cedeno and Garrett Olson, two players who've shown plenty of talent but have yet to truly develop. Olson is probably the bigger boom-bust player of the two. After being taken with the 48th overall selection in the 2005 draft, Olson went on to dominate the minor leagues as a starter with a sub-3.00 ERA. He also averaged almost one strikeout per inning. Pretty good stuff.
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Unfortunately, it is his entry into the majors where it all fell apart. He played sparingly in 2007, but got his first real shot in 2008. Starting 26 games for a very bad Baltimore Orioles team, Olson earned a 6.65 ERA, though he somehow managed to post a 9-10 record, which isn't bad on a 93-loss club.
This offseason, Olson has been traded to two teams, first the Cubs, now the Mariners. What does that mean? Well, it means he has a lot of talent. He just hasn't shown it yet.
Cedeno is a little easier to predict. NSS reporter Josh Stilts made a fair comparison when he called Cedeno, Willie Bloomquist light. Though to be fair, Cedeno probably ends up the better player. He played five positions last season for the Cubs, appearing in 99 games, and he should provide immediate depth at second and shortstop, which we didn't have before.
Depth will likely be the hallmark of Cedeno's career. He's a utility player, but he's a young one. He's the kind of player any contending team needs, and he should be reaching his prime when the mariners are actually ready to contend a few years down the line.
That's the difference between this regime and the past one. They're building for the future rather than attempting to buy the present. Sure Heilman would have been an asset either as a closer or just a relief pitcher, but he has no future in Seattle. Cedeno and Olson hopefully do, even if it takes a couple seasons to prove it.
