Mariners players explode at GM after Kendall Graveman trade

One Seattle Mariner “went completely mad,” as locker room tools was destroyed after lights-out nearer Kendall Graveman was dealt to the rival Astros on Monday.

“Are you (expletive) kidding me?” an unidentified Mariners participant told the Seattle Times following the transfer that would harm Seattle’s probabilities at making the postseason for the primary time in twenty years. “It by no means modifications. They don’t care about profitable. How do you commerce him and say you care about profitable? And also you commerce him to Houston? It by no means modifications.”

Different gamers have been livid and felt “betrayed” by the state of affairs, in line with the newspaper.

The Mariners, who maintain the longest energetic drought with no playoff look within the 4 main North American sports activities leagues (20 seasons), dealt Graveman after Seattle got here again from a 7-0 gap to defeat the Astros, 11-8, on Monday.

Graveman, who pitched the eighth inning in opposition to the Astros, and reliever Rafael Montero have been despatched to Houston for infielder Abraham Toro and reliever Joe Smith.

The Mariners are 55-47 and in third place within the AL West, trailing the division-leading Astros by seven video games after shedding to Houston on Tuesday evening.

They’re only one recreation again of a wild-card spot.

“He hasn’t come down right here,” one other unidentified participant stated of GM Jerry Dipoto. “He sits up in his suite, taking part in fantasy baseball and rips aside our group with out telling us something.”

Though Toro fills a necessity for Seattle as a middle-of-the-field defender and depth piece, and Smith is one other bullpen arm, clearly the Mariners gamers didn’t suppose the commerce made sense.

“It most likely doesn’t [make sense] as a stand-alone,” Dipoto stated, “however it’s a part of a context that I consider goes to be an ongoing story over the following couple of days.

“In order we transfer towards the commerce deadline (July 30). Now we have been fairly open in sharing the concept that we’re making an attempt to each tackle current and future, and we stay actively engaged available in the market and making an attempt to deal with upgrades now, that can give us an opportunity to be as aggressive as we are able to over the following 60 video games and hopefully into the postseason.”

Graveman has been having the most effective season of his profession. He has an ERA of 0.82 — he has solely allowed three runs all season — 10 saves and 34 strikeouts in 33 innings pitched. He additionally holds a 4-0 file. That’s the reason Graveman was particularly stunned to be traded within the second half of the season from a group that was making a playoff push.

“I didn’t see it coming,” Graveman stated in an Astros uniform whereas tearing up over his former group. “There’s that p.c, and this recreation’s a enterprise. I’m talking reality and sincere. The way in which I felt, we have been 9 video games over .500 over on that aspect and taking part in some fairly good ball after I was there, so it form of takes away from the final 5 days, truthfully, I believe. We’ll see in the event that they bounce again from it.”