Off Topic
Nine Clinch Playoffs
Center fielder on
in-house Vay-cay
If you’re looking this close, you might then get an inkling of the source of the Nine’s offensive malaise in the month of September. Add the frustrating loss of Sedicki to those of Roberto Viramontas and Rex Foster, and you might get the full picture.
“We’re running a little on fumes,” said manager Sam Brewington. “We’re a few cylinders down. But we’ve got guys who can play, and we’re basically getting the job done. I’m excited about the post season.”
He can finally say that now because the Nine’s 2-1 victory over Twin Cities has officially sent them to the post season. With the club still valiantly chasing the Loserville Sluggers for the division title, it’s good to have at least that pressure removed from the guys’ shoulders.
CLINCHING VICTORY SIGN OF THE TIMES?
The victory that pushed them over the line came in the form of a heroic outing from Carlos Valle, who gave up only two hits and one run in eight innings. The offense sputtered, however, and the team managed to win in extra innings when Carlos Garcia drew a 12th inning walk, stole second, and scored on a Jose Rivera blooper to center that fell for a base hit.
“It was great to see us manufacture a run like that,” Valle said when asked about his no decision. "Sometimes you win games you maybe shouldn't and other times it goes the other way. So, I just want to do my job and be happy when things work out on the good side."
Fans suggest that this is now the new norm, though, noting that when the bats are sidelined, the arms will have to step it up.
SEDIKI SIGNS DEAL TO AVOID ARBITRATION
Meanwhile, back at the front office, word is that the convalescing Sediki and the club have finally come to an agreement on a deal that will pay the center fielder $3.7M next year. This brings to an end a long and winding process in which the two sides seem to have come together several times only to part like oil and water. Sediki changed representation along the way, a factor said to be part of the problem, though not a bigger part than the player’s statistical fall-off from a 3 WAR find of expectation to one that appears to be under 1 WAR.
“It’s hard to get $6M or $7M on an arbitration deal when you OPS .780 and field for shit,” said an anonymous source from Baseball Swami Daily.
In the meantime, Sediki is mostly sitting on the bench and counting the ways to spend the $1.95M he’s getting this year.
