Happy Birthday Marco Estrada

Marco Estrada turns 33 today.

Back on November 1, 2014 we weren’t exactly thrilled with the trade of Adam Lind for Marco Estrada. Here is something I said:

I'd likely be happier with the trade if we got someone younger. At 31...he's not someone that's going to suddenly become a star. And, with only one year of control left, if he does become someone good, will we keep him?

Wrong again.he did become a star. And we did keep him.

Since the trade Marco is 18-11 with a 3.06 ERA in 50 games, 44 starts. This year he has a 2.93 ERA, he has a shot at being an All-Star (though resting his back might be a better plan. I guess there is a good question, is a rest better for players, or is it better for them to have a few days being told they are one of the best in the game?). I don’t know where we’d be without him.

Adam Lind had a pretty good 2015 season, hitting .277/.360/.460 with 20 home runs. This year, as a Mariner, he’s not doing as well, .243/.274/.449. It seems that Safeco Field isn’t a great place for lefty power hitters.

In the past season and a half Marco has accumulated a 6.4 bWAR, while Lind has a 3.0 bWAR

We had a poll, the day after the trade,:

We were told that part of the reason for the trade was ‘payroll flexibility’. And we did use that ‘flexibility’ at the trade deadline, so it seems like the trade worked. Let’s not talk about the trade that happened 2 days later (Yan Gomes and Mike Aviles for Esmil Rogers) (Tom...you do understand that mentioning it is talking about it).

Anyway, Estrada has quickly become my second favorite Marco ever (sorry, but Scutaro will always have a special place in my heart).

My favorite Estrada moment? Likely when he walked off the field in the 7th inning of game three of the ALDS. Going into the game we were down two games to one and it looked like our first playoff appearance in 22 years could end far too quickly. Of course, he was at least equally good in game five of the ALCS.