Impact Analysis: Wladimir Balentien and Jeff Clement, Seattle Mariners

May 5, 2008 @ 11:43:00

By Rob McCarthy
Edited by Herija C. Green

It appears a youth movement is well underway beneath the watchful eye of Seattle's Space Needle as the Seattle Mariners called up catcher Jeff Clement and outfielder Wladimir Balentien from the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers Wednesday, April 30, to join the club.

Word out of Seattle is that manager John McLaren will use Balentien as the Mariners' starting right fielder for the foreseeable future. As for Clement, he is expected to be used on a sporadic rotation with struggling incumbent catcher Kenji Johjima, and should also take his hacks as Seattle's designated hitter, most likely on a night-to-night basis with current beleaguered designated hitter Jose Vidro. Also, with the recent callups of Clement and Balentien, outfielder Brad Wilkerson and utility player Greg Norton were designated for assignment.

Backstop of the future

The 24-year-old Clement is arguably Seattle's best overall hitting prospect. On the season for Tacoma, Clement was hitting an impressive .397 with five long balls, 20 RBIs and 21 runs scored in 78 at-bats. In addition, he sported an elite 1.227 OPS, which illustrates his uncanny ability to mash. He's not a one-hit wonder either. The 6-foot-1, 215-pound backstop hit .275 with 20 home runs, 80 RBIs and 76 runs scored in 455 at-bats for the Rainiers in 2007. Plus, he went 6-for-16 (.375) with two home runs, three RBIs and four runs scored for the Mariners last season during a brief September stint.

The jury is still out on how Clement will be utilized, though the team clearly committed to Johjima behind the plate by recently inking him to a three-year contract extension. So far, Seattle's 2005 first-round pick out of USC is 3-for-14 (.214) in the bigs with six whiffs. However, once he adjusts and starts to hone his already lethal stroke to the speed of the show, Clement could represent significant fantasy value down the line. For now, expect Clement to see much of his playing time at the expense of Vidro and first baseman Richie Sexson.

Wlad the Impaler

Hopefully Balentien brought his umbrella, because it appears his stay in the damp Seattle climate is going to be a long one. His callup came just two days after he slammed three dingers with six RBIs against the New Orleans Zephyrs. Do you think he has a future?

The 23-year-old Balentien is expected to serve as Seattle's everyday right fielder. For Tacoma this season, he hit .254 with six home runs, 20 RBIs, 11 runs scored and a .948 OPS in 63 at-bats. In 2007, the 6-foot-2, 215-pound prospect hit .291 with 24 home runs, 84 RBIs, 77 runs scored and 15 stolen bases in 477 at-bats for the Rainiers. Plus, he went 2-for-3 (.667) with one home run and four RBIs during three games in September 2007 for the Mariners.

However, Balentien wasn't running as much (one stolen base) in Triple-A this season due to some knee issues. He also has a history of impatience, exemplified by posting 100-plus strikeouts in each of the last three years. Thus far for the M's, Balentien is 3-for-18 (.167) with one long ball, three RBIs and seven strikeouts.

Decaf please

The moves shouldn't come as any surprise to the caffeinated baseball community of Seattle, especially with the Mariners ranking 10th amongst American League squads in batting average (.251), ninth in runs scored (131) and tied for 12th in OBP (.311) through May 4.

Johjima is hitting a paltry .184 with no home runs, five RBIs and four runs scored in 87 at-bats. He currently is batting 103 points lower than his 2007 average of .287. Despite his struggles, Johjima does not appear to be in any danger of losing significant playing time behind the plate. In fact, Clement has made just one of his four starts this season at catcher.

Vidro is batting .192 (108 points lower than his career .300 average) with two home runs, 18 RBIs, 12 runs scored and one stolen base in 104 at-bats on the year. The 33-year-old veteran is a contact hitter that has made a living by hitting for average. For the Mariners and owners alike, his struggles are cause for substantial concern. If his struggles continue, someone may need to stop Clement from penciling himself into the lineup every night.

Currently, the Seattle outfield consists of Raul Ibanez and Ichiro Suzuki. Together, the two are hitting a combined .290 on the year. The callup of Balentien should be the stopper that finally jams the revolving door in right field that has seemingly been spinning since spring training. At least, that's what Mariners general manager Bill Bavasi is hoping for.

Fantasy outlook

Due to the lack of experience that Clement and Balentien have in the majors, grabbing them off your waiver wire should be a decision based on the type of league you find yourself in. Right now, Clement will likely have the most impact in regards to fantasy relevance. His bat is fairly matured, he can hit to the gaps and his hitting eye is ready to time major league pitching. However, he's still young and inexperienced, so he is only of value in deeper mixed leagues and AL-only formats. However, keep in mind he still does not qualify as a catcher in most leagues and until he does, he is not as valuable.

Balentien should have free reign over right field duties for the foreseeable future. Like Clement, Balentien is young and inexperienced. Plus, he's a bit eager at the plate, which will undoubtedly inflate his strikeout totals and make him more susceptible to slumps. However, his ability to rake to the bleachers and steal his fair share of bases makes him a viable bench option in deep mixed leagues and starting material in AL-only leagues. Watch his power numbers as the season goes on as he has the ability to mash at a high level and could have some legit value even in shallower formats.

KFFLians are saying....

Comment

 

---

What do you think? We want to hear from you!

Name: E-mail: Please, enter the number that you see

Comment Guidelines

Rob McCarthy
Rob has been with KFFL since 2007.

Talk Sports 24/7!
KFFL Sports Forums: Over 24,000 strong and growing!

One Day FREE Fantasy Contest - $350 in cash prizes (05/24)
Fantasy Baseball Diamond Market: John Danks placed on DL (05/24)
Fantasy Baseball Diamond Market: The substandard Roy Halladay (05/24)
Fantasy Baseball Player Prospecting: Danny Hultzen, Roger Kieschnick, more (05/24)
Fantasy Baseball Diamond Market: Austin Jackson headed to DL (05/24)
Fantasy Baseball Closer Hot Seat: Addison Reed, J.J. Putz, Ernesto Frieri, more (05/24)
Fantasy Baseball Diamond Market: Brian Roberts seeing the light at the end of the rehab tunnel (05/24)
I am not afraid of Hakeem Nicks' foot injury (05/24)
Fantasy baseball closer depth charts - AL (05/24)
Fantasy baseball closer depth charts - NL (05/24)