The Mariners (and Jerry Dipoto) must be cautious, mostly with regards to Soto

 The trade deadline rapidly approaches for the 2022 MLB season, and as always happens, players' names circulate among the rumor mill.  The Seattle Mariners, in contention after their 14-game winning streak, will likely be looking to add a piece or two.  The biggest name on the market is one Juan Soto, an outfielder for the Washington Nationals.  He's still only 23 and rejected a gigantic contract extension, meaning he wants out of Washington (D.C.).  He's arguably one of the most valuable trade pieces ever on the market.  And the Mariners are rumored to be one of 4 teams strongly interested in him.  I say this to Mariners Team President of Baseball Operations Jerry Dipoto and the rest of the Mariners front office: Do not sell the farm for Soto.  He is one player.  What if something happens to him?  

The Mariners must be cautious.  We have built a strong core, one that is as strong as we have seen in the past twenty years.  To sell a huge chunk of it for one player is risky at best and foolish at worst.  What if a health condition is discovered in Juan Soto a year or two from now?  With the news of Mike Trout, it makes you want to be cautious about what you give up for certain stars.  Or what if he decides he doesn't like Seattle?  That would completely derail this rebuild, one that has taken eight years so far.  

Not to mention, the Mariners already have a Dominican young star in Julio Rodriguez.  They also have a plethora of other outfielders, just waiting for a pair to be healthy and playing well simultaneously.  Those outfielders include Jesse Winker, Kyle Lewis, Jarred Kelenic, and Mitch Haniger.  Surely 2 of those could pan out and be very capable players.  Yes, trading for Soto would acquire someone we wouldn't even have to worry about.  But is ownership really willing to pay both Julio and Soto contracts that would total close to a billion dollars?  

The best players in Mariners history almost all come from the draft or they were signed as amateur free agents.  Griffey, A-Rod, and Seager were all drafted.  Felix and Julio were signed as amateur free agents.  Ichiro was brought from Japan.  The one exception being Randy Johnson, but he was not highly touted when the Mariners acquired him from Montreal.  My point is, trades or even free-agent acquisitions hardly have been huge successes in this team's history, especially when acquiring big name stars.  

If the Mariners could somehow get Soto for a handful of mid-range prospects, and maybe Kelenic or Lewis, I'd say go for it. But the Nationals apparently want a team's top 3 or 4 prospects.  Jerry Dipoto and the M's simply cannot afford to blow this up for one player.  Are all the top prospects the Mariners would trade for Soto going to live up to their billing?  Maybe not.  But it's an almost certainty that most of them will be big contributors in a few years.  

I just hope Dipoto is cautious.  I'd rather miss the playoffs barely again this year and go into next year stronger and hungrier than trade for Soto and have a quick playoff exit.  I want to end the playoff drought just as much as any Mariners fan, but not at the cost of our future.  

Ten Items I want to see Unvaulted in Fortnite

The game Fortnite has been around for five(!) years now, and they've gone through hundreds of weapons and items.  I'm going to list my personal top 10 items I remember using that have since been removed from the game or "vaulted" and would like to see "unvaulted".  I think bringing these items back would definitely help make the game even more fun.  These are in order of how much I'd like to see them brought back and I will be including items that have made an appearance in the "unvaulted" game mode, as that doesn't count as officially unvaulting them.

10. Bandage Bazooka
Yes, we have the Chug Cannon, but you can only get those from Llamas.  The Bandage Bazooka you could at least get as floor loot or from a chest, I believe.  I'd love to see them brought back.

9. Portable campfires
I don't know if this will ever happen again, as campfires are pretty common on the last two islands (Ch. 2 and 3).  But it's nice to know you can heal your health without having to take up an item in your inventory.

8. Crash Pads
I believe they are unvaulting these for a limited time soon, but regardless, they need to be a regular part of the game.  They're another item I can use to survive falling from a skybase and they're good for surprising unsuspecting enemies.

7. Launch Pads
They're even better than crash pads because they don't take up a spot in your inventory (instead, the trap spot).  I know there's some set ones around the lake currently, but we need the portable ones back. 

6. Decoy Grenades
I may be the only person in the world who'd want decoy grenades back, but I do.  They're a great tool to use to confuse your enemy or to help you run away from them.  

5. Pizza
It wasn't around for very long and it hasn't been gone long, but I already want pizza back.  I liked the idea of a healing item that you could separate once you place it and share it among allies.  I also liked that it healed both health and shield.  

4. C4 Remote Explosives
It seems like forever since C4 has been in the game.  I think they removed it because of all the glitches it caused.  But man, setting traps for unsuspecting enemies with the C4 is still to this day one of the most fun things to do in Fortnite history.

3. Balloons
They're just really fun.  They're a great way to get high ground or even move around the map.  I love any item that can help me survive fall damage from a skybase.  

2. Shield Bubbles
With it seeming like Epic is keeping the no-build versions, shield bubbles would be a very welcome addition, at least to those game modes.  They brought back port-a-forts, but shield bubbles would be great to have back as well.

1. Glider Redeploy
Glider Redeploy is still in Team Rumble automatically (not taking up an item slot), but I'd love for it to come back to regular game modes.  It would be another item that would help people like myself survive large falls (from say a skybase), and it would be great for navigation if people were on high ground.

My initial thoughts of the Survivor 43 and 44 casts

 With the casts of Survivor's 43 and 44 leaking, I thought I'd give about a one or two sentence thought on each player.  It'll be interesting to come back after each of these seasons and see how close my first impressions were.

43:

Cassidy Clark - Definitely a bombshell, I think someone or a group of people will find her intimidating.  Mid-merge boot at best.  

Cody Assenmacher - He seems like he'll be one of the more interesting characters.  I could easily see him getting blindsided and having an all-time great reaction.

Dwight Moore - Could be a finale goat or a forgettable boot.  I'm not sure if we're supposed to get too attached to him.

Elie Scott - Likely targeted for being the next Parvati, as many women have before her.  Can she lower her threat level?  

Geo Bustamante - He looks like he says "Bro" a lot.  I cannot see him winning.  

Jay Jones - Will he be more Rocksroy or more Deshawn?  If he's more Deshawn I could see him doing well.

Jeanine Zheng - My dark horse for the season, she looks smart and mature for her age and I could see a deep run, if she can survive the pre-merge.

Jesse Lopez - My pre-pre-season winner pick.  He got a great confessional in the preview for the season and no pure Latino man has ever won Survivor.  About time to change that.

Justine Brennan - Anything from a very early boot to a possible finale player.  Hard to tell.

Karla Godoy - Her confessional about her willingness to do anything I think is a bad sign... I think she'll do something that'll bite her in the butt.

Lindsay Carmine - Early boot or finale loser.  She's the Chrissy of this season.

Mike Gabler - He'll either be like Mike from 42 or Brad from 41.  For his sake, hopefully the former.

Morriah Young - I love her colorful personality and I can't see anyone disliking her.  She should get fairly far.

Noelle Lambert - We haven't had contestant missing a limb since 21, so it'll be interesting to see how she is viewed.  So that makes predicting her finish very difficult.

Nneka Ejere - Can't see her gelling too well.  Even if she gets in a sizable alliance, I think she'll be towards the bottom.

Owen Knight - I think he'll be a fan favorite, like a smarter Woo.  

Ryan Medrano - This season's Jonathan, likely a mid-merge boot.

Sami Layadi - Early boot or finale goat.  Nineteen-year-olds cannot win.


My EARLY final 3 prediction is Jesse, Janine, and Dwight.  


Now for 44:

Brandon Cottom - I remember when he played for the Seahawks (he never made a final 53-man roster, but was in training camp three straight years).  I'll be rooting for him, and I do think he'll do pretty well, based on his application video I watched.

Bruce Perreault - Another Eric Abraham?  He's not quite as old, but he's definitely a longshot to win.

Carolyn Wiger - Her personality will determine everything, if she survives the pre-merge, and how well she'll fit in an alliance.

Carson Garrett - He should do better than Zach in 42, but his age will work against him.

Claire Rafson - Not much to say, I'd have to see her more, but she could do well.

Danny Massa - Reminds me of Voce from 41, appearance-wise.  If he can survive the merge, he's got a shot.

Frannie Marin - She reminds me of Kelyn from Ghost Island.  Hopefully she won't be as emotional.

Heidi Lagares-Greenblatt - She looks like she's going to want things her way, and that's not a good thing.  

Helen Li - Erika 2.0?  She'll likely be a social/strategic threat at some point.

Jaime Lynne Ruiz - I followed her on TikTok; she has good content.  I hope she does well, too.  I think she could.

Dr. Joshua Wilder - Hard to say how well he'll do... don't have much of a read on him.

Kane Fritzler - No exact age, from Saskatchewan... I have a feeling he'll have a tough time fitting in.

Lauren Harpe - I get Shan vibes from her, but not as assertive, which is a good thing.  She could do well.

Maddy Pomilla - Either a great player or early boot.  No in between.

Matthew Grinstead-Mayle - He will rub someone the wrong way.  Or multiple people.  I can't see him doing too well.

Matt ??? - No picture, age, or occupation, just his name and location of San Francisco.  I get the feeling we're not supposed to get too attached to him (like Rocksroy).

Sarah Wade - She'll be an early merge boot, following in the steps of Sydney, Tori, and Lydia.

Yamil "Yam Yam" Arocho - He's like Ricard, Naseer, and Omar rolled into one person.  Could he have all of their good qualities?  Hopefully.  But if he does, he'll be a huge threat.


It looks like Survivor cast very well again, and I'm looking forward to these seasons.  I might come back after these seasons have aired and see how my first impressions were.  

Top Ten Food and Drink Combinations

I thought I'd do a different type of blog post and talk about food.  Who doesn't love eating food?  Who also doesn't love drinking some of their favorite drinks?  I'm going to rank the top 10 food and drink combinations.  Some food and drinks just go so well together, like peanut butter and jelly.  I'm not going to include food items more than once (with a different drink), but I will include a drink more than once.  Also, these are my preference, and they are ranked by how well they pair together.

10. Protein Bar and Energy Drink
This one isn't so much for the taste combination as it is the effects of the combination of the food and drink.  But they do typically taste well together.  If you're working hard through the day, there's not really a combination that'll pick you up better than this combination.  The protein bar will fuel your muscles and give you the carbs and calories needed, and the energy drink will give you the energy you need from the caffeine.  Generally, if you have this around early-midday, it'll last you until the end of the day.  I don't recommend having this every day, but if you're feeling completely devoid of energy, it should be all right to have this combination every once in a while.  I used to have it fairly often on my first break when I worked retail, and boy did it help.

9. Barbecue and Iced Tea
This one isn't higher mainly because the "Barbecue" moniker is vague and some barbecue items don't pair as well as others with iced tea, but it's still hard to go wrong with having iced tea and any barbecue item.  Whether it be ribs, hotdog/hamburger, or chicken, it's hard to go wrong with a good ice cold iced tea.  And of course, this combination works best (some would say only) in the summer.

8. Pasta (Spaghetti) and White Wine
This is one of my girlfriend's favorite combinations, and I'd have to agree.  There's just something about the sauce and meat paired with the sweet crispness of a glass of white wine.  You have to be careful, though, because you can't use the wine as a hydration source from eating pasta as you'll get tipsy very quickly.  I'd recommend adding some water (sparkling, possibly).

7. Sandwich & Chips and Soda
The all-American lunch, I call it.  You get a sandwich, preferably with your choice of deli meat and other fixings, some chips, and a soda of your choice.  It just reminds me of when I would have that for lunch as a kid (especially camping).  There's also a reason this is the most popular meal at Subway.  Nothing better washes down a sandwich and chips than soda.  

6. Breakfast Foods and Coffee or OJ
If you're having a combination of any of bacon, eggs, potatoes, toast, pancakes/waffles for breakfast, both coffee and orange juice pair extremely well with those food items.  It seems weird since the tastes of coffee and orange juice are so different, but both complement the saltiness and savoriness of the aforementioned foods very well.  

5. Steak and Red Wine
Now if you want to feel classy, have a steak dinner with a nice glass of red wine.  For maximum effect, however, you have to pair the right cut of steak with the right wine.  Most winemakers will have pairing suggestions, whether it be on their bottle or website.  Sometimes a good bottle of wine goes better with a nice pork loin or seafood, but whatever it is, if you pair it up correctly, you're definitely in for a great food/drink combination.

4. Tacos and Margaritas (Or lemonade)
If you're having a taco night with friends and they consume alcohol, you've gotta make margaritas.  They're both part of Mexican-American cuisine, and for good reason.  The citrus pairs well against the spices and savoriness of tacos.  For those who don't drink, I recommend lemonade, which pairs very well with Mexican food/tacos as well.

3. Baked Good(s) and (Iced) Coffee
These baked goods could be a muffin, croissant, danish, donut, cinnamon roll, you name it.  Any of those pair so well with a good cup of coffee, whether it be hot or iced, although I prefer iced.  There's a reason a lot of us choose to start off our day this way.  Although it may not be the healthiest, the caffeine from the coffee paired with the sugar rush from the baked good is enough to get most people going.  For the Europeans or people who don't like coffee, tea works almost as well.  

2. Pizza and Beer/Soda
I couldn't decide between beer or soda, so I decided on both.  For a casual night or even a chill party, you can't go wrong with pizza and soda.  And honestly, after a long day of work, not much beets a pizza and beer.  The pizza satisfies your comfort while the beer takes the edge off.

1. Cookies and Milk
The classic, how can you beat it?  The answer is, you can't.  Milk cuts away with the sweetness of the chocolate and sugar so well; it's just hard to explain.  Obviously, the best cookie to have with milk is either a chocolate chip or an Oreo (depending on your preference), but even sugar cookies work well, too.  I'd also recommend brownies and even graham crackers with milk.