Mariners players feel ‘betrayed’ after team trades Kendall Graveman to Astros
...Less than 24 hours after an improbable 11-8 come-from-behind victory over the Houston Astros, which included overcoming a 7-0 deficit in the third inning, a go-ahead grand slam from Dylan Moore and the benches nearly emptying after J.P. Crawford was hit by a pitch, all the good feeling from the best win of the season was replaced by confusion, anger and frustration at the Mariners front office...
...The vibe on the field before Tuesday’s game was expectedly subdued. The early work from the position players lacked the typical emotion and energy. Many disappeared into the clubhouse immediately.
“An hour ago, it was great,” said one player. “It was probably better than it’s ever been. And now, it’s the worst.”
Multiple pitchers emerged from the clubhouse with tears still in their eyes from saying goodbye to Graveman.
“You should’ve seen it earlier,” said a veteran player about the initial reaction.
Several players opted not to speak on the record about the move, but their anger was palpable. Sources said equipment was broken and smashed while one player “went absolutely mad.”
“Betrayed” was a word used often.
“Are you (expletive) kidding me?” said the same player. “It never changes. They don’t care about winning. How do you trade him and say you care about winning? And you trade him to Houston? It never changes.”...
...Dipoto admitted that the trade could disrupt the chemistry in the clubhouse and also affect the psyche of the team in the immediate aftermath...
...Multiple players felt it was disingenuous for Dipoto to trade a team leader like Graveman at such an emotional time without offering some explanation for it in person. They found out from Graveman and social media.
“He hasn’t come down here,” a player said of Dipoto. “He sits up in his suite, playing fantasy baseball and rips apart our team without telling us anything.”...
