MLB Team Report – Seattle Mariners – INSIDE PITCH
The age-old debate of age is alive and well at Mariners camp, where the organization is hoping that a few established veterans can show enough to delay another youth movement.
The most obvious area of impact is in the rotation. While Seattle is excited about the future of high-end prospects Danny Hultzen, Taijuan Walker and James Paxton, it may be in the team’s best interest to give each of them a little more seasoning. That’s a big reason why vets like Jeremy Bonderman, Joe Saunders and Jon Garland are around vying for starting jobs.
Two of the three veterans could make the Opening Day rotation, although it’s conceivable that Hultzen, Walker or Paxton could work his way into serious consideration with a solid spring.
Both Hultzen and Walker were quoted during the first week of spring training as saying that they hope to make the season-opening rotation. Hultzen appeared well on track as he buzzed through the minors, but he struggled at Class AAA Tacoma to close out the 2012 season.
“It was a good learning experience,” said Hultzen, who struck out two of the three batters he faced in a scoreless inning of work in his spring training debut.
Walker, a 20-year-old right-hander, gave up one hit in an inning of work in his spring training debut as a non-roster invitee. More important, he hit 97 mph on his fastball while dropping in a 78 mph curve.
The opportunity for a spot became even greater when Hector Noesi struggled through two-thirds of an inning in his first start of the spring. If Noesi can’t find a groove, he’d be out of the rotation — leaving an opening for one of the veterans or rookies.
Bonderman, Saunders and Garland are all hoping to restart their careers in Seattle, and it appears to be a good spot for a veteran looking for innings. After ace Felix Hernandez, the Mariners have very little settled in their rotation and are open to any pitcher who shines in spring training.
The best-case scenario would be for one or two of the new veterans to hold down spots until the young trio of prospects is ready. But it will be up to Bonderman, Saunders and/or Garland to prove to the Mariners that the future shouldn’t begin quite yet. Bonderman and Garland are both coming off major injuries that kept them off the mound last season, while Saunders had his own shoulder problems down the stretch in 2012.
All three have a lot to prove this spring, but the Mariners are hoping at least one of them does enough to warrant a roster spot.
Then again, depending on how the spring goes, a young pitcher such as Hultzen, Walker, Paxton or 23-year-old Brandon Maurer could prove too talented for the Mariners to wait on his arrival.
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MLB Team Report – Seattle Mariners – NOTES, QUOTES
–CF Michael Saunders opened camp as the Mariners’ leadoff hitter, mainly because several teammates are coming back from injuries. Veteran OF Franklin Gutierrez was being eased into action after back-to-back seasons plagued by injuries, while 2B Dustin Ackley — the most likely leadoff hitter when the real games begin — took off the first few games of spring training as he comes back from offseason ankle surgery.
–OF Jason Bay got off to a good start, hitting a home run in his first at-bat of the spring. Bay took the second pitch he saw over the fence, bringing back memories of his golden years with the Pirates and Red Sox. The 34-year-old veteran signed a one-year, $1 million contract with the Mariners in part because he already had a home in Seattle. After a disappointing recent run with the Mets, Bay is trying to regain his stroke and make the Mariners’ roster.
–1B Justin Smoak gave reason for optimism, hitting a solo home run in his first game of the spring. Smoak hit just .217 last season, not including a midseason stint at Class AAA, but is being given a chance to win the Opening Day starting job because of a solid finish to 2012.
–RHP Blake Beavan adjusted his pitching motion from last season. “I think it’s helping him create a little more angle, and also he’s hiding the ball a little better,” pitching coach Carl Willis told MLB.com. “He’s a tall kid, and angle is the key for him.” The early results were encouraging, as Beavan threw two scoreless innings, allowing just two hits, in his spring training debut Feb. 23.
–C Jesus Montero is trying to prove himself not only as a more experienced hitter but also as an everyday catcher this season. Montero spent most of his first season in Seattle as a designated hitter while veterans such as John Jaso and Miguel Olivo called pitches behind the plate. Montero was behind the plate when the Mariners opened spring training play against San Diego this year, and the results weren’t pretty: four hits, four walks and six runs in two-thirds of an inning from starter Hector Noesi.
BY THE NUMBERS 11 — Wins since 2008 by RHP Jeremy Bonderman, who hasn’t pitched in the majors since 2010. He’s struggled with injuries, but he’s still just 30 years old.
QUOTE TO NOTE “Last year, really out of necessity, we had to put guys in the middle of the lineup that probably weren’t ready to be in the middle of the lineup. When you bring in the veteran guys like we have, it allows us to spread it out that much more.” — Manager Eric Wedge, to The Tacoma News Tribune.
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MLB Team Report – Seattle Mariners – ROSTER REPORT
PROJECTED ROTATION:
1. RHP Felix Hernandez
2. RHP Hisashi Iwakuma
3. LHP Joe Saunders
4. RHP Blake Beaven
5. RHP Erasmo Ramirez or LHP Danny Hultzen
The Mariners can take the field every five days knowing they have a chance to shut down any batting order. But after Hernandez, there are plenty of reasons for concern.
With a new, smaller ballpark designed to help wake the Seattle bats, the Mariners have to find some consistent starters behind King Felix. The team has given up promising youngster Michael Pineda and consistent veteran Jason Vargas in back-to-back offseasons, leaving Seattle with plenty of opportunity for up-and-coming prospects like Hultzen, RHP Tijuan Walker and LHP James Paxton. RHP Jon Garland, out since 2011 shoulder surgery, will try to earn a spot in camp.
PROJECTED BULLPEN:
RHP Tom Wilhelmsen (closer)
LHP Charlie Furbush
LHP Oliver Perez
RHP Carter Capps
RHP Stephen Pryor
RHP Lucas Luetge
RHP Kameron Loe
The Mariners have been incredibly adept at finding bullpen diamonds in the rough, whether it has been the recent history of scrap-heap closers, rejuvenating veterans or having farmhands thrive at the big-league level. Wilhelmsen, who had given up on his baseball career a few years back, thrived in the closing role last season. Perez restarted his career and gives the Mariners a veteran lefty in the ‘pen.
PROJECTED LINEUP:
1. 2B Dustin Ackley
2. 3B Kyle Seager
3. DH Kendrys Morales
4. LF Michael Morse
5. C Jesus Montero
6. 1B Justin Smoak
7. RF Michael Saunders
8. CF Franklin Gutierrez
9. SS Brendan Ryan
Despite some obvious lineup upgrades, the Mariners will still be relying largely on a familiar group of young players who need to take the next step as big-leaguers — particularly at the top of the lineup. Ackley looks like he’ll go back to the leadoff spot, where he struggled last season. Seager needs to duplicate his fast start from 2012 and show more consistency down the stretch. Montero, who will also handle catching duties this season after spending most of 2012 as a designated hitter, needs to prove himself as a true No. 3 hitter. And Smoak needs to prove that he is indeed a big-leaguer.
There are plenty of holes in the lineup, but not as many as in recent years. If Seattle’s patience pays off with players like Smoak, Ackley, Seager and Michael Sanders, this offense could be better than expected.
TOP ROOKIES: LHP Danny Hultzen looks destined to be the No. 2 starter the Mariners need to complement Felix Hernandez. The question is how soon that will happen. Hultzen, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2011 draft, was breezing through the minors until a stop at Triple-A Tacoma (1-4, 5.92 ERA) revealed signs of mortality.
C Mike Zunino was the third overall pick in last June’s draft, and he showed immediate promise by hitting .360 in 44 games at Class A and AA. The Mariners feel confident enough about Zunino that they traded veteran catcher John Jaso to AL West rival Oakland in the winter.
INF Carlos Triunfel has been on the M’s radar as a top prospect for a few years, but his minor league career hit a plateau leading up to his major league debut late last season. Now 23, Triunfel hit .227 in 22 games with the Mariners last season and hopes to bring a much-needed bat to the shortstop position at some point this season.
MEDICAL WATCH:
–2B Dustin Ackley (left ankle surgery in October 2012) missed the first three Cactus League games, but he was expected to see action during the week of Feb. 25-March 3.
–SS Brendan Ryan (right elbow surgery in October 2012) missed the first three Cactus League games, but he was expected to see action during the week of Feb. 25-March 3.
–RHP Jon Garland (right shoulder surgery in July 2011) started throwing to live batters in late February.
