Mariners' early Cactus League focus: infield, prospects, bullpen
Daniel Kramer
@DKramer_PEORIA, Ariz. -- The Cactus League season is officially underway for the Mariners, who opened their Spring Training slate of exhibitions on Friday afternoon with a 5-2 loss to the Padres.
With that in mind, here are three things to watch in the early weeks now that games have begun.
How they deploy the infield
This was the area that the front office explicitly intended to address this winter, and now that the offseason dust has settled, the personnel is clear -- but how they¡¯re used remains of intrigue.
After re-signing in free agency, Jorge Polanco will shift from second to third base, and even so, he¡¯ll be eased in after undergoing left knee surgery in October. Polanco is healthy and has been taking batting practice and going through limited fielding drills on the back fields, but it¡¯s unlikely he¡¯ll man the hot corner in the early games.
¡°He looks natural over there in the early drills, and more importantly, he looks healthy when he's in the batter's box and he can get loaded with his swing,¡± Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto said. ¡°He looks great in the cages. He¡¯s been good on the fields. I couldn't be happier.¡±
The positional shift was an effort to ease Polanco away from the many movements necessitated at second base, particularly double plays. And his transition has also left second base with a crowded group of options, featuring Leo Rivas, Ryan Bliss and Dylan Moore, who started there on Friday and is slated for the most reps.
However, the Mariners still view Moore -- who won a Gold Glove Award as a utility player last season -- at his best when he¡¯s playing in a more semi-regular role. That means they¡¯d like to move him around and avoid using him at the same spot and for 150 or more games after playing in a career-high 135 last season, which should open the door for Rivas and Bliss, one or both of whom will break camp.
First base will also be worth watching, especially after the Mariners signed slugger Rowdy Tellez to a Minors deal on Friday with an invite to camp, and that free-agent acquisition Donovan Solano hasn¡¯t yet reported due to visa issues. Luke Raley is expected to see a bulk of the playing time but the Mariners will also look at the position with somewhat of a platoon lens.
¡°They're getting close, and this is an opportunity for them to show what they can do and to show how far they've come,¡± Mariners manager Dan Wilson said.
But there¡¯s a slew of other up-and-comers who are in their first camp and should get opportunities in these early games.
Headlining that list is Colt Emerson (No. 1), Lazaro Montes (No. 3) and Michael Arroyo (No. 12), who are at least a year away. Emerson, 19, and Arroyo, 20, have been touted for elite bat-to-ball skill, strike-zone awareness and approach, while Montes, 20, brings big power. All three are in their first big league camp.
¡°Just to learn,¡± Montes said through an interpreter, ¡°to learn out here, learn as much as I can from the big league guys, from the batters, the outfielders, the pitchers -- just trying to learn how it is here.¡±
Bullpen arms competing for reps
Friday¡¯s game featured a lineup card with a smorgasbord of relievers on the outside looking in to the Opening Day roster, including right-handers Blas Castano, Cody Bolton, Will Klein and Jesse Hahn and lefties Drew Pomeranz and Austin Kitchen.
Other names who¡¯ve stood out on the back fields are Shintaro Fujinami, Casey Legumina and Hagen Danner.
The Mariners believe they¡¯re mostly set with their eight-man group, but this is also the time of year where unheralded guys can leave a strong impression -- potentially for consideration later in the season.
¡°As we learned last year with [injuries to] Matt Brash and Gregory Santos, you don't know what's going to happen in the [five] weeks between now and when we open up the season,¡± Dipoto said. ¡°Giving yourself some experience and protection in the event of injury. Right now, the likelihood is they would not make our team, but they are experienced guys that can step in if something goes wrong.¡±