Who is Kristopher Negron? Maybe he’s the Mariners’ 2019 super-utility player

Seattle Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto has signed and acquired so many players in the past three years that you can be forgiven if a late-August trade for 32-year-old utility player Kristopher Negron went unnoticed.

Not even the team manager knew much about him.

“I know we can use him at a number of different positions,” Scott Servais said at the time, which was about the extent of his Negron knowledge.

“The people in the front office thought he would be a fit here, but we’ll take a look. We’ll play him in the outfield and infield and we’ll get him plenty of looks.”

Translation – who is this guy?

Maybe he’s the Mariners’ utility player for the 2019 season. Negron was added to their 40-man roster shortly after he was acquired from the Arizona Diamondbacks for cash considerations, meaning the Mariners would control his rights heading into next season.

Their current utilityman, Andrew Romine, signed a one-year, $1.05 million contract before the season. So he’ll become a free agent.

This final month of the Mariners season amounts to a try out for Negron.

“I felt great about it,” Negron said of the trade. “That’s the ultimate goal is to be playing in the big leagues and helping the team out and it worked out to where I was able to come over. I want to help the team out in any way I can, whether that’s base-running, defense, hitting – whatever. I’m ready to roll.”

Negron has played every position in the big leagues except for pitcher and catcher. He’s compiled a triple-slash line of .221/.299/.350 with seven homers and eight steals in 280 at-bats.

He said that entering Vanden High School, near Sacramento, he was once a catcher. He went to UC Davis and Cosumnes River College-Sacramento as a shortstop. He was a seventh-round draft pick by the Boston Red Sox, and after a trade to the Cincinnati Reds, he made his big-league debut in 2012.

And right away Negron began converting into an every-position player.

“As soon as I got with the Reds I started bouncing around a little bit,” Negron said. “I was playing third one night and the next thing you know I was playing a lot of outfield. And I’ve been doing that for so long now that every position feels like home now.”

Doing that requires carrying six gloves in your locker at all times. He has a first-base glove, infield, outfield and a backup for each of those.

“You never know when something can happen like last year when I was with the Diamondbacks,” he said. “I was starting at shortstop in L.A. and in batting practice I decided to take my game glove out there. The next thing you know a line drive goes through it. Fortunately I had the backup ready.”

No, no catcher’s glove and no glove specifically for pitching, though he was alerted that Romine has been used as a relief pitcher three times this year, the most relief outings by a position player in Mariners’ history.

Negron said he did pitch a few minor-league appearances.

“But it’s ugly,” he laughed.

The Mariners will take it.

That’s because a super-utility player like Negron has become increasingly valuable in an age of stocked bullpens and short benches. The Mariners typically have eight relievers on the 25-man roster, meaning they only have room on their bench for a backup catcher, outfielder and infielder.

Having a player like Romine or Negron is vital in that setup.

“It’s very valuable depending on how the makeup of your bench lays out,” Servais said. “We have a designated DH, so that’s where the super utility guy takes on a bigger role, versus some teams don’t have just the one guy who is the DH. That guy is usually on the field part of the mix with the position-player group. So having the one guy DHing does make the super utility role more important.”

Nelson Cruz is a rare DH who just about never sees the field, though he did get three games in right field this year when the Mariners lost their DH for interleague play.

Maybe that changes next year depending on if the Mariners can re-sign Cruz once the 38-year-old’s contract expires at the end of the season.

But at least the Mariners are getting an idea if Negron can be their next utility player. In 11 games, Negron is 4-for-11 (.364), including a 3-for-4 day with a home run against the Angels on Saturday.

The downside is playing time is sporadic. Romine this year got just 126 plate appearances over 68 games, batting .202 with two extra-base hits (two doubles).

“As we get to see Kris play a little more we get to figure out more about his tool set,” Servais said. “He’s had good at-bats and he can run the bases. You’ve seen him steal. Nice to have guys contribute like that when they come in off the bench.”

On tap

The Mariners have 10 games remaining in the regular season.

Right-hander Erasmo Ramirez (2-3, 5.65 ERA) starts the series opener on Friday in Arlington, Texas, against Rangers right-handed “opener” Connor Sadzeck. Sadzeck will be followed by previously scheduled starter Ariel Jurado (3-5, 7.01 ERA).

The game starts at 5:05 p.m. at Glove Life Park and will broadcast on Root Sports and 710-AM radio.