5 takeaways from the Mariners’ second week of spring training games
The Seattle Mariners (4-10) have two full weeks of Cactus League play behind them. Let’s take a look at some important developments in from last week:
1. BULLPEN BATTLE
The Mariners only have spots for eight relievers on their Opening Day roster, but a lot more than that to choose from.
After using 31 relievers to post a collective 4.77 ERA that was the ninth-worst in baseball in 2019, the bullpen might actually be an area of strength for the Mariners in 2020.
“This stretch of games, this two-week stretch, if these guys keep throwing the way they are, it’s going to make these decisions really hard in our bullpen,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said. “Which is really a good thing, because we’re going to need a number of guys throughout the season.
“But, it’s amazing. The velocity our young pitchers are throwing with is blowing me away. I’m not used to seeing the number of guys we have throwing it up there the way they are.”
Lefty Taylor Guilbeau — one of the pitchers the Mariners acquired when they traded Hunter Strickland and Roenis Elias to the Nationals last summer — has been particularly impressive this spring, despite one shaky outing Saturday against the A’s, and is leading the bullpen with eight strikeouts in five appearances.
“Guilbeau’s having a really good camp,” Servais said. “He worked on his slider all offseason and you can certainly see that paying off. ... I like what I see out of our pitching — continuing to grow with those guys.”
2. GRAND SALAMI TIME
Remember last September, when the Seattle Mariners rookie couldn’t stop hitting home runs — launching six in just 18 games with the Mariners?
Well, Lewis is at it again this spring.
Friday night at Camelback Ranch, he belted an opposite field grand slam to right center in the seventh inning, giving the Mariners the decisive runs in a 9-3 win over the Dodgers that ended a five-game losing streak.
Lewis’ knock was the first Cactus League grand slam by a Mariners player since Taylor Motter belted one off Oakland’s Eric Jokisch in 2018 in Mesa.
“It’s fun being able to hit the ball hard, and being able to kind of do that consistently,” Lewis said. “It’s cool to have one go over the fence in a big spot — even in a spring training game, it’s still cool.”
Lewis is game hitting just 3-for-21 (.143) this spring with two home runs, six RBI, two walks, and though he’s only struck out four times, whenever he’s put the ball in play it has seemed to find a fielder.
He said getting four at-bats for the first time this spring Friday night helped him get more comfortable at the plate.
“To get four today I think definitely was a different feeling,” Lewis said. “You’re able to get into the game more, later in the game, more at-bats. You’ve seen 15 pitches maybe up to that fourth at-bat. It’s a lot easier to get your body in rhythm.”
3. KELENIC CALLS HIS SHOT
Mariners top prospect Jarred Kelenic called his first Cactus League home run before it happened.
He took a moment to study Rockies reliever Alexander Guillen’s fastball in the eighth inning Monday afternoon, turned to Mariners major league field coordinator Carson Vitale and said:
“Listen, man. If I get one heater, I’m going to hit it out. I swear.”
Kelenic got the fastball he was looking for on the first pitch, and one loud crack of the bat later, the baseball landed well beyond the 385-foot fence in right center.
He offered a sly smile when describing his first spring training dinger postgame: “Crushed that one, huh?”
Fans chased after the landmark homer — Kelenic’s first in a Mariners uniform — as he raced around the bases, pointing at the dugout triumphantly after he rounded third.
“He said that he was going to hit a home run if the guy threw a fastball, and he did,” Servais said. “He was pretty excited about it.”
4. ROTATION SHAKE-UP
The Mariners starters were moved or rescheduled from their projected Cactus League starts this week:
▪ Taijuan Walker, who has yet to appear in a game, was initially scheduled to start Wednesday against the Angels in Tempe, but the Mariners scratched him from that game due to how often they will see Los Angeles this season in the American League West.
Walker instead pitched in an intrasquad game at the Mariners’ spring training complex, faced seven batters and retired all of them on 31 pitches (21 strikes).
“I think I’m in a good spot right now going into my next game,” Walker said. “I think it should be a real game. I’m hoping. I think I’m ready for it.”
He is projected to make his first start Monday night against the Brewers.
▪ Marco Gonzales was originally scheduled to start Friday night’s game in Glendale against the Dodgers, but the Mariners instead had him throw in an intrasquad game at their facility.
He faced 14 batters, allowing one run on one hit while striking out three and walking two on 61 pitches (38 strikes).
Gonzales is still on track to make his second consecutive Opening Day start for Seattle.
▪ Kendall Graveman was scratched from Saturday’s game against the A’s as he deals with a bout of the flu, and was scheduled to instead throw a side session.
He has yet to allow a run in a spring training game across two starts.
5. THINNING OUT CAMP
The Mariners have made four rounds of roster cuts, leaving major league camp with 58 active players, plus reliever Austin Adams, who is on the 60-day IL. There are 38 players on the 40-man roster and 20 non-roster invitees remaining.
Here are all of the moves that have been made in the past week:
Sunday, March 1
▪ RHP Matt Festa reassigned to minor league camp. Festa underwent Tommy John surgery last week, and is expected to miss 12-16 months.
Monday, March 2
▪ RHP Jack Anderson reassigned to minor league camp.
▪ RHP Darren McCaughan reassigned to minor league camp.
▪ RHP Wyatt Mills reassigned to minor league camp.
▪ RHP Penn Murfee reassigned to minor league camp.
▪ INF Jordan Cowan reassigned to minor league camp.
▪ INF Connor Hoover reassigned to minor league camp.
▪ OF Eric Filia reassigned to minor league camp.
▪ OF Luis Liberato reassigned to minor league camp.
Friday, March 6
▪ RHP Art Warren optioned to Triple-A Tacoma.
▪ OF Jose Siri optioned to Double-A Arkansas.
Saturday, March 7
▪ LHP Ian McKinney reassigned to minor league camp.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREHow will we cover spring training in 2020?
The Seattle Mariners are ready to report to spring training and so is The News Tribune. Beat reporter Lauren Smith will be on the ground in Peoria, Ariz., from the first full squad practice. And our coverage will continue through the final roster decisions at the end of March, bringing fans the latest on the second year of Seattle’s rebuild. Click on the arrow in the top right for more.
Looking to the future
While the Mariners aren’t exactly expected to contend for a playoff spot in 2020, these six weeks of preseason workouts and games will give us a closer look at some of the top prospects — like outfielders Jarred Kelenic and Julio Rodriguez, and former first-round draft pick Logan Gilbert — expected to be key pieces of the club’s future, and some of the young players battling for Opening Day roster spots. We’ll also be able to catch up with the more experienced players — like veteran third-baseman Kyle Seager and ace pitcher Marco Gonzales — already in Seattle’s clubhouse.
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