The Mariners are back in T-Mobile Park, but this won’t look like a normal baseball season
Position players stretched together on the outfield grass. Pitchers threw in the bullpen. Infielders and outfielders split up for their daily fielding work. The ballpark roof rolled opened midway through the morning workout.
The batting cage was set up behind home plate, and Kyle Seager was the first to clear the fence as the Seattle Mariners opened summer camp Friday.
In some ways, it looked like the Mariners’ normal pregame routine at T-Mobile Park.
In others, it didn’t.
Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto, manager Scott Servais, the coaching staff, and, at times, players, wore facial coverings. Workouts were split into separate sessions — one in the morning, one in the afternoon — to separate players into smaller groups. The section beyond the first base dugout was marked in red tape for socially distant team meetings. Without the usual buffet available in the clubhouse, coaches took pre-bagged lunches to the concourse to eat between sessions.
And, of course there was no crowd — apart from the limited number of media members permitted to attend daily workouts — in the stands.
The Mariners are back home — just three weeks away from opening a season shortened to 60 games by the COVID-19 pandemic — but much is different.
“I think it’s been 112 days since we were together in Arizona,” Servais said via Zoom — the medium through which coaches and players must now speak to media — ahead of Friday’s first set of team workouts. “As we all know, the world has changed a ton, with the virus and everything else that’s going on.”
This camp will have a different tone, Servais said. Back in Peoria in March, the Mariners’ top priority was whittling down a roster bursting with young, up-and-coming talent.
That has changed. These are Seattle’s most pressing priorities now — No. 1, Servais said, is keeping everyone healthy and No. 2 is preparing players for a season that is only three weeks away.
“We’ve got to be very efficient in how we’re using our time,” Servais said. “Making sure our players are getting the reps in they need, the amount of live at-bats, getting their arms in shape. All of that stuff plays into it.”
Most of the projected big league roster participated in the club’s morning workout, and several pitchers, including ace Marco Gonzales, threw bullpen sessions.
“It felt great,” Gonzales said via Zoom after his workout. “I’ve been really anxious to get back on a dirt mound. I’ve thrown a lot of my bullpens off of turf, so being able to dig in a little bit and get my feet under me definitely felt great.”
Gonzales said it was interesting to return to the field with strict protocols — such as the requirement for players to wear a mask at all times while in the clubhouse — in place.
“We have a lot of guidelines to follow, a lot of protocols,” he said. “It’s for everyone’s safety, and trying to work that into your routine I think will be the challenge. Trying to make those little protocols normal, that will give us our best chance to have success in this camp and in this season.
“But, it’s great to have everybody up here and see a lot of familiar faces.”
Projected starters such as first baseman Evan White, third baseman Kyle Seager, catcher Tom Murphy and outfielders Jake Fraley and Kyle Lewis were also part of the morning group, while shortstop J.P. Crawford and catcher Austin Nola were on the field in the afternoon.
The afternoon session featured mostly up-and-comers in the Mariners’ system, including top prospect Jarred Kelenic, top pitching prospect Logan Gilbert and four of Seattle’s 2020 draft picks, including first-rounder Emerson Hancock, who strode into the ballpark sporting his red Georgia backpack.
Servais said the Mariners have a good feel for where the players in their 60-man player pool are in terms of readiness for the season.
Players started arriving in Seattle last weekend to begin the mandatory testing process, and once cleared, some worked out individually in the days leading up to Friday’s first team workout.
“I’m very encouraged by what I’ve seen,” Servais said.
There have been “a few players” who have tested positive, he said, and others who have not yet been cleared — the results process can take up to two days — to enter the facility, which left the Mariners about 15-20 players light for Friday’s workouts.
Per a joint release from Major League Baseball and the MLB Players’ Association on Friday, the total number of positive tests across all 30 clubs prior to workouts beginning was 38 — or 1.2% of the 3,185 samples collected.
Players accounted for 31 of the positive tests and staff members for seven. There were 19 clubs with at least one positive test.
Servais said the primary message to players as camp begins will be how seriously Seattle will take the new health and safety protocols.
“We do not want to be the team that goes down,” Servais said. “You don’t want to be the player or coach that has brought something in. So, not just adhering to the protocols here when you get to the ballpark, but what goes on away from the ballpark (is important).
“A number of our players will stay at a local hotel. Some guys have apartments here. We’ve got to pay really close attention to it and take it seriously, and it’s going to be uncomfortable.”
Players and coaches must accept these protocols as the new normal, Servais said, to be in a better position to handle any frustrations that come with them — like the wait for daily temperature checks before even parking the car.
“I’m not sure how long that new normal will last, but for the foreseeable future, I think that’s where it’s going to be at,” White said. “It’s going to take some getting used to. I know all of us are going through the same thing. … I think it’s on us to hold each other accountable as well, and it’s going to take some time.”
Even with the changes, the Mariners remain focused on getting extended looks at several of their young players — including White, Fraley, Lewis, second baseman Shed Long and others — during this 60-game sprint.
“That was the goal coming in, and I think we can get the feel on that,” Servais said. “It’s a shortened season … we’re not going to have a lot of off days, but these guys are going to get a ton of opportunity to play. We’re going to find out a lot about them, how quickly they can make adjustments.
“And I will say to our team, ‘There’s 10 teams that are going to the playoffs.’ I feel very strongly there’s probably two or three teams that are going to make it to the playoffs that nobody’s expecting right to now. … Anything can happen.”
Much of how the season plays out with hinge on health, Servais said, but beyond that, the Mariners will get a chance to see if their younger players can make a leap forward earlier than expected.
“What’s going to happen is going to happen, and we’ve got to be as ready as we possibly can be,” White said.
Seattle has also invited most of their top 30 prospects and four of this year’s draft picks to participate in camp and continue developing.
It’s a “huge advantage,” Servais said, for when these players eventually crack the major leagues.
“It allows us to not lose a whole year of development with them — really important for where we’re at organizationally,” Servais said. “We’ve got to keep our young players moving, they’re a big part of our future here. You’ll see these guys in intrasquad games, going out and competing against some of our more veteran guys, which will be fun to watch. …
“The reason these guys are here is they’re all going to be big leaguers. And the key for us is, how quickly can we make them winning big leaguers? So they are going to learn a ton. It’s going to be a great experience for them.”
But, the Mariners ultimately remain focused on getting their 30-man roster ready for the season, Servais said, which begins on July 23 or 24.
“I’m really, really happy we’re getting a chance to get back together,” he said. “We’ll give it a shot at playing a season, even a 60-game season. We’re looking forward to it.”
SHORT HOPS
▪ The Mariners will have four staff members work remotely for the 2020 season, including infielders coach Perry Hill, hitting coach Tim Laker, bullpen coach Brian De Lunas and field coordinator Tony Arnerich, who works with Seattle’s catchers.
“It’s tough not having those guys around,” Servais said. “They mean a great deal to our team, our players, our clubhouse environment. They will still be working, watching a ton of video, and in contact with the coaches that are here.
“The decision (was) made by a combination of MLB, organizationally, the doctors involved, and it’s a tough one, but again, it’s different times and we have to react differently. So we’ll go forward with the group we have.”
Minor league hitting coach Joe Thurston will coach first base, minor league coordinator of pitching strategy Trent Blank will help out in the bullpen, and minor league hitting coordinator Hugh Quattlebaum will pick up some hitting responsibilities along with Mariners assistant hitting coach Jarret DeHart, Servais said.
▪ During summer camp, the Mariners will also use CenturyLink Field across the street from T-Mobile Park to give pitchers further opportunities to throw.
“It’s a nice plus,” Servais said. “They’ve got turf over there, so it doesn’t tear up our field having all the bodies on it. A group of guys probably 8-10 pitchers in each group, the morning session and the afternoon session, will head over there, get their throwing in. ... Really a good opportunity for us, and I really appreciate CenturyLink and the Seahawks helping us out.”
▪ The Mariners are still planning to open the season with a six-man rotation — Gonzales, Yusei Kikuchi, Kendall Graveman, Justus Sheffield, Taijuan Walker and Justin Dunn — and Servais believes that setup is a “great thing for where we’re at right now.”
“We do know that the impact that they’ll be able to make by having that extra day off — all these guys throw better when they have an extra day,” he said. “So because we’re using a shortened season, let’s stay with it. It’s something that I’m looking forward to. I haven’t had any push back at all from any of our pitchers. They understand this is new times and they have to be open to new ideas and we’ll get them ready, but that extra day should really help them and help their stuff.
“Along with that we’ve got a couple guys that are coming off injury. We have a couple young pitchers that could really use the extra day in between. It allows them to get more work in and raising the intensity level on the bullpen day so they can work on some things there. So it’s a lot of positives around.”
This story was originally published July 3, 2020 at 2:27 PM.
