Mariners Roundtable: Fresh Faces Add Intrigue to Cactus League Action

Cydnie Compton-Rodrigues (@cydniecr) – Chris Iannetta

My youth was spent spoiled with Dan Wilson at the catcher’s position. He was patient, consistent and dependable. He is still my favorite all time Mariners player, and because of him I have always had a soft spot for catchers and their importance to a ball club. The last few years we’ve watched Mike Zunino struggle because of a lack of teaching, underdevelopment, and confidence. This offseason we acquired Chris Iannetta from the Los Angeles Angels. The reason I’m most excited about Iannetta coming to the club is not for his sterling offensive performance, but to have a competent defensive catcher in place so our catcher of the future can become just that.

This is not to discredit Iannetta, but to pay homage to his intelligence behind the dish. Last year, Mariners catchers overall posted a -1.9 WAR. That is a really tough number to look at. Iannetta was Jerry’s first choice to help remedy the catching inconsistencies, and that leads me to believe that he will be more than competent at the job. Plus there has been a ton of positive buzz around his improved framing abilities, making his defensive value increase. He may not be super consistent offensively, but he fits well into the Dipoto scheme of baseballin’. I’m excited to see what his impact as a reliable backstop will be this season.

Next: Riley thinks Miley is the perfect fit in Seattle

Riley Baker (@RBake6) – Wade Miley

Pitchers and catchers reported over a week ago, and Wade Miley has been throwing bullpen sessions and participating in PFP’s as well as other exercises Mel Stottlemyre has up his sleeve. As we get deeper into spring and inch closer to opening day, it will be interesting to see how he progresses and if he looks like the pitcher we all hope for him to be.

As we all know, spring stats only mean so much. Although strikeouts are nice, all we can really look for in Miley this spring is stuff like how many quality strikes he throws and the amount of movement he is getting on his pitches. When in midseason form, Miley’s fastball will hover right around 91mph. He’s not overpowering and will rely on his secondary pitches, so it will be interesting to see how all of his pitches progress this spring and how he will project in the rotation this season.

Projecting as the number 3 starter in the rotation behind ‘Kuma, Miley should be a viable addition to a team that struggled with a lack of depth at that position last season. If he can put up 200 innings and numbers anywhere near what he did in his first few years with Arizona, then I think Seattle will be in for quite a treat. Miley will really round out this rotation and hopefully put this team over the edge and into the playoffs in 2016.

Next: Nick is confident the player he shares a last name with will live up to the hype

Nick Lee (@NickLee51) – Dae-Ho Lee

The Mariners signed Dae-Ho Lee to a minor-league contract and have invited him to Spring Training. So what is so exciting about an international minor-league invite? Besides us sharing names, I have looked into what Dae-Ho Lee is all about. He is all about the long ball. In the Japan Pacific League last season, he hit 31 home runs in 141 games. He’s a big dude at 6’4” and 286 pounds (though rumor has it he has lost some weight).

Lee has played 15 seasons professionally in Korea and Japan and has 323 career home runs. He also has a lifetime batting average of .303 and an on-base percentage of .387. Now, I am not so naïve to think these numbers will translate into similar success in Major League Baseball. But he has played at the highest level you can over there and has absolutely mashed. I think all he needs is a chance. He may not play 140 games with 30 home runs here, but what’s wrong with some depth and extra power? He will get a good look during spring and will have to compete with the likes of Jesus Montero, Gaby Sanchez and Stefen Romero to make the opening day roster.

Next: Brian is happy to have a new man pitching in the 9th inning

Brian Helberg (@BrianHelberg) – Steve Cishek

Do we all remember the train wreck that was Fernando Rodney in 2015? The obnoxious arrow slinging right-hander was chased out of town after blowing numerous saves and showing a general lack of care. Thankfully, the Fernando Rodney Experience is now the San Diego Padres’ problem, and Seattle has a new closer in 2016.

More from SoDo Mojo

• How the Mariners could swing a trade for Fernando Tatis Jr
• What Jerry Dipoto’s trades, comments mean for remainder of Mariners offseason
• Mariners Select Chris Clarke in Rule 5 Draft
• Thank you for a Memorable Year, Abraham Toro and Jesse Winker!
• Winter Meetings Wrap Up: Checking where the Mariners stand

The Seattle Mariners signed Steve Cishek to a two year deal worth $10 million dollars this offseason. The 29-year-old split the 2015 season between the Miami Marlins and the St. Louis Cardinals. It was a down year for Cishek, as he posted a 3.58 ERA and tallied just 4 saves. Despite his dip in production last season, there is still plenty for Mariners’ fans to be excited about.

Cishek has a solid track record as a closer in the big leagues. He served as the Marlins’ stopper for three seasons, recording 88 saves and registering a paltry 2.72 ERA across 204 appearances. Cishek also had an impressive 3.14 strikeout to walk ratio over the course of 198.2 innings pitched from 2012 to 2014.

Next: Mariners Top 20 Prospects: #7 OF Tyler O'Neill

Honestly, Cishek’s wacky delivery is reason enough to watch him toe the rubber this spring. It will also be interesting to see which Steve Cishek shows up in 2016. Will he be the guy who dominated the National League from 2012 to 2014, or will be the guy who was just average last season?