Sounds great, right? While the Mariners Cactus League games won’t be televised until Monday, March 4, MLB.com offers a snippet of the spring training action in Peoria.

First up, postgame interviews with Justin Smoak and Danny Hultzen. Following Saturday’s 8-6 drubbing of the San Diego Padres, Smoak appeared confident and determined heading into the season. His offseason adjustments included shortening his swing, which appeared to come in handy as he took Brad Boxberger deep to the right-field berm.

Hultzen spoke to his struggles in Triple-A last year, citing them as an “important process to go through” as he climbs his way to the majors. His goal this spring? To throw quality strikes and let the rest of the team field what they can.

Next, Robert Andino discussed his experience as a utility infielder and the process of re-adjusting to live pitching in spring training.

Finally, Lucas Luetge offered a little insight into the dynamics of spring training camp. While he is focused on personal adjustments—regaining control of his pitches, refining his fastball command—he made it clear that every position on the 25-man roster will be fought for.

Want more? Head over to Geoff Baker’s Mariners blog on the Seattle Times’ website. He offers coverage of Felix Hernandez’s bullpen session, a peek at the fan experience in Peoria, and an interview with, well, himself.

While online access is included with any print subscription, digital “bundles” will be offered at $0.99 a week for the first four weeks, then bumped up to $3.99 per week.

What does this mean for Mariners fans? For starters, a great deal of informative, colorful baseball coverage will be limited to subscribers. If you haven’t already, check out Larry Stone’s Hot Stone League column and Geoff Baker’s Mariners Blog.

According to the Times’ FAQ, a few articles will be available to the non-subscribing public. How many of those will include the paper’s baseball news, however, is undetermined at this point. You can find the full details here.

As usual, the Mariners’ marketing VP, Kevin Martinez, says it best:

Thx for responses to flash poll. For the record, I’d pay for @stonelarry content. One of baseball’s best. Fair, insightful and entertaining

— Kevin Martinez (@Kevin_Martinez) February 24, 2013

Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

The Mariners kicked off their Cactus League play this weekend in a three-game series against their long-time spring training rivals, the San Diego Padres.

Game 1: Padres 9, Mariners 3

Hector Noesi would have you believe that this was an atrocious first game for the Mariners. And, looking at the first inning, it was. Backed by a fielding error from Raul Ibanez, Noesi tossed 42 pitches to the first 11 batters, allowing 4 hits, 4 walks, and a grand slam to San Diego’s Jedd Gyorko. When Eric Wedge sent Oliver Perez in for some damage control, the Mariners were already dealing with a 6-0 deficit.

Thankfully, spring training is all about exercising that 40-man roster. Following Noesi’s meltdown, Wedge trotted out D.J. Mitchell, Andrew Carraway, Chance Ruffin, Logan Bawcom, Anthony Fernandez, and Julio Morban for seven scoreless frames.

At the plate, the Mariners eked out just five hits and three runs. Michael Morse broke up the Padres’ no-hit bid (if such a thing even exists in spring training) with a line drive single in the fourth, while Casper Wells mashed his first home run off of Brandon Kloess.

Bonus highlight: Carlos Peguero, who walked twice. In 2012, he walked once.

Game 2: Mariners 8, Padres 6

This time, the M’s abandoned their faulty, “let-the-other-team-score-and-we’ll-catch-up” tactics. Blake Beavan managed to get through the opening frame unscathed, while Jason Bay got the team on the board with a two-run home run off of RHP Tyson Ross.

Justin Smoak lost no time defending his hot streak from September 2012. On his last at-bat of the game, he powered a home run off of Brad Boxberger, driving in Bay for the Mariners’ third and fourth runs of the day. Not to be outdone, first baseman Mike Jacobs substituted for Smoak in the final four innings and contributed a home run of his own.

By the end of the afternoon, Triple-A RHP Jhonny Nunez had a Hector Noesi moment of his own. Sitting on a cushy 7-run lead, Nunez handed out 4 hits, 5 runs, and a 2-run homer to Jeudy Valdez.

Bonus highlight: Danny Hultzen and Taijuan Walker made their spring training debuts, posting back-to-back scoreless frames and combining for a hit and two strikeouts.

Game 3: Mariners 8, Padres 3

If it’s not broke, don’t fix it. The Mariners stuck by their tried-and-true strategy on Sunday, putting up five runs in the first and letting the Padres play catch up from there.

Erasmo Ramirez made his first strong start of the year, holding the Padres to a single base hit and a strikeout in the first inning. James Paxton became the third of the Big Four to make a spring training appearance, following Ramirez with his own one-hit, one-strikeout performance.

Today, doubles were the favored scoring method, with extra bases nabbed by Michael Morse, Michael Saunders, Robert Andino, Jesus Montero, Vinnie Catricala, Nick Franklin, and Julio Morban. Only Raul Ibanez went yard, picking a three-run homer off of San Diego’s Freddy Garcia.

For the first time this weekend, the Mariners did not allow the Padres more than a single run in any given inning. They also made it through a game without more than a single fielding error, though Robert Andino committed his second of the spring so far.

Bonus highlight: Franklin Gutierrez has now survived two games without getting injured.

Up next: Mariners vs. Angels, February 25, 12:05pm

Disclaimer: Nothing—absolutely nothing—should be read into these box scores. The fields are smaller, the pitchers are rustier, and spring has only just begun. (Unless you want to read something into Hector Noesi’s start, that is. There’s not much to be said in his defense.)