Mariners Roundtable: Fresh Faces Add Intrigue to Cactus League Action

In this edition of the SoDo Mojo Roundtable, we discuss which newcomers we are most excited to watch this spring.

2015 was a season filled with failure and broken dreams for the Seattle Mariners and their fans. Change is inevitable whenever a team fails to meet expectations, and the M’s were no exception this offseason. There are plenty of fresh faces around Peoria, and today we will be discussing which newcomers we are most looking forward to watching in Cactus League play.

The Mariners made wholesale changes on the field and in the front office. First and foremost, General Manager Jack Zduriencik was replaced by former Los Angeles Angels GM, Jerry Dipoto. The 47-year-old Jersey City, NJ product relieved Lloyd McClendon of his duties, and hired Scott Servais to serve as the M’s skipper in 2016. Servais is a former colleague and teammate of Dipoto, but this season will be his first as a coach.

Dipoto and his staff infused the M’s starting rotation with fresh blood this winter. Felix Hernandez and Hisashi Iwakuma remain the top hurlers in the starting rotation, but Wade Miley was acquired from the Boston Red Sox to fill the number three spot. Seattle also traded for right-hander Nate Karns from the Tampa Bay Rays. Karns will battle James Paxton and Mike Montgomery this spring for the final spot in the starting rotation.

The bullpen has been completely rebuilt. Out are Danny Farquhar, Tom Wilhelmsen and Carson Smith, and in are Joaquin Benoit, Steve Cishek and Evan Scribner. Seattle also added veteran right-handers Ryan Cook, Justin De Fratus and Joel Peralta. The ‘Pen will certainly have a different feel to it in 2016, and hopefully they will be a much more consistent unit.

More from Mariners News

• 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
• A Farewell to Mitch Haniger as he signs with the San Francisco Giants

Logan Morrison was a fan favorite in Seattle, but he was shipped to Tampa Bay along with former shortstop Brad Miller. The Mariners traded for veteran Adam Lind from the Milwaukee Brewers to fill the void left by LoMo at first base. The M’s were disappointed with Mike Zunino behind the plate last season, and Dipoto signed Chris Iannetta to replace Z. Steve Clevenger was also acquired to seve as Iannetta’s backup in 2016.

The Mariners’ outfield will also have a new look this season. Nori Aoki was signed to hit leadoff and be the M’s everyday left fielder. Seattle felt they needed an upgrade in center field, and landed Leonys Martin from the Texas Rangers. Boog Powell is an intriguing young outfielder who was acquired from the Rays this offseason.

Well, that’s the recap of the new names in Arizona right now. Without further adieu, let’s get to who the staff here at SoDo Mojo is most exciting to see play this spring.

Next: Cydnie's hoping for better defense behind the plate

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