Sodo Mojo’s Seattle Mariners Round Table: Spring Training

Question 2: Which Spring Training Injury has you the most worried?

Ty Gonzales:

I am not thrilled by the prospect of having 44-year-old Ichiro playing four-to-five games a week, so Ben Gamel’s injury scares me the most for sure. With Guillermo Heredia slowly coming back from his shoulder injury and Gamel expected to be out until June, Ichiro’s going to get the bulk of playing time in left. That is… not ideal.

Colton Swanson:

Every one of the injuries sucks. But for me, Robbie’s is the most concerning. I know that he is only out a few days but leg injuries have a tendency to linger throughout the season. The last thing I want to see is one of Andrew Romine, Gordon Beckham or Taylor Motter in an everyday role late in the season. And even if Cano can stay in, a leg injury could hamper his range as well his setup at the plate.

Dan Clark:

Most concerning injury for me would probably be Cruz. Soft tissue injury in which he is coming into his year 38 season. Him and Cano both with leg injuries even if they are minor now they seem to becoming more frequent.

Michael Johnson:

I’ve had a recurring nightmare for years. Our beloved Mariners are hosting a post season game and Felix is on the bump. The crowd is going crazy and “The King” proceeds to give up home run after home run after home run on pitch after pitch after pitch. How many home runs varies as it just depends on how long my brain forces me to sleep through the painful drama on that given night. It is terrifying, truly.

But, the ironic thing about these dreams is whenever I wake up – generally sweating as these are those very realistic type dreams – I am able to find a way to see the good in what I just experienced… the Mariners were in the playoffs! When I watched that ball attempt to shatter Felix’s elbow into a million pieces two weeks ago however, for the first time I truly believed I may never get to see Felix Hernandez pitch in the playoffs.

That thought is sickening. So, am I concerned about the injury in terms of how much impact it will have on the Mariners season? No. But having finally come to the realization that Felix likely won’t get a post season start in a Mariners uniform is not only concerning, but sends me right down emotional lane.

Jeff Nooney:

My biggest injury concern so far in spring training has got to be Robinson Cano. Cano is the heartbeat of this lineup, and we have found out that his injury stemmed from scar tissue from the same injury he suffered back in 2017. Could be a lingering injury.

Colby Patnode:

There are so many to choose from. Thankfully, it appears the only projected starters to miss Opening Day will be Ben Gamel and Erasmo Ramirez. If forced to pick one, I’d have to say Robinson Cano.

The Mariners need Cano to be great in 2018, and if he misses any significant time, the team will be lost. Currently, their only back up plan up the middle is Andrew Romine or Taylor Motter. Color me unimpressed. At least if Cruz goes down, the Mariners have Vogelbach, Ford, or Healy to help out.

Question 3: Is there a player you would like to see the Mariners add in 2018? Or are you satisfied with the team, as is?

Ty Gonzales:

I can already hear everyone screaming, “ALEX COBB!!!!!!” Please, use your indoor voice. I’ll give you another name: Greg Holland. Jerry Dipoto has said it himself — you can’t have enough pitching. Holland was solid last year after missing all of 2016, and somehow he’s still not signed. Plus, I’d much rather have Holland over Casey Lawrence or Chasen Bradford.

Colton Swanson:

There are plenty of players the could/should add before the year. However, the most realistic and obvious would be Alex Cobb. A rotation (when healthy) that has Felix, Paxton, Leake and Cobb in it would give the M’s a much better chance at contending in 2018. And with this unique free agent market, Cobb may come at a bargain price on a one year deal.

Dan Clark:

I still think we need pitching but I’m going out on a limb and adding a RP and going back to a Jerry Dipoto fave if healthy in Huston Street. Let’s build an amazing bullpen.

Michael Johnson:

Honestly, I have come to grips with the fact the Mariners are going into the 2018 season with what they’ve currently got. Are there needs? Absolutely. Pitching and outfield depth being a couple. But the offense – if healthy – is set up nicely and I think there is potential to break the .500 mark… again, assuming the injury bug stays in Peoria when spring training is over.

If you were going to force me name a guy I’d like to see added, I would probably go with R. A. Dickey. Would love the opportunity to watch a Dickey knuckleball shimmy and shake towards the catcher while sipping a cold one out in The Pen.

Jeff Nooney:

I think Trevor Cahil could be an interesting option for this club. The spacious outfield could drop his HR numbers, he has experience both starting and coming out of the pen. Depth is what this team lacks, and I think he could help in multiple areas.

Colby Patnode:

Sadly, I agree 100% with Michael. The Mariners are willingly going into 2018 with their current group of players. Yuck. Most Mariners fans are probably screaming Alex Cobb, but I have reached the point where I would disagree.

The Mariners missed their chance to build a playoff rotation, and adding Alex Cobb alone would not get it done. Would he help? Probably. Are the Mariners interested? Hahahahahahaha… probably not.

Question 4: My 2018 Most Surprising Mariner will be… whom?

Ty Gonzales:

You could say Vogelbach again here, but man, Rob Whalen has been fantastic. It took a lot of guts to open up about his battle with anxiety and depression and I’m rooting for him. Now that he appears to be doing better mentally, he’s mowing down hitters and looking great mechanically. We’ll definitely seem him at some point in the season, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he stayed at the MLB level afterwards.

Colton Swanson:

I think Marco Gonzales is going to surprise a lot of people. Now 2 years removed from Tommy John surgery, Gonzales seems to have all his pitches back where he wants them. If we sign another pitcher (lol) and Marco slides to that 5 spot, he could be one of the better back-end starters in baseball. The Mariners think highly of him and so did the Cardinals. He is going to be a big part of the M’s season as long as he can stay healthy.

Dan Clark:

Most surprising I think will be Marco Gonzales. He has looked awesome in spring before you got hit with the line drive. It will be interesting to see how he bounces back. His cutter has been on point this year and hoping he can keep it going well this year.

Michael Johnson:

Vogelbach would be an option here. But to change it up a bit, how about Rob Whalen. I mean, 19 strike outs in 13 innings pitched… didn’t see that coming. Not sure anyone did. The guy isn’t even listed on the Mariners depth chart and yet he is putting up dominating numbers.

At 24 years of age, maybe we hoped Rob would grow into this type of arm, but to get there so soon has been a great surprise. Should be interesting to see where he winds up out of spring and just how long it will take to get the call.

Jeff Nooney:

My most surprising Mariner would be Rob Whalen. Like I said no question 1, he has outright dominated this spring. 13 innings with a 1.38 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 19Ks. Say what you will about ST numbers, but his stat line to me shows confidence. Something he lacked very much so in previous years.

Colby Patnode:

An interesting question, with several possibilities. I would say Rob Whalen, but since most of us think that, I’ll go ahead and mix it up. The word “surprise” makes this a tougher question than “breakout”. I’ve already written that Kyle Seager could breakout, but he is not exactly a surprise.

For the sake of the question, I’ll say James Pazos. Many Mariners fans will remember the up and down season from the lefty, but there is a lot to like. Pazos had a 51% ground ball rate in 2017, along with a 10.90 K/9. Both of these numbers are elite, and his 3.50 SIERRA shows there is more upside left.

Jerry Dipoto stated earlier this off-season, that Pazos garnered the most trade interest this winter, which should tell us a lot. If Pazos is as good as his underlying numbers indicate, the Mariners might have one of the 5 best bullpens in baseball.

Next: Trade a Starting Pitcher? No, Seriously.

There you have it! Our first Round Table discussion is in the books. As we inch closer to the regular season, we can hardly contain our excitement level! March 29th cannot get here soon enough.