Predicting the Mariners Opening Day Infield

SECOND BASE

Second base is where things start to get interesting. It’s clear that the Mariners wanted to trade incumbent second baseman Dee Gordon at the trade deadline, but his injury wiped out that opportunity. The team will look to move him again this winter and for the sake of this exercise, they will be successful in those attempts.

The team is said to like prospect Shed Long  (is he a super utility man or an everyday starter at second?), but Long has battled his own injury issues this year and hasn’t gotten to really show management what he can do at the Major League level. Seattle will want a veteran stop gap, similar to what they did with Beckham this year, until Long or someone else steps up to win the job.

As mentioned on the site earlier, Jonathan Schoop isn’t that exciting of a player, but does provide some right handed pop which could come in handy and could be another player that the team brings in on a one year deal that they look to flip at the deadline if he produces. Depending on the other moves the team makes (like trading Domingo Santana), adding some right handed power to the lineup wouldn’t be a bad thing.