Tacoma Middle Infield Appears Set

The middle infield is perhaps the easiest of all of the position-by-position previews that I will write about this spring.

Unless there is an unexpected trade or injury, we know that Carlos Triunfel and Nick Franklin will be playing at shortstop and second base this year. Heck, we’ve known this since the end of last season.

At the Mariners pre-spring training event in late January, Director of Player Development Chris Gwynn said that the plan was to continue to flip-flop Triunfel and Franklin defensively, giving both players experience at second and short. This is exactly what happened in the second half last year, when Franklin was promoted from Jackson (Triunfel was already here).

So, we have:

Starting SS/2B

Carlos Triunfel: It seems to be standard form when writing about Triunfel to mention the fact that he will play the 2013 season at the age of 23. It seems like he’s much older because we’ve been hearing about him since the Mariners signed him for big bucks at age 16. Triunfel spent the 2012 season with Tacoma, leading the team with 131 games played and getting a September call-up. With the Rainiers he batted .260 with a career-high 10 homers, and a slash line of 260/308/391. Triunfel has major league range at shortstop and one of the strongest arms you will ever see on an infielder, but he needs to refine his game and cut down on the 30 errors he made last year.

Nick Franklin: Despite hitting just .243 in his first taste of Triple-A last year, Franklin is the better offensive prospect of the middle infield duo. The switch-hitter has legitimate power from the left side of the plate – and that was before he put on 35 pounds during the off-season. Last year Franklin started the season at Jackson and hit 322/394/502, and then in 64 games for Tacoma he hit 243/310/416. The Mariners are going to continue to allow him to switch-hit despite the fact that he has been far more dangerous from the left side. Defensively, Franklin can certainly handle second base, although the opinions on his shortstop play are mixed. Franklin will play the 2013 season at age 22 and has plenty of room for improvement – just like Triunfel.

Rainiers utility infielder candidates

The back-up situation is a little more unsettled. Typically you want a utility infielder who is capable of playing a serviceable shortstop, but really with Triunfel and Franklin on the roster the Rainiers utility man doesn’t need to play shortstop. If either Triunfel or Franklin is unavailable for whatever reason, manager Daren Brown will start the remaining player at shortstop and plug someone else in at second base.

Eric Farris: an Triple-A starter for Nashville the last two-and-a-half seasons, Farris was picked up by the Mariners in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 Draft. Farris even has MLB experience, appearing in 14 games for the Brewers the last two years. He’s played a whole lot of second base in his career, including 217 games at second for Nashville the last two years. He’s a speed player (35 steals last year; career-high of 70 steals at Class-A in 2009) and he has been tried in the outfield occasionally in the past. Farris could serve as an infielder/outfielder for the Rainiers this year, shuffling around the diamond defensively while hitting first or second in the lineup.

Scott Savastano: the jack-of-all-trades spent the entire 2012 season with the Rainiers, seeing time at first base, second base, third base, and left field. He also specializes in 18th inning pitching and 18th inning walk-off homers – when you get to the 18th inning, Savastano is your man and you should accept no substitute. The acquisition of Farris means it is not a lock that Savastano will be coming back for 2013 – a good spring training camp is important for him.

Leury Bonilla: the longtime organizational utility man is back for another season in the Mariners system. Bonilla has set up shop in Jackson the last few seasons, where he once played all nine positions in a single game. Bonilla usually makes an appearance in Tacoma at some point during the season, and I expect that 2013 will be no different.

Then there is Stefen Romero, who I wrote about last week with the corner infielders. Romero has lots of experience at second base, so if he is on the Rainiers roster he can play the keystone when needed.

Others to know

Brad Miller: an interesting shortstop prospect, Miller is hoping to build on a very strong 2012 season. He began the year at High Desert, and hit 339/412/524 in 97 games. Big deal – everybody hits in High Desert. Well, Miller went up to Jackson for the final 40 games and batted .320 with four homers and a .406 on-base percentage. Hmmmm, very in-ter-es-ting. Miller will be waiting in the wings down at Jackson.

Gabriel Noriega: a throwback of sorts, Noriega is an all-glove, no-bat shortstop. They say he is a wizard defensively. The stats say he hit .208 with zero homers and a .266 OBP in Jackson last year. We could see him in Tacoma someday and when he shows up, we should all enjoy watching him play defense.

Those are our middle infielders to watch for Tacoma in 2013. Next Wednesday, we’ll move to the outfield.

Links:

• Six Mariners prospects – including several prospective Rainiers – are living together in Peoria.
• Good reporting from Geoff Baker on the politics of Mariners players seeking instruction from outside of the organization. I’m not sure if this is a growing trend, or if it’s always happened but now it’s being reported.
• Another strong piece from Baker, on the tough youth of new infielder Robert Andino.
• On Monday, Jeremy Bonderman pitched in a game for the first time since 2010. Results were inconclusive.
• Ryan Divish writes that Tom Wilhelmsen is looking to use his change-up more this year, and he threw a good one the other day to Chase Headley.
• Justin Smoak is on a tear down in Peoria.
• Not sure how I feel about this one: we’ll be in Reno for Brett Butler Championship Bobblehead Night.
• Down in Hillsboro (right on the outskirts of baseball-hating Portlandia), they had the topping-out ceremony as they build a new ballpark for the short-season Northwest League. It’s great for local baseball fans just to get back in the game, but it’s also a shame. This is a Triple-A market.

Our next blog update will be Friday.

Corner Men

We continue our weekly pre-season series on the positional battles to make the Tacoma opening day roster with a look at corner infielders.

Tacoma manager Daren Brown is going to have a group with Triple-A experience manning the corners. He’ll also occasionally slip one of his third basemen into left field, or use one to fill the DH slot in the lineup.

Mike Jacobs: A veteran of both Triple-A and Major League Baseball, Jacobs was signed by the Mariners as a minor league free agent. Jacobs hit .279 with 18 homers and 60 RBI for Reno last year, and was a September call-up to Arizona. He’s 32 years old and has had a 30-homer season in the big leagues. He’ll probably fill the Luis Jimenez role for Tacoma, playing first base and DH while hitting in the middle of the lineup.

Alex Liddi: The forgotten man in Mariners spring raining camp right now, Liddi seems likely to be in the Rainiers opening day lineup. Liddi is the best defensive option at third base, but don’t be surprised if he moves around from third to first to left field. Offensively, Liddi worked hard to cut down his strikeouts last year, but it came at the expense of power. It will be interesting to see how he does this year – I wouldn’t be surprised at all if he put up some big numbers in the PCL this year.

Vinnie Catricala: Vinnie will return to the Rainiers in 2013 and looks to have a strong campaign after never really getting on track in 2012. Triple-A proved difficult for Catricala, as he hit .229 with ten homers in 122 games. This came right after being named the Mariners Minor League Player of the Year in 2011. Catricala played mostly third base last year, but also saw time in left field. The 2013 season is an important one for Catricala; he needs a bounce-back year.

Stefen Romero? Romero has a question mark because his defensive position seems to be, well, a question. He played second base last year – first at Advanced-A High Desert, and then at Double-A Jackson. However, the Mariners seem intent on moving him to a different defensive position. Player Development Director Chris Gwynn said he’s going to play second base, third base, and outfield. Hopefully he’ll find a home defensively, because apparently he can hit: Romero batted .357-11-51 in 60 games at High Desert, and .347-12-50 in 56 games at Jackson last year. His season was very similar to Catricala’s 2011 campaign.

Rich Poythress: The Jackson first baseman for the last two seasons, Poythress may be looking at another assignment to Tennessee come April. Last year he batted .304 with six homers in 86 games. My hunch is that the Mariners would like to see a little more power from Poythress; he’s hit 17 homers in 208 Double-A games the last two years. However, he doesn’t strike out much and draws a lot of walks – and that is something that has been sorely missing from the Tacoma lineup the last few seasons.

Nate Tenbrink: Tenbrink has been slowed by injuries in recent seasons, but he’s worthy of a mention here. Tenbrink played 31 games at third base for Jackson last year, and he hit .283 with eight homers and a .539 slugging percentage. I’m not sure if there is room for him on the Rainiers roster come April, but he’s certainly someone to keep an eye on if he starts the year down at Jackson.

In case you missed it the other day, Ryan Divish reported that the man who logged the most games for Jackson at third base last year – Francisco Martinez – has been moved to center field. We’ll get to him in the outfield group.

Next Wednesday, we’ll look at the middle infielders.

—

Mike Carp was traded to the Boston Red Sox for the good old Player To Be Named Later.

Carp made a real impact on the Tacoma career statistical leaders. He ranks second on the all-time home run list, with 67 – just five behind Tacoma home run king Rick Renick. He drove in 221 runs for Tacoma, which ranks him ninth on the all-time list. He also appears on the lists for hits (15th), runs (11th), doubles (16th), and total bases (9th).

We wish him the best with the Red Sox; hopefully he’ll make the big league roster.

Links:

• Mike Zunino got the Larry Stone treatment.
• Here’s a blog post from Geoff Baker on Mike Carp getting traded.
• Todd Dybas has a good piece on potential Rainiers starter Taijuan Walker.
• For Baseball America subscribers, an article on Kentwood High School’s Reese McGuire, who has a shot at being a high draft pick this June.

 

Tacoma Catching Candidates

The Tacoma catching situation is an interesting one heading into spring training. With veteran Guillermo Quiroz gone and top prospect Mike Zunino on his way (and possibly not staying long when he gets here), Tacoma is in a transitional period behind the dish.

At the major league level, the Mariners appear set with a combination of Jesus Montero and Kelly Shoppach. Last year they carried three catchers (Montero, Miguel Olivo, and John Jaso), but this year it appears that they are going to drop down to the standard two catchers.

Let’s look at the catching candidates for Tacoma:

Ronny Paulino broke into the majors with Pittsburgh in 2005, and has spent most of the last seven years in the big leagues – including a couple of seasons as the Pirates starting receiver. Last year he played in the majors and in Triple-A in the Baltimore organization. The Mariners brought him in on a minor league deal, and it certainly appears right now that he will be the guy providing veteran catching depth in Triple-A.

Jesus Sucre is a 24-year-old Venezuelan the Mariners signed in the middle of the 2011 season, after he was released from Atlanta’s Double-A team. Sucre has been with the Mariners Jackson affiliate for over a year. From what I have heard, he shines defensively and has a strong throwing arm. Last year he hit .271 but with little power or on-base ability. Defense is his calling card – at the very least, I’m told it is fun to watch him whip throws down to the bases.

Brandon Bantz you probably know. The affable backstop was Tacoma’s No. 2 catcher last year, and he hit .229 with two homers in 109 at-bats. Bantz (nicknamed “Bagger” Bantz in a bullpen epiphany from the mouth of Chance Ruffin) has a strong arm and good receiving skills. He’s also one of the hardest workers you’ll see at this level. Where he lands on opening day is a mystery – he could be in Tacoma, or elsewhere in the organization where there is a need.

Flying below he radar we have John Hicks. Hicks was Danny Hultzen’s college catcher at Virginia and the Mariners 4th round draft pick in 2011. Hicks had an excellent season for High Desert last year and will be bumped up to Double-A Jackson to start the year. The Mariners believe Hicks has a major league future.

OK, now let’s talk about Mike Zunino. He’s the biggest piece of this puzzle, and where he lands out of spring training is going to cause a ripple effect.

Zunino was the 3rd overall player chosen in the draft last year, after three years (and three College World Series appearances) at the University of Florida. He won just about every college baseball award a catcher can win.

The Mariners quickly signed Zunino and sent him to Everett, the rookie-level team where they send most of their fresh college draft picks. Zunino absolutely annihilated the Northwest League, blasting ten homers in just 110 at-bats, hitting .373 with a ridiculous .736 slugging percentage. So, the Mariners bumped him up to Double-A Jackson for the final two weeks of the season, and he played in 15 games there, adding three more homers. Combined he hit .360 with 13 homers in 161 at-bats.

Mariners fans are right to be excited about Zunino. That was one heck of a pro debut.

However, I think that we should slow down our expectations. He has played in just 15 games above rookie ball. For comparison’s sake, let’s take a look at the development of the best catching prospect to come out of a US college in recent years, Buster Posey:

• huge college star at Florida State
• drafted No 5 overall in 2008
• signed later than Zunino; had just 37 at-bats in rookie ball after draft
• opened first full season at Advanced Class-A San Jose
• promoted to Triple-A in July of first full season, after 346 plate appearances in San Jose
• finished first full season in PCL at Fresno*, earned September call-up.
• begins second full season at Fresno, got May call to SF, won Rookie of the Year

Posey is the best catcher in the majors. He’s played three seasons and has two World Series championships and an MVP award already. Obviously, we’re not expecting Zunino to be that good (although it sure would be nice!). But it’s worth noting that Posey – the best catcher with Zunino’s background in recent years – did not reach Triple-A until the all-star break of his first professional season, and did not stick in the majors until May of the following year.

If Zunino copies the Posey development plan – a very strong suggestion, to say the least – he wouldn’t reach Tacoma until the all-star break, and wouldn’t impact Seattle until 2014.

Just some food for thought.

—

There was a lot of news on the first day of training camp yesterday.

• The Felix Hernandez contract extension is done – links down below.
• The club officially signed Joe Saunders, and designated Mike Carp for assignment. Carp will probably get claimed on waivers.
• The team announced the signing of veteran Jon Garland to a minor league deal, which I noted on Monday.
• Veteran reliever Kameron Loe was brought in on a minor league deal, pending a physical. Loe could be with the Rainiers.

All of that happened on the first day of physicals. Today, the pitchers and catchers actually took the field for the first time.

On the Rainiers front, I spoke with manager Daren Brown last night. He said he passed his physical (yes, coaches take them too) and then went golfing. Tough first day, huh? He hit the field this morning. Brown, pitching coach Dwight Bernard, and hitting coach Howard Johnson will all help out in big league spring training camp until mid-March when they will begin to focus on the Triple-A club.

Links:

• The Felix Hernandez contact extension is a done deal.
• Jerry Brewer of the Seattle Times writes that the Mariners have to do more than just lock up Felix Hernandez.
• Larry Stone lists some long-term contracts for starting pitchers that worked, and some that didn’t work.
• For a more thorough analysis of long-term deals for starting pitchers, here is a nice piece of research by Dan Szymborski (ESPN Insider access required).
• Nothing brings out optimism like the start of spring training, Ryan Divish writes.
• Speaking of Divish, here is his notebook from the first day of training camp.
• Geoff Baker caught up with new Mariners pitcher Joe Saunders.
• The News Tribune’s position-by-position spring training preview concluded with a look at the Mariners bullpen.
• New reliever Kameron Loe hasn’t been in Triple-A in a while, but the Mariners reportedly got him on a minor league deal. Here’s a link to his career statistics, including his Triple-A numbers.
• No link, but Connor Glassey of Baseball America noted on twitter that former Rainiers players Jamal Strong and Michael Garciaparra are both scouts for the St. Louis Cardinals.
• The Indians signed Michael Bourn, causing Larry Stone to wonder if Cleveland had the off-season that Mariners fans were hoping for.
• I’ve never seen this study before, generated by MLB pitching guru Rick Peterson: if you face 39 or more opposing batters in a game, you’re probably going to lose. It makes a lot of sense.
• Here’s a first: an article on the Memphis Redbirds financial issues that I can actually understand.
• When the Rainiers visit Las Vegas, the team hotel is two blocks away from the Heart Attack Grill. I’ve always been too scared to eat there – probably a good thing, seeing how their unofficial spokesman just died from a heart attack.

We’ll be back with a news round-up on Friday. Our next Tacoma position preview will be February 20, when we look at the corner infielders. That’s going to be a tough one – third base is a real mystery right now, plenty of candidates!

* some Rainiers fans may recall that Posey hit his first Triple-A home run at Cheney Stadium August 4, 2009 (off the Rainiers Justin Thomas).

Potential Rainiers Relievers

We continue our position-by-position look at the spring training battles to make the Rainiers opening day roster with a look at the potential relief pitchers.

Usually this is one of the toughest areas to predict, because the Mariners often have two or three major league bullpen slots that they use spring training to make a decision on. That doesn’t appear to be the case this year.

In fact, as I look at the major league situation, I see eight big-league relievers – and the team is probably only going to carry seven of them. A lot of them still have minor league options and can be sent to Triple-A without penalty; I have marked them with an asterisk on this list: Carter Capps*, Charlie Furbush*, Shawn Kelley*, Josh Kinney, Lucas Luetge*, Oliver Perez, Stephen Pryor*, Tom Wilhelmsen*.

(note: I’m unsure if Oliver Perez has an option or not; he’s in a different category due to MLB service time and having been a released player who cleared waivers).

Barring an injury or a trade, one of those eight guys is going to unexpectedly get sent to Triple-A.

So, we’ll have whoever the unlucky one is in that battle. Who else will be Rainiers relievers in 2013? Let’s group them by categories.

RETURNING RAINIERS RELIEVERS

I think we are going to see a lot of familiar faces in the Rainiers bullpen on opening day. These players finished the 2012 season in the Tacoma bullpen and are highly likely, in my opinion, to break camp with Tacoma.

• Danny Farquhar: Acquired in the Ichiro trade, Farquhar had a 0.54 ERA in 12 games with Tacoma at the end of last season, pitched well this winter in Venezuela, and earned an invitation to big-league spring training. He’s a longshot to make the Mariners opening day roster, but we’ll happily take him in Tacoma.
• Steven Hensley: Hensley had a solid first half at Double-A Jackson last year, but he took some lumps in his first exposure to the PCL after a mid-season promotion to Tacoma. I expect to see better results this year; he has good stuff. Pencil him into the Tacoma bullpen.
• Bobby LaFromboise: The Rainiers 2012 Pitcher of the Year award winner is a MLB-ready lefty relief specialist, but there is no current opening for him in Seattle. The Mariners added him to the 40-man roster in November. He could be Daren Brown‘s closer to start the season.
• Brian Moran: Purveyor of the “invisi-ball,” Moran struck out 53 batters in 37 innings for Tacoma last year, with a 3.89 ERA. I fully expect him to return to the Rainiers, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he turns up in the big leagues someday.
• Chance Ruffin: The forgotten man picked up in the Doug Fister deal with Detroit, Ruffin had a deceptive season for the 2012 Rainiers. He was awful in the first half and terrific in the second half, finishing with a 5.99 ERA that doesn’t tell the whole story: his ERA was 9.16 on June 21, and it was 2.43 for the remainder of the season (33.1 IP). The Mariners kept him on the 40-man and will look for continued improvement this year.
• Brian Sweeney: We discussed him in the starting pitcher’s post last Wednesday; the veteran should have a role on this pitching staff as the swing-man. I hope he’s on the team, because he is a PCL Dream: he works quickly and throws strikes. #PCLDream

MYSTERY MAN

• Hector Noesi: As mentioned in the starting pitching outlook last week, we really have no idea what the organization is going to do with Noesi this season. Major league starter? Rainiers starter? Major league reliever? Tacoma reliever? Who knows. I’m listing him here just to cover all of the bases.

With the six returning relievers, the Mystery Man, and the unlucky big league guy who doesn’t make the team we have a full Triple-A bullpen right there. But there are others who hope to make some noise:

NEWLY ADDED TO THE SYSTEM

The Mariners signed two minor league free agents I am aware of whose background indicates they could fight for a Triple-A roster spot.

• Eric Niesen: A veteran left-hander recently signed as a free agent who topped out in Double-A with the Mets. He’ll go to spring training hoping to crack the Jackson or Tacoma roster.
• Jhonny Nunez: A Triple-A veteran with some MLB experience, Nunez was signed as a minor league free agent. He put up some poor numbers in Durham last year and was released mid-season. Apparently he looked good in Winter Ball and the Mariners decided to bring him to camp. He could be a Rainiers reliever in 2013.

YOUNG UP-AND-COMERS

Kids, kids, and more kids. It’s all about the kids!

• Jonathan Arias: Originally signed as a catcher, the Mariners converted him to a reliever three years ago and he has made a move through the farm system. Arias posted a 2.97 ERA in 22 games at Jackson last year and earned a non-roster spring training invitation. He’s 24-years-old and is probably going to open the year back at Jackson – although, if he shows well in Peoria, he could get a promotion to Tacoma.
• Logan Bawcom: Picked up from the Dodgers in last summer’s Brandon League trade, Bawcom reportedly has a strong arm. He put up a 1.88 ERA in 12 games for Jackson after the trade even though he walked 15 batters in 14.1 innings. I suspect he’s headed back to Jackson to iron out that walks problem. He also received a spring training invitation.
• Yoervis Medina: A mainstay on the Mariners 40-man roster since 2011, this is Medina’s final option year. Great stuff finally translated into results last year: a 3.25 ERA and 77 strikeouts in 69.1 innings at Jackson. However, he walked 35. Because of his roster status and pure stuff, I have Medina tabbed as the most likely candidate from this group to get the promotion to Tacoma on opening day.
• Jandy Sena: Sena actually made several fill-in appearances for Tacoma last year, although he spent the majority of the season at Jackson. The big Cuban sinkerballer had a 2.88 ERA in 50 innings at Jackson, allowing only two home runs. He found that pitching in the PCL wasn’t quite as easy (11 runs allowed in 10.2 innings). It seems reasonable to think that he could be splitting time between AA and AAA again this year.
• Carson Smith: This is your sleeper, right here. Smith could be the 2013 version of Carter Capps: the guy who comes flying out of the low minors and jumps all the way to the big leagues in one season. He reportedly has a great fastball, and he had a 2.90 ERA with 77 strikeouts in 62 innings at hitter-friendly High Desert last year. I suspect he’ll start the season with Jackson – but, he’s invited to big league camp, and if that fastball impresses Eric Wedge, they might want to keep him nearby in Tacoma.
• Forrest Snow: The UW product opened 2012 with Tacoma, couldn’t find the strike zone, and was sent to Jackson. In Double-A he had a 4.43 ERA in 61 innings, with 43 strikeouts and 29 walks. He has starting and relieving experience; I’m really not sure what the organization’s plan is for Snow in 2013. At any rate, he’s another guy who could be wearing a Rainiers jersey at some point this season.

It’s an interesting group, all told. There is a complete bullpen of pitchers who can legitimately stake a claim to an opening day slot with Tacoma, plus a host of guys knocking on the door. This group may lack the older arms with MLB experience who opened in Tacoma last year (Josh Kinney, Oliver Perez, Sean Henn), but with so many expected returning relievers it makes sense.

Coming next Wednesday: a look at the Tacoma catching crew!

Links:

• Ryan Divish’s pre-spring training position-by-position look at the Mariners continued today with a glance at third base and Kyle Seager.
• Kyle, by the way, is not related to the guy who is playing the Tacoma Dome next month.
• Mariners catcher Jesus Montero‘s name has come up in the investigation of a Florida “anti-aging” clinic. So far, he has not been accused of any serious allegations. This story is in its infancy right now and we really can’t jump to any conclusions as the information trickles out.
• John McGrath took a look at the Houston Astros, who are moving to the AL West this season – which should help the Mariners won-loss record.
• I’m a sucker for any story that involves a 148-year-old baseball card found while “antiquing.”

Just breaking on Twitter right now, longtime Rainiers outfielder Mike Wilson has signed a minor league deal with the New York Mets. On Friday, we’ll have a Mike Wilson Tacoma career retrospective, as well as a news round-up. In the meantime, please stay away from your local South Florida Anti-Aging clinic.

Rainiers Rotation Round-Up

Today we start our position-by-position look at the spring training battles for spots on the Rainiers opening day roster. We’ll begin with the starting pitchers.

Assuming I didn’t accidentally miss someone, there are eleven candidates to make the Rainiers five-man starting rotation. Let’s run through the candidates:

THE VIRTUAL LOCKS

• Andrew Carraway: The returning Rainiers starter made 20 starts last year, going 6-7 with a 4.66 ERA. He had flashes of brilliance, and he now has a bit of PCL experience that will help the club. I expect to see Carraway in the Rainiers rotation.
• Brandon Maurer: The Mariners Minor League Pitcher of the Year award winner last year, Maurer went 9-2, 3.20 at Double-A Jackson, with 117 strikeouts in 137.2 innings. After the season, the Mariners protected him on their 40-man roster. We can count on Maurer getting the promotion to Tacoma in time for opening day.
• James Paxton: The left-hander overcame a mid-season knee injury to put together a very strong finish at Jackson, ending up with a 9-4, 3.05 line. Paxton had 110 strikeouts and 54 walks in 106.1 innings. He also pitched in the Arizona Fall League and is set for a bump up to Tacoma.

I think those three above are near-locks to make the Rainiers opening day starting rotation – whoever the new Tacoma clubbie is, he can start stitching the names on the back of the jerseys.

THE PROBABLE TACOMAN

• Danny Hultzen: The most confounding Mariners pitching prospect, Hultzen’s spring training performance will be watched like a hawk. After dominating Double-A Jackson last year, he was bumped up to Tacoma and could not find the strike zone, walking 43 batters and drilling four more in 48.2 innings. However, he has great stuff and Triple-A hitters didn’t hit him very hard. It seems highly likely he’ll break camp with Tacoma, but what happens if he can’t throw strikes in spring training? For me, this is the No. 1 story to watch in Peoria.

OK, now we have two players with Triple-A experience who could be starters or relievers.

WHAT’S THEIR ROLE?

• Hector Noesi: The right-hander acquired from the Yankees has good stuff, but boy-oh-boy did he struggle in the majors last year. His results in Tacoma weren’t all that great, either: 2-6, 5.74 in 11 starts. He tossed 64 innings for Tacoma and had 55 strikeouts and 22 walks – good numbers, yeah, but he allowed 80 hits and seven dingers. He reaches a consistent 94 mph as a starter, so the Mariners might be interested in seeing what happens with a move to the bullpen. One other factor: as of today, he is penciled in as the Mariners No. 5 starter… at the big league level.
• D.J. Mitchell: Of everybody on this list, Mitchell had the most success in Tacoma last year. He made eight starts after the Ichiro trade, posting a 2.96 ERA. He doesn’t have the pure stuff of Noesi, but he has savvy and intelligence on the mound. Mitchell also has more Triple-A experience than everyone else, making 49 career starts at this level. It seems logical for Mitchell to be in the Tacoma rotation – but if all of the kids get moved up, there might not be room for him at first. It’s possible he could be in the bullpen to open the season; it’s also possible he could get the start on opening day.

There are candidates who we should keep an eye on, but health issues are the main concern.

THE GET HEALTHY GUYS

• Anthony Vasquez: The lefty reached the majors in 2011, but he struggled with elbow problems in Tacoma last year. In November the real trouble came: emergency brain surgery. Last we heard, he was recovering and hoping to be able to participate in spring training. We wish Anthony the best – and it would be quite a story if he returned to the mound in Tacoma.
• Jeremy Bonderman: The Mariners took a flier on the former major leaguer, who hasn’t pitched since 2010 and is coming off elbow surgery. He is in camp on a minor league deal, so I am including him here because it is possible he could be with the Rainiers. However, we won’t have any idea how he is progressing until we get into spring training and people see him pitch.

We already have two rookies in the probable rotation, in Maurer and Paxton. There could be more!

THE KIDS

• Taijuan Walker: Considered to be the top pitching prospect on the Mariners farm, Walker spent all of 2012 with Double-A Jackson. He made 25 starts, going 7-10, 4.69. He supposedly has the best stuff and the best athleticism of the M’s pitching prospects. His mediocre numbers last year have been attributed to the development process: he spent a lot of time working on his complimentary pitches, trying to improve his change-up, rather than just blow hitters away. Walker is only 20 years old and a return to Jackson to open the season is expected – although we should see him in Tacoma at some point in 2013.
• Anthony Fernandez: A 22-year-old lefty who came on strong last year, Fernandez was added to the Mariners 40-man roster in November. He has just 13 Double-A starts under his belt, but they were good ones. I think he’ll open the year in Jackson, but keep this name filed away. We’re gonna see him eventually.

Every Triple-A team needs a swing-man; a guy who can pitch in the bullpen and also in the starting rotation, moving between roles as the situation changes. We have one for 2013.

THE CAGEY VETERAN

• Brian Sweeney: The rubber-armed veteran will be with the Rainiers. He will start the season in the bullpen but you can count on him to swing into the rotation at some point. My favorite get-away day pitcher since Rusty Meacham, Sweeney works quickly and throws strikes. Sweeney can also be a positive influence on the young pitchers.

Want to take a stab at the Rainiers opening day rotation? Go for it in the comments. Here is my guess, based on nothing but my gut feel here on January 30: Mitchell, Carraway, Hultzen, Maurer, Paxton.

Links:

• Apparently, the Mariners are on the verge of signing Kelly Shoppach to be the back-up catcher.
• Only one man in our media market could come up with Ten Interesting Facts about Kelly Shoppach.
• Larry Stone listed the Mariners players he is looking forward to seeing in spring training.
• Another from Stone: he caught up with Lou Piniella.
• John Sickles has the Mariners ranked as the No. 2 farm system in baseball.
• For you long-time fans, former Rainiers reliever Scott Atchison signed a minor league deal with the New York Mets.
• How did Branch Rickey‘s bible signed by the 1953 Pittsburgh Pirates turn up in the Sacramento library? Nobody knows.
• Here is something we do know: Tacoma is an excellent burger town. Sue Kidd of The News Tribune brings us a State Of The Burgers Address.

I plan to be back on Friday with a news round-up. The next Rainiers position we will cover will be the bullpen, and that is coming on Wednesday, February 6.

Mariners Protect Five Minor Leaguers

The Seattle Mariners added five minor league prospects to the 40-man major league roster on Tuesday evening – including a pair of Tacoma Rainiers.

The five added players include 2012 Rainiers Vinnie Catricala and Bobby LaFromboise, as well as lower-level minor leaguers Brandon Maurer, Anthony Fernandez, and Julio Morban.

To make room on the roster, the Mariners designated Chone Figgins and Scott Cousins for assignment.

Here’s a run-down on the five prospects:

Catricala was the Mariners Minor League Player of the year in 2011, batting .349 with 25 homers and 106 RBI across Class-A and Double-A. He spent all of the 2012 season with the Rainiers and struggled in his first Triple-A season, batting .229 with 10 homers. Still, the Mariners see enough potential in Catricala that they do not want to risk losing him. The 2013 season will be a crucial one for Catricala.

LaFromboise was the Tacoma Rainiers Pitcher of the Year in 2012, posting a 1.59 ERA in 27 relief appearances. LaFromboise is a major league ready left-handed relief specialist. Now that he is on the roster, he needs to somehow crack a Mariners bullpen that already has three quality left-handed relievers. This is an area of strength for the Mariners right now.

Maurer was the Mariners Minor League Pitcher of the Year in 2012, spending the entire season at Double-A Jackson putting up a 9-2 record with a 3.20 ERA in 24 starts. Possessing a mid-90s fastball, the 22-year-old right-hander had 117 strikeouts in 137 innings. Maurer wasn’t really on the radar prior to 2012 due to injury problems – a full season of good health did wonders for him. Expect to see Maurer in the Rainiers starting rotation to open 2013.

Fernandez, 22, had a breakthrough season as a starting pitcher in 2012. He opened the year in hitter-friendly High Desert, pitched very well there, and then continued to have success after a mid-season promotion to Jackson. Combined he went 6-8 with a 3.51 ERA. The lefty struck out 134 batters in 164 innings. Whether he starts the season in Jackson or Tacoma will depend on the number of Triple-A free agent starters the Mariners sign, and spring training performance.

Morban, 20, is a toolsy Class-A outfielder who put up good numbers at Class-A High Desert in 2012 – when he was on the field. He appeared in just 76 games because of three trips to the disabled list. However, he walloped 17 homers in that half-season, batting .313 with a .911 OPS. Unless he goes bananas at Jackson in the first half of 2013, we probably won’t see him in Tacoma until 2014.

As for the two players removed from the roster, Cousins was just claimed on waivers a few weeks ago; he might clear and be with the Rainiers in 2013 – we’ll find out next week. Figgins you know about – or if not, he’s the subject of the stories linked below.

Links:

• The newspapers focused on the end of the Chone Figgins Era – we have stories by Ryan Divish of The News Tribune and Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times.
• Larry Stone writes that the Mariners should have cut ties with Figgins long ago.
• Baker got some quotes from new Mariners infielder Robert Andino.
• Jason Churchill has a brief write-up of Julio Morban.
• The Mariners released their most recent Winter League Report yesterday.
• Two former Rainiers were removed from 40-man rosters yesterday: Adam Moore from the Royals and Bryan LaHair from the Cubs. LaHair is a special case – it appears he is being sold to a team in Japan, where he will be payed handsomely.
• Former Rainiers skipper Dave Brundage (2006) was named manager of the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs – that’s the Phillies Triple-A club.
• The Chicago Cubs signed outfielder Johermyn Chavez as a minor league free agent; he spent the last two years with the Mariners Double-A Jackson affiliate. I previously speculated that the Mariners would try to keep him.

Have a great Thanksgiving!

Roster Moves Coming, Vasquez’s Big Scare

I’m back! Sorry for the lack of updates the last 6-7 days, I was out-of-town but that’s all over now. I’m hunkering down for the winter and will be with you for the remainder of the off-season. We have lots to go over so let’s get to it.

Sometime before 9:00 tonight the Mariners have to set their 40-man roster to protect players for the Rule 5 draft. To keep it simple, certain minor league players are eligible to be drafted by other MLB teams if they promote that player to the majors for the entire season. Eligible players have either three or four years of minor league experience, depending on how they were drafted/signed.

Anyway, it means that the Mariners are probably going to cut a few guys from the 40-man, and add a few as well.

Seattle Times scribe Larry Stone runs through some of the options on his blog right here.

The 2012 Rainiers had two players that will create interesting decisions.

Left-handed reliever Bobby LaFromboise is the player most likely to be selected in the Rule 5 Draft. Left-handed relief specialists historically get picked in the Rule 5 Draft, and LaFromboise appears ready to pitch in the majors. So, easy decision, right? You put him on the 40-man. Wait… it’s not so easy, because the Mariners already have three excellent left-handed relief specialists on the roster in Charlie Furbush, Oliver Perez, and Lucas Luetge. Only a rash of injuries – or a trade – would cause them to need more left-handed relief help.

Then there is the confounding Vinnie Catricala situation. Catricala was the Mariners Minor League Player of the Year in 2011, but he struggled mightily throughout the 2012 season during his first Triple-A campaign. If he was eligible last winter, he would have been placed on the 40-man roster in a no-brainer decision. But after the 2012 season, would any other team draft him and keep him in the majors all year? It seems unlikely… but Catricala did just play in the Arizona Fall League, which is heavily scouted by all 30 MLB teams. What are those other teams thinking on Catricala? Can the Mariners risk leaving him exposed?

The one no-brainer the Mariners have is Double-A starter Brandon Maurer, who was tremendous for Jackson in 2012. He’s going on the 40-man roster, and he’ll probably be in the Rainiers rotation come opening day.

—

The Mariners made a trade today, sending outfielder Trayvon Robinson to the Baltimore Orioles for utility infielder Robert Andino.

We’ve talked about how Robinson is out of options and is either making the opening day roster or being exposed to waivers. It was going to be hard for Trayvon to make the team, so I think this is a good deal.

Andino will take the utility infield position that opened up when Muneori Kawasaki was released. Andino is a high-energy player and a lively clubhouse guy, if my experience seeing him in the Triple-A All-Star Game in Toledo a few year ago is any indication.

Hopefully Trayvon will have a good experience in Baltimore and will get a decent shot at making the Orioles roster.

—

Rainiers pitcher Anthony Vasquez had a serious scare over the last week, and after what could only have been a terrifying ordeal his prognosis looks good.

Vasquez had emergency brain surgery on Friday, and the situation was life-threatening. Fortunately – before we even learned this was happening – Vasquez had a successful surgery and it appears that he is in the clear.

Can you even imagine? Please, send some positive thoughts Anthony’s way.

The whole story on Vasquez was published by Greg Johns of MLB.com, you can read the details right here.

Links:

• The Peoria Javelinas won the Arizona Fall League championship on a disputed call. The Mariners supplied seven players to the Javelinas, so congratulations to Vinnie Catricala, Nick Franklin, Bobby LaFromboise and the rest of the fellas.
• At USS Mariner, marc w has a post on Mariners prospects in the Fall and Winter leagues. I’ll have my own post on these leagues later on – maybe next week?
• Popular ex-Rainiers infielder Matt Tuiasosopo has signed a minor league contract with the Detroit Tigers. That means that if he doesn’t make the big league club, he’ll be a Toledo Mud Hen.
• Former Rainiers reliever Brian Fuentes announced his retirement. A member of Tacoma’s 2001 PCL Co-Champion team, the left-hander was named to four major league all-star teams.
• Former Rainiers pitcher R.A. Dickey won the National League Cy Young Award.
• Former baseball scout turned baseball writer Bernie Pleskoff has a glowing report on Mariners catching prospect Mike Zunino. He uses the phrase “impact player” – that’s a term scouts don’t throw around casually.
• David Schoenfield wrote a column on how the Mariners could contend next year.
• Ichiro announced he will not play for Japan in the World Baseball Classic. Ichiro had the game-winning hit in the championship game the last time the WBC was played, in 2009.
• The Mariners are selling a DVD of Felix Hernandez‘s perfect game, and it’s priced right at ten bucks.
• I know I’m fortunate that I don’t have to buy tickets so my perspective may be off-base, but this Tacoma Rainiers Black Friday season ticket deal looks like a straight steal to my eyes.
• Trades? 40-man roster decisions? Brain surgery? Rhubarb The Reindeer celebrated Thanksgiving, and we have video.

We’ll be back tomorrow with a look at the Mariners 40-man roster moves.

Will Luis Jimenez Return To Tacoma Next Year?

Prior to World Series Game Two last night, the Seattle Mariners announced that slugging designated hitter Luis Jimenez has been outrighted to Triple-A Tacoma.

What this means is that the Mariners removed Jimenez from their 40-man Major League roster, and he cleared waivers and was assigned to the Tacoma roster. Yes, there is a Tacoma roster, even in the off-season, for organizational purposes (we never get to see it).

This does  not mean, yet, that Luis will return to the Rainiers next season. Because he has over six full seasons of minor league time, Jimenez is allowed to declare himself a minor league free agent after the World Series is complete. He’ll probably do this, to keep his options open.

Then it is up to the Mariners and Luis. The Mariners could offer him a Triple-A contract with a decent salary, plus an invitation to big league spring training, and Luis might go for it. Or, Luis could accept an offer from another team – I’m sure he’ll get a few offers, he has value as a Triple-A slugger for an American League affiliate.

With no “inside” information, I think that if the Mariners offer Luis a decent contract, he’ll come back. Three big reasons why:

• the Mariners were the first team to ever give him a major league opportunity.
• the Mariners have strong ties to the Cardinales de Lara, Jimenez’s Venezuelan Winter League team. Luis is the superstar of this team.
• stability, which could be a key for Jimenez, who prior to signing with Seattle two seasons ago was a true baseball nomad.

On the other side of the coin, why would the Mariners re-sign Luis? Point #2 up above, the relationship with Lara, would be the biggest reason other than simply providing Tacoma with a good DH. We just don’t know if the Mariners are interested in keeping him in the organization.

There’s nothing we can do now except wait and see how it plays out.

—

The Giants went up on Detroit last night, 2-0 in the series. Coincidentally, they won Game Two by a score of 2-0.

Madison Bumgarner silenced all critics with about as strong of an outing as anyone could have asked for, going seven shutout innings to earn the win.

Former Rainiers pitcher Doug Fister took a tough loss for Detroit, surrendering one run over six innings. Fister also got knocked in the head by a line drive, yet he shook it off and kept on pitching. I couldn’t believe he stayed in the game after that, but he appeared unshaken.

The series moves to Detroit for Game Three on Saturday at 5:07 (Fox), and then Game Four on Sunday also at 5:07 (also on Fox). It’s Ryan Vogelsong vs. Anibal Sanchez in Game Three, and Matt Cain vs. Max Scherzer in Game Four. This brings us to today’s poll:

Links:

• We start with the AP news story on Game Two, with all of the details revealed in AP Style.
• Doug Fister took a hit and kept on going.
• At the back-in-action Mariners blog at The News Tribune, there is a brief post with a quality photo of Luis Jimenez.
• Mariners shortstop Brendan Ryan won a Fielding Bible award, which is awarded to one player at each position in the majors for defensive excellence. Link includes a highlight reel video.
• Unsurprising fact: after you hit three home runs in one World Series game, it’s easy to convince your favorite restaurant to re-open its kitchen.
• From Baseball America’s minor league transactions and other sources, two former Rainiers catchers were designated for assignment by MLB teams this week: Jeff Clement and Rob Johnson. You know what’s funny? The Rainiers could use Rob Johnson in 2013 – they need a veteran catcher.
• In the PCL, the New York Mets front office brass made their first visit to new Triple-A affiliate Las Vegas. If I was Sandy Alderson I would make monthly trips to “evaluate the Triple-A club.”
• On twitter, Oakland A’s beat writer Susan Slusser reported that Sacramento manager Darren Bush has been promoted to A’s bullpen coach. That is the first time I have ever heard of a Triple-A manager becoming a Major League bullpen coach. A weird one, for sure, but congrats to Bush.

Have a great weekend!

New Pitchers Debut

We saw both pitchers acquired in the Ichiro trade make their Rainiers debuts on Thursday night.

D.J. Mitchell started. He’s a skinny, 6-foot right-hander with really good complimentary pitches. His fastball topped out at 89 miles per hour, and sat at 86-87. That’s not very fast – but, he made up for it by using a very good change-up, which faded away from left-handed hitters and got some swings-and-misses.

Mitchell also showed a strong curve ball, which he was able to throw for strikes. While he struggled with his fastball command, he was able to throw the other two pitches for strikes, and he often “pitched backwards” and threw first-pitch curves or changes to the batter.

Mitchell lasted five innings and allowed one run on four hits. He walked two and struck out four. He also ended up taking the loss, because the Rainiers were shut out on three hits, 1-0.

The other new Tacoma pitcher is reliever Danny Farquhar, who pitched a scoreless eighth inning. Farquhar is a small guy by baseball pitcher standards, standing 5-foot-10. Don’t be fooled by his size – he has some arm strength, topping out at 94 miles per hour on the Rainiers gun.

Farquhar walked the leadoff man and allowed a one-out single, getting himself into a 1st-and-3rd, one-out jam with clean-up hitter Matt Clark at the plate. Farquhar was able to bear down. He got Clark to pop up on the infield and then retired the next hitter to escape the jam.

Justin Smoak had two of Tacoma’s three hits, including a long double to right-center.

And immediately after I lauded him as being major-league ready, Darren Ford went 0-for-4, ending his ten-game hitting streak. It was only Ford’s third hitless game in 34 games in a Rainiers uniform.

—

We had some news before the game: the Mariners released veteran reliever Scott Patterson.

It wasn’t because of performance – Patterson has a 2.94 ERA this year. It was simply because of the addition of the two new pitchers, and the fact that the Mariners did not see the 33-year-old Patterson as a part of their youth movement.

Scott pitched for Tacoma for three seasons, getting into 91 games. His 19 career saves ties him for 17th on the Tacoma All-Time Saves list. He was a part of the 2010 PCL Championship run, and he participated in many Tacoma community events over the years. We’re going to miss him.

Patterson actually made the rounds during the game, saying goodbye to office workers and some fans while the game was being played. He stopped by the radio booth in the top of the ninth inning of a 1-0 game, thoroughly disrupting my flow.

Hopefully he’ll latch on with another team for the stretch run.

—

More late-breaking roster news: the Rainiers have sent reliever Jandy Sena back to Double-A Jackson, and hard-throwing right-hander Carter Capps is coming up.

Capps has been known to reach 100 miles per hour on the radar gun. At Jackson, he had 19 saves, a 1.26 ERA, and 72 strikeouts with only 12 walks in 50 innings pitched. Reportedly, he has recently improved his off-speed pitch to warrant the promotion.

—

Tonight’s homestand finale is at 7:05, and it’s Friday Night Fireworks after the game. Tacoma starts LHP Steve Garrison (0-3, 5.76) against Tucson RHP Bear Bay (2-5, 4.81). Catch the broadcast on South Sound Sports 850 AM and streaming online right here.

 

Links:

• We lead off with the Rainiers game story from The News Tribune, inked by Doug Pacey.
• In Seattle, Jason Vargas tossed a gem and said that he doesn’t want to be traded.
• The Mariners have added Alvin Davis to the minor league coaching staff as a roving instructor.
• Larry Stone has a blog post about how the contract extension signed by Cole Hamels might effect Felix Hernandez.
• The non-baseball event of the year at Cheney Stadium is this Sunday, and entry is free. It’s The Moveable Feast, Tacoma’s first-ever food truck festival, and it will be in (where else) the Cheney Stadium parking lot. Here’s a preview from The News Tribune.
• Oh, yeah! Taijuan Walker had a dominant start last night and the Mariners pitching prospect took home the No. 1 spot on Baseball America’s weekly Prospect Hot Sheet.
• In the PCL, there was umpire controversy and a late rally as Sacramento beat Salt Lake, 11-7. Also, actor Bill Murray was there.
• Fresno edged Las Vegas, 2-1, and now the 51s trail Sacramento by 2.5 games in the South.
• Details are limited, but Reno beat Colorado Springs in 11 innings last night, 11-10. The Sky Sox went into Aces Ballpark with all of the momentum and only 5.5 games back – and now they trail by 8.5 and are in danger of being swept.
• Oklahoma City allowed two runs in the top of the tenth inning, and then scored three in the bottom of the tenth to beat Iowa and move back into first place in the American-South. New catcher Chris Wallace had the game-winning pinch-hit two-run single. In the notes: the Astros moved top pitching prospect Jarred Cosart up to Triple-A and he starts for Oklahoma City tonight.
• Nashville pitching prospect Wily Peralta was dealing and the Sounds beat Memphis. Peralta struck out 11.
• Outfielder Chris Aguila set the New Orleans franchise home run record in a 5-1 win over Omaha last night. It was his 57th, passing slugger J.R. Phillips. Tacoma’s record is 72, set by Rick Renick in the 1970s.
• Round Rock avoided extra innings and beat Albuquerque, 3-2. They’ve played extra innings in three of the last five games – which is nothing. Make it four-of-six with an 18-inning juego mixed in and then call me.
• New Rainiers head groundskeeper David Schutt needs to read this story so that he can decide where to put a pit on the field at Cheney Stadium. On the field, David – not on the press level, thanks!

Friday Night Fireworks – see ya at the yard, Meat.*

* sorry for the mid-1990s baseball slang, it slips out sometimes. Don’t worry, “Meat” was a respectful pronoun back in the day. You’re good.

More Roster Moves

Tacoma made a few more roster moves before Thursday’s game: Brian Sweeney was activated from the disabled list, and both catcher Brandon Bantz and outfielder Johan Limonta were placed on it.

Limonta has returned to Miami to attend his naturalization hearing, completing the process to become a US citizen.

Catcher Miguel Olivo is not rehabbing with the Rainiers today. Catcher Ralph Henriquez is on his way from Double-A Jackson, but I’ve been told he won’t be coming to Des Moines, and is in fact meeting the Rainiers tomorrow in Tacoma.

That makes super-utilityman Leury Bonilla the back-up catcher for today’s game!