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Mariners, Dylan Moore Agree to Three-Year Extension

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The Mariners and infielder/outfielder Dylan Moore are in agreement on a three-year extension to avoid arbitration, reports Jeff Passan of ESPN. Moore will earn $8.875MM over the course of the pact, with escalators that could push his earnings beyond $9MM. There are no options in the deal. This deal buys out his two remaining arbitration seasons and one free agent year.

Moore, 30, has been a fixture of the Mariners for the past four seasons in a sort of Swiss army knife capacity, providing the club with a little bit of everything. He’s appeared in 381 games in that time, playing every position on the diamond except catcher, even including one inning on the mound in 2019. He’s probably stretched as a shortstop, since all three of Defensive Runs Saved, Outs Above Average and Ultimate Zone Rating all give him negative grades there, but they all like his work in the outfield and at second base, with his marks at other positions coming in around average.

He’s hit 35 home runs in his 1,073 plate appearances and also stolen 65 bases. His 30% strikeout rate is certainly on the high side, but he’s also drawn walks at a strong 10% rate and has a career batting line of .208/.317/.384. That production has amounted to a wRC+ of 100, indicating he’s been exactly league average at the plate for his career. That performance at the plate has been fairly inconsistent, with Moore hitting very well in 2020 but following it up with a rough showing the year after. His .255/.358/.496 batting line in the shortened season led to a 140 wRC+ but he hit just .181/.276/.334 in 2021 for a wRC+ of 74. It’s possible that a lot of bad luck was hounding him that year, as he had just a .229 batting average on balls in play, almost 100 points shy of the year prior. He put that misfortune behind him with a strong .224/.368/.385 line last year for a 126 wRC+.

Moore first qualified for arbitration a year ago and earned a salary of $1.35MM. For the upcoming season, he was projected to get a bump to $2MM by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz but he and the club couldn’t come to an agreement prior to the filing deadline a few weeks ago. He submitted a figure of $2.25MM with the club filing at $1.9MM, though they’ve now agreed to a longer commitment instead of going to a hearing over that difference. Since he was a late bloomer, he didn’t make it to the big leagues until he was 26 and wasn’t slated to reach the open market until after his 32nd birthday, but he’s carved a role for himself in Seattle and found a way to lock in some sizeable earnings.

Moore underwent surgery in the offseason to address a core injury that he sustained at the end of last season. That procedure came with a 6-8 week recovery estimate, indicating Moore should be good to go for the upcoming season. Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto recently revealed that Moore might be slightly behind his teammates when Spring Training begins, but it doesn’t seem as though the club has any significant concerns about Moore’s health, given their investment in him.

He might not have a direct path to regular playing time at the moment, but given his ability to play just about anywhere, he will surely find a way in there as injuries and underperformance will inevitably crop up somewhere. The regular infield alignment for the M’s will likely have Ty France at first, Kolten Wong at second, J.P. Crawford at shortstop and Eugenio Suarez at third. The outfield mix includes Julio Rodríguez in center, with Teoscar Hernández, AJ Pollock, Jarred Kelenic and Taylor Trammell candidates for time in the corners or as the designated hitter. Tommy La Stella, Sam Haggerty and Moore should all be on the roster as well, filling in at various spots as needed.

Dipoto: Mariners Likely Done Adding To Roster Before Camp

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Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto appeared on the latest Locked On Mariners podcast with Ty Dane Gonzalez and Colby Patnode and offered a fairly thorough review of the club’s offseason strategy and overall roster makeup leading into the 2023 campaign. First off, they’re likely done spending for the time being …

“We might wind up coming up with a late trade like we did a year ago with Eugenio Suarez and Jesse Winker by way of Cincinnati,” said Dipoto. “We could pick up a couple of extra NRIs, the non-roster invites … we’re constantly trying to add to the depth of what we go to Spring Training with. But if I had to bet on anything major happening before we step foot on the field, I’d bet against it at this point. And we’re comfortable with that. We feel like we have improved this team.”

Winker is gone after one highly disappointing season in Seattle, having been dealt to the Brewers in December as part of a package for rangy second baseman Kolten Wong. Among the other newcomers: Teoscar Hernandez, acquired via trade from the Blue Jays in November. AJ Pollock, brought in on a one-year, $7MM free agent contract earlier this month. And also Tommy La Stella, signed to a one-year major league pact 10 days ago.

Dipoto views this as more of a deep and dynamic group than what the Mariners put out there in 2022, when they snapped the longest postseason drought in North American professional sports before getting swept by the eventual World Series-champion Astros in the ALDS. Most of the additions have been on the position-player side, which makes sense given that Seattle finished 14th last year in combined team OPS at .704 and 8th in combined team ERA with a mark of 3.59.

Hernández will be the new starter in right field, with near-unanimous 2022 AL Rookie of the Year Award winner Julio Rodríguez locked into center for possibly the next decade-plus. Dipoto expressed hope that Jarred Kelenic can take a step forward and grab the reins in left. Taylor Trammell figures to factor into the outfield mix as well, and so can the versatile Dylan Moore if he makes a full recovery from offseason surgery to address a core injury. Moore will be a little behind his teammates when Spring Training officially gets underway next month, which maybe gives young speedster Cade Marlowe a chance to shine.

The infield looks set with Ty France at first base, Wong sliding into second, Suarez handling third, and J.P. Crawford returning at short. La Stella will back up a couple of those spots along with Moore and Sam Haggerty. Cal Raleigh should get the majority of the action at catcher, with a healthier Tom Murphy sitting behind him in reserve. “All baseball activity is in play now,” Dipoto said of Murphy, who appeared in only 14 games in 2022 because of a left shoulder injury that required season-ending surgery in June. “His workouts have gone extremely well … We missed Murph.”

The bullpen largely has the same dominant names and faces — Paul Sewald, Andres Munoz, Diego Castillo, Matt Brash, Penn Murfee — that helped produce a combined 3.33 reliever ERA (6th in MLB) and 583 strikeouts in 544 innings last season. Justin Topa, recently picked up from Milwaukee, drew praise from Dipoto as an under-the-radar breakout candidate in that department.

The biggest camp battle, as things stand right now, is going to be for the final spot in the starting rotation. Chris Flexen and Marco Gonzales are the frontrunners, but Dipoto sees Emerson Hancock, Bryce Miller, Taylor Dollard and Bryan Woo knocking on the door as the season plays out. Luis Castillo, Logan Gilbert, Robbie Ray and George Kirby can be penciled into the top four spots, pending any sudden injuries.

Requested Salary Figures For 33 Players Who Didn’t Reach Agreements By Arbitration-Filing Deadline

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January 13 was the deadline for teams and arbitration-eligible players to exchange salary figures in advance of possible hearings, and as usual, the large majority of players worked out one-year agreements (or extensions) for their 2023 salaries.  MLBTR’s Arbitration Tracker detailed these agreements, though there is still quite a bit of unfinished business, as 33 players still don’t have their deals settled, and thus their 2023 salaries could be determined by an arbiter.

Typically, arb hearings take place in February or March, yet there isn’t anything officially preventing a team from still reaching an agreement with a player up until the moment an arbiter makes their ruling.  However, most clubs employ the “file and trial” strategy as a way of putting more pressure on players to accept agreements prior to the figure-exchange deadline.  In short, once the deadline passes, teams head to hearings with no more negotiation about a one-year salary, though clubs are typically still willing to discuss multi-year extensions.

Here are the 33 players who have yet to reach an agreement on their 2023 salaries, as well as the players’ requested salary and the team’s counter-offer.  As always, clubs (and the league as a whole) pay very close attention to arbitration salaries, since any outlier of a number can serve as a precedent in the future, thus raising the bar for both one particular players and perhaps players as a whole.  This is why teams are generally adamant about the “file and trial” tactic and taking the risk of a sometimes-awkward arb hearing, even in cases where there is a relatively small gap between the club’s figure and the player’s figure.

[RELATED: Arbitration projections from MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz]

Nineteen of the 30 teams have at least one unsettled case remaining, with the Rays (by far) leading the way with seven players on pace to reach hearings.  Given that Tampa Bay entered the offseason with an enormous 19-player arbitration class, it perhaps isn’t surprising that the Rays still have a lot of work to do, even after trimming that initial class size with non-tenders and trades.  Teoscar Hernandez’s $16MM is the largest figure submitted by any of the 33 players, while Kyle Tucker and Bo Bichette have the largest gap between submitted figures, each with a $2.5MM difference between their hoped-for salaries and the numbers respectively submitted by the Astros and Blue Jays.

The total list (which will be updated as settlements are reached and hearing results become known)….

Mariners Notes: Outfield, Dylan Moore

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The Mariners have been more focused on the trade market than free agency this winter, adding Kolten Wong from the Brewers and Teoscar Hernandez from the Blue Jays, and while there’s additions still to be made, Corey Brock of The Athletic reports that it’s unlikely they’ll add significant piece through free agency. With that being said, Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times relays that Jerry Dipoto would ideally like to add one or two bats, including a right-handed corner outfielder, or a corner infielder.

“We’d like to find one more bat … maybe two,” Dipoto said. “We’re open to doing it, but we’re also perfectly happy to go with what we have.”

Starting with the outfield, Hernandez and Julio Rodriguez will occupy two of the spots, but a change in left could be possible. Mitch Haniger recently signed with the Giants on a three-year, $43.5MM deal, while Jesse Winker was dealt to the Brewers. They’ve currently got former top prospect Jarred Kelenic penciled in to handle left, but he’s struggled to hit big league pitching. Taylor Trammell is another young option, but he too has struggled to hit in the big leagues. Both Kelenic and Trammell are left handers. It’s possible the Mariners could look to trade one or both of those two names to acquire a corner outfielder, and both are certainly still young enough that teams will have interest in trying to extract their upside.

There’s a few directions the Mariners could go in the the corner spot and it’s hard to know where to draw the line at what constitutes a “significant piece” when it comes to free agency. Aaron Judge is obviously the best outfielder available, with the next best right-handed option probably being Trey Mancini. Other options could include a shorter-term, veteran such as Andrew McCutchen or AJ Pollock. Alternatively, the team could turn to the trade market. Bryan Reynolds handed in a trade request over the weekend, and while he’s a switch-hitter and not a pure right-hander, he grades out well in left and the Mariners have had previous interest in the Pirate.

The infield appears less urgent for Dipoto and co. Eugenio Suarez and Ty France are currently slotted into the two corner spots, but that’s not to say there’s not a move to be made there. Utility infielder Abraham Toro was part of the Wong trade, and he spent a fair bit of time at third in 2022 so the Mariners could look for a similar type of player to come in and fill that role off the bench. They’ve also opened up the DH spot a bit by trading Winker, and so they could look to rotate Suarez and France in and out of that spot a bit more in 2023 to keep everyone fresh.

One such utility player on the roster currently is Dylan Moore, and Dipoto confirmed he’d undergo surgery for a core injury that Moore’s had since the end of the season. The procedure would take place in the coming days, and comes with a 6-8 week window of recovery, so providing there’s no setbacks Moore should be good to go for spring training. The 30-year-old hit .224/.368/.385 across 255 plate appearances in 2022 while logging time at every position apart from pitcher and catcher, although he spent the bulk of his time in right field and shortstop.

Mariners Place Eugenio Suarez On 10-Day Injured List

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The Mariners have placed third baseman Eugenio Suarez on the 10-day injured list due to a fracture in the tip of his right index finger, manager Scott Servais told reporters (including The Athletic’s Corey Brock, The Seattle Times’ Ryan Divish, and MLB.com’s Daniel Kramer).  Utilityman Dylan Moore has been activated from the 10-day IL to take Suarez’s roster spot, with Moore returning after about three weeks missed due to an oblique strain.

More will likely be known about Suarez’s timeline after he visits a specialist on Monday, but for now, there is optimism that the fracture is minor enough that he’ll be able to return before the regular season is over.  However, he might be limited to designated hitter work if he is able to come back, as throwing is the biggest question mark for the right-handed Suarez.

Losing Suarez is a big setback for a Mariners team that has been on a dream run for the last few months, positioning themselves to win a wild card and reach the postseason for the first time since 2001.  Beyond just making the playoffs, the M’s were looking to make a deep run into October, yet that will be a lot more difficult if Suarez is limited or perhaps unable to play whatsoever.

After struggling in both the 2020 and 2021 seasons, Suarez became an expendable piece for the cost-cutting Reds, who dealt Suarez and Jesse Winker to Seattle in March for a package of four younger players.  Ironically, Winker was seen as the big get at the time, as Suarez’s inclusion in the deal was largely seen as a contract the Mariners had to absorb in order to pry Winker out of Cincinnati.

As it has turned out, Winker has delivered roughly league-average offense in 2022, while Suarez has bounced back to become one of the Mariners’ top bats.  The third baseman has hit .235/.335/.470 with 31 home runs over 594 plate appearances, translating to a 133 OPS+/135 wRC+.  Though Suarez has a league-high 183 strikeouts, he has been crushing the ball when he has made contact, and his 12% walk rate is in the 90th percentile of all players.  Beyond the offensive production, Suarez has also been something of an unexpected benefit at third base, with positive grades (+1 Outs Above Average, +3 Defensive Runs Saved, +2.1 UZR/150) from several public defensive metrics.

Only 25 position players have a higher fWAR than Suarez’s 4.4 number, making him a difficult player for the Mariners to feasibly replace.  If he is able to return as a DH and keep on hitting, the M’s would be more than pleased with that outcome — given how Carlos Santana has been inconsistent as the team’s regular designated hitter, Suarez might even be an upgrade in the role.

Third base is another story, as Moore and Abraham Toro figure to be the top options in the short term.  Servais said that Jake Lamb will also get some work at the hot corner, and regular first baseman Ty France also took some grounders at third base today.  France has past experience as a third baseman but he hasn’t played the position at all this season, and made only 11 appearances at third base in 2020-21.

Mariners Place Julio Rodriguez, Dylan Moore On 10-Day IL; Ty France To Undergo MRI

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The Mariners placed outfielder Julio Rodriguez (right wrist contusion) and utilityman Dylan Moore (back spasms) on the 10-day injured list.  Jarred Kelenic has been called up from Triple-A, and first baseman/outfielder Jack Larsen’s contract has been selected from Double-A.  To make room for Larsen on the 40-man roster, left-hander Anthony Misiewicz has been designated for assignment.

Last night’s 5-4 win over the Astros was a costly victory for the Mariners, as Rodriguez, Moore, and Sam Haggerty (due to a cut on his forehead) all had to leave the game, making Seattle’s late-inning triumph all the more improbable.  If that wasn’t enough, Ty France is also set to undergo an MRI, as his bothersome left wrist injury again flared up late in the game.

Rodriguez’s injury drew the most immediate concern after the star rookie was hit on the right hand while swinging, though x-rays were negative.  Rodriguez is still sore enough that he won’t be able to swing for the next 4-5 days, manager Scott Servais told Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times and other reporters, and thus the IL stint was necessary to both keep the Mariners from being undermanned and to give Rodriguez time to get healthy.

There’s no easy way to replace Rodriguez, who has quickly cemented himself as both the present and future of Seattle baseball.  The outfielder is the heavy favorite to capture AL Rookie Of The Year honors, unless this IL stint lingers or impacts Rodriguez’s production once he does return.  Likewise, France also made the AL All-Star team this year and has basically done nothing but hit since the M’s acquired him from the Padres at the 2020 trade deadline.

Rodriguez and France are the Mariners’ two team leaders in fWAR, so losing at least one and potentially both to injury just prior to the trade deadline leaves Seattle’s front office in a tight spot.  President of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto implied that after the Luis Castillo trade, the M’s could be done with any huge moves, and were relying on Mitch Haniger’s return to boost the offense rather than rely on any outside pieces.  The Mariners still have over 52 hours to monitor and evaluate Rodriguez and France before the 5pm CT deadline on August 2, but if there’s any uncertainty, the aggressive Dipoto might opt to swing at least a depth trade for the lineup just in case.

Moore has been a valuable player in his own right, posting a 116 wRC+ (from five homers and a .197/.350/.367 slash line in 185 PA) and playing at least one game at seven different positions around the diamond this season.  Abraham Toro will have to pick up some of the utility slack in the interim, though Toro has mostly played only second and third base during his two seasons with the Mariners.  Back spasms might not sideline Moore for much beyond the 10-day minimum, yet Dipoto could also explore adding a multi-position player to help fill Moore’s shoes in the short term.

Kelenic will get another opportunity to establish himself in the majors after struggling badly in first 473 plate appearances in the Show.  Kelenic has hit .173/.256/.338 as a big leaguer, with an ungainly 30% strikeout rate.  That swing-and-miss has crept into Kelenic’s work in the minors, as though he is hitting well at Triple-A, his strikeout rate over 252 PA for Tacoma this season is 23.8%, considerably up from 15.4% in 143 Triple-A PA in 2021.

Larsen went undrafted in 2017, but after inking a deal with the Mariners shortly after the amateur draft, the UC San Diego product is now on the verge of his Major League debut without so much as a cup of coffee at the Triple-A level.  The 27-year-old has played all three outfield positions and a handful of games as a first baseman, though Larsen hasn’t played any center field this year.  At the plate, Larsen has hit .266/.371/.444 in 564 career PA in Double-A ball.  Neither Baseball America or MLB Pipeline rate Larsen as one of the 30 best prospects in Seattle’s farm system.

Misiewicz has been a regular in the Mariners’ bullpen for the last three seasons, but he was optioned to Triple-A in June after posting a 4.61 ERA and only a 14% strikeout rate in 13 2/3 innings this season.  The M’s are known to be looking for bullpen help before the deadline, and left-handed relief could be a particular need, as Misiewicz’s struggles further lessened a pen already thin on southpaws.  It isn’t out of the question that Misiewicz could be claimed on DFA waivers, given how other clubs are constantly on the hunt for left-handed relief.

AL Roster Moves: Rays, Mariners, Tigers

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The Rays have officially added Matt Wisler to their active roster, per the team. Wisler was acquired via trade from the Giants yesterday. To make room on the active roster, southpaw Ryan Sherriff was optioned to Triple-A. The Rays continue to adeptly re-work their bullpen, adding Wisler to previous trade acquisitions J.P. Feyereisen and Drew Rasmussen (though the latter is currently in Triple-A). Wisler presents a unique challenge for Tampa, as he is out of options and, therefore, must stay on the active roster, lest they expose him to waivers. In other AL roster moves…

  • The Mariners announced a slew of roster moves ahead of today’s game. Dylan Moore has been reinstated from the 10-day injured list, and Yohan Ramirez has been recalled from Triple-A. On the way out, Dillon Thomas and Donovan Walton were optioned to Triple-A Tacoma. Catcher Jacob Nottingham has also been outrighted to Triple-A.
  • Tigers infielder Jeimer Candelario has been reinstated from the bereavement list, per the team. He has been placed on the injured list as he goes through intake protocols. Candelario has been out since June 6th. He has batted .266/.336/.381 in 241 plate appearances this season.

Mariners Likely Done Adding Major League Pieces

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The Mariners sought multiyear accords with a couple of free agents this winter, including Kolten Wong and Tommy La Stella, per Daniel Kramer of MLB.com. The Mariners were clear in their attempt to find a left-handed bat to split time with Dylan Moore at second base. Ideally, that player could stick his cleat in the grass at times as well, specifically as an option in left field.

Though the Mariners came up empty, there were more than a few free agents who fit that mold. Ha-Seong Kim, Marwin Gonzalez, Jonathan Villar, Jurickson Profar, Brad Miller, Jace Peterson, Ehire Adrianza, Brock Holt, and Dee Strange-Gordon signed elsewhere at a variety of different price points. It’s a little hard to fathom that the Mariners couldn’t find a way to add someone from that group. Presumably, those names either didn’t fit GM Jerry Dipoto’s vision or priced themselves beyond the Mariners’ comfort zone. Mike Freeman and Eric Sogard are two options whom the Mariners could turn to, should they want to bolster their depth. They are prepared to enter camp with the roster as-is, however.

Per Kramer, Dipoto more-or-less put a bow on their winter work, saying, “We had a series of targets, each of which we thought were ideal fits. We put them in an order that we thought best represented the way we saw that player, and then we tried to go out and get them. In all of those cases, we offered multiyear contracts that seemed to fit what we were trying to do not just for 2021, but for 2022 and potentially beyond that. We were aggressive in that market. We just failed to bring in the offensive piece we were looking to add.”

Without that additional piece, the Mariners will roll with Moore at second and Shed Long filling that versatile bench role. Sam Haggerty and Donovan Walton will push him for playing time in spring training, while Taylor Trammell and Jake Fraley will get take some spring at-bats in left. Designated hitter Ty France could also see time at second.

In further Mariners news, Logan Gilbert will likely start the season in Triple-A. While he was previously going to have an opportunity to contend for a spot in their six-man rotation, the James Paxton signing will allow the Mariners to protect his innings and bring him along slowly.

This follows a trend for the Mariners’ roster-building this winter, as they’ve tried to build out their depth to allow for maximum flexibility in how they promote and push their young players. Mission accomplished: if anything, the Mariners are light on veteran depth at the moment on the position player side. As is, they can allot most of the playing time this spring to youngsters, including top prospects Jarred Kelenic and Julio Rodriguez – both of whom are likely to start the season in the minors.

The Mariners CBT payroll sits at $102MM, per Roster Resource, with their actual payroll even slimmer at $85MM. That leaves them roughly $5MM shy from 2020 payroll level. This winter, they handed out four Major League deals to free agent pitchers: Paxton, Ken Giles, Keynan Middleton, and Chris Flexen. Giles and Flexen received two-year pacts, though Giles will miss this upcoming season. The Mariners have not signed a position player to a Major League contract.

Injury Notes: Mariners, Twins, Reds, Dodgers

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Mariners outfielder/infielder Dylan Moore is done for the season as a result of a concussion, the team announced. Moore suffered the injury when he took a pitch off the helmet on Monday, ending what was a terrific campaign for the 28-year-old. Moore batted .255/.358/.496 with eight home runs and 12 stolen bases over 159 plate appearances in 2020.

  • Twins right-hander Jake Odorizzi will “probably” be on their wild-card series roster, per manager Rocco Baldelli (via Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com). Odorizzi has been on the IL since Sept. 19 with a blister on his right middle finger. This is the third IL stint of the year for Odorizzi, who previously dealt with back and chest issues. As a result, the Twins – who gave him a $17.8MM qualifying offer last winter – have only gotten 13 2/3 innings of 6.59 ERA pitching from Odorizzi this season. Nevertheless, they’re on their way to a second straight playoff berth.
  • Reds left-hander Wade Miley, on the IL with a shoulder strain since Aug. 28, is “pretty close to 100 percent,” according to manager David Bell (via Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer). The playoff-contending Reds are likely to use Miley out of the bullpen if he is able to return this year, Nightengale relays. Signed to a two-year, $15MM contract last winter, Miley has made four starts and thrown 12 1/3 innings of 6.57 ERA ball in a Cincinnati uniform. Fortunately for the team, its rotation has still been among the league’s best because of the work of Trevor Bauer, Luis Castillo, Sonny Gray and Tyler Mahle.
  • The Dodgers scratched third baseman Justin Turner from their game against the Athletics on Tuesday because of left hamstring discomfort, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com tweets. The Dodgers said the move was precautionary, but it’s worth noting that Turner missed a couple weeks earlier this month with a left hamstring strain. So, this latest issue could be a concern for the Dodgers as they approach the playoffs.

Mariners Narrowing Outfield Competition

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Entering Spring Training, the Mariners were slated to roll out Mallex Smith in center field and Kyle Lewis in left, but there was little clarity regarding right field following a series of injuries that have left Mitch Haniger without a timetable to return to game action. Jake Fraley, Braden Bishop, Jose Siri and veteran non-roster invitees Carlos Gonzalez and Collin Cowgill were among the team’s options to step into the void created by Haniger’s absence.

Fast forward a few weeks, and the team’s situation has trended toward a resolution. Siri was just claimed off waivers by the Giants earlier this afternoon, the Mariners also announced that Bishop was optioned to Triple-A Tacoma. Both struggled in Major League camp with the Mariners — Siri going 2-for-12 with a homer but seven strikeouts and Bishop going 1-for-11 with a pair of walks and five punchouts. (As Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times tweets, Bishop has struggled to return to form after having his spleen removed early last summer.)

At this point, Fraley appears to be the favorite to open the year in right field. MLB.com’s Daniel Kramer spoke with Seattle skipper Scott Servais about the 24-year-old, whom the organization acquired alongside Smith in the trade that sent catcher Mike Zunino to the Rays. “I like where Jake is at,” Servais said of Fraley. “There’s still room for growth. … But he comes to work every day. He’s about as serious as anybody in that clubhouse. He knows what he wants to get done every day.”

Fraley got his feet wet in the big leagues last season, although he went just 6-for-40 in his first MLB cup of coffee. That small sample shouldn’t overshadow a huge year between Double-A and Triple-A, however, as Fraley’s combined .298/.365/.545 slash is eye-catching (particularly considering the pitcher-friendly nature of the Double-A Texas League). Fraley appeared in 99 games in the minor leagues (427 plate appearances), but he still racked up 19 home runs, 27 doubles, five triples and 22 stolen bases. Thus far in Spring Training, he’s 6-for-26 with a pair of homers, a pair of doubles and a steal. He’s punched out in eight of his 29 plate appearances but also drawn three walks.

Gonzalez and Cowgill remain in the mix, but it seems unlikely that either would secure a starting job. The Mariners have every reason to get a look at Fraley in a regular role against big league pitching, considering they control him through at least the 2025 season. Gonzalez could be a bench bat and potential fallback option in the event that Fraley struggles early, but the Mariners appear intent on trotting out a young lineup and evaluating their controllable candidates. With uber-prospects Jarred Kelenic and Julio Rodriguez looming behind the current crop of outfielders, this is the best time to get a look at Fraley and other currently MLB-ready options.

It’s also possible — and perhaps likely — that neither CarGo nor Cowill breaks camp with the club. Divish tweets that the Mariners could carry both Tim Lopes and Dylan Moore on the Opening Day roster, using one as a fourth outfielder in that scenario. That’d keep with the team’s evaluation-focused modus operandi in 2020, although it’s worth noting that Moore exited today’s Cactus League game after being hit on the wrist by a fastball. Initial x-rays were negative, but his status is one to keep an eye on at the moment.

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