- Minor left hamstring tightness forced Robinson Cano out during the second inning of today’s Mariners/Reds game, and the second baseman will receive an MRI tomorrow. Cano told reporters (including the Seattle Times’ Ryan Divish) that he doesn’t believe the injury is serious, comparing it a hamstring issue from last season that kept him out of action for just a couple of games. The Mariners are certainly hopeful they can avoid another spring injury — Ryon Healy (hand) and Ben Gamel (oblique) could miss Opening Day, while the likes of Felix Hernandez, Mitch Haniger, Erasmo Ramirez and Dan Vogelbach have all also missed time with less-lengthy injuries.
Mariners Rumors
Mariners Made Three-Year Offer To Jon Jay
The Mariners were linked to Jon Jay back in November, and ESPN’s Buster Olney (subscription required) reports that Seattle had enough interest to offer Jay a three-year contract. The two sides didn’t reach an agreement, however, and Jay’s free agent sojourn only ended last week when he signed a one-year, $3MM deal with the Royals. It’s easy to second-guess Jay’s decision in hindsight, though of course he (like many other free agents) could hardly have expected the market freeze that left several players settling for contracts that fell well below their initial asking prices. The M’s ended up going in a more unorthodox direction to solve their center field problem, instead acquiring second baseman Dee Gordon from the Marlins and converting him into an outfield role.
Mariners Place Tony Zych On Release Waivers
The Mariners have placed Tony Zych on waivers for unconditional release, Greg Johns of MLB.com tweets. It was recently reported that the right-hander was undergoing tests for shoulder discomfort.
A 2011 early-round pick by the Cubs, Zych was famously traded to the Mariners for exactly $1. He always showed tremendous strikeout upside during his Mariners tenure. Across 32 innings during the 2015-2016 seasons, he owned an impressive 12.66 K/9. However, that fell to a much more average 7.75 K/9 last season in 40 2/3 innings.
That Zych has only managed 72 2/3 innings since being promoted in September of 2015 might speak more clearly to the reason for his release. The righty has struggled with shoulder and arm injuries throughout his career, and as such he’s had quite a bit of trouble staying on the field.
If Zych can regain his health, however, it’s not hard to see an MLB team bringing him into the fold. His strikeout upside and ground ball rate (just under 50% for his career) are both reasons to believe that the 27-year-old could contribute at the back end of a major league bullpen again.
AL West Notes: Holland, Bush, Ohtani, Zych
The Rangers don’t appear to have anyone firmly in place as the their closer, though the recently-signed Tim Lincecum is one candidate to win the job. There’s at least a possibility that they could fill the position externally, as Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports reports in his latest “Inside Baseball” column that the team has considered bringing Greg Holland into the fold. We haven’t heard much other chatter about interest in Holland recently. The outgoing Rockies closer is MLBTR’s third-best free agent remaining, and the odds of him surpassing the offer he reportedly received from the Rockies earlier this winter (something in the three-year, $51MM range) aren’t good. This is particularly true considering the fate of the two Scott Boras clients to sign contracts most recently; Mike Moustakas recently received just a one-year deal at a $6.5MM guarantee from the Royals, while Carlos Gonzalez is said to be finalizing a one-year, $8MM contract with the Rockies.
Other recent items out of the AL West…
- Speaking of the Rangers’ bullpen, the team hasn’t yet decided whether to utilize former closer Matt Bush as a starter or reliever this season, according to Evan Grant of SportsDay. By his own admission, Bush had trouble finding consistency in his most recent spring training outing, walking two and allowing a homer on 43 pitches. In 52 1/3 innings with the Rangers last season, Bush pitched to a 3.78 ERA and a 4.57 xFIP. He saved ten games during his brief stint as the club’s closer, but he blew another five save opportunities that came his way.
- Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports provides feedback from some scouts on the bat of Shohei Ohtani, the Angels’ most high-profile offseason acquisition. These eight MLB scouts (seven of whom have seen Ohtani this spring) aren’t high on the Japanese phenom’s chances to produce offensively at the major league level. According to Passan, these scouts believe that “[p]itchers are going to punish him with inside fastballs, his swing contains flaws in balance and mechanics, and he needs at least 500 plate appearances of seasoning in the minor leagues to give him a chance at becoming a productive major league hitter.” One in particular noted that Ohtani did not hit from a balanced base, adding that he needed to “cheat” on inside fastballs, which would theoretically leave him susceptible to other pitches. Of course, it should be noted that Ohtani’s never attempted to hit major league pitching before this spring; one would think he deserves a reasonable adjustment period before jumping to any conclusions about his hitting ability.
- On the flip side of the coin, Joel Sherman of the New York Post details some concerns about Ohtani’s pitching. Sherman notes that he lacked high-end velocity in his most recent spring training start, mostly throwing between 91-94 MPH with some command issues. Though he generated 17 swings and misses (an extremely impressive number in just a few innings), he also uncorked a triad of wild pitches. Sherman wonders whether this can simply be chalked up to growing pains, or if it’s part of a more serious issue. The obvious caveat to this is that minute spring training sample sizes aren’t entirely indicative of cause for panic.
- Mariners reliever Tony Zych is undergoing medical tests for what’s being described as shoulder discomfort, according to Greg Johns of MLB.com. Though Seattle’s setup man improved his ERA to an impressive 2.66 in 40 2/3 innings last season, he experienced a steep dropoff in his strikeout rate, down to 7.75 batters per nine innings from a 12.66 career mark prior to 2017. He didn’t make any appearances past August 19th due to arm issues.
Mariners Outright Shawn Armstrong
- The Mariners announced that righty Shawn Armstrong has been outrighted to Triple-A after clearing waivers. Armstrong, 27, is out of options and obviously was not seen as likely to win a pen job out of camp. Still, he could be a useful depth piece for the M’s. In 43 1/3 MLB frames over three seasons, Armstrong owns a 3.53 ERA with 7.9 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9 as well as an 11.3% swinging-strike rate. Armstrong has posted interesting numbers at Triple-A, where he carries a 2.44 ERA with 13.0 K/9 and 4.7 BB/9 in 133 total innings.
Mariners Designate Shawn Armstrong For Assignment
The Mariners have designated right-handed reliever Shawn Armstrong for assignment in order to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for Ichiro Suzuki, whose return to the organization is now official (Twitter link via MLB.com’s Greg Johns).
Seattle acquired Armstrong, 27, in a minor December swap that sent $500K of international bonus allotments to the Indians. Armstrong spent his entire career in the Indians organization prior to that trade, debuting with the big league club in 2015 and going on to pitch 43 1/3 innings out of the Major League bullpen from 2015-17. In that time, he worked to a solid 3.53 ERA with 7.9 K/9, 3.5 BB/9, 1.45 HR/9 and a 41.9 percent ground-ball rate.
Armstrong, however, was out of minor league options and was not a lock to make a bullpen that figures to be anchored by closer Edwin Diaz and righties Juan Nicasio, David Phelps and Nick Vincent in addition to lefties James Pazos and Marc Rzepczynski. That left just two spots for Armstrong, Mike Morin, Dan Altavilla, Tony Zych, Chasen Bradford and Nick Rumbelow — each of whom is on the 40-man roster and has minor league options remaining.
The Mariners will have a week to trade Armstrong or place him on outright waivers with the hopes of keeping him in the organization. He’s had a solid spring to date, allowing a run on four hits and two walks with six strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings.
Mariners Sign Ichiro Suzuki
WEDNESDAY: Seattle has formally announced the signing.
Ichiro receives a $750K salary with incentives that could boost the deal’s total value to $2MM, per ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick (via Twitter). Ichiro can take home $200K apiece upon reaching 150, 200, 250, 300, and 350 plate appearances, Jon Heyman of Fan Rag tweets. He’ll get $250K if he strides to the plate for a 400th time on the season.
TUESDAY: Ichiro has a jersey and a locker, MLB.com’s Greg Johns tweets, which seems a good indication that the deal will soon be finalized.
MONDAY, 4:28pm: Ichiro tells Yahoo’s Jordan Schultz that he is taking his physical for the Mariners this afternoon and will sign a one-year deal once he passes (Twitter link).
1:06pm: The Mariners are closing in on a one-year, Major League deal that’ll bring franchise icon Ichiro Suzuki back to Seattle, reports Bob Nightengale of USA Today (via Twitter). ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick adds that the deal could be finalized either today or tomorrow. Ichiro is a client of agent John Boggs.
The likely agreement with Ichiro comes just hours after the Mariners learned that they’ll be without projected everyday left fielder Ben Gamel for up to six weeks due to an oblique strain. With right fielder Mitch Haniger also nursing some tendinitis in his hand and reserve outfielder Guillermo Heredia easing back into game action following October shoulder surgery, the Mariners have an obvious need for some outfield depth.
Ichiro, of course, started his Hall of Fame career in North American ball with the 2001 Mariners in a superlative season that won him a Gold Glove, a Silver Slugger, AL Rookie of the Year and AL MVP honors. Ichiro led the league in total hits (242), batting average (.350) and stolen bases (56) that season, posting an overall batting line of .350/.381/.457 and being named to the first of 10 consecutive All-Star teams.
That, obviously, was 17 years ago however, and the now-44-year-old Ichiro is more of a role player than an everyday option in the outfield. In 215 plate appearances with the Marlins last season, he batted just .255/.318/.332 with three homers and one steal. That said, those 215 PAs were a career-low, and he’s just one season removed from a solid offensive campaign in a more regular role. In 2016, Ichiro tallied 365 plate appearances and hit .291/.354/.376 with a homer, 15 doubles five triples and 10 steals. He should be able to hold down the fort in left as Gamel recovers from his oblique injury, and he can slide into a bench role from that point forth.
It’s been a long winter for Ichiro, who has been known to have been holding out for an opportunity to continue his career in Major League Baseball despite interest from multiple clubs in Japan. It now appears that he’ll not only have the opportunity to do so but that he’ll be allowed to continue in a city where he ranks among the most legendary figures in franchise lore. Ichiro will undoubtedly receive a hero’s welcome when the Mariners host the Indians in their season opener on March 29, and his return to Seattle presents no shortage of marketing, merchandise and promotional opportunities for the Mariners organization.
Ben Gamel Out Four To Six Weeks With Oblique Strain
Mariners outfielder Ben Gamel has been diagnosed with a strained right oblique muscle and is expected to be sidelined anywhere from four to six weeks, the team told reporters on Monday (Twitter link via MLB.com’s Greg Johns). That almost certainly means he’ll open the season on the disabled list, and if the recovery takes closer to the six-week end of the spectrum, he could miss the first two to three weeks of the season.
Gamel, 25, is in line for regular at-bats with the 2018 Mariners after posting a solid .275/.322/.413 slash with 11 homers, 27 doubles and five triples through 550 plate appearances last year in his first full big league season. Gamel turned in an exceptional first half in 2017, slashing .323/.379/.449 before cratering with a .227/.262/.376 slash following the All-Star break. He joins first baseman Ryon Healy on the list of notable Mariners injuries in Spring Training, though Healy, unlike Gamel, could potentially be ready for Opening Day.
Seattle is thin on outfield depth on the 40-man roster at the moment — particularly with Guillermo Heredia still on the mend from October shoulder surgery. Heredia recently made his spring debut and has had a couple of at-bats, but he’s more of a depth piece and fourth outfielder than an everyday option (though he could handle left field on a short-term basis with Gamel out). However, as Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times points out (on Twitter), Mariners right fielder Mitch Haniger is dealing with tendinitis in his hand and hasn’t taken batting practice in nearly a week. The Mariners have veteran Kirk Nieuwenhuis in camp on a minor league deal, but it seems fair to suggest that they could stand to bring in some additional outfield help.
The Mariners were linked to Jon Jay earlier in the offseason, and he remains unsigned, as does former Rockies star Carlos Gonzalez. (Additional unsigned options can be seen in MLBTR’s Free Agent Tracker.) Adding a bat like CarGo would be a rather extreme reaction to a short-term absence for Gamel and a seemingly more minor injury for Haniger, but Jay makes some sense for the Seattle roster even with a healthy Gamel and Haniger on the roster. Seattle GM Jerry Dipoto, of course, is never one to shy away from making plays on the waiver wire, and there should be a fair number of names becoming available via that avenue in the coming weeks.
Dipoto On Gordon's Switch To Center Field
Jim Bowden of The Athletic chatted with Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto about the decision to trade for Dee Gordon and place him in center field despite a lack of experience at the position (subscription required). Unsurprisingly, Dipoto revealed that the outside-the-box trade was rather data-driven in nature. “We had a need in CF and believed his profile fit perfectly if he was willing to commit to the transition,” said Dipoto. “We then took a look at some of the available data (Statcast) and our analysts created a projection of what his acceleration and wide open speed might look like in center field based on comparable speed athletes in the database. The results were encouraging enough that we decided to go for it.” Dipoto raved about the manner in which Gordon has embraced the move, praising his commitment to learning the craft and “tireless” work ethic. Gordon has already impressed Seattle with his range in center, though Dipoto notes that he still has work to do when it comes to scooping ground-balls in the outfield and coming up in a crow hop after years of infield work.
Felix Hernandez Exits Game After Being Hit By Line Drive
5:25pm: X-rays came back negative, the club announced (h/t Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times, via Twitter), so it seems the worst-case scenario has been avoided.
3:27pm: Mariners right-hander Felix Hernandez took a comebacker off his right arm during today’s Cactus League contest against the Cubs and exited the game without throwing another pitch. Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times has a video of the play in his initial column on the injury. Hernandez immediately drops his glove, does not try to pick up the ball, and leaves the field with head trainer Rob Nodine holding his right arm. Divish further tweets that the Mariners are sending Hernandez back to their facility in Peoria for evaluation. For now, they’re only saying that he was struck on the “upper forearm.”
The Mariners struggled through a dismal 2017 season in terms of rotation health, relying largely on a revolving door of depth pieces and journeymen to get through the year while Hernandez, James Paxton, Yovani Gallardo and a host of others dealt with injury issues. Seattle picked up Mike Leake, Erasmo Ramirez and Marco Gonzales last summer with an eye toward bolstering the 2018 rotation, but the M’s haven’t added an established starter to their ranks all offseason with the exception of re-signing Hisashi Iwakuma. However, Iwakuma is still recovering from shoulder surgery and isn’t expected to be an immediate factor in the rotation. (Christian Bergman and Casey Lawrence re-signed with the Mariners on minor league deals this offseason.)
[Related: Seattle Mariners depth chart]
The free-agent market, of course, still has several notable names in the form of Jake Arrieta, Alex Cobb and Lance Lynn. A significant absence for King Felix could, speculatively, push the Mariners to add further depth — even if it’s not one of those top three names. Trevor Cahill, Brett Anderson and Ricky Nolasco are among the other unsigned rotation options at this point, while the trade/waiver market continues to feature myriad possibilities.
Hernandez, 32 in April, was limited to 86 2/3 innings last season due to shoulder and biceps injuries. He pitched to a 4.36 ERA (second-highest of his career) with 8.1 K/9, 2.7 BB/9, 1.77 HR/9 and a 46.9 percent ground-ball rate in that time.
