Mariners Add 4 More

I recently posted an article on the Mariners Major League Spring training invitees. When I posted it the amount of invitees was as at 15… today we are now at 19. The Mariners announced that they have invited Steven Baron, Blake Beavan, Nate Robertson, and Jody Gerut. Baron and Beavan are currently in the Mariners minor league system and Robertson and Gerut are veterans signed to a minor league contract.

Steven Baron was drafted by the Mariners in the first round (Pick 33) of the 2009 draft. He proved hard to sign as the Mariners were tens of thousands of dollars apart. He received a signing bonus of $980,000 which is $44,000 more than the recommended amount for that slot. Baron, a right handed hitting catcher, is credited for his defensive skills. Baseball America lists him as the best defensive catcher in the system. He has a very quick arm and does a great job keeping the ball in front of him. The defense is all there but the offense is what is missing. Seattle knew he would be a project offensively when they drafted him. His AVG last year between Short-Season and Low A was .222. He had an OBP of .258 and a K% of about 30.3%. He is still only 20 years old so he still has a lot more time to develop. If he improves his hitting and discipline his defense could carry him the rest of the way. This is a very big season for the young catcher as he will be answering lots of questions.

Blake Beavan was acquired by Seattle in the Cliff Lee trade. He was drafted by the Rangers in the first round of the 2007 draft. He is a right handed pitcher that figures to be a starting pitcher. He has a huge presence on the mound at 6’7” 250lb. His fastball sits in the mid to lower 90s but he has very good command. He walks batters at a very low rate which is great news for the 22 year old pitcher. Last year he spent only 18 innings with AA West Tennessee after being promoted to AAA Tacoma. He has spent time at AA in the Rangers organization prior to being traded. His overall line last year was a 3.90 ERA in 168.1 innings which is a high amount for a minor leaguer. He has showed that he can carry a heavy workload over his minor league career. He doesn’t have great strike out numbers but his command helps carry him. I think we could see time in Seattle’s rotation this year and he could very well end up as a mid-rotation pitcher that has a good work-load.

Nate Robertson is a LHP pitcher and is now 33 years old. He is 6’2” 225lb. He spent last year with both the Marlins and the Phillies. He didn’t post the best numbers; a 5.95 ERA in 101.1 innings. He had previously spent a majority of his career with the Detroit Tigers. His best major league season was in 2006 in which he posted a 3.84 ERA in 208.2 innings. After that it has not gone too well. His career ERA is 5.01. He does have a HR/9 above the league average so pitching in Safeco would definitely help him. His career ERA at Safeco is 2.75. He has to prove himself that he can pitch again so signing him to a minor league deal is a smart move. After a very strong spring he could certainly compete with Luke French, David Pauley, and Erik Bedard for a spot in the rotation.

Jody Gerut is a left handed outfielder and is 33 years old. He is 6’0” 190lb. He previously played for Eric Wedge in Cleveland. Early in his career he was of to a decent start showing he could be an average outfielder hitting for a .270 AVG. In 2004 his season ended with a Torn ACL. He played very little in 2005 and then missed the entire 2006 and 2007 season due to the injury. He saw his career get back on track at the age of 30 with the Padres. That season (2008) he hit .296 in 356 plate appearances. After that season he has served as a back up outfielder with both the Padres and the Brewers. He saw only 74 major league at bats last year with the Brewers. His career ERA is .262 and over his career he has put good contact on the ball. He is capable of playing all 3 outfield positions. He could very well compete as a back up outfielder this season.