Spring training begins tomorrow and I cannot wait. I wish that I could make the trip to
Peoria this year, but instead I will be at home, constantly updating twitter for the latest Spring Training News. Pitchers and catchers will be reporting tomorrow, February 13
th, and the position players will be reporting on the 18
th. The first game for the Mariners is on Sunday, February 27
th against the San Diego Padres. The Spring Training games will conclude on March 30
th as the Mariners take on the Dodgers. March 31
st is the deadline for teams to reduce their roster to 25 players. The Mariners will open the 2011 season April 1
st in
Oakland and they will make their home debut on Friday, April 8
th against the Cleveland Indians.
Earlier this offseason I put together a projected lineup and rotation. It did not include a bullpen projection. There have been a lot of additions since then so here is my updated projected active roster for opening day.
Lineup:
1. Ichiro Suzuki, Right field
2. Chone Figgins, Third Base
3. Justin Smoak, First Base
4. Jack Cust, Designated hitter
5. Franklin Gutierrez, Center Field
6. Michael Saunders, Left Field
7. Miguel Olivo, Cather
8. Jack Wilson, Shortstop
9. Brendan Ryan, Second Base
Bench:
- Milton Bradley, Designated Hitter/Left Field
Rotation:
Felix Hernandez, RHP
- Jason Vargas, LHP
- Doug Fister, RHP
- Michael Pineda, RHP
- Erik Bedard, LHP
Bullpen:
· CL: David Aardsma, RHP (If ready by opening day)
· SU: Brandon League, RHP
· SU: Dan Cortes, RHP
· Mid: Manny Delcarmen, RHP
· Mid: Garret Olson, LHP
· Mid: Chris Ray, RHP
· LR: Luke French, LHP
Analysis:
In regards to the lineup projections, I think those are the guys that we will see in the starting lineup. There may be some differences in the batting order, but the group of guys should be the same. The bench could go a few different ways. Mike Carp could earn a spot as a back up first baseman or corner outfielder. We should also watch for Greg Halman, Ryan Langerhans, Matt Mangini, Matt Tuiasosopo, and Gabe Gross to earn a spot on the bench.
As we move to the rotation, this is when things could get crazy. I believe the only 3 locks for the rotation are Felix, Vargas, and Fister. After them, who knows how things will turn out! From prospects to non-roster invitees there a lot of candidates for the number 4 and 5 spots in the rotation. I currently think Pineda and Bedard will earn these last spots but there are a lot of factors involved with that. Pineda will need to have a very strong spring and Bedard will also need to perform well but more importantly, show that he is healthy. The other candidates to watch for are Nate Robertson, Luke French (who I have listed in the bullpen), David Pauley, and maybe even Mauricio Robles as a dark horse candidate.
The bullpen is always a messy subject. There are so many candidates that could emerge and spring training performances will really answer these questions. The Mariners have A LOT of candidates. Every pitcher that the Mariners have as a non-roster invitee this year (there are 13), could compete for a job in the bullpen. There are also a good mix of prospects and veterans in the organization to compete for a job as well. If you notice I do not have the Mariners Rule V draft pick Jose Flores on the active roster. I don’t see him impressing enough people to earn a spot in the bullpen and I think that the Mariners will offer him back to the Indians. Other strong candidates that I did not list in my projected bullpen are Denny Bautista, Josh Lueke, David Pauley, Royce Ring, Chris Seddon, and Justin Miller. Obviously there are a lot more guys with a shot to be in the bullpen but we will have to wait for Spring Training to see who steps up above the rest. One more thing to note is that if David Aardsma is not ready by opening day due to his hip, then I believe that Denny Bautista will be in the bullpen and Brandon League will be the closer.
Looking Ahead:
As we all know, the Mariners are in a rebuilding process. This has seemed to be the most used word this offseason. There are a lot of young guys in the minors that will start to get their first taste of big league action this year.
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Dustin Ackley |
As we look at who could get receive a call-up this year in terms of batters, the most notable name is obviously Dustin Ackley. Mr. Ackley is one of the biggest pieces that the organization is building around. Ackley could start the year in the majors but I think that he will most likely start the year at AAA. This will allow him to polish his defense a little more and they will avoid Super Two arbitration status which means longer team control before Ackley receives a huge raise. Another name to watch is Alex Liddi. He should start the year at AAA and if he shows some improvements from last year, he could earn a call-up at some point in the year. More names to watch are Carlos Peguero, Nate Tenbrink and maybe even Carlos Truinfel.
As we look at the pitchers in the upper minors, there are a lot of guys that could make a debut this year. As I listed above, there are guys like Michael Pineda, Josh Lueke, and Mauricio Robles. Another guy to watch for is Blake Beavan who came over in the Cliff Lee trade. Beavan is an innings eater and he could be a middle of the rotation starter. He should open the year at AAA and at some point this year, he should make his debut. There are a handful of pitchers that were added to the 40 man roster this year and they could see some opportunities in the bullpen and maybe even a spot start. The guys I am talking about are Yoervis Medina, Cesar Jimenez, Edward Parades, and Tom Wilhelmsen. There are a lot of other pitchers in the lower minors that could advance quickly through the system especially if they are pitching out of the bullpen.
The Mariners have some good pieces to build around which will help as we move forward towards the future. This season should answer a lot of questions for these guys and it will be fun to watch them develop and begin their careers at the big league level.