OD Roster prediction

[D-train]

Crazy that he has Miles Masterbater anywhere near this roster.

By Ryan Divish
Seattle Times staff reporter
In years past, the task of writing such an early opening day roster projection for the Seattle Mariners might seem difficult or foolish.

The uncertainty surrounding certain positions, the pairings for platoons — both expected or unexpected — and the possibility of Jerry Dipoto transacting in some way to affect the 26-man roster always lingered.

But it feels different this year as spring training nears.

Perhaps it’s due to an offseason that featured only two free agent signings, a few minor trades and a handful of waiver claims that left much of the fan base disappointed if not dismayed at the relative inaction.

But Dipoto justified the decisions made and the offseason moves — or lack thereof — completed as a product of the roster certainty that developed late last season.

“We didn’t anticipate a great deal of movement around the team,” he said in a recent video news conference. “We’re still open to adding, if the opportunity to add exists out there. But we feel like this is a good team, and if this is our team going into spring training or opening day, we’re pretty excited by it.”

So let’s try and take a way too early look at the team going into opening day. The Mariners have 70 players slated to attend MLB spring training with the possibility of outfielder Cade Marlowe and left-handed pitcher Jhonathan Diaz both being added if they clear waivers and get outrighted to the Mariners minor league system.

They will need to trim down to 26 spots — 13 pitchers and 13 position players — before opening the 2025 season on March 27 vs. the Oakland A’s at T-Mobile Park.

Starting rotation (5)
Luis Castillo, RHP
George Kirby, RHP
Logan Gilbert, RHP
Bryce Miller, RHP
Bryan Woo, RHP
Notes: The Mariners went into the offseason with no real desire to trade from one of the best starting rotations in baseball. And despite a slew of offers for Gilbert, Kirby, Miller and Woo and listening to trade offers for Castillo, they never made a move to break up the quintet. The reasoning was simple: the hitters they might receive in return for one of their younger starters wouldn’t provide enough impact to offset what they’d be giving up in a starter. As for Castillo, the Mariners were looking for an impact major league position player in return without taking on additional money via a salary dump. Given their limited budget flexibility, it was a non-starter in deals.

Bullpen (8)
Andres Munoz, RHP
Gregory Santos, RHP
Collin Snider, RHP
Eduard Bazardo, RHP
Trent Thornton, RHP
Cody Bolton, RHP
Tayler Saucedo, LHP
Gabe Speier, LHP
Injured list: Matt Brash, RHP, Troy Taylor, RHP and Jackson Kowar, RHP
Notes: Projecting this group is always difficult given the year-to-year and even week-to-week vagaries of relief pitching production. The group that starts the season is rarely the group that finishes it. The absence of Brash and Taylor are notable. Dipoto said that they hope Brash (Tommy John surgery) is back by the end of April, which might be a little optimistic. Taylor, who made the jump from Double-A to the big leagues last season, showed plenty of talent and maturity. But a lat strain suffered during offseason throwing has put him behind schedule. He won’t be ready to go by opening day.

The rest of this projected bullpen are all currently on the 40-man roster and saw MLB time last season. Munoz is locked in as the closer. But the setup men ahead of him are less certain. Santos has the talent to be effective in that role, but he couldn’t stay healthy last season.

Baltimore Orioles relief pitcher Shintaro Fujinami throws during the ninth inning of a baseball game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Boston Red Sox, Friday, Sept. 29, 2023, in Baltimore. Pitcher Shintaro Fujinami and the New York Mets agreed Friday, Feb. 2, 2024, to a $3.35 million, one-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press. (Julio Cortez / AP)

Baltimore Orioles relief pitcher Shintaro Fujinami throws during the ninth inning of a baseball game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Boston Red Sox, Friday, Sept. 29, 2023, in Baltimore. Pitcher Shintaro Fujinami... (Julio Cortez / AP)More
In seasons past, the Mariners found help from relievers claimed off waivers or signed on minor league contracts. Of that group, Shintaro Fujinami might have the most talent. He has elite velocity with his fastball and nasty secondary pitches. But he also has minimal idea where they are going when thrown.

Infielders (7)
J.P. Crawford, SS
Luke Raley, 1B
Jorge Polanco, 3B
Donovan Solano, 1B/3B
Dylan Moore, 2B/OF
Leo Rivas, IF
Miles Mastrobuoni, U
Notes: The Mariners need J.P. Crawford to bounce back from last season’s injuries and struggles at the plate. While he may never replicate his 2023 season where he posted a .266/.380/.438 slash line with 142 hits, 35 doubles, 19 homers, 94 runs scored, 65 RBI, 14.7% walk rate, 19.6% strikeout rate and 4.9 fWAR. He certainly is better than the .202/.304/.321 slash line, 79 hits, 16 doubles, two triples, nine homers, 55 runs scored, 37 RBI, 11.5% walk rate, 22.6% strikeout rate, 1.6 fWAR he posted in 105 games last season.

The Mariners added Solano to serve as part of a platoon with Raley at first. He is also capable of playing second base and third base — though he’s not outstanding defensively at either position.

After not having his $12 million club option picked up by the Mariners, Polanco re-signed as a free agent for a 1-year, $7.75 million contract to play third base. The Mariners believe offseason surgery on the patellar tendon in his left knee will help Polanco return to previous offensive form while playing third base is a better fit in term of his range and movement.

Moore is expected to see the bulk of the time at second base with either Rivas or Bliss filling in as needed. Could Cole Young, one of Seattle’s top prospects, take over the spot at some point in this season?

Outfielders (3)
Julio Rodríguez
Randy Arozarena
Victor Robles
Notes: This was essentially the Mariners’ daily outfield for the final six weeks of last season. The trio doesn’t lack for energy, swagger or talent. Rodríguez is a perennial Gold Glove candidate in center field. While his defense has been a constant since his MLB debut, the Mariners are hoping that his offense will be more consistent for an entire season. The past two seasons, Rodríguez has gotten off to slow starts. His struggles last season carried beyond July. But slight changes to setup and swing and a simpler approach at the plate pushed by Edgar Martinez led to success in the final two months of the season.

Randy Arozarena’s broken bat hit resulted in a double-play in the sixth. The Detroit Tigers played the Seattle Mariners in Major League Baseball last year in August at T-Mobile Park, in Seattle (Dean Rutz / The Seattle Times, 2024)

Randy Arozarena’s broken bat hit resulted in a double-play in the sixth. The Detroit Tigers played the Seattle Mariners in Major League Baseball last year in August at T-Mobile Park, in Seattle (Dean Rutz / The Seattle Times, 2024)
Acquired at the trade deadline, Arozarena gives the Mariners their most experienced and proven everyday left fielder in years.

Robles’ production is far from a certainty. A once-heralded prospect for the Nationals, he was largely a disappointing in D.C. In 607 MLB games, he posted a .236/.311/.356 slash line before being released. After signing with Seattle for the MLB minimum, Robles flourished in his new surroundings, posting a .328/.393/.467 slash line with 20 doubles, four homers, 26 RBI and 30 stolen bases in 77 games. It earned him a three-year contract extension with Seattle. Most scouts believe that Robles’ potential production is somewhere in the middle of those two extremes. He’s versatile enough to play center field if Rodriguez needs a day off.

Raley will also see some time in the corner outfield spots when needed.

Catchers (2)
Cal Raleigh
Mitch Garver
Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh, left, gets set to tag out Los Angeles Angels’ Logan O’Hoppe, center, as O’Hoppe tries to score on a single by Mickey Moniak while home plate umpire DJ Reyburn watches during the first inning of a baseball game Friday, July 12, 2024, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh, left, gets set to tag out Los Angeles Angels’ Logan O’Hoppe, center, as O’Hoppe tries to score on a single by Mickey Moniak while home plate umpire DJ... (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)More
Notes: Raleigh returns as one of the team’s leaders on and off the field. He is arguable the best catcher in the AL if not all of baseball. But can the Mariners continue to use him behind the plate so much? He’s caught more innings than any other catcher in baseball (2,160) over the past two seasons. Due to his struggles at the plate last season, Garver was moved from full-time designated hitter to backup catcher by midseason. Could he move back to the full-time DH role? The Mariners would have to carry another catcher if Garver were to reestablish himself as an everyday player.

Designated hitter (1)
Mitch Haniger
Notes: This was a tough call since it seemed impossible to keep both Haniger and Garver on the roster for 2025. It became clear early last season that Haniger can’t play on an everyday basis, particularly in the field. But could he take Garver’s spot as the everyday designated hitter? Some scouts believe that a reduced role might allow him to refind his offensive production and be more of a viable contributor. It’s difficult to see the Mariners designating Haniger for assignment and eating all of the $17 million owed on his contract without at least trying to find some value from the situation.

[desbcoach]

Crazy that he has Miles Masterbater anywhere near this roster.

By Ryan Divish
Seattle Times staff reporter
In years past, the task of writing such an early opening day roster projection for the Seattle Mariners might seem difficult or foolish.

The uncertainty surrounding certain positions, the pairings for platoons — both expected or unexpected — and the possibility of Jerry Dipoto transacting in some way to affect the 26-man roster always lingered.

But it feels different this year as spring training nears.

Perhaps it’s due to an offseason that featured only two free agent signings, a few minor trades and a handful of waiver claims that left much of the fan base disappointed if not dismayed at the relative inaction.

But Dipoto justified the decisions made and the offseason moves — or lack thereof — completed as a product of the roster certainty that developed late last season.

“We didn’t anticipate a great deal of movement around the team,” he said in a recent video news conference. “We’re still open to adding, if the opportunity to add exists out there. But we feel like this is a good team, and if this is our team going into spring training or opening day, we’re pretty excited by it.”

So let’s try and take a way too early look at the team going into opening day. The Mariners have 70 players slated to attend MLB spring training with the possibility of outfielder Cade Marlowe and left-handed pitcher Jhonathan Diaz both being added if they clear waivers and get outrighted to the Mariners minor league system.

They will need to trim down to 26 spots — 13 pitchers and 13 position players — before opening the 2025 season on March 27 vs. the Oakland A’s at T-Mobile Park.

Starting rotation (5)
Luis Castillo, RHP
George Kirby, RHP
Logan Gilbert, RHP
Bryce Miller, RHP
Bryan Woo, RHP
Notes: The Mariners went into the offseason with no real desire to trade from one of the best starting rotations in baseball. And despite a slew of offers for Gilbert, Kirby, Miller and Woo and listening to trade offers for Castillo, they never made a move to break up the quintet. The reasoning was simple: the hitters they might receive in return for one of their younger starters wouldn’t provide enough impact to offset what they’d be giving up in a starter. As for Castillo, the Mariners were looking for an impact major league position player in return without taking on additional money via a salary dump. Given their limited budget flexibility, it was a non-starter in deals.

Bullpen (8)
Andres Munoz, RHP
Gregory Santos, RHP
Collin Snider, RHP
Eduard Bazardo, RHP
Trent Thornton, RHP
Cody Bolton, RHP
Tayler Saucedo, LHP
Gabe Speier, LHP
Injured list: Matt Brash, RHP, Troy Taylor, RHP and Jackson Kowar, RHP
Notes: Projecting this group is always difficult given the year-to-year and even week-to-week vagaries of relief pitching production. The group that starts the season is rarely the group that finishes it. The absence of Brash and Taylor are notable. Dipoto said that they hope Brash (Tommy John surgery) is back by the end of April, which might be a little optimistic. Taylor, who made the jump from Double-A to the big leagues last season, showed plenty of talent and maturity. But a lat strain suffered during offseason throwing has put him behind schedule. He won’t be ready to go by opening day.

The rest of this projected bullpen are all currently on the 40-man roster and saw MLB time last season. Munoz is locked in as the closer. But the setup men ahead of him are less certain. Santos has the talent to be effective in that role, but he couldn’t stay healthy last season.

Baltimore Orioles relief pitcher Shintaro Fujinami throws during the ninth inning of a baseball game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Boston Red Sox, Friday, Sept. 29, 2023, in Baltimore. Pitcher Shintaro Fujinami and the New York Mets agreed Friday, Feb. 2, 2024, to a $3.35 million, one-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press. (Julio Cortez / AP)

Baltimore Orioles relief pitcher Shintaro Fujinami throws during the ninth inning of a baseball game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Boston Red Sox, Friday, Sept. 29, 2023, in Baltimore. Pitcher Shintaro Fujinami... (Julio Cortez / AP)More
In seasons past, the Mariners found help from relievers claimed off waivers or signed on minor league contracts. Of that group, Shintaro Fujinami might have the most talent. He has elite velocity with his fastball and nasty secondary pitches. But he also has minimal idea where they are going when thrown.

Infielders (7)
J.P. Crawford, SS
Luke Raley, 1B
Jorge Polanco, 3B
Donovan Solano, 1B/3B
Dylan Moore, 2B/OF
Leo Rivas, IF
Miles Mastrobuoni, U
Notes: The Mariners need J.P. Crawford to bounce back from last season’s injuries and struggles at the plate. While he may never replicate his 2023 season where he posted a .266/.380/.438 slash line with 142 hits, 35 doubles, 19 homers, 94 runs scored, 65 RBI, 14.7% walk rate, 19.6% strikeout rate and 4.9 fWAR. He certainly is better than the .202/.304/.321 slash line, 79 hits, 16 doubles, two triples, nine homers, 55 runs scored, 37 RBI, 11.5% walk rate, 22.6% strikeout rate, 1.6 fWAR he posted in 105 games last season.

The Mariners added Solano to serve as part of a platoon with Raley at first. He is also capable of playing second base and third base — though he’s not outstanding defensively at either position.

After not having his $12 million club option picked up by the Mariners, Polanco re-signed as a free agent for a 1-year, $7.75 million contract to play third base. The Mariners believe offseason surgery on the patellar tendon in his left knee will help Polanco return to previous offensive form while playing third base is a better fit in term of his range and movement.

Moore is expected to see the bulk of the time at second base with either Rivas or Bliss filling in as needed. Could Cole Young, one of Seattle’s top prospects, take over the spot at some point in this season?

Outfielders (3)
Julio Rodríguez
Randy Arozarena
Victor Robles
Notes: This was essentially the Mariners’ daily outfield for the final six weeks of last season. The trio doesn’t lack for energy, swagger or talent. Rodríguez is a perennial Gold Glove candidate in center field. While his defense has been a constant since his MLB debut, the Mariners are hoping that his offense will be more consistent for an entire season. The past two seasons, Rodríguez has gotten off to slow starts. His struggles last season carried beyond July. But slight changes to setup and swing and a simpler approach at the plate pushed by Edgar Martinez led to success in the final two months of the season.

Randy Arozarena’s broken bat hit resulted in a double-play in the sixth. The Detroit Tigers played the Seattle Mariners in Major League Baseball last year in August at T-Mobile Park, in Seattle (Dean Rutz / The Seattle Times, 2024)

Randy Arozarena’s broken bat hit resulted in a double-play in the sixth. The Detroit Tigers played the Seattle Mariners in Major League Baseball last year in August at T-Mobile Park, in Seattle (Dean Rutz / The Seattle Times, 2024)
Acquired at the trade deadline, Arozarena gives the Mariners their most experienced and proven everyday left fielder in years.

Robles’ production is far from a certainty. A once-heralded prospect for the Nationals, he was largely a disappointing in D.C. In 607 MLB games, he posted a .236/.311/.356 slash line before being released. After signing with Seattle for the MLB minimum, Robles flourished in his new surroundings, posting a .328/.393/.467 slash line with 20 doubles, four homers, 26 RBI and 30 stolen bases in 77 games. It earned him a three-year contract extension with Seattle. Most scouts believe that Robles’ potential production is somewhere in the middle of those two extremes. He’s versatile enough to play center field if Rodriguez needs a day off.

Raley will also see some time in the corner outfield spots when needed.

Catchers (2)
Cal Raleigh
Mitch Garver
Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh, left, gets set to tag out Los Angeles Angels’ Logan O’Hoppe, center, as O’Hoppe tries to score on a single by Mickey Moniak while home plate umpire DJ Reyburn watches during the first inning of a baseball game Friday, July 12, 2024, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh, left, gets set to tag out Los Angeles Angels’ Logan O’Hoppe, center, as O’Hoppe tries to score on a single by Mickey Moniak while home plate umpire DJ... (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)More
Notes: Raleigh returns as one of the team’s leaders on and off the field. He is arguable the best catcher in the AL if not all of baseball. But can the Mariners continue to use him behind the plate so much? He’s caught more innings than any other catcher in baseball (2,160) over the past two seasons. Due to his struggles at the plate last season, Garver was moved from full-time designated hitter to backup catcher by midseason. Could he move back to the full-time DH role? The Mariners would have to carry another catcher if Garver were to reestablish himself as an everyday player.

Designated hitter (1)
Mitch Haniger
Notes: This was a tough call since it seemed impossible to keep both Haniger and Garver on the roster for 2025. It became clear early last season that Haniger can’t play on an everyday basis, particularly in the field. But could he take Garver’s spot as the everyday designated hitter? Some scouts believe that a reduced role might allow him to refind his offensive production and be more of a viable contributor. It’s difficult to see the Mariners designating Haniger for assignment and eating all of the $17 million owed on his contract without at least trying to find some value from the situation.

The real question is Hanniger place on IL for good by end of May 0r DFA’d. Seems they always give till end of may before cutting bait. They want to ensure maximum losses caused by a bad player

[D-train]

From Calkins piece:

It’s a fascinating piece, highlighting how the temperature and marine layer prevent the ball from carrying, but more than anything, create strikeouts because hitters are swinging harder than usual to try and combat the elements.

LOL

[ddraig]

Looks like Dylan Moore is going to be the opening day 2b.

https://www.si.com/mlb/mariners/news/se ... -leo-rivas

[bpj]

Looks like Dylan Moore is going to be the opening day 2b.

https://www.si.com/mlb/mariners/news/se ... -leo-rivas

Good. It's about time he got some steady playing time somewhere. He's one guy that has outplayed his expectations, even if it doesn't look like it on the surface (batting average).

Here are his numbers compared to some other notable middle infielders from 2022-2024.

Screenshot_20250210_000027_DuckDuckGo.jpg (128.95 KiB) Viewed 1093 times

[bpj]

From 2022-2024, Dylan Moore has the 5th most stolen bases per 600 plate appearances.

The Mariners have 3 of the top 25 stolen bases leaders according to this metric (with 800+ PA's since 2022)- Moore, Julio, and Arozarena.

[Pharmabro]

From 2022-2024, Dylan Moore has the 5th most stolen bases per 600 plate appearances.

The Mariners have 3 of the top 25 stolen bases leaders according to this metric (with 800+ PA's since 2022)- Moore, Julio, and Arozarena.

That is an interesting observation. And, I think you got to add Bliss, and especially Robles to that.

JRod, Moore, Randy, Bliss, Raley, and Robles being good on taking extra bases via theft? Maybe the "Money Ball" for T-Mobile is to have guys with HR power and guys with ability to bunt and swipe bags.

[Vogelbomb]

From 2022-2024, Dylan Moore has the 5th most stolen bases per 600 plate appearances.

The Mariners have 3 of the top 25 stolen bases leaders according to this metric (with 800+ PA's since 2022)- Moore, Julio, and Arozarena.

That is an interesting observation. And, I think you got to add Bliss, and especially Robles to that.

JRod, Moore, Randy, Bliss, Raley, and Robles being good on taking extra bases via theft? Maybe the "Money Ball" for T-Mobile is to have guys with HR power and guys with ability to bunt and swipe bags.

Exactly! I hope this team is overly aggressive sending runners home, especially w/ 2 outs. I'm so tired of being cautious on the bases. I'm sure there's another 50-70 runs on the table if they are just a touch more aggressive on those 50/50 hold vs send calls. know your runner, know the situation, but lean towards being aggressive, especially at home and early in the game. Get a lead and play from in front with those horses we have on the mound

3b coaching can really make a difference, I swear

[Vogelbomb]

My roster for this team if I was managing:
Robles RF
Rodriguez CF
Raley 1b
Raleigh C
Arozarena LF
Haniger DH
Polanco 3B
Crawford SS
Bliss 2B

Bench:
Garver
Solano
Hunt
Moore
Dunn

Rotation:
Kirby
Gilbert
Castillo
Miller
Woo

Pen:
Munoz
Santos
Taylor
Thornton
Speier
Danner
Snider

that's right, 7 in the pen. The 8th man got all of 25 innings last yr and that includes mop up duty in extras and blowouts. He's pointless. Push your 7th man a little harder as needed and use the tacoma taxi squad with those that have options. Makes sense to have the extra catcher so you can dh Cal more often and not worry about an injury forcing you to lose dh

[bpj]

I agree they don't really need the extra reliever. I guess they'd have the advantage on the pitching side in a 15 inning game..

Personally I'd keep the best base stealer they can find as the last man and then try and steal a run with him before it ever got to the 15th. James Jones' 'em.

Tacoma's close enough they don't really have to keep the 3rd catcher, but i think they need to stop using their bench players so much anyways, so they could fit both on the roster. Maybe not with Haniger around...

It seems like a lot of us are having a hard time caring too much about the team that did nothing over the offseason to devote much time to them.

I don't plan on doing any competitions or paying too much attention this year, so if anyone wants to deal with it, be my guest. Dtrain houses anyone that wants to go at spring training, even when it's probably not a convenient time for him to put that money up, so hopefully someone else feels like putting up if anyone cares to do the competitions. I don't, this perpetual mediocrity stuff has pushed me too far.

Who was the "Not a dime until..." guy?? I feel ya buddy.