Spring Training News & Notes

[NWinAZ]

Watching the game today on TV I thought it was funny when Dave Sims brought up to Griffey about him taking off in the middle of the night when he quit on the M's and Griffey didn't say a word. Pure silence...lol.

 

[NWinAZ]

 

[NWinAZ]

 

[Duders]

Didn't take long for the A's to play add on and take the lead and a win. Oh well, might as well get used to it. Liked Murph's bomb though!!

 

[mcnabb7542]

I liked this conversation....
That was pretty cool of Root to mic Smith up and listen to him for a couple innings out in the field

 

[seattlefan75]

From what I am seeing so far I am no baseball expert but Tim Lopes should be the front runner to start at 2nd base over shed long or atleast be in the lineup that kid is putting in a lot of hard work and in fairness of competition for him leading spring training in hits and RBIs for the team shows he wants it

 

[mcnabb7542]

I think the outfield is pretty much set :

Smith
Cargo
Lewis
Fraley

Lopes if need be but I got a feeling he will be mostly infield rotation...

 

[seattlefan75]

I think the outfield is pretty much set :

Smith
Cargo
Lewis
Fraley

Lopes if need be but I got a feeling he will be mostly infield rotation...

I am not sold on Fraley yet I understand he had a great season in AA but he hasn't done much when he went to AAA or the majors before getting hurt and he hasn't done anything in spring training he has struck out more than getting hits. I think he should start the season at AAA and have Gonzalez start at LF

 

[mcnabb7542]

I am not sold on Fraley yet I understand he had a great season in AA but he hasn't done much when he went to AAA or the majors before getting hurt and he hasn't done anything in spring training he has struck out more than getting hits. I think he should start the season at AAA and have Gonzalez start at LF

Yeah I can get behind Jake starting in T Town to get him everyday at bats.....

I think Lewis get left field, Smith in Center and Cargo in right.
They have been rolling that look out a lot in spring games so far and I think they leave it like that.

 

[seattlefan75]

Yeah I can get behind Jake starting in T Town to get him everyday at bats.....

I think Lewis get left field, Smith in Center and Cargo in right.
They have been rolling that look out a lot in spring games so far and I think they leave it like that.

At the same time to digress a little bit we should see what we have with Fraley and push him to the majors when the coaching staff feels hes ready this year because Kelenic will be coming to the majors next year and Rodriguez will probably be right behind him the following year so before we have to deal with a crowded out field seeing what Fraley can do is key. Its not like Fraley is a 20 year old were we are still trying to mold him. He is turning 25 at this point he should be getting major league experience but man he has not looked good in Spring.

 

[mcnabb7542]

At the same time to digress a little bit we should see what we have with Fraley and push him to the majors when the coaching staff feels hes ready this year because Kelenic will be coming to the majors next year and Rodriguez will probably be right behind him the following year so before we have to deal with a crowded out field seeing what Fraley can do is key. Its not like Fraley is a 20 year old were we are still trying to mold him. He is turning 25 at this point he should be getting major league experience but man he has not looked good in Spring.

I think you already hit it on the head, his age and he's pressing in the batters box.
He got a taste last season got hurt, and now feels he has something major to prove, which he does but not the way his doing it now.

 

[SeattleCoug]

 

[NWinAZ]

 

[NWinAZ]

 

[mcnabb7542]

Is it just me or do the Ms players have some weird injuries

 

[unlvmariners]

Well that's a spot for Carlos Gonzalez, assuming they keep him which I think they will.

 

[SeattleCoug]

Is it just me or do the Ms players have some weird injuries

Pretty much what I thought when I read that

 

[mcnabb7542]

Well that's a spot for Carlos Gonzalez, assuming they keep him which I think they will.

I think he's trade bait come mid season if he continues to stay healthy and hitting

 

[unlvmariners]

I think he's trade bait come mid season if he continues to stay healthy and hitting

Agreed, assuming he can provide some value. Also can take a little pressure off the young guys. He is a place holder for the young guns.

 

[NWinAZ]

Well that's a spot for Carlos Gonzalez, assuming they keep him which I think they will.

This surprises me:


Carlos Gonzalez unlikely to make Mariners roster
Originally posted on MLB Trade Rumors
By Darragh McDonald | Last updated 3/12/20



Outfielder Carlos Gonzalez is not expected to make the Opening Day roster of the Mariners, according to Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times. Following up on that, MLBTR’s Steve Adams tweets that Gonzalez has an April 1 opt-out in his minor-league deal with Seattle. He can also request his release on the first of the month each month up through August if not on the MLB roster.

The 34-year-old Gonzalez has produced middling numbers this spring, with a slash of .273/.360/.318 across 25 plate appearances. And though that’s an improvement over the .200/.289/.283 line he put up at the MLB level in 2019, it appears that won’t be enough to get him back into the big leagues. Divish spoke to some scouts who commented on his slow bat speed and struggles with velocity. Divish adds that Gonzalez wasn’t viewed as likely to make the club even at the time he signed his deal, calling it more of a “courtesy” audition for a veteran player.

The Mariners seem to have narrowed their outfield competition down to younger players that they want to get long looks at, with Jake Fraley being the favorite to play regularly in right field, alongside center fielder Mallex Smith and left fielder Kyle Lewis. Divish also notes that the utility/bench duties are likely going to other younger players, such as Tim Lopes and Patrick Wisdom. Dylan Moore and Sam Haggerty were also seemingly getting more consideration than the veteran Gonzalez before befalling to injuries.

Gonzalez, a three-time All-Star, had a terrific run of success with Colorado from from 2009 to 2016, producing a wRC+ above 100 in each of those seasons except for the injury-shortened campaign of 2014. However, he hasn’t been able to get back above the 100 line since.

Gonzalez now seems likely to return to the open market, given the opt-out provisions in his deal and his apparently minimal chances of making the roster in Seattle. He could theoretically decide to stay with the Mariners organization in order to get some playing time down on the farm and further showcase himself for other clubs. But given the organization’s preference to use the 2020 season to look at young talent, Gonzalez may lean toward trying to find a better path back to the show.