Austin Nola, Seattle Mariners (Photo by Dinur via Flickr)
Dee Gordon, Seattle Mariners. (Photo by Keith Allison via Wikimedia)
Baseball is almost back. Seattle Mariners fans can look forward to the “pop” of a hard fastball hitting the catchers glove or the “crack” of the bat echoing throughout empty Major League stadiums very soon.
The Mariners will begin their “summer camp” on Friday at T-Mobile Park. On June 23 or 24, the shortened 60 game season begins. As required by MLB, Seattle sent in their list of 60 players who are eligible to be part of the main roster and reserve team to the league. They made three significant missteps when assembling the team.
Before getting started, it’s important to note that outfield Mitch Haniger is still a long way from playing. Seattle placed him on the 45-day injured list. He is exempt and not included in the player pool. The good news is a roster spot isn’t being taken up by someone whose availability this season is in doubt. The bad news is Haniger can’t rehab with the main team until he’s added.
No one will argue that preparation is a key factor to success. By getting the squad together quickly, the Mariners can plan for how they want to utilize best the talent invited to camp. While most teams left a few empty sports off their initial lists, Seattle filled all 60 of theirs.
The Seattle Mariners have very little flexibility with those 60 men. If they add a new player, someone else has to go. Healthy players who get released are highly unlikely to clear waivers and will get claimed by another organization. Other teams are still signing free agents, and there have been a few notable releases the last few days as non-roster veterans look for better situations. It would have been prudent to leave a few slots empty until, at the very least, the camp opened up.
Catching is going to be a big problem for every team this year. Playing 60 games in a condensed time frame is an issue, to begin with. Then count on several doubleheader days to add to the catchers’ workload. Depth at the position is of premium importance.
As expected, Tom Murphy and Austin Nola are the team’s primary catchers. Behind them are three players who are huge question marks. Joe Hudson, Brian O’Keefe, and Cal Raleigh might as well go by the call signs, What’s His name, Who’s That, and The Other Guy.
Combined, the three extra catchers have nine games and 13 at-bats of Major League experience, all by Hudson. O’Keefe and Raleigh have never been above Double-A. MLB requires all teams to travel with a three-player taxi-squad. That group includes an emergency catcher in case of injury or positive COVID-19 test, to a rostered backstop. None of the three younger players are qualified.
Aside from the catcher’s inexperience, the Mariners invited many young pitching prospects to camp. That’s another reason why the team needed a veteran. Someone who could fill in when necessary as well as work with the up and coming pitchers.
According to Yahoo, only one team in the last decade used only two catchers for an entire season, the 2016 San Francisco Giants. Over two-thirds of teams (202 of 300) used four catchers. And on average, eight teams per season used five or more. Even though this season is only 37 percent of a normal one, expect many third and fourth-string catchers to see some action.
New York Yankees GM Brian Cashman recognized the need for veterans. He signed Chris Iannetta, Erik Kratz, and Josh Thole to bake up his two regular catchers. Obviously, the Yankees are in a different situation than the M’s; they are in the World Series hunt. Even so, he recognized the importance of having enough experienced catchers on the roster. DiPoto must not have thought it was that important.
The GM has to find a way to get another catcher. Russell Martin is the big fish among available free agents. He’ll likely go to a team that has a good shot at contending. Other veterans such as Jose Lobaton and Jesús Sucre can be had on the cheap and come with at least 240 games of Major League experience.
Emerson Hancock, Georgia Bulldogs, Seattle Mariners. (Photo by Gamecock Central via Flickr)
Out of the Seattle Mariners top 30 prospects, 23 have received invitations to summer camp. The emphasis is clearly on player development. That’s not a bad thing at all. After all, there is no good reason to leave players who are valuable to the organization out in the cold for the year.
Many of the Mariners prospects will be in residence at the team’s alternate site in Tacoma. The group includes four of the M’s 2020 draft picks and seven players who haven’t played higher the Single-A ball. So off the top, 18 percent of the players in camp have no chance of playing in a meaningful game this year.
Here’s the problem. The M’s are too focused on development. It’s the on-field product that pays the price. As mentioned earlier, 11 players can be deleted from the number of players who will contribute to the Mariners this season. Another nine haven’t played above Double-A. That takes the count to 20, and ups the ratio to one-third of the 60-man player pool have ZERO chance to help the M’s in 2020.
It feels like Seattle threw in the towel before the season even started. DiPoto’s recent comments seem to indicate the Mariners don’t consider themselves as any kind of factor in the American League West.
He held a zoom meeting with reporters last week. Of course, he said the team would work hard and do their best to compete. What else can DiPoto say? “We don’t care if the team wins or loses in 2020; our goal is to develop the kids.” He did, however, find a way to say the same thing without using the direct approach.
“We are entering into this really viewing it as a 17-month process. How are we going to build our pitcher innings over the next 17 months? What does 2020 plus 2021 look like for the Mariners?”
The mistake of this approach lies in the underlying message to the 26-30 players who are on the main roster. Do what you can, but don’t expect much help.
What do you think about the Seattle Mariners 60-man player pool? Let us know in the comments section below or on social media.