Seattle Mariners: Jerry Dipoto is back to baseball and he’s talking
The MLB lockout is over and Seattle Mariners baseball is around the corner. On Friday, Jerry Dipoto had a press conference. Here are some takeaways from his comments.
On March 10th, the MLB lockout finally ended with an agreement in place between Major League Baseball and the Players Association. This good news means that Seattle Mariners‘ opening day is just weeks away. Friday, Mariners General Manager Jerry Dipoto held a press conference. Here are some key takeaways from it.
Torrens
Seattle will need to be creative to find playing time for Luis Torrens. The 25-year-old slugger impressed management down the stretch last year. Unfortunately, he primarily plays catcher, the same position as Tom Murphy and Cal Raleigh. The M’s goal was to find Raleigh more opportunities which cut into Torrens’ playing time.
He has shown some ability to play third and first, along with handling duties behind the plate. As of right now, the team will need to find ways to get him in the lineup outside of DHing against lefties.
K-Lew
Former Rookie of the Year Kyle Lewis might be a bit further ahead in his rehab than reports indicate. The Seattle Mariners are still looking at him to play center field in 2022. If this is accurate and not just “positive GM speak,” this is huge for the M’s. It’s unclear if Lewis will be ready to start the year by opening day.
But if he can come back at his 2020 ROY levels, K-Lew is another big bat in the order. Lewis will play in the outfield and rotate in at designated hitter to give his knee a rest. Keep in mind that with him in the outfield, the M’s defense is better than it is without him.