The Seattle Mariners announced on Wednesday that 21 players in their minor league system will be invited to the big club spring training. These are players that are not on their 40-man roster.
Included in this list are several of their top prospects outfielders Jarred Kelenic, Julio Rodrigues, catcher Cal Raleigh, and pitcher Logan Gilbert. If you have been following the Mariners they are names you are familiar with.
Of the 21 invitees four of them are catchers including Raleigh. Two of the catchers Joe Odom and Joe Hudson are expected to be at triple-A Tacoma. Raleigh is expected to be with double-A Arkansas to start the season anyway. The fourth catcher Brian O'Keefe will probably join Raleigh in Arkansas. One of the four though if the do a good job could end up in Seattle since they have Tom Murphy and Austin Nola as the catchers. Nola spent last year playing a lot of first base and he can play around the infield. Depending on how well he hits the Mariners will probably have him in the lineup almost every day so that might leave room to have another catcher on the roster.
Eleven of the invitees are pitchers including Gilbert. The ones who are relievers have the best chance of making the opening roster though they will have to earn it since a lot of pitchers competing for the bullpen. The Mariners will have eight relievers; however, five of the spots are close to being locks so would leave quite a few pitchers competing for three spots.
They have invited three infielders. None of the names I am familiar with so I could see them all starting the season in Tacoma. The only spot to make the roster is the utility position and the Mariners have several competing for the spot who spent last season in Seattle including Dylan Moore who was the primary utility player last year. The Mariners may go with two utility players since the roster has expanded to 26 up from 25.
Luis Liberto is the third member of the outfield to be invited to spring training. He likely will start the season at double-A or triple-A. Kelenic will probably be in double-A ball as well though he does have an outside chance of making the Mariners out of spring training. Rodrigues will probably start in high-A or double-A to start the season. He probably is a year behind Kelenic far as making the roster as a regular. They could both make the roster at the same time to but likely won't happen until 2021.
In other local sports, the Washington Huskies men's basketball team will be in Utah taking on the Utes Thursday night while the Washington State Cougars play at Colorado. They reverse opponents on Saturday. It is very important the Huskies sweep the two teams if they expect to still win the Pac-12 championship and as important go back to the NCAA tournament in March.
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