Who’s On First

Now that we are over the Edgar didn’t make the Hall of Fame once again or are we? It is now time to get ready for spring training which is coming in about three weeks. We will be looking at positions and players who may or may not make the team for the final roster.

First we look at first base where now we have two newcomers for the third year in a row under Dipoto. It has been a while since the Mariners have had a solid first baseman will this be the year?

Last year the Mariners figured to platoon between Daniel Vogelbach and Danny Valencia. Vogelbach didn’t make the roster and spent most of the season in Tacoma so Valencia was the starter for most of the season until August when the Mariners traded for Yonder Alonso from the Oakland A’s. He had been on the all-star team but during his stay with the Mariners it wasn’t all-star caliber. In thirty games he hit six home runs and drove in eighteen which is Ok with a .265 batting average. Danny Valencia who started most of the games at first base before Alonso arrived had an OK season as well especially after starting off slow in April. His defense was a surprise especially when he had never played the position full time. He ended the season with fifteen home runs and sixty-six runs batted in which isn’t too bad being low in the batting order however the Mariners would like to see more production out of first base. Both Alonso and Valencia became free agents so the Mariners decided to go another direction. Also they didn’t want to put the money into what it would cost to resign either player.

So early in the off-season the Mariners made another trade again with the Oakland A’s. This time they picked up a younger player who can be around for a while and had a good rookie season in Ryon Healy. He had

Twenty-five home runs and seventy-eight runs batted in with a .271 primarily at designated hitter however the A’s have Matt Olson who had nearly as many home runs in many less games and he is little bit younger than Healy so the A’s felt he had a better future. Also he bats left handed while Healy bats right-handed. The A’s are planning to move outfielder Khris Davis who has a poor arm to designated hitter so Healy was expendable in their thinking. We will have to see whether that benefits the Mariners over the A’s.

Healy is a right handed hitter with power so that helps the Mariners having Robinson Cano and Kyle Seager hitting left handed with power so that allows another right handed hitter to go along with Nelson Cruz. Most likely he will bat sixth in the batting order for the Mariners though they may decide to bat Mitch Haniger in that stop. In any case the Mariners should have pretty good bottom of the batting order with Healy, Haniger, Mike Zunino and Ben Gamel.

During the winter games the Mariners took Mike Ford in the rule 5 draft who is a left handed hitter so they could platoon him with Healy. Being a rule 5 draft pick he must be on the 25 man roster for the season or be sent back to the New York Yankees in which the Mariners drafted him from. An alternative would be that the Mariners make a trade with the Yankees to keep him if they want to send him to the minor leagues.  The problem with platooning Ford and Healy is that the Mariners plan to carry an eight-man bullpen so only room to carry three bench players and one of them will be a backup catcher so only leave two other players on the bench. Most likely those two spots will be taken up by a utility man and extra outfielder. Guillermo Heredia who had off-season surgery on his shoulder isn’t ready to go and Ford along with Healy has outstanding spring training you could see the utility man turn into being the extra outfielder. Healy has experience at third base he could back up Seager though if this was the scenario. Dee Gordon who the Mariners picked up from the Miami Marlins during the off-season is expected to be the center fielder however his experience is at second base and shortstop so he can be the backup at both of those positions as well. Most likely though he would only switch back to the infield if an injury happened to Robinson Cano and Jean Segura that would keep them out for a little while.

Mentioned earlier the Mariners still have Daniel Vogelbach on the forty-man roster as well. He had a solid triple A season last year but his chances to make the team became less because of Ford and Healy. If he has a good spring training the Mariners may use him to pick up another pitcher for depth. At this point I see that the Mariners will likely start Healy at first base and either send Ford back to the Yankees or trade for him and send him to Tacoma. This would give the Mariners depth if something happened with Healy at first or Seager at third base. So who’s on first will be answered during spring training. I would have to go with Healy for now. Go M’s.