Podcast: ‘Hot Stove Show,’ Mariners FanFest edition

If you missed the special FanFest edition of the “Hot Stove Show” broadcast from Safeco Field Saturday afternoon, fear not, we have a podcast.

Two hours of Mariners talk with a steady stream of guests kicked off with a segment with general manager Jerry Dipoto, who, for the record, has made the most appearances on the show the past two years along with James Paxton. Despite all of the availability and appearances by Dipoto, there were still some topics of interest to tackle, including why he prefers trades over free-agent signings when it comes to roster building. Quick, how many free agents did he sign this offseason?

On the trade front, Dipoto targeted Danny Valencia, Jarrod Dyson and Drew Smyly from the very beginning this fall. One deal was pulled off right away while the other two came in what I would call nervous time, particularly with Smyly. Why did those final two take so long to get done and did Dipoto think there was a chance he would not land another starter? On that note, Dipoto shared his reasonable if not high hopes for the starting rotation in 2017.

Up next was a bit of a get-to-know-you session with Valencia, who has been getting to know his new teammates and staff. Scott Servais visited Valencia at his home in Boca Raton, Fla. and Edgar Martinez had a few hitting sessions with him and a couple of the other Florida residents as well. How out of the ordinary is it for a manager and a coach to show up on the doorstep of a new non-superstar player in the offseason? Valencia let us know. He also talked about his excitement to be in Seattle (which has been apparent if you follow him on Twitter) and what sluggers helped him improve his numbers against righties.

Andrew Moore, who I think we will see at some point in the season this year, followed and gave us a good self-scouting appraisal. Organizational folks have raved about his approach, pitching maturity and mentality and I think you hear that in the interview. We also heard about one of his mentors, someone any  young pitcher would be fortunate to learn from.

Dyson finished up the first hour with us and he had every appearance of the favorite so many people from Kansas City have told us he would be. Dyson takes pride in what he can bring a team on and off the field. He gave us a little insight into his remarkable story of making it from the 50th round of the draft (he holds a ridiculous distinction regarding the draft) to a Major League roster. He also shared with us a bet he has with a former teammate, something you will want to keep your eyes open for when the Mariners take on the Royals.

Hour two kicked off with two segments with future stars Kyle Lewis and Tyler O’Neill. Lewis gave us good news on his rehab work following ACL surgery. He has been running and recently added some lateral work to his workouts. O’Neill has been getting ready for the season and the upcoming WBC, where he will play for Team Canada. Both players gave us a look inside some of the minor-league programs under Andy McKay. Lewis attended all of the offseason camps and shared with us some of what was taught in the Mariners “Culture Camp.”

Smyly sat down next with us and it was clear that the day had been a bit of a whirlwind for him. Smyly enjoyed taking in the sights and sounds of FanFest and while he is no stranger to Safeco Field, he is looking forward to the benefits of the home field and the revamped outfield defense for 81 games.

Mariners legends Julio Cruz and Dave Valle were our last guests. Cruz, who I believe will be working with the base runners again this spring, gave us his best base-running tips. Valle shared with us his take on what could be a very different look team this year.

The “Hot Stove Show” returns to the warm studio Tuesday night from 7-9 on 710 ESPN Seattle and 710Sports.com.

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