Dominic Canzone talks joining the Mariners, role going forward, more

The Seattle Mariners acquired three hitters from the Arizona Diamondbacks ahead of the MLB Trade Deadline in exchange for reliever Paul Sewald and two of them are already part of the big league squad.

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One of those two is outfielder/first baseman Dominic Canzone, a rookie who was arguably the centerpiece of the of the Mariners’ trade with Arizona.

So what was the deadline experience like? Canzone discussed that and much more during a Friday interview with Seattle Sports’ Wyman and Bob.

First off, with the trade deadline, was Canzone following rumors and whatnot?

“I honestly wasn’t following it too much just because it was the first, I think, two or three weeks I was up in the bigs, so there was a lot going on in and of itself,” Canzone said. “So the whole trade stuff, I was really just trying to focus on what was going on on the field.”

Canzone made his MLB debut for the Diamondbacks early in July, playing 15 games (eight starts) before getting dealt to Seattle, and he didn’t really think about trades until he learned he was getting traded to the Mariners.

“And then when (Arizona manager Torey Lovullo) called me into the office, I kind of had an idea. It’s just a lot going on, for sure,” Canzone said.

The timing of Canzone’s trade was a little funky as he was traded the day after the Mariners left Arizona after a three-game series with the Diamondbacks.

“Definitely a little bit odd, but it’s more exciting than anything just to be on a team that you know they want you and they traded for you,” Canzone said of the timing of the deal. “It’s been all good vibes from here.”

“The travel day was definitely crazy, but definitely worth it,” he later added.

Once he joined the team, Canzone was immediately thrust into a starting position in the outfield, starting his first three games with the Mariners. He said that’s the expectation going forward after talking to Mariners coaches.

“Just being able to get some consistent at-bats, for sure, has been helpful. I was playing like every three days in AZ and getting some pinch hits, but it was definitely a little bit of a different way to go about it,” Canzone said. “So it’s definitely a little bit more straightforward in understanding that (my playing time) will be a little bit more consistent. So it’s been nice so far.”

One of those starts was against the Los Angeles Angels on Friday, when fellow rookie outfielder Cade Marlowe slugged a go-ahead grand slam in the ninth inning. The Mariners won 5-3 and Canzone was on first base for the homer after getting a single.

“Definitely the most fun win I’ve probably ever been a part of,” Canzone said. “And it was just awesome being on first base and just seeing that ball that Cade hit just just soar over. I mean, it was crazy.”

Canzone is from Ohio, growing up in the Akron area. As such, his favorite player growing up is actually a former Mariners superstar in Ken Griffey Jr., who played for the Cincinnati Reds when Canzone was a kid.

“Definitely Griffey, for sure,” he said. “That’s why this experience has been so awesome. My dad, my brother, my grandpa and I used to go up once a year to go see the Reds play and watch Griffey, so that was definitely a cool experience.”

Has he had a chance to meet the Hall of Famer?

“Not yet, no, but I met Ichiro the other day, which was just as cool,” an excited Canzone said. “So I mean, it’s been some exciting moments and definitely some memorable ones.”

Listen to Wyman and Bob’s full interview with Canzone at this link or in the player near the top of this story.

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