Mariners Hot Stove Podcast No. 6, pitching edition: Mel Stottlemyre Jr. stops by for a chat
Dec 2, 2016, 10:03 AM | Updated: 1:00 pm
Last season was Mel Stottlemyre Jr.'s first as the Mariners' pitching coach. (AP)
(AP)
After a busy 10 days of the not-so-off-season, it only seems right that we would have an extended Hot Stove podcast. James Osborn joined me Thursday afternoon for an hour and a half of Mariners talk, and there was plenty to talk about.
James and I run down the three deals general manager Jerry Dipoto has made in the last two weeks and take a look at where the roster stands now in relation to dollars available, spots that need to be filled, and battles we could see in spring training.
In the second segment we spend 20 minutes visiting with pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre Jr., who was taking a rare day off from his offseason job, which has nothing to do with baseball. Mel talks about how trades affect him both professionally and personally and gives unique insight into the synergy between the coaching staff and the front office. We also get into a discussion on Felix Hernandez, what could be different for him and the impact Stottlemyre feels James Paxton could have on the team in 2017.
Listen: Hot Stove podcast with Mariners pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre Jr.
An aside: In my last post I included links about a controversy, involving two former Mariners shortstops, that appeared to be brewing within Venezuelan baseball. A couple of hours after we finished the podcast, Felix posted this on Instagram:
Carlos Guillen, who is the general manager of the the Venezuelan World Baseball Classic team, had asked manager Omar Vizquel to resign earlier this week. Vizquel refused, and Guillen fired him and replaced him with bench coach Eddie Perez. The move is not sitting well with the players, many of which, Felix included, are now threatening to not play if Vizquel is not reinstated. Felix is the only Mariner on Venezuela’s provisional 50-man roster.
In our final segment James takes a look at some arms the Mariners could look at to fill what he believes could be two spots in the rotation. We finish up the show with a look at what’s new in the latest CBA.
The podcast also includes two “best of” interviews from last season. The first is with bullpen coach Mike Hampton and took place in July at Safeco Field. Hampton had the unique experience of not only facing Ken Griffey Jr. and Mike Piazza but also being their teammates.
The second interview is a conversation that Gary Hill had with Kyle Lewis the day he signed his contract with the Mariners as their top pick last year. For those who have been wondering how Lewis, who Baseball America this week ranked as the Mariners’ top prospect, is doing coming off knee surgery, he tweeted this Friday.
⏳⏳⏳ pic.twitter.com/AucKGE4e9Q
— Kyle Lewis (@KLew_20) December 2, 2016
The Hot Stove Podcast will be replaced by a Hot Stove Show (which will be podcasted and available here or on iTunes) next week. The show air live from 7-9 Friday, Dec. 9. Dipoto, fresh off his trip to the baseball Winter Meetings, is scheduled to join us. You can join us as well if you like as we will be broadcasting from the Bellevue Square Mariners Team Store. Rumor has it, Santa Moose will make an appearance as well.
