Mariners have 2 position battles to watch, and 1 may surprise you
Feb 24, 2017, 6:00 AM | Updated: 11:04 am
Mike Salk thinks Mariners catcher Mike Zunino will be pushed for playing time by Carlos Ruiz. (AP)
(AP)
Heading into spring training, the Mariners’ opening day lineup is pretty well solidified, but there are still a number of battles to be waged.
While there are potentially five players competing for three spots in the outfield, Brock Huard and Mike Salk said the most interesting position battles to watch in 2017 will be at first base and catcher.
“One is surprising and one isn’t,” Salk said Thursday.
First base
The competition at first base is the least surprising of the two. It pits highly-touted prospect Daniel Vogelbach against veteran Danny Valencia, a right-handed hitter who is known for crushing southpaws.
MLB Network analyst Harold Reynolds told “Bob, Groz and Tom” earlier this week about Vogelbach’s major upside as a left-handed hitter, while 710 ESPN Seattle’s Shannon Drayer detailed the 24-year-old’s offseason work to become adequate in the field.
Meanwhile, Valencia, who was acquired via trade this offseason and can additionally play the outfield and third base, is looking to prove he can be an everyday player. He posted a .318/.389/.535 slash line against lefties in 2016, and overall was .287/.346/.446 in 517 plate appearances.
Here’s how general manager Jerry Dipoto described the battle: “Between Dan Vogelbach and Danny Valencia, we have two high-end bats. Vogey’s never done it at the major-league level, but he’s hit at every level of the minors and we believe he will in the big leagues. And Danny Valencia very quietly over the last two years has been a sneaky, quiet, productive hitter. Just kills left-handers and he’s been very good against the righties the last two years.
“So we feel like Danny actually is probably as close to an everyday player as any platoon player you’re gonna meet. And he plays all four corners, which gives us an advantage in trying to get him in there on most days with the bat, whether it’s against a lefty or a righty, and give him an opportunity to impact our lineup. It also gives us an ability to bring Dan Vogelbach along at a pace that we feel comfortable with. The way his season is going will define how much he plays.”
Salk said he expects Vogelbach to contribute this season, but that it will be the Valencia show to start: “For Vogelbach, the upside is still there, and he will contribute this year almost definitely. Whether or not he makes the team opening day, I think that’s in doubt.”
Huard is hoping Salk is wrong and that the Mariners quickly see Vogelbach realize the potential that led them to trade Mike Montgomery to the Cubs last season to get him: “I want Vogelbach to be the everyday guy. Whether it’s unrealistic, whether it’s stupid, I want him to be the guy. … I would like somebody that you trade for to actually pleasantly surprise. To say, ‘Sorry, you can’t send me down, you can’t platoon me every other game. I am your guy.’ … That is my aspiration leading into the season.”
Catcher
Salk said it never actually dawned on him that Mike Zunino wouldn’t be handed the starting catching spot until he heard the MLB Network debate about whether Carlos Ruiz should play more often than an average backup.
After trading left-handed pitcher Vidal Nuño for the 38-year-old Ruiz this offseason, Dipoto described the 12-year veteran as bringing “outstanding leadership qualities and a winning pedigree.” But he also brings a substantial bat. He managed a .264/.365/.348 line for the Dodgers and Phillies in 2016, which dwarfs Zunino’s .207/.318/.470 line over 55 games with Seattle.
Still, Zunino, 25, is very capable behind the plate, has a lot of pop and is considered Seattle’s future at the position. He also showed flashes of promise as the team’s primary backstop in the second half of last season.
Said Salk: “I think there should be a little bit of, not pressure – I don’t want to use the words Mike Zunino and pressure because that might end him – but I would love for Mike Zunino to actually seize this job instead of just being handed it.”
Huard said he thinks Zunino seizing the job would be by bumping his batting average to at least .220. Salk’s definition is a little looser: “Not looking lost and giving away at-bats. That’s all. We know he can call the game, we know he’s a really good receiver of the baseball. None of those are issues. Just literally not giving away most of his at-bats. You’re going to be able to bury him at the bottom of the order, but when you’ve got somebody who’s a pro like Ruiz there, there is actually some pressure on you to go do it instead of being along for the ride.”
