Mariners notebook: 1st lineup of 2020, Servais expects more steals, extra bases
Feb 22, 2020, 9:48 AM | Updated: Feb 23, 2020, 9:47 am
Mariners manager Scott Servais has written his first lineup of 2020. (Getty)
(Getty)
The rain won out and the Mariners’ first game of spring training has been canceled. If Seattle was to take on the Padres, here’s what the first lineup of the season would have been.
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Shed Long Jr., 4
J.P. Crawford, 6
Kyle Seager, 5
Kyle Lewis, 9
Jake Fraley, 7
Evan White, 3
Tom Murphy, 2
Patrick Wisdom, DH
Braden Bishop, 8
Nestor Cortes, P
The position players are expected to get just a couple of innings early on as the Mariners will look to get as many players into the first few games as possible to get them going. One change this spring is manager Scott Servais has handed the lineup duties over to bench coach Jared Sandberg, who will be tasked with getting the 33 position players in camp the appropriate at bats.
Nestor Cortes was slated to get the first start of the spring. If he makes the team, his role would be of the more long relief variety. Cortes was acquired from the Yankees on Nov. 19 for future considerations. He does have big league experience and will get a good look in spring training.
“Cortes can go 2-3 innings if you need it on a particular day. Those guys in our camp are really valuable,” said Servais.
“He can do some different things with the baseball. He can move it, he does ride the fastball that plays better than the velocity looks just because he gets it in the strike zone. He’s a high spin rate guy. He knows how to use his weapons.”
After Cortes, the game pitchers list included Penn Murfee, Brandon Brennan, Yoshihisa Hirano, Dan Altavilla, Anthony Misiewicz and Ian McKinney.
Notes
• The two relievers who have been held back a bit because of minor arm/shoulder soreness issues that popped up near the end of the off season are making good progress. Erik Swanson will throw a live BP session Sunday and Matt Magill threw a bullpen Friday.
• Something to keep an eye on this spring is what the team does on the bases. A younger, more athletic team should be able to get more in terms of extra or stolen bases. In addition to veterans Dee Gordon and Mallex Smith, Servais pointed to White, Lewis and Fraley as guys that can run. He would also like to see more out of Crawford.
“We’d like to get him thinking that way,” Servais said. “He’s not a burner but at the end of the year you might look up and he has 15 stolen bases and he’s getting the extra base.”
• The Mariners ran full team situational games on two fields Friday. Often the situational game is the final drill as the team shifts to game mode with Cactus League play but this year, with the young team, Servais wants to run the drill throughout the spring. It did have a different look than in the past.
For starters, there were four teams rather than two. It wasn’t quite the raucous event it was when veterans like Nelson Cruz and Robinson Cano were chosen to captain the teams. This was more about work with coaches (Ichiro on one field and Servais on the other) “pitching.” While there were points to be earned at the plate, the games were less focused on offense than in the past according to Servais.
“It’s more of a baserunning/defense game,” he said. “Mallex made some unbelievable plays in center field. That’s what probably what stood out the most on my field.”
• Another change this spring is that the pool table in the clubhouse has been covered with a ping pong tabletop but yes, there will once again be a tournament with the bracket revealed Sunday morning. The top 8 seeds for those who are interested:
1. Donovan Walton
2. Austin Nola
3. Nestor Cortes
4. Kyle Seager
5. Zac Grotz
6. Aaron Fletcher
7. Marco Gonzales
8. Sam Tuivailala
Top prospects Jarred Kelenic and Julio Rodriguez were seeded 65 and 66th.
“They did that on purpose,” said Rodriguez when he took a look at the board. “I’m not bad at ping pong!”
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