Get To Know Your Mariners: Patrick Wisdom has long history with Marco Gonzales

Mariners spring training is full of names and faces you may recognize, but they belong to players who for the most part have yet to have a chance to make an impression to fans. That’s where our new series comes in.

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Shannon Drayer, Mariners insider for 710 ESPN Seattle, is catching up with the highly touted prospects, recent acquisitions and more under-the-radar players throughout spring training in Peoria, Ariz., to provide insight into the Mariners of 2020 and beyond.

While the bulk of the additions to the Mariners this winter came later, much later in the offseason, infielder Patrick Wisdom was an early pickup signed by Jerry Dipoto in late November.

The former supplemental first-round pick by the Cardinals has had a couple of cups of coffee in the bigs with St. Louis and Texas, but never a long look. Whether or not he breaks with the big club remains to be seen, but he does bring a different skill set to the mix of bench competition this spring.

While he lacks the versatility of the utility players competing for spots, Wisdom is a true third baseman who can play first and has power potential.

With a new club comes new opportunities, new voices to hear and new eyes to be seen by. The new eyes can go both ways. In this video, Wisdom gives us a bit of a look at the Mariners from the outside. What is it like to walk into a new clubhouse? What’s it like to learn new systems? Which voices stand out in the clubhouse?

Despite all of the new coming over to the Mariners, there is element of familiarity for Wisdom, who grew up in California but has spent recent offseasons in the Seattle area where his wife is from. Marco Gonzales, who he came up with in the Cardinals organization is a good friend and the two along with their wives and the Wisdom’s new baby daughter are sharing a house this spring.

In the video, Wisdom gives us a look at Gonzales from the other side, not on the pro fields, but in college. The two played at rival schools and from talking to both, it sounds like they were not particularly fond of each other at the time with each guy being “that guy” on the other team.

Wisdom also talks about being a new dad, running drills with Perry Hill and trying plant-based burgers.

Let’s get to know Patrick Wisdom.

Follow 710 ESPN Seattle’s Shannon Drayer on Twitter.

More from Shannon’s Get To Know Your Mariners series

• Logan Gilbert’s swift rise up the ranks
• Dan Altavilla looking for healthy, productive 2020
• Cal Raleigh has been on the baseball path since Day 1
• OF Jake Fraley could be the gem of Zunino trade
• If anyone can relate to top Mariners prospects, it’s Taijuan Walker
• Julio Rodriguez looks the part of future superstar on and off the field

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