Mariners notebook: “The Hot Stove” lineup

Just 29 days until I post and Tweet the first spring lineup. For now, you will have to settle for a “The Hot Stove” lineup.

Aaron Goldsmith and Bill Krueger from ROOT Sports will join me in studio for two hours of baseball talk on Tuesday from 7-9 p.m. on 710 ESPN Seattle. Our guests will include hitting coach Howard Johnson, DJ Peterson, Bob Dutton from The News Tribune, Rangers broadcaster and Ford C. Frick Award winner Eric Nadel, and Chris Calcaterra, who will give us the update on the stadium improvements at the Peoria Sports Complex.

Notes

• The Caribbean Series is underway in San Juan, Puerto Rico. You may remember that I mentioned the team Robinson Cano played five games for last month, Estrellas de Oriente, had not made it to the series since 1968. They appeared to be on their way back taking a 2-0 lead in the best-of-nine Dominican championship over the Gigantes del Cibao, but then dropped four straight after Cano left the team having played all the games he needed coming back from a toe injury. The Gigantes went on to take the series 5-3 and advance to the Caribbean Series.

Of note from the series, it doesn’t appear there are any Mariners on the official rosters, but there are plenty of former Mariners including Carlos Silva (Venezuela), Rene Rivera (Puerto Rico), and Russell Branyan, who played last season in Mexico and hit .296/.423/.620/1.043 in 65 games for Tijuana. One of Branyan’s teammates on the team from Mexico is former Mariner Anthony Vasquez, who you may remember underwent emergency brain surgery in 2012. Vasquez spent last season in the Orioles organization and pitched five innings of one-run ball in Mexico’s 2-1 win over Cuba earlier today.

• Mariners director of amateur scouting Tom McNamara is in New York tonight to pick up the A.B. “Turk” Karam Award, which is given to the scout of the year by the New York-area baseball scouts.

• Looks like Russell Wilson will be making a stop in Surprise, Ariz. again this spring, no doubt bypassing University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale. It will be tough for me to look at that building this spring as well.

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