There are 3 big Mariners roster questions right now

The Seattle Mariners open the 2025 MLB season in just over a week, and there are three big roster questions regarding position players that have yet to be answered.

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Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk discussed each of them Monday morning with Mariners insider Shannon Drayer, who has been covering the team’s spring training camp in Arizona for the past month.

Let’s a take a look at the questions that remain unanswered.

1. Is Rowdy Tellez making the team?

It sure looks like it, based on his production this spring and how often the Mariners are putting the big slugger out at first base. He was even in a lineup Monday at designated hitter that looked a lot like it could be an opening day batting order.

Spring training began with Luke Raley and Donovan Solano expected to share time at first in 2025, but things got interesting when Seattle added the 30-year-old Tellez last month on a minor league contract.

“Rowdy Tellez has gotten the lion’s share of work at first base this spring, which was a little bit of a surprise,” Drayer said. “That doesn’t mean Luke Raley’s not going to be there. We’re going to see quite a bit of him this week from what I have been told, but they’re giving (Tellez) a good look to see if they would like to keep him, and I think that could be the way they are leaning.”

The lefty-swinging Tellez smacked 35 home runs in 2022 for the Milwaukee Brewers, but he has posted negative WAR and a sub-.700 OPS in each of the past seasons. In 12 Cactus League games with the Mariners this spring entering Monday, though, he has a slash line of .294/.333/.618 for a .951 OPS with three homers and two doubles.

Should the Mariners keep Tellez, it could make it harder for a team legend to make the roster, however. That’s up next.

2. What happens with Mitch Haniger?

A 34-year-old outfielder, Haniger had a rough campaign in his return to the Mariners in 2024, slashing .208/.286/.334 for a .620 OPS in 121 games. He’s owed $15.5 million this year, the final of a three-year, $43.5 million deal he signed with San Francisco prior to the 2023 season (he was traded back to Seattle in January 2024).

Will the M’s save a roster spot for him? There’s now the potential that they won’t have to, at least to begin the year.

Haniger is dealing with a shoulder issue and hasn’t played in a Cactus League game since March 8. If he starts the season on the injured list, it would delay the need to make a tough decision on his future.

If Haniger is healthy enough to start the season, Seattle Sports’ Mike Salk is having a hard time seeing him make the team.

“I just keep thinking I don’t see how Mitch Haniger makes this this roster just because of the lack of flexibility,” Salk said. “And certainly if Rowdy Tellez is going to make the roster, it seems hard to imagine, even if Mitch was healthy, that you would have an ability to keep both of those guys with some of the defensive problems that they have.”

If Haniger isn’t on the active roster out of camp (whether it’s due to injury or not), keep an eye on utility infielders Leo Rivas and Miles Mastrobuoni as candidates for the 26th and final spot.

3. Who’s at second

The Mariners were set to go with Dylan Moore, the 2024 American League Gold Glove winner at the utility position, as their primary option at second base in 2025 – though Ryan Bliss was always expected to get some time at the position, as well.

But that was before Moore scuffled at the plate this spring. Entering Monday, the 32-year-old California native was just 2 for 32 (.063) in Cactus League play. Does that mean the Mariners may need to play Bliss more at second this year, at least out of the gate? Perhaps. And to the 25-year-old Bliss’ credit, he came into the week with a .346 average and .923 OPS in 12 spring games.

But there are a couple things to keep in mind there.

First, it’s not all that uncommon for a player to struggle in the spring and then figure things out during the season. The aforementioned Luke Raley was one such case last year, as he went 7 for 44 (.159) in Cactus League games in 2024 but overcame a slow start to hit a career-high 22 homers and post a solid .783 OPS during the regular season.

Second, the Mariners’ infield defense is a question mark. Jorge Polanco is penciled in at third base, a position he hasn’t played much in his career, and he’s coming off offseason knee surgery and isn’t considered a great defender in the first place. J.P. Crawford doesn’t play shortstop as well as he did when he won a Gold Glove in 2020. And Bliss isn’t known for his defensive ability.

Moore’s glove, however, is a sure thing. So even if his hitting struggles continue into the season, his defense may be absolutely necessary at second – which, for the record, is considered his best defensive position.

Basically, the second base situation is unsettled, because the infield defense could be… unsettling.

Catch Brock and Salk from 6-10 a.m. weekdays on Seattle Sports, and hear Monday’s full segment breaking down Mariners spring training with insider Shannon Drayer in the podcast at this link or in the player near the top of this post.

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