Mariners’ Julio Rodríguez details his offseason meeting with Servais

Seattle Mariners manager Scott Servais made the rounds this offseason to visit some of his players, and perhaps the top name on his list of people to see with was superstar center fielder Julio Rodríguez.

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The two-time All-Star and 2022 American League Rookie of the Year spends his winters preparing for the upcoming season in Miami, and that’s where Servais met up with him. How did the 23-year-old phenom and his 56-year-old skipper spend their time together?

Rodríguez pulled the curtain back when he talked to Seattle Sports’ Wyman and Bob on Friday from Mariners spring training in Peoria, Ariz.

“We talked about a lot of different things. We talked about the team, we talked about the offseason, we talked about his family, my family,” Rodríguez shared with hosts Dave Wyman and Bob Stelton. “… I brought him out to my place and I had my chef cook something for us – really enjoyed that, and it was good. It was good that he saw kind of my process, how I go about my offseason, and I feel like he really liked that trip. I feel like we both really enjoyed the conversations and everything.”

Speaking of conversations, Rodríguez also gave some insight into some of his talks in the clubhouse and what everybody’s mind is on after missing the postseason by just two games in 2023.

“On this team I feel like I’m able to talk to a lot of different guys,” Rodríguez said. “I feel like a lot of the the guys here are really easy to just go, come up and talk (to) because I feel like we all share the same goal. I talk a little bit with with J.P. (Crawford), I talk a little bit with Cal (Raleigh). … I feel like we all know that we’re kind of focused and prepared, and I feel like it’s showing right now. It’s showing in spring training. I feel like everybody’s kind of got their own thing to kind of bring in to spring training and then we can all share it.”

Rodríguez added that he can feel a sense of unity going into a big 2024 season for the franchise.

“I feel that there is a lot more preparation – a lot more preparation, a lot more focus and intent. We’re definitely hungry, but I feel like that hunger drove us to be in the right path, like learning the right things, focusing on the right things. And I feel like that’s something that I see from this team, (and) I’m really happy to go out there and compete with them.”

Find the whole Wyman and Bob conversation with Seattle Mariners star Julio Rodríguez in either the video or podcast player near the top of this post, or at this link.

More on Julio Rodríguez and the Seattle Mariners

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• J.P. Crawford: Trade to Mariners ‘saved my career, saved my life’
• Drayer: Why two young Mariners prospects are of particular interest
• Jorge Polanco’s former Twins teammate: ‘You guys are gonna love him’
• Seatte Mariners vets show they have the backs of top prospects

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