With the World Baseball Classic come and gone, the Mariners have returned to their spring training camp for the last week and a half of Cactus League competition.

Currently, they are riding a five-game winning streak, six if you discount the 8-1 drubbing they suffered at the hands of The Netherlands’ WBC team.

Sams channeling former Mariner Halman in Classic — Kalian Sams, a 26-year-old outfielder from the Mariners Double-A Generals, has a lot on his plate this spring. As he competed with The Netherlands’ squad in the World Baseball Classic, he drew his inspiration from a fellow countryman and beloved, late member of the Mariners: Greg Halman.

Here Goes Nothing — For those who have been mourning Lookout Landing’s loss of Jeff Sullivan, there is a new Mariners expert at the helm of SBNation’s favorite Seattle Mariners blog.

Why I Don’t Care Too Much About The Opening Day Roster — Dave Cameron is here to tell you why you should read even less into the Opening Day roster than you already do.

How Jesus Montero Threw Out Mike Trout — Jeff Sullivan delves into a second-by-second replay of the one time Jesus Montero managed to nab Mike Trout at second base. (Watch out for the ending–you’ll never see it coming.)

Catching up on Mike Carp, Chone Figgins, and other ex-Mariners — You know you miss them. Now, thanks to Larry Stone, you can also know just where they stand in roster battles so far. Unfortunately, no matter how hard Figgins tries to make the Marlins 25-man roster, the chances of him reappearing in Safeco Field this season look pretty slim.

What have you read lately? Share it with us in the comments below!

On Wednesday, the new TV spots for the 2013 Mariners were officially released. From Felix and his High Heat Hot Sauce to Brendan Ryan’s magical buffalo cookies (not the kind you’re thinking of), the PR team did a great job with this year’s batch of commercials.

Click the photos below to watch each video—and don’t forget to vote for your favorite!

Hottest Thing in Town
Starring: Felix Hernandez

Focused and Relaxed
Starring: Michael Morse, Michael Saunders, and Kyle Seager

Fan Mail
Starring: Dustin Ackley

One Wish
Starring: Random Mariners fan

The Lineup
Starring: Random Mariners fan and Random Mariners fan’s kids

The Wise Ol’ Buffalo
Starring: Brendan Ryan, Tom Wilhelmsen, Jesus Montero… and a buffalo

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The Mariners’ 2013 25-man roster is far from finalized, but the media is already starting to buzz with possible starters for the season. Here’s the latest:

• Yesterday, Larry Stone revealed the 16 players he believes are locked into starting positions come April. Those who fall into the “probable, but not guaranteed” category are denoted with asterisks.

Catchers: Jesus Montero, Kelly Shoppach*

First basemen: Justin Smoak, Kendrys Morales

Second baseman: Dustin Ackley

Shortstop: Brendan Ryan

Third baseman: Kyle Seager

Utility infielder: Robert Andino

Outfielders: Michael Morse, Michael Saunders, Franklin Gutierrez, Raul Ibanez

Starting rotation: Felix Hernandez, Hisashi Iwakuma, Joe Saunders

Bullpen: Tom Wilhelmsen, Charlie Furbush, Oliver Perez*, Josh Kinney*

• As for the Big Four, they are still four question marks in the rotation. Stone thinks that Taijuan Walker is the furthest from claiming a spot, while Danny Hultzen has shown the most promise so far. Currently, Hultzen is sidelined with a minor hip strain, but is expected to bounce back within the week.
• Shannon Drayer reports that Michael Morse may see more time in right field than originally expected: “Despite saying that Morse would play mostly left this winter Wedge has had him in mostly right. He has been about what I think most of us expected out there.”
• Wedge has also been tinkering with the leadoff spot, slotting Franklin Gutierrez at the top of the lineup three times this week. “We have been messing around with him up top a bit and we will see how it plays out,” Wedge told Drayer on Saturday.

Two weeks into spring training, expectations are running high. Vinnie Catricala is cautiously hoping for a successful season, Anthony Vasquez is making a miraculous return to baseball, and Jesus Montero thinks he’s grasped the concept of running.

Mariners’ Vasquez just happy to be here after surviving life-threatening brain issue — Geoff Baker chronicles the extraordinary struggles of LHP Anthony Vasquez, who reached the brink of death while preparing for the 2013 season.

Jesus Montero Almost Knows How To Run — This is, sadly, exactly what it sounds like.

Corner Men — While prospects and journeymen battle for a spot on the Mariners’ 25-man roster, Mike Curto examines the likely candidates for the Tacoma Rainiers’ 2013 lineup. This time, he sheds some light on potential corner infielders, including Mike Jacobs, Alex Liddi, Vinnie Catricala, Rich Poythress, Nate Tenbrink, and Stefen Romero.

SEA Mariners Infield: Depth Chart Discussions — The team at FanGraphs is doing a phenomenal job of making early depth projections for the 2013 Mariners. Most recently, J.P. Breen tackled the M’s infield, but you can find discussions of the outfield, rotation, and bullpen here as well.

Vinnie Catricala tries to get back on fast track — After a lousy 2012, Vinnie Catricala is out to prove that he is, in fact, a better defender than a small cup of milk. Larry Stone gives us the full scoop on Vinnie’s return, with some heartfelt quotes to boot.

What have you read this week? Share it with us on Twitter or in the comments below!

Next game: vs. Padres | February 24 | 12:05pm

Projected pitchers: Erasmo Ramirez receives the nod for starter today, with the following mix of pitchers—James Paxton, Tom Wilhelmsen, Charlie Furbush, Stephen Pryor, Carter Capps, Josh Kinney, and Lucas Luetge. [h/t Greg Johns]

And you get a home run! And you get a home run! Over two tumultuous match-ups with their Peoria Sports Complex rivals, the San Diego Padres, the Mariners have managed 15 hits, 11 runs and 4 homers. In order of appearance: Casper Wells, Jason Bay, Justin Smoak, and Mike Jacobs.

Catch ‘em all: Wondering when you can catch the next Mariners game on your radio and TV? Check out the official broadcast schedule here.

Best shape of their lives? Well, this isn’t good:

Happy spring training, Mariners fans! From today’s first workout to the final spring training game on March 30, we begin our countdown to Opening Day. If you’re not one of the fortunate few headed to the balmy weather and stomping grounds of the Peoria Sports Complex, there’s plenty happening around Seattle—namely, a press conference for Felix Hernandez and his shiny, seven-year extension. Tune in at 2pm on Mariners.com for live video coverage.

Contract protection for potential injuries has much recent precedent in MLB — In light of the concerns Mariners’ higher-ups raised about Felix’s elbow, Larry Stone digs deeper into the history of handing contracts to players with injury risks.

Chone Figgins Gets It Perfect — Remember this guy? He’s a Miami Marlin. He’s a minor league Miami Marlin with a spring training invite. As Jeff puts it, he’s as far away from Seattle as he can get, and while we wish him the best with the remainder of his career, it’s nice to know he won’t be setting foot in Safeco Field anytime soon.

Griffey thrilled for Felix Hernandez and the Mariners — Earlier this week, Shannon Drayer asked Junior for his thoughts on King Felix. From one Seattle icon to the next:

“He’s the franchise,” Ken Griffey Jr. told me Tuesday afternoon. “Coming up I remember looking at him as a little chunky kid throwing hard. And to see him 9, 10 years later, what he has turned himself into physically, mentally, it is phenomenal.”

Jesus Montero meets media, repeats that he had nothing to do with Biogenesis clinic — Last week, a long list of major leaguers were linked to a PED-dispensing clinic in Florida. Montero has denied any connection to the clinic, and reaffirmed his position to the Seattle Times’ Geoff Baker. His brother, another Jesus Montero and catcher in the St. Louis Cardinals’ organization, is not believed to be associated with the clinic either.

Then we came to the end — Jon Shields, Mariners blogger and proprietor of Pro Ball NW, is closing up shop after five seasons. We wish him well in his future endeavors, and thank him (and the rest of his talented staff) for consistently putting out some excellent and insightful coverage and analysis.

What have you read this week? Share it with us on Twitter or in the comments below!

As I’m sure you all well know, the Mariners recently traded John Jaso and brought in Mike Morse. This move left Jesus Montero as the only catcher on the roster, something that needed to be remedied. Everyone, meet Ronny Paulino, your… uh, remedy.

Seattle is Paulino’s fifth team, and he’ll make $1 million with the possibility of a small bonus should he make the team out of Spring Training. He started his career in Pittsburgh, moving to Florida, the Mets, and was most recently with the Baltimore. He’s not much of a hitter, he doesn’t have much of a reputation as a defensive backstop, and he’s almost 32 years old. Don’t look for Paulino to go dinger-for-dinger with Mike Morse or Kendrys Morales, or match someone like Yadier Molina behind the plate. But he’s a servicable backup catcher, and will be easy to get rid of should Mike Zunino absolutely dominate the minors.

One thing that looks obvious is the Mariners are going with Montero as their primary catcher to start the season, barring another move. Montero did well against lefties last year (.322/.366/.463), but struggled against righties (.228/.262/.346). He’ll have plenty to improve upon, including his catching defense. I should also mention that he’s a horrible baserunner. I have high hopes for Jesus that he’ll improve, and will do so this year. I’m glad to see Jack Z. and Co. have shown confidence in him.

So welcome Ronny Paulino now, Seattle. He may not be around for long.

Baseball season is coming. If, like me, you’re anxiously counting down the days till the gates swing open on Opening Day, you can catch a glimpse of the Mariners’ 2013 season at Safeco Field this weekend. No, there won’t be any actual baseball played, but there will be autograph opportunities, clubhouse tours, and a sneak peek at the changes the Mariners have been working on all offseason.

Here are four tips to make sure you get the most out of your visit:

1. If you’re angling for an autograph, make that your first priority.
The line you’ll see outside Safeco Field isn’t just for the baseball-starved—it’s for those who want to grab an autograph voucher handed out at Home Plate Gate. A voucher is good for two autographs, and the names you get depend on the line you choose. Wait time varies, but it’s safe to say that you’ll be hanging out anywhere from twenty minutes to an hour and a half. A handy guide for autograph procurement can be found here. » Continue reading “Four Ways To Enjoy Mariners FanFest”

For now, Jesus Montero is the only guaranteed catcher on the Mariners’ roster.

I’ll give Jack Zduriencik this much: he certainly knows how to pull off a surprise.

Today, the Mariners announced a three-way trade with the Oakland Athletics and Washington Nationals. John Jaso went to Oakland, A.J. Cole, Blake Treinen, and a PTBNL went to Washington, and Mike Morse went to Seattle.

It’s a move that, according to Twitter, left many fans scratching their heads.

In 2012, Jaso held a backup catching role, splitting time behind the plate with Miguel Olivo and Jesus Montero, and coming in as a left-handed pinch-hitter during late innings and extra-inning games. Offensively, he was the hottest lefty on the team, batting .276/.394/.456 in 108 games and 361 PA, with a .372 wOBA, 15.5% walk rate and 3.3 bWAR.

Mike Morse is a familiar name to Seattle fans. The Mariners saw him through the first four years of his career, from his MLB debut in 2005 to an injury-riddled 2008. In just 107 games and 337 PA, he batted .300/.365/.397 for a -0.2 bWAR. His batting average and playing time increased considerably after his departure, peaking at .303 in 2011 and dipping to a comfortable .291/.321/.470 over 430 PA in 2012.

While Morse has experience at first base (123 career games) and left/right field (247 career games), he will be fighting for a position that is over-saturated with candidates: Kendrys Morales, Mike Carp, and Justin Smoak at first, and Casper Wells, Michael Saunders, Eric Thames, Franklin Gutierrez, Jason Bay, Raul Ibanez, and Carlos Peguero in the outfield.

Where does this leave the Mariners’ catching situation? Miguel Olivo is gone. Montero is on the 40-man, but will not be expected to catch 162 games next year. Mike Zunino is promising, but as of yet unproven—and the Mariners seem to be in no rush to hurry him through the next level of minor league development. From Greg Johns’ trade report:

“We’re going to be shopping,” Zduriencik said. “We have our list; we’ve already talked to people this afternoon. We like our catching in the organization. We’ve got some good young kids right on the horizon. But for immediate needs, we’ll definitely be shopping.”

In a nutshell, this trade sees a poor defensive catcher with decent offensive production swapped for a poor defensive outfielder with decent offensive production. It leans in Oakland’s favor (and, for that matter, Washington’s), but bear in mind that Jack isn’t quite finished with the Mariners’ 2013 roster yet.

As baseball drags its feet this winter, trade rumors continue to pile up. Andre Ethier, Justin Upton, and Giancarlo Stanton have been linked to the Mariners in the past week, but as usual, Jack Zduriencik is keeping any future plans under wraps.

• The Mariners Caravan is taking off this Wednesday, beginning in Lacey and ending in Tukwila. Scheduled stops will be made in Longview, Yakima, Spokane, Walla Walla, and the Tri-Cities as well.
• Earlier this week, the Mariners signed Arizona first baseman Mike Jacobs to a minor league contract and spring training invite. Jacob earned a .849 OPS in 387 PA with the Triple-A Reno Aces, putting up 93 hits, 18 home runs, and 60 RBI in 101 games. He made his MLB appearances at the tail end of the Diamondbacks’ season, batting .211 with 4 hits, a double, and 2 RBI in 23 PA.
• According to Greg Johns, right-handed reliever D.J. Mitchell has been sent to Tacoma to clear a roster spot for Raul Ibanez.
• Eric Wedge and Jack Zduriencik will be making appearances at this year’s Mariners FanFest. They will be joined by the following lineup of players:
  • Blake Beavan
  • Jay Buhner
  • Nick Franklin
  • Jesus Montero
  • James Paxton
  • Stefen Romero
  • Brendan Ryan
  • Michael Saunders
  • Kyle Seager
  • Casper Wells
  • Tom Wilhelmsen
  • Dan Wilson
  • Mike Zunino

You can find more event information and ticket prices here.