Opening Day is a mere 11 days away, and Eric Wedge appears to have taken a page from Jack Zduriencik’s playbook. In other words, very little regarding definitive roster decisions has slipped from the skipper’s lips these days. Here’s the roster speculation floating around the blogosphere at the moment:

• The battle for rotation spots #3-5 is heating up, with Erasmo Ramirez, Blake Beavan, Brandon Maurer, Jeremy Bonderman, and Jon Garland in the mix. Although no names have been selected so far, Shannon Drayer believes Maurer is making a convincing case for his time in the sun. Following Tuesday’s win over the defending San Francisco Giants, she quoted Eric Wedge: “We feel strongly he is going to be able to get major league outs […] It’s just a matter as we prep everything out decisions we have to make and we have to take everything into consideration. The experience level, what the other guys have done and match that up to what he he done.”
• Seattle Times’ Geoff Baker seems to have other thoughts. In a nutshell, his opinions leave Maurer out in the cold: “If Garland makes it, Maurer has no chance. The team would give the final spot to either Blake Beavan or Erasmo Ramirez. In fact, even if Garland doesn’t make it, I think the team would give the final two remaining spots to Beavan and Ramirez. Not to Maurer.”
• On Tuesday, Dustin Ackley batted eighth. Is this a sign of things to come? According to Greg Johns and Eric Wedge, it very well might be. “Wedge said afterward that Ackley could well wind up down in that area during the regular season given the addition of the middle-of-the-order veterans and improvement of some of the young core players,” Johns writes. He added that Franklin Gutierrez is likely for the leadoff spot, while Kyle Seager could take his place if Guti fails to stay healthy.
• The Mariners roster has been pruned to 37 after another round of cuts.

Players reassigned to minor league camp:
Logan Bawcom
Andrew Carraway
John Hicks
Jhonny Nunez
Ronny Paulino
James Paxton
Stefen Romero
Taijuan Walker
Mike Zunino

Players sent to Triple-A:
Vinnie Catricala
Bobby LaFromboise
Alex Liddi
Danny Hultzen
Yoervis Medina
Hector Noesi
Eric Thames
Carlos Triunfel

Players optioned to Double-A:
Francisco Martinez
Julio Morban

Next game: @ Rockies | March 16 | 1:10pm

No home run hoarders here: To date, 21 different Mariners have rung up a home run in Cactus League play. Of those 21, 12 players have logged multiple homers, with Michael Morse (5), Franklin Gutierrez (3), Carlos Peguero (3), and Justin Smoak (3) leading the pack.

Guti back under scrutiny: Franklin Gutierrez has been sidelined for six days of Cactus League games with tightness in his legs. According to Greg Johns’ report, the center fielder appears unconcerned, and believes he will be back on the field soon.

Opening (Day) acts: When April 8th rolls around, here’s one Safeco Field debut you can count on—that of Pickwick, a Seattle-bred folk band. Their first self-released record, Can’t Talk Medicine, can be heard on iTunes or at the band’s official website.

If you need even more incentive to attend the Opening Day festivities, single-game tickets will be available for purchase through Mariners.com beginning at 10am tomorrow morning.

40-man roster gets trimmed again: Four more cuts were made from Seattle’s major league camp this afternoon. Here’s the current list of players who have been sent down or reassigned so far:

Reassigned to minor league camp:

• John Hicks
• Jhonny Nunez
• Ronny Paulino
• James Paxton
• Stefen Romero
• Taijuan Walker

Sent to Triple-A:

• Alex Liddi
• Danny Hultzen
• Hector Noesi

Currently, the roster stands at 47 players.

Next game: @ Dodgers | March 9 | 12:05pm

Bonus baseball: The skies over Peoria Stadium emptied during the Mariners/A’s game this afternoon, absolving Hector Noesi of an equally disastrous performance: 3 hits, 3 homers, and 7 runs in 2.0 IP. Thankfully for Noesi and the rest of the squad, the game was called in the 4th inning, with Seattle facing a 12-1 deficit. Tomorrow, the M’s will make up for lost time with a 7-inning B squad game, scheduled to start at 10am vs. the Padres.

Stefen sidelined on strikeout: Stefen Romero exited today’s game with a strained left oblique after a strikeout in the 2nd inning, according to MLB.com’s Greg Johns. No word yet on how severe the injury or how long he is expected to be unavailable.

Catch the Mariners on TV: The next televised spring training game won’t air until March 17, but you can watch the Mariners 2013 commercials as soon as next Wednesday. If Kevin Martinez’s tweet is any indication, things are going to get a little wild this year.

Opening Day update: Guess who’s coming to town…

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!

So far, Eric Wedge remains tight-lipped on the Mariners’ 25-man roster. Of course, he has no reason to be throwing names out there just yet: we’re barely three weeks into spring training, and much remains to be seen, tested, and proven before Opening Day. From the Mariners’ beat, a few guesstimations:

• After Thursday’s morning workout, Geoff Baker wrote the following:

“On the outfield side of things, it was interesting to see one group that consisted of Michael Morse and Jason Bay in left field, Franklin Gutierrez in center and Michael Saunders and Raul Ibanez in right. [...] It’s entirely possible those five guys could be your Opening Day outfield for this team, at those respective positions.”

• From Larry Stone, a promising comment on Vinnie Catricala and Stefen Romero’s progress:

“Manager Eric Wedge said earlier this week that he likes the versatility shown by both Catricala and Romero, because it will give them more avenues to the big leagues.”

• MLB.com’s Corey Brock spoke positively of Jason Bay’s showing in Saturday’s game:

“Jason Bay bolstered his hopes of making Seattle’s Opening Day roster with a two-run home run in the first inning on Saturday as the Mariners topped the Padres, 8-6, at the Peoria Sports Complex.”

Greg Johns added to the postgame story later:

“As for his chances of making the Mariners, he [Bay] appears to be in a battle with Ibanez and Casper Wells for the final outfield berths, but says he’s not concerned with that at the moment.”

Credit: @RealKingFelix

This weekend, the Mariners are rocking College Navy and Action Green as the Seattle Seahawks battle the Atlanta Falcons for a berth in next week’s NFC Championship game. In case you were wondering, that’s Felix’s game face.

And now for some baseball news…

• The Baseball Writers’ Association of America failed to elect a single member of the 37-man ballot to the Hall of Fame this year. Edgar’s percentage of the vote jumped to 35.9% from 32.9% in 2011. While induction may be a few years away, he is still well above the cutoff mark (less than 5%) and eligible for entry again in 2014.
• Baseball Canada has reported that Michael Saunders will represent Canada in this year’s World Baseball Classic. The official roster will be released on January 17. From the announcement:

“Of the 23 players, 8 were part of the World Baseball Classic in 2009 which includes Phillippe Aumont, Crain, Chris Leroux, Martin, Lawrie, Morneau, Pete Orr and Saunders.”

• Jack Zduriencik struck out for the second time this season when Justin Upton turned up his nose at a trade proposition from the Mariners last week (h/t MLB Trade Rumors). The proposed trade involved noted Seattle prospects Taijuan Walker and Nick Franklin, as well as relievers Stephen Pryor and Charlie Furbush. While the trade is not entirely impossible to pull off, should Upton change his mind in the face of less appealing offers, such a move is deemed highly improbable at this point.
• The Mariners announced 18 non-roster invitees to their spring training camp, scheduled to open on February 12. The list, via Greg Johns:
  • RHP Jonathan Arias
  • RHP Logan Bawcom
  • RHP Jeremy Bonderman
  • RHP Andrew Carraway
  • RHP Danny Farquhar
  • LHP Danny Hultzen
  • RHP D.J. Mitchell
  • LHP Brian Moran
  • RHP Jhonny Nunez
  • LHP James Paxton
  • RHP Carson Smith
  • RHP Taijuan Walker
  • C Jesus Sucre
  • C Mike Zunino
  • SS Nick Franklin
  • 1B Mike Jacobs
  • IF Brad Miller
  • IF Stefen Romero

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.

With the end of No Shave November approaching this weekend, another beloved tradition faces its final test: the Mariners’ Movember Madness. It’s time to take sides between the skipper’s handlebar mustache and Brendan Ryan’s facial topiary. You can cast your vote here, or simply enter to win a baseball autographed by Eric Wedge.

• As the winter meetings draw ever closer, Jack Zduriencik offers a glimpse at his offseason plan—and it’s not quite what you might expect. From Greg Johns:

“Offense would be a focal point, but if there are other avenues, if we could add a starting pitcher, who knows what might present itself both for this year and with the bigger picture in mind.”

While the Big Four (Danny Hultzen, Taijuan Walker, James Paxton, and Brandon Maurer) have shown considerable progress in the past season, Jack Z appears to be holding a short leash so far.

• Minor league Mariner and second baseman Stefen Romero was elected to Topps’ 2012 Double-A All Star Team. He joins the outstanding cast of Darin Ruf (PHI), Jurickson Profar (TEX), Mike Olt (TEX), Ali Solis (SD), Oswaldo Arcia (MIN), Alfredo Marte (ARI), Oscar Taveras (STL), and Chris Heston (SF).
• Three Mariners cracked the list of the 2012 AFL Top 25: catcher Mike Zunino (#3), shortstop Nick Franklin (#10), and lefty James Paxton (#25).
• The Mariners are officially on the hunt for a suitable Miguel Olivo replacement. Their latest target? Yankee backstop Russell Martin, who posted a slash line of .211/.311/.403 in 2012. Via MLB Trade Rumors:

“Free agent catcher Russell Martin is receiving significant interest from the Pirates and Mariners, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The Yankees remain the favorites to sign Martin, but it appears that they’ll have to duke it out with the Bucs and M’s in addition to the Rangers.”

• Ken Rosenthal also appears fairly certain that the Mariners will make significant efforts to boost their offense, potentially including Mike Napoli and other, non-Josh Hamilton hitters. The biggest draw for Napoli, Rosenthal says, would be a legitimate shot at consistent playing time.
• The team released its 2013 spring training schedule yesterday, with pitchers and catchers slotted to begin workouts on February 13. The full list of Mariners’ Cactus League games can be found here.

As Thanksgiving approaches, the Mariners have many things to be grateful for: the health of their players, a minor league championship, and significant upgrades to the hardware at Safeco Field.

• Anthony Vasquez, a southpaw and pitching prospect in the Mariners’ system, recently received treatment for a brain tumor. Shannon Drayer has the full, miraculous story on MyNorthwest.com.
• On Opening Day 2013, the newly-shifted fences will not be the only change at Safeco Field. Plans are being made to install the largest HD screen in MLB, at 57′ by 201.5′. You can find a rendering of the new screen on the team’s website.
• Sorry, Mariners fans—Jack Zduriencik has reiterated that the team is likely out on Josh Hamilton. From Greg Johns:

“You never say never to anything,” Zduriencik said. “Don’t get me wrong. Even in the Prince thing, you never knew where it would end up and this one you don’t, either. But you kind of get an idea and feel. [...] So you always leave the door open, but in the end, you have to be realistic.”

• The Peoria Javelinas ran away with the 2012 Arizona Fall League championship title last weekend in a 4-3 showdown against the Salt River Rafters. Nick Franklin went 0-for-5, while Mike Zunino collected three singles and two RBI.
• The final results from the AFL’s five-week season:

Mike Zunino: .288/.337/.463, 23 H, 8 XBH, 15 RBI in 80 AB

Nick Franklin: .338/.422/.519, 26 H, 9 XBH, 22 RBI in 77 AB

Stefen Romero: .333/.375/.511, 15 H, 4 XBH, 9 RBI in 45 AB

Vinnie Catricala: .279/.329/.412, 19 H, 5 XBH, 13 RBI in 68 AB

Carson Smith: 2.40 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 11 H, 4 BB, 18 SO in 15.0 IP

Logan Bawcom: 5.27 ERA, 1.54 WHIP, 16 H, 5 BB, 11 SO in 13.2 IP

James Paxton: 5.68 ERA, 1.58 WHIP, 14 H, 6 BB, 16 SO in 12.2 IP

Bobby LaFromboise: 5.54 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 13 H, 4 BB, 17 SO in 13.0 IP

• Last, but certainly not least, the Mariners have released a DVD commemorating Felix Hernandez’s perfect game. You can pick up a copy of “The King of Perfection” at any Mariners team store for just $10.

As the major-league Mariners take a much-needed vacation this offseason, we turn our attention to the prospects and minor leaguers making headway—and headlines—in the 2012 Arizona Fall League.

Of the Peoria Javelinas, an affiliate team shared by the Mariners, Reds, Twins, Phillies, and Padres, Seattle has eight representatives:

• RHP Logan Bawcom
• RHP Carson Smith
• LHP James Paxton
• LHP Bobby LaFromboise
• C Mike Zunino
• SS Nick Franklin
• 3B Vinnie Catricala
• 3B Stefen Romero

In their first game, a match-up against division rivals Surprise Saguaros, the Javelinas notched a 5-2 win.

Nick Franklin, batting 9th, playing SS: 1-for-4 with a single
James Paxton, SP: 3.0 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 5 SO
Carson Smith, WP: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 1 SO
Bobby LaFromboise, RP: 1.0 IP, 1 BB, 2 SO
Logan Bawcom, RP: 1.0 IP, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 SO

For up-to-date rosters, news, and recaps, check out the official website of the Arizona Fall League.