I’ve been all sorts of mixed up today. The Mariners hosted the Diamondbacks in Peoria, not at Salt River Fields. They will be the visiting team for Arizona tomorrow, though, so whatever I wrote about walking sticks this morning wasn’t a total waste.

So, the Mariners finally dropped a game. I mean, aside from that other game they dropped, ages and ages ago. We all knew this was coming, right?

Vargas made his second Spring Training start, striking out four and relinquishing six hits and five runs over four innings. 2B Aaron Hill and 3B Ryan Roberts took him deep in the 1st and 4th. Shawn Camp and George Sherrill managed to hold things together fairly well for the next couple of innings, but the Diamondbacks grabbed two hits, one home run, and two walks from Hong-Chih Kuo for a comfortable 3-run lead.

However, not everything was sunshine and roses… er, grey skies and rain. Alex Liddi went 3-for-4 today with a double and two singles. Carlos Peguero hit a solo shot against J.J. Putz. Chone Figgins went 1-for-3 in the leadoff spot with a double off of LHP Wade Miley. A handful of other Mariners had a handful of other hits that eventually totaled twelve, which is one more hit than Arizona had. Unfortunately for Seattle, games are won on runs, not hits.

With a week of Spring Training games completed and only 19 days until the season opener in Tokyo, the Mariners are starting to make roster cuts. Greg Johns reported minor league camp assignments for pitchers Stephen Pryor, Steve Garrison, Philippe Valiquette, and Jarrett Grube. He predicts a lot more cuts will follow after the team’s split squad game tomorrow.

Next game: vs. Dodgers | March 10 | 12:05pm AND @ Diamondbacks | March 10 | 6:10pm

Credit: Mark Sobba/Flickr

Spring Training is less than a week away now! Quick quiz: how many players can you name on the Mariners roster? Less than 25? Over 40?

#6: Familiarize yourself with all 66 Spring Training invitees. I know it’s a daunting task, but you want to be the most well-informed fan in Peoria, right? Learn these names and faces now, because you never know who you’ll see mid-July or September…

Here’s the full list of players invited to play this spring, along with their stats (on the left) and Twitter handles (on the right). Have fun! » Continue reading “Countdown To Spring Training: Day 6″

Consider this your midterm grade, Mariners. Spring Training is less than two months away, but with big names like Prince Fielder still on the market, the offseason is far from over. So, pull up a chair and let’s have a chat about your progress so far.

John Jaso: B+

Technically, this is the only trade you’ve made all season. The others have just been acquisitions. Jaso, a left-handed catcher from Tampa Bay, was exchanged for Josh Lueke. He’s maintained a .992 FP over the past two seasons, which almost makes up for his .224 average. If his numbers hold up, he’ll be a slight improvement over Adam Moore, Chris Gimenez, and Miguel Olivo.

Hisashi Iwakuma: A

I really, really want to believe in Hisashi’s 2.42 ERA and .462 winning percentage. I want to believe that these numbers he racked up in the Japan Pacific League will translate perfectly to Mariner baseball. So, until he proves me otherwise, he has an A in my book.

George Sherrill: A

This may be the best thing you’ve done all offseason, Mariners. Not only does Sherrill fit the bill for lefty reliever, but his stats (major league ones!) show that he’s pretty good. I’ll take the .750 winning percentage, the 1.25 WHIP, and the 12 earned runs in 36.0 IP.

Darren Ford: A

Okay, I can admit to a little bias on this one. After watching him in San Francisco, Ford’s superhuman speed lends him credit, although his major league numbers leave a lot to be desired. However, he’s accepted a minor league deal and an invitation to Spring Training, so things can only go up from here. » Continue reading “Trade Talk Tuesday: Offseason Report Card”

Well, not you specifically, unless you want to pick up a Spring Training travel package. The Mariners have issued their first non-roster invites, giving eleven minor league players the chance to compete for a major league role.

The guest list:

Darren Ford, OF

Luis Rodriguez, IF

Guillermo Quiroz, C

Matt Fox, RHP

Jarrett Grube, RHP

Josh Kinney, RHP

Jeff Marquez, RHP

Scott Patterson, RHP

Steve Garrison, LHP

Sean Henn, LHP

Philippe Valiquette, LHP

There may be a twelfth member added to that list soon, according to MLB Trade Rumors:

“Japanese shortstop Munenori Kawasaki is in Seattle and may sign a minor league deal with the Mariners in the relatively near future [...] The deal may not be finalized until after the holidays, but he will sign with Seattle.”

I guess the aggressive tactics Kawasaki displayed a few weeks ago paid off. Not only will he get to play with his major league mentor, Ichiro, but he’ll bring a .316/.368/.397 bat, too.

Which invitee are you most excited to see this spring?