Fans had the opportunity to get behind the scenes and tour the Mariners\u2019 and visitor\u2019s clubhouses, run the bases, take a picture at home plate with the trident and throw from the bullpen mound. There were autograph opportunities and \u201cDugout Dialogues\u201d as well, with numerous players on hand taking part, including Cal Raleigh, Julio Rodr\u00edguez, Josh Naylor, George Kirby, Gabe Speier and a number of the Mariners\u2019 highly touted prospects.<\/p>\n
On the airwaves and in person, Gary Hill, Aaron Goldsmith and I held a live Hot Stove Show<\/a> from Edgar\u2019s Cantina, with former Mariners center fielder Franklin Gutierrez, president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto, Raleigh, Speier, Kirby and Emerson Hancock stopping by.<\/p>\n Here are some quick hits from those conversations.<\/p>\n Guti talks J-Rod and Laz<\/p>\n Gutierrez, who has been working with Mariners outfielders since 2021 as a special assignment coach, raised an eyebrow when he talked about Rodr\u00edguez \u2013 who this week was named baseball\u2019s best center fielder by MLB Network<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cHe is still developing as one of the best in the business,\u201d Gutierrez said. \u201cHe likes to listen, he likes to improve on every area of his game. That\u2019s why he\u2019s going to be so successful.\u201d<\/p>\n So, he thinks the ceiling for Rodriguez in center field is even higher?<\/p>\n \u201cI do,\u201d Gutierrez said. \u201cHe\u2019s still grinding in there. He\u2019s still asking questions about how he can get better, especially how he can prepare himself on every pitch, how he can move better. All of those questions are very important for him just to be who he wants to be.\u201d<\/p>\n Gutierrez raised another ceiling when talking about highly touted outfield prospect Lazaro Montes, who he has also worked closely with.<\/p>\n \u201cHis attitude is pretty much like Julio\u2019s,\u201d Gutierrez said. \u201cHe\u2019s different. He will be (a corner outfielder), but he wants to get better. He wants to know what he can do better in the outfield, how he can move. I think he is still young, still developing. In my mind, I think he\u2019s going to be a really, really, really good player. He\u2019s not going to be average. I think he is going to be a little bit above average in the outfield.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Dipoto: M\u2019s not done adding<\/p>\n Dipoto indicated not once, but twice, that the Mariners are not finished when it comes to player acquisitions.<\/p>\n When asked to sum up the offseason, he said they were still working to make an addition. And then again, he echoed that sentiment when asked what they were bringing into spring training in two weeks compared to what they finished the season with on the field in Game 7 of the ALCS in Toronto.<\/p>\n \u201cI do think there is one more player that is coming along for the ride that is not in a Mariners uniform just yet,\u201d Dipoto said.<\/p>\n WBC creates spring training opportunity for M\u2019s prospects<\/p>\n Another topic addressed was the World Baseball Classic, which will take a large number of players out of Mariners camp.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have in the organization 19 players on preliminary rosters \u2013 13 are associated with the big league team \u2013 and we think we will lose 11 when it starts,\u201d Dipoto said. \u201cOnly the Dodgers have more.\u201d<\/p>\n This leaves huge opportunity for the Mariners\u2019 prospects in spring training. Dipoto relayed a conversation he had with Colt Emerson earlier in the day, with his message being to take advantage of the runway we are giving you. He\u2019s excited to see what the 20-year-old top prospect is able to do.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s not going to knock on the door. He\u2019s just going to knock it down. You know when you are watching it,\u201d Dipoto said. \u201cWe trust that if these guys come into spring training and do their thing and are ready to go, we are going to give them their chance.\u201d<\/p>\n Speier, Cal discuss WBC invites<\/p>\n Among those leaving camp will be Speier, who was thrilled to be selected to Team USA. He shared the story of how he got the news after a workout when he saw a missed call notice on his phone from: \u201cMaybe Mark DeRosa<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJust the feelings going through me when I saw this, it was an easy yes,\u201d Speier said.<\/p>\n It has been quite an ascension for Speier, who was pitching at Triple-A just two years ago.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s wild to just take a step back and reflect how I got to this point,\u201d Speier said. \u201cA lot of thanks to the M\u2019s for believing in me and claiming me off waivers from Kansas City and putting the ball in my hands in big spots. I\u2019m proud to play for Team USA and rep the country. It\u2019s wild to think about.\u201d<\/p>\n Raleigh was also an \u201ceasy yes\u201d to DeRosa and Team USA. Perhaps a little too easy.<\/p>\n \u201cWe were in New York playing the Mets and D-Ro called me,\u201d Raleigh said. \u201cI was super excited. I was like, yes, I\u2019m in. I was so excited. Dream came true. Such a cool thing to do. I committed.\u201d<\/p>\n Did he perhaps forget something that day?<\/p>\n \u201cIt kind of hit me a couple of days after \u2013 Oh, I didn\u2019t tell Jerry or Justin (Hollander) or Dan (Wilson). I might get in trouble for this,\u201d Raleigh said sheepishly. \u201cSo I had to backtrack a little bit, reach out and ask. I think they knew. I think D-Ro called them too, but I was like, hey, I kind of went the wrong way. I said yes because I was so excited, but having to backtrack, I thought it was kind of funny.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Catching up with Kirby and Hancock<\/p>\n It was good to catch up with Kirby, who has not added a new pitch but, as always, was happy to talk about his knuckleball.<\/p>\n It was interesting to hear that he had been throwing bullpens to new catcher Andrew Knizer<\/a> in Florida. Last week on the Hot Stove Show<\/a>, Logan Gilbert noted Knizer had called him a few times and was going about the business of learning the pitchers.<\/p>\n Hancock is an interesting one heading into spring training. With the loss of Logan Evans to UCL surgery<\/a>, pitching as a reliever exclusively appears to be off the table for Hancock, and he is preparing as such.<\/p>\n \u201cI think this offseason has just been the normal build-up, then just adjust if we have to,\u201d Hancock said.<\/p>\n Hancock\u2019s attitude and outlook about his role over the last year has been fantastic, despite often not knowing where he will be day to day.<\/p>\n \u201cJust go out there and enjoy it with the guys. Be grateful for the job you have been given and do the best you can when your name is called,\u201d Hancock said. \u201cIt was a good year.<\/p>\n \u201cThe baseball season is so long, there is so much up and down and so much you learn, and then the next thing you know, you\u2019re out of the bullpen,\u201d he said with a laugh. \u201cBut awesome. What a year, what an experience, the run that we had. And to share it with the fans, it was incredible.\u201d<\/p>\n More on the Seattle Mariners<\/p>\n \u2022\u00a0Seattle Mariners lose RHP Logan Evans to UCL surgery<\/a>
\u2022\u00a0Seattle Mariners\u2019 non-roster spring invites include top picks of 2025<\/a>
\u2022\u00a0Logan Gilbert has the scoop on what Mariners\u2019 rotation has been up to<\/a>
\u2022 Mariners reveal the ways to watch games on TV this season<\/a>
\u2022\u00a0Coach\u2019s Insight: Why this could be Julio\u2019s big year<\/a><\/p>\n
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