Brady's Spin: The End of Roster Battle is Getting Interesting For Seattle Mariners
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PEORIA, Ariz. - When it comes to building the Seattle Mariners roster, we know that a few things are givens, as long as there is good health.
Julio Rodriguez, Randy Arozarena and Victor Robles will make up the outfield. JP Crawford will play shortstop and Jorge Polanco will make up the left side, and Cal Raleigh is behind the plate. But that's where the unequivocal certainies end.
In fact, after almost a week in Peoria, something has become abundantly clear to me: The end of roster decisions facing new manager Dan Wilson are fascinating.
If Luke Raley and Donovan Solano are set to play first base, what does that mean for Rowdy Tellez? Could Tellez do enough to warrant time at first, forcing Raley into a DH/OF hybrid? How about Leo Rivas, who has the versatility to play second, short or third, is a switch-hitter and runs well?
Austin Shenton, acquired this offseason, just went 2-for-2 on Sunday in a win over the Diamondbacks and continues to play well. Nick Dunn, a 28-year-old who hit more than .300 at Triple-A last year, has continuously put together solid at-bats.
And what about Ryan Bliss, who has some pop, runs well and is also working at third base to increase his versatility? And don't forget Dom Canzone, who has real power, especially out to right field.
And finally, Mitch Haniger and Mitch Garver are still on this team. They figure to take at-bats at designated hitter, further complicating things.
At this moment, based upon nothing more than speculation, I'd see Rivas being a lock to make the team. Heck, he could even see an outsized role at second base if the team wants to exploit Dylan Moore's versatility.
We discussed this in greater detail on the most recent episode of the Refuse to Lose Podcast, which comes out each Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.
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