Mariners Roster Projection 2.0
Opening Day is under three weeks away and the Mariners' projected roster has already taken two hits.
The injury news on George Kirby and Troy Taylor cloud the Seattle Mariners’ 26-man roster projection, making it a bit less clear what it will look like when the club breaks camp and opens the season Match 27 versus the Oakland Athletics.
But let’s give it a shot, anyway.
NOTE: Spring statistics STILL mean zero. S
Injury updates and additional injuries can impact this moving forward.
Here’s 2.0.
ROTATION (5)
Logan Gilbert, RH
Luis Castillo, RH
Bryce Miller, RH
Bryan Woo, RH
Emerson Hancock, RH
With Kirby’s chances at Opening Day “unlikely” per GM Justin Hollander, you can bet the club’s No. 3 starter will miss at least a start or two. His status was called “week-to-week” suggesting Seattle isn’t going to reevaluate until Kirby has had several days off, so he won’t have proper time to prepare for the season.
Hancock is the odds-on favorite to be the first to make starts in Kirby’s place.
Woo started last season on the IL with an elbow issue, returned after six weeks, and had a good year, suffering no further issues with the joint.
The club probably moves Miller and Woo up a day into the Nos. 3 and 4 spots and slides Hancock in as the No. 5, considering where each arm is in its ramp-up process and current schedule.
BULLPEN (8)
Andrés Muñoz, RH
Gregory Santos, RH
Collin Snider, RH
Trent Thornton, RH
Tayler Saucedo, LH
Gabe Speier, LH
Eduard Bazardo, RH
Will Klein, RH
Taylor has yet to appear in a Cactus League game and while there probably is time for him to get ready — he returned in a bullpen session Friday — such a turnaround may be a bit of a rush job.
Klein has thrown the ball pretty well in Peoria, sitting 95-98 mph with his four-seamer and getting whiffs on both his breaking balls, a mid-80s curveball, and a hard slider.
Other candidates for the spot include left-hander Drew Pomeranz, Casey Legumina, and Cody Bolton. Klein and Bolton are on the 40-man roster, which may give them an advantage.
Newly added right-handers Seth Martinez (40) and Trevor Gott (NRI) could have a shot too, as could an arm the Mariners see as a better bet to cover innings early in the year, especially with the absence of Kirby. Martinez could fit the bill, as could Casey Lawrence or Jhonathan Diaz.
Right-hander Blas Castano (40) could be another candidate after making 26 starts in Double-A Arkansas a year ago, though he had been used in short outings early in camp and was optioned in the club’s latest roster moves.
Shintaro Fujinami (NR) and Carls Vargas (40) appear to be long shots, as is left-hander Brandyn Garcia (NR).
Right-hander Logan Evans still has potential rotation value, but if the club feels he can get outs in 2-3 inning stints, he may not be entirely out of the equation. Unfortunately, he’s had significant control and command issues early in camp.
Veteran Jesse Hahn blew up in his third outing of the spring and is not on the 40-man roster, but has flashed good stuff, including a fastball up to 97 and two high-spin breakers with a chance to miss bats.
If Klein isn’t the choice, at this point, I’d bet on Bolton or Pomeranz, so there’s certainly a chance the club will have to make a 40-man decision. There’s also a reasonable chance the club makes a deal or signs a free agent to add to the mix, but anyone on the street right now won’t be ready for Game 1 of the regular season.
CATCHERS (2)
Barring injury or a highly unexpected trade of Garver, the club will start the year behind the plate the way it ended 2024.
INFIELDERS (7)
J.P. Crawford, SS
Dylan Moore, 2B
Jorge Polanco, 3B
Donovan Solano, 1B/3B
Luke Raley, 1B
Leo Rivas, 2B/SS
Rowdy Tellez, 1B
The first five are automatic if healthy, but Rivas and Tellez could easily be Austin Shenton and either Nick Dunn, Miles Mastrobuoni, or Ryan Bliss. Mastrobuoni is on the 40-man roster and has experience at three infield positions and left field, but has a poor track record at the plate, the glove is ordinary, and it’s merely average speed. The 29-year-old could just as easily be a roster casualty to clear space for another player, but he cannot be discounted here.
Rivas has some catching up to do after injuring his ankle and missing time, but he’s a switch hitter and a legit backup shortstop option with better contact skills than Bliss, who is quite limited away from second base.
Dunn isn’t on the 40-man but is playable at second and has experience at third. He’s a high-contact hitter with better power than Rivas, although he lacks in the speed and defense areas relative to Rivas and Bliss.
Tellez is not on the 40-man, either, so it seems unlikely he and Dunn in tandem would make the club. Dunn’s presence on the roster would mitigate a bit of Shenton’s value as a passable third-base option.
Ben Williamson and Cole Young are still in camp, though Young seems certain to start the season in Triple-A Tacoma. Williamson might be a better option than the majority of the reserves in play here, but it’s better for his own development to head back to the minors and work on a swing that generates some backspin. Otherwise, his upside stalls as a part-time, up-and-down player who is terrific at third, but too limited at the plate to be anything more.
The last two spots are a guessing game right now, but keep an eye on how these players are used in the next two weeks. It’s plausible the club carries six infielders, too…
OUTFIELDERS (4)
Randy Arozarena
Julio Rodriguez
Victor Robles
Mitch Haniger (DH)
Injury is the only way this group isn’t on the 26-man to start the year. Whether or not the club goes with six infielders and five outfielders instead remains to be seen.
Additional candidates include Dominic Canzone and Samad Taylor. Taylor can handle center, and second in an emergency, but there may not be much value to that with the current infield options. A fifth outfielder would mean just six infielders, and with both Moore and Raley capable on the grass, the above foursome is as close to a lock as anything.
