Mariners offseason: New GM wants to build a more athletic team
Seattle Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto’s offseason to-do list got a little longer after Friday’s announcement of the firing of manager Lloyd McClendon and four coaches — bench coach Trent Jewett, third-base coach Rich Donnelly, outfield coach Andy Van Slyke and bullpen coach Mike Rojas.
So in addition to finding a new manager and filling out a coaching staff, Dipoto wants to revamp the scouting and player development departments and then retool a major-league roster that finished 76-86 and in fourth place in the American League West.
“The foundation here is fantastic,” Dipoto declared in his introductory news conference. “Our job ... will be to surround that group with as good a foundational core as we can.”
The major league roster requires immediate attention, and Dipoto has already identified his priorities. He stated he wants a more athletic team that better suits Safeco Field, organizational depth, more starting pitching and more layers to the bullpen.
Dipoto contends much of this can be addressed “through hard work and good scouting and the use of proper analytics.” This much is clear: The Mariners, under Dipoto, will be far more attuned to analytics.
“You can turn over a couple of rocks and find a guy here and there,” he said. “You can create depth in a roster that allows you to be competitive quickly.”
A look at the contract status of current Mariners players and key offseason dates:
MARINERS’ 40-MAN ROSTER
(Six under contract)
2B Robinson Cano (through 2023)
OF Nelson Cruz (through 2018)
RHP Felix Hernandez (through 2019)
LHP Danny Hultzen (through 2016)
3B Kyle Seager (through 2021 with option for 2022)
OF Seth Smith (through 2016 with option for 2017)
Pending free agents (3)
LHP Joe Beimel
OF Franklin Gutierrez
RHP Hisashi Iwakuma
Eligible for
arbitration (5)
LHP Charlie Furbush (second of three years)
RHP Logan Kensing (second of three years)
1B Logan Morrison (third of three years)
1B/OF Mark Trumbo (third of three years)
RHP Tom Wilhelmsen (second of three years)
Under club control (27)
C Steven Baron
LHP Roenis Elias
RHP Danny Farquhar
OF Ramon Flores
RHP Mayckol Guaipe
C John Hicks
OF James Jones
SS Ketel Marte
UTL Brad Miller
1B Jesus Montero
LHP Mike Montgomery
LHP Vidal Nuno
LHP Edgar Olmos
LHP Tyler Olson
UTL Shawn O’Malley
LHP James Paxton
RHP JC Ramirez
RHP Jose Ramirez
LHP Rob Rasmussen
LHP David Rollins
OF Stefen Romero
RHP Carson Smith
C Jesus Sucre
SS Chris Taylor
RHP Taijuan Walker
C Mike Zunino
RHP Tony Zych
Out of options for 2016 season (7)
OF Ramon Flores
LHP Danny Hultzen
1B Jesus Montero
LHP Mike Montgomery
LHP Edgar Olmos
RHP JC Ramirez
RHP Jose Ramirez
KEY DATES
First day after completion of World Series: Eligible players automatically become free agents at 6 a.m. (PDT).
Fifth day after completion of World Series: Last day for a club to tender a qualifying offer to a pending free agent. (Club must make a qualifying offer in order to receive a compensatory draft pick if the player signs elsewhere.)
Sixth day after completion of World Series: First day that free agents can sign with a new club.
12th day after completion of World Series: Last day for free agents to accept a qualifying offer from their former club.
Nov. 9-12: General managers’ meetings, Boca Raton, Florida.
Nov. 20: Deadline for submitting reserve lists (i.e., players eligible for Rule 5 Draft must be added to 40-man roster in order to be protected).
Dec. 2: Deadline for offering contracts to unsigned players on the 40-man roster. (This is the tender deadline; those players not offered contracts — i.e., nontendered — become free agents.)
Dec. 7-10: Winter Meetings, Nashville, Tennessee.
Dec. 10: Rule 5 Draft, Nashville, Tennessee.
Jan. 12: Salary arbitration filing date.
Jan. 15: Salary arbitration figures exchanged.
Feb. 1-21: Salary arbitration hearings.
Feb. 19: Tentative date for Mariners’ first official workout for pitchers and catchers, Peoria, Arizona.
This story was originally published October 10, 2015 at 7:30 PM with the headline "Mariners offseason: New GM wants to build a more athletic team."