With Opening Day just five days away, the Mariners make another round of cuts
The major-league clubhouse at spring training is starting to empty out, while the Tacoma Rainiers Opening Day roster is becoming clearer. Today the Mariners optioned the following players to Triple-A:
- OF Dominic Canzone
- INF Austin Shenton
They also reassigned two pitchers to minor-league camp: RHP Shintaro Fujinami and RHP Logan Evans.
Despite reportedly being able to play third base, Shenton saw most of his time in big-league camp at first base or DH, two spots with heavy spring competition. With lefty Rowdy Tellez having a solid camp, the Mariners opted to send Shenton, who does have options, to Triple-A. Dominic Canzone also finds himself on the outside looking in with the team’s outfield mix consisting of the three “R”-egulars (Randy, Robles, Rodríguez) plus a bonus R in Raley, who is also in the mix at first base.
After tossing one of his best starts of the spring yesterday, Logan Evans finds himself re-assigned to minor-league camp. Even accounting for the inflated offensive environment of the Cactus League, Evans’ stuff didn’t miss nearly as many bats as it did in Arkansas. His struggles this spring were reminiscent of many other young pitchers the Mariners have developed: he could get hitters into two-strike counts, but then struggled to put them away. Like Emerson Hancock, Evans probably profiles best as a weak-contact specialist rather than a strikeout king. Yesterday he squared up against a powerful Royals lineup, and although he got himself into hot water at times, he was able to summon ground balls when he needed them, giving up just one run on eight hits over three innings and walking just one. The next level for Evans will be finding that weapon he can use as a putaway pitch so he can pitch more efficiently—it took him 61 pitches to clear three innings—against MLB-caliber hitters.
The other pitcher re-assigned to minor-league camp is also maybe camp’s most intriguing arm. 6’6” righty Shintato Fujinami has been hyped since he and Ohtani were part of the same draft class, positioned as the two greatest Japanese high school players ever, which built a narrative of rivalry between the two. While Ohtani would go on to become baseball’s biggest superstar, Fujinami has struggled with his command, bouncing from team to team. The Mariners are bringing the formidable weight of their pitching development and their mental skills team to help unlock Fujinami’s immense potential. In 6.2 spring innings, Fujinami has walked twice as many hitters as he’s struck out, but game by game, he’s showed marginal but progressive improvements in his command. The Mariners have had him back off his high-octane fastball some and focus on the zone more, while leaning on his strong secondaries – his splitter is especially devastating. Most importantly, the team has focused on giving him a supportive, positive-feedback environment, free from the pressures of being a formerly hyped-up prospect.
Surviving this round of cuts: infielder Miles Mastrobuoni, who has had a solid spring, showcasing the bat-to-ball contact skills the team prizes and playing solid defense all over the field, including in center. Leo Rivas and Ryan Bliss also remain in contention for infield spots. Fringe bullpen arms Brandyn García, Carlos Vargas, Jesse Hahn, and Casey Legumina also remain in the running for an Opening Day spot. One last note: the team has a deadline this weekend to tell Rowdy Tellez whether or not he’s made the team. With the current roster makeup, it’s looking like he will.