Non Roster Invitees Revealed

[Sweezo]

Here's the list nonroster invitees for spring training, some of which aren't a surprise:

Former Toronto infielder Chris Woodward is among 17 nonroster players invited to spring training, the Mariners announced Wednesday.

Others on the list include Jamie Burke, Seattle's backup catcher the past two seasons, and outfielder Freddy Guzman, who has stolen 324 bases in five minor-league seasons and has brief major-league time with San Diego and Texas. Guzman stole 71 bases in 82 attempts last season in 131 games at Class AA and AAA in the Detroit organization.

Other invitees include first baseman Chris Shelton, who hit 34 homers for the Tigers in 2005-06, and pitcher Denny Stark, once traded by the Mariners along with Brian Fuentes and Jose Paniagua for Jeff Cirillo.

Eleven of the invitees have major-league experience. Besides Woodward, Burke, Guzman, Shelton and Stark, those include pitchers Eric Hull, Chris Seddon and Sean White, infielders Callix Crabbe and Oswaldo Navarro, and outfielder Prentice Redman (brother of former Pirates' outfielder Tike Redman).

Other invitees include one of the Mariners' leading prospects, catcher Adam Moore, as well as pitchers Chris Jakubauskas, Shawn Kelley, Luis Munoz and Tracy Thorpe, and catcher Luis Oliveros.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/mariners/2008629154_webmari14.html

Thoughts? This is the first time I've seen Crabbe actually confirmed by the team as being under team control.

Also, for the purpose of comparing career batting lines for 30-ish utility infielders who bat right-handed...

Woodward: .243/.299/.375
Bloomquist: .263/.322/.324

One of these players was a nonroster invite who basically costs nothing, and the other just signed a $3 million commitment.

Granted, Bloomquist puts Woodward to shame on the basepaths, but I'd rather our GM try to fill these backup roles in this manner instead of paying a bunch of money to players who doesn't deserve the amount they are earning. Maybe Woodward's over his injury issues and gets back to his '02-'05 levels of productivity...if not, well, not a big deal when you kick him to the curb.

[Ex-hippie]

I'd like to see Shelton and Crabbe make the team, and I think Shelton likely will. Woodward is garbage -- as Sweezo pointed out, he's a Bloomquist who can't run. Denny Stark is an interesting name from the past and he was once projected to be something. I would have liked to see Victor Diaz invited to compete for the last outfield spot.

The best news, as I'm looking at snow fall outside my window: they're talking about spring training!

[Sweezo]

Yeah, I don't want Woodward on the team either. Merely thinking if you absolutely must have a crappy middile infield vet, they're not hard to find.

What happened to Victor Diaz? Seemed like he was having a decent run in the minors last year but the team never gave him a shot.

[Basketball Jesus]

The knock on Diaz is that he’s a Quad-A hitter who can be easily exploited by more advanced offerings. His defense is a shade below atrocious and there have been reports that he’s not an especially hard worker. Still, I too would have liked to see him at least get a shot at making a case for himself.

Nobody here really interests me; can’t see them keeping both Crabbe and Corona and I think, while Crabbe has the better bat, Corona’s Rule 5 status along with his youth and defense will give him a better shot at sticking on the major league roster. Personally, I’d rather see both instead of Yuni but that’s neither here nor there.

[Sweezo]

Yeah, I don't look at the list and see a lot of potential steals or good bets to make the roster.

If that's the knock on Diaz, I still don't know why he didn't get a shot to contribute when the team was willing to give Brian Lahair a starting spot for a few months and all the at bats he could handle. Diaz may have his issues, but he also may have provide some hitting and power.

[Ex-hippie]

Diaz has hit in the majors, with a career OPS+ of 106 in parts of four seasons that amount to a decent sample size. (Or at least there's nothing in his major league track record to disprove that he can translate his minor league stats to major league production.) Maybe his execrable defense means he shouldn't be anything more than a bat off the bench, but still.

If the team keeps 11 pitchers and has 9 regular starters, including both Clement and Johjima at catcher and DH, here's how the issues for the remaining 5 roster spots look from where I sit:

C - I don't know if I want them to keep a third, but they'll probably do it if two catchers have to be in the lineup. Jamie Burke is a waste. Rob Johnson may have nothing more to prove in the minors, yet they may yet put him there for regular playing time, and maybe to showcase.

IF - I want Tug Hulett to fill the Bloomquist multi-positional role, and I think we all want Shelton to make the team to platoon with Branyan (agreed?). The choice is between Corona and Crabbe for a third spot, and given Corona's Rule 5 status I have to agree that he has the edge. (I imagine they won't be able to work out a deal to send Corona to the minors like they did with R.A. Dickey last year, because Corona is actually a young prospect the Yankees might want back, but you never know.) Navarro prepares himself for the Tacoma-Seattle shuttle whenver someone gets hurt. Woodward gets 20 swings in spring batting practice and then is given his ribbon for participating.

OF - Doesn't look like any spots are open. They have enough outfielders to keep all three positions well-staffed defensively, so they don't have any specific positional need there. Translation: only four outfielders on the roster. Whoever loses the Chavez/Balentien battle is the fourth outfielder, and that's it. Sorry, Prentice Redman, no room for you. And I'll stop crying over the spilled milk that is Victor Diaz (though his bat still could have been nice, whatever position he plays).

So, barring injury, I would say this is what we're looking at: [Burke or Johnson], Shelton, Hulett, [Crabbe or Corona], [Chavez-Balentien loser].

[Sweezo]

i can't disagree with most of that assessment, but i bet burke gets the nod if they go with three catchers. really, i think his numbers aren't bad for a backup catcher, and i would rather see him in that kind of role getting scraps for minutes instead of rob johnson.

i am also hoping morse doesn't repeat last year's spring as i think he's fool's gold in flesh and bone. he can make awful fielding decisions for some other team, thanks.