Mariners Minor League Rosters

The Mariners set their opening day roster (obviously), and once that was set they could also set their minor league rosters.

I was pretty interested to see the minor league rosters for a few reasons:

1. I live in Tacoma, so I see quite a bit of Rainiers action in person.
2. I enjoy following prospects in the minor leagues.
3. Jerry Dipoto gutted the M's player development leadership.

The third point is probably the most significant. The rosters are our first real glimpse into who Dipoto and Co. like and how they plan on going about developing prospects.

Without further ado, the rosters, with some musings below:

Org Chart.pdf by Ryan Divish


Notably absent

• Alex Jackson, Gareth Morgan, Nick Neidert - In general, recent prep picks made by the Zduriencik regime appear ticketed for extended spring training. This is not necessarily a lack of confidence in any of their abilities, but rather a preference for slower development. Just about anybody would push along players more slowly than Jack Zduriencik. He was about as aggressive as they come at promoting players through the minors.

Clinton (low A)

• Rayder Ascanio received surprising playing time (at least to me) in spring training the last few years. Both the Zduriencik and Dipoto regimes seem to see something they like in him. This is his first taste of full season pro ball. Don't be surprised if he doesn't hit much because Clinton plays in a pitcher's league. Low strikeout totals would be a good sign.
• Braden Bishop will probably get some press coverage because he went to the University of Washington. Scouting reports on him out of college raved about his defensive ability but wondered how well his bat would do. My initial guess is that Dipoto does not believe much in Bishop's bat. My gut is that Zduriencik would have placed Bishop a level higher to get his hitting in the more friendly California League confines and to push his development. But then again, Zduriencik tended to push every prospect he liked at an uncomfortably fast rate with generally poor results.

Bakersfield (high A)

• Stock is rising: Drew Jackson tore up the Northwest League in Everett last year, and apparently Dipoto is a believer. This is one of the more aggressive roster placements he made in the minors. Jackson's trajectory and skillset, very early on, remind me some of Chris Taylor. Austin Cousino, Joe DeCarlo, and Gianfranco Wawoe also find themselves promoted from last season, suggesting that they are on the bona fide prospect track.
• Stock is falling: Tyler Marlette, Tyler Pike, and Austin Wilson all seemed like reasonable candidates to open up in AA. Pike is recovering from an arm injury and overall tough year, so perhaps that played into the decision to start him in high A. The same can't be said for Marlette or Wilson. Frankly, I wonder if Dipoto sees Austin Wilson as a real prospect at this point given this assignment.

Jackson (AA)

• Stock is rising: Tyler O'Neill has a chance to blossom and become known beyond the Mariners organization. He put up huge power numbers in high A last year. With similar production in AA he will assert himself as the best hitting prospect the Mariners have. If you pay attention to one player in the whole minor league system in 2016, this is the guy to pick. Tim Lopes also got promoted from Bakersfield and could garner more attention with a solid season in Jackson.
• Stock is falling: Steven Baron, Sam Gaviglio, and Jordan Pries all logged time in AAA last year, with Baron even reaching the majors. They are all likely considered organizational depth at this point with these assignments.

Tacoma (AAA)

• Dario Pizzano quietly hit well in AA last year and has now matriculated to the last level before the majors. He probably is too low on the outfield depth chart to make it to the majors this year, but another good season with the bat might get him some attention. He hasn't received enough notoriety to this point, and I am excited to watch him in Tacoma.
• Jonathan Aro and Donn Roach were minor league signings, and maybe not exactly prospects, but nonetheless players whom could reach the majors this year if they play well in Tacoma.
• Paul Fry had a monster year out of the bullpen last year in Bakersfield and Jackson. He is also left-handed. He does not garner nearly enough attention with how good he is and how close he is to the majors. He is among the reasons to think that Charlie Furbush's oft-injured (but highly effective) pitching arm might get traded in the not-so-distant future.
• Mike Zunino and James Paxton are known contributors who both have things to work on. They might be among the first test cases for how much better (or worse?!) the new Mariners player development system under Jerry Dipoto works. Both are clearly talented, and with a little polishing could contribute at the Major League level.

I will likely dive deeper with the Rainiers tomorrow. All in all, it seems that Dipoto and Co. are more cautious with their minor league promotions than Zduriencik was, which is a breath of fresh air. There are also some early hints at players they particularly like, as well as some they believe in a bit less. Ultimately, what will be most interesting is how players fare under new tutelage.

Minor Leaguers of Note, April

The Mariners graduated quite a bit of talent to the major leagues the last few seasons, which means there are few "household" prospect names down on the farm. This makes it a bit of a fun time to tune in and see what happens because the names and numbers feel more fresh and unknown.

Obviously, the season is only a month old. Supposedly the Mariners are much better than they have shown, particularly in Houston so far, so supposedly all of the following minor leaguers could be much better or worse than they have been so far. However, a month is a month, and perhaps some of these great starts are a harbinger of bigger things to come. Here are 14 players of note from the first month of the minor league seasons. Each team name is linked to stats for all players on that roster:

Tacoma Rainiers (AAA)

• Chris Taylor, SS - Taylor seems to have recovered from his broken wrist in spring training. He is hitting with some authority in AAA and has sprinkled in 6 steals. He is also playing some second base thanks to the presence of Ketel Marte, which shows off his versatility. It is only a matter of time until Taylor gets called up to Seattle.
• Patrick Kivlehan, LF - Kivlehan has done well his first month in AAA, slugging five home runs and stealing five bases.
• Justin Germano, RHP - Germano is a journeyman, but his eye-popping start to the season should be noted. 20 innings, 7 hits, 4 walks, 17 strikeouts. He is unlikely to maintain such amazing success, but a tip of the cap to an unheralded minor league signing in the offseason.
• Mark Lowe, RHP - Lowe isn't recovering his triple-digit velocity from many years ago, but the results are great so far: 8 innings, 7 hits, 0 walks, 11 strikeouts. The lack of walks is particularly promising.

Jackson Generals (AA)

• Dario Pizzano, LF - Pizzano has flown underneath the radar but hit well in the lower minors in previous years. He has continued to hit in Jackson, to the tune of a .410 batting average to date. He hasn't shown much power, and such a high average is unsustainable, but eventually his hitting might get some more recognition.
• Stephen Landazuri, RHP - I thought Landazuri might get more of a look in spring training, but he looked solid in his limited opportunities and is off to a nice start in Jackson. He remains on the Brandon Maurer track to success as a late-round high school pick that the Mariners have developed. 
• Misael Siverio, LHP - Siverio is old for the league at age 25, but this is his first year playing baseball outside of Cuba. So far AA hitters have struggled to make contact against him in his 3 starts. It will be interesting to see how he fares as he settles in and sees some teams multiple times.

Bakersfield Blaze (A+)

• Tyler Marlette, C - Marlette has been an under-the-radar darling for a few years, and I was a bit disappointed to see him open up in the Cal League instead of in AA with Jackson. He has come out of the gate swinging and seems to be in line for a promotion at some point this season.
• Edwin Diaz, RHP - There's an argument to be made that Diaz is the M's best starting pitching prospect in the minors at this point, particularly with the tragic and untimely passing of Victor Sanchez this spring. Diaz is straight-up dealing in the Cal League, to the tune of a 1.44 ERA on the strength of a 0.76 WHIP with 27 strikeouts in 25 innings. This could be Diaz's breakout campaign.
• Trey Cochran-Gill, RHP - Some believe Trey profiles as a reliever who will quickly work his way through the minor leagues. His first month in Bakersfield only strengthens that view of him. 14.2 IP, 5 hits, 2 walks, 14 strikeouts. That will do. I doubt Cochran-Gill finishes the year in Bakersfield.

Clinton Lumberkings (A)

• Joe DeCarlo, 3B - DeCarlo is raw but has flashed above average power from the hot corner so far in pitching friendly Clinton. He is worth watching as the season unfolds. Can he cut down his strikeouts and get his errors on defense under control?
• Gianfranco Wawoe, 2B - Besides rocking the best name in all the M's organization, Wawoe has hit very well in his first taste of full-season pro ball. Here's hoping he keeps it up so that there are more excuses to say his name.
• Daniel Missaki, RHP - If you want a comp for Missaki, think Erasmo Ramirez. Missaki isn't huge but largely depends on command to be effective. He has 4 walks and 30 strikeouts in 29.1 innings so far in his first full season of pro ball, and he will become a better known name as he works his way through the minor league system. He might also garner extra attention as a Brazilian, given the novelty of a baseball player hailing from Brazil.
• Pat Peterson, LHP - While Peterson is a bit old for the league at 23 his phenomenal start can't be denied. It also helps that Peterson is left-handed. I would consider him a strong candidate for an in-season promotion to the California League based on his age and strong start.

Lastly, another reminder of how little spring training stats matter. Remember all the excitement over Alex Jackson's bombs? He remains the M's best hitting prospect, but so far in Clinton he has batted .132 with no home runs. He has some work to do. Gabby Guerrero also has a sub-.600 OPS in Jackson so far. These starts also double as a reminder of how little a month may or may not tell us about a player's true talent.