I’m working on that Cheney Stadium post, but the Mariners just announced the signing of four minor league veterans. Each player is being invited to major league spring training and will compete for a Mariners roster spot – with Tacoma as the fall-back option.
Right-handed reliever Denny Bautista throws really hard and has trouble with his command. He’s a long-legged 30-year-old Dominican who has pitched against Tacoma in the past – last year he split his time between Fresno and San Francisco.
Catcher/Outfielder Chris Gimenez is a first-time free agent who spent his whole career in the Indians system – until now. I’ve never seen him play. He’s known for robbing Michael Saunders of a home run in one of Saunders first major league games. Gimenez hit .276 with nine home runs for Columbus last year – he did not play against Tacoma in the Triple-A Championship Game, as he was in the major leagues at the time.
Outfielder Ryan Langerhans is a familiar name for Mariners fans. He also played in a dozen games for Tacoma last year. It wouldn’t surprise me – and I have no inside information – if Langerhans had one of those contract options where he can elect free agency at the end of spring training if he doesn’t make the major league team. Corey Patterson had one of those last spring, and Langerhans is in a similar position.
Left-handed reliever Royce Ring has been one of the best pitchers in Triple-A for years now, and I’ve always been mystified as to why he hasn’t pitched much in the major leagues. Perhaps we’ll find out why this year – or maybe he’ll make the Mariners roster, which certainly seems like a possibility given the lack of left-handed relievers in the upper levels of the system.
The stadium photos are coming later today…