Mariners Moose Tracks, 2/1/17: A New Cano, Rays News, and Wily Mo Pena

Good morning everyone! Today marks the start of February. That means MLB spring training will start before you know it! Is anyone planning to go down to Arizona this spring to see the team play? I’ve only ever been once. I was very little and I barely even remember it. I’m hoping to go sometime soon so I can experience it as a fan for once.

Well, the Mariners appear to be making just a handful of tune-up moves heading into camp, while other teams are still filling some pretty major holes. Let’s see what’s going on around the baseball universe.

In Mariners news...

• The Mariners made another minor move, signing lefty reliever Nick Hagadone to a contract with an invitation to major league spring training. Hagadone has many connections to the Mariners: he grew up in Sumner and was originally drafted by Seattle.
• Ex-Mariner alert!

• Robinson Cano made an addition to his little family.

• Our good friend Patrick Dubuque talked about jersey numbers being “unofficially retired” and then being “unofficially unretired.” Edgar Martinez and Alvin Davis are examples he uses of numbers that weren’t issued to players for some time despite the fact that the team never officially hung up their numbers.
• Jesus Sucre is being considered for a spot on the Venezuelan WBC team as a backup catcher.

Around the league...

• Even though it’s February, it’s never too late for some juicy trade rumors. The Rangers and Rays are reportedly discussing a deal that would send Jurickson Profar to Tampa Bay.
• Speaking of the Rays, Tampa is making an interesting adjustment to its spring training schedule. Workouts will start an hour later than usual in order to better align with players’ daily routines during the regular season. The Rays appear to be making sleep management a priority for the team in 2017.
• But don’t sleep (haha) on the Rockies in 2017. Dave Cameron thinks Colorado could be in for a big year. It’s worth noting that the Rockies haven’t posted a winning record since Russell Branyan was a Mariner.
• DRaysBay takes a look at our friend Guti as a potential option for the Rays. I personally hope the M’s are still in contact with the outfielder. I was recently saying to the rest of the staff that it almost wouldn’t feel like a real Mariners season without him.
• Rich Hill — who has gone through a roller-coaster of a career —- is a lesson in never giving up, according to Travis Sawchik. Even in his mid-thirties, Hill managed to work his way through the independent leagues and back to the majors as a reliable starter.
• Camden Chat is a little concerned that the Orioles’ AL East rivals have deeper farm systems than Baltimore does. The O’s are in a similar place to the M’s where they have a short major league window while lacking the minor league pieces to widen it.
• The Blue Jays have agreed to a one-year, major league deal with reliever J.P. Howell.
• Chris Carter’s market isn’t shaping up the way he hoped it would. The slugger is reportedly mulling over the idea of going to Japan to continue his playing career.
• Vice Sports takes a look at baseball players whose physiques don’t match that of a normal player.
• Wily Mo Pena is coming back to the major leagues! The slugger signed a minor league deal with the Indians.