His abilities at multiple positions give the Mariners the freedom to use new utility player Robert Andino all over the field.

PEORIA, Ariz. – Mariners pitcher Blake Beavan isn’t beyond working an angle when it comes to keeping his job at the back of the starting rotation. In this case, the angle is downward. Beavan, 24, spent a month this winter training under renowned University of Texas pitching coach Skip Johnson trying to develop a downward plane to his pitches.

PEORIA, Ariz. – First it was rubber bands and an oversized bat; now a “swimming pool noodle” is helping Mariners outfielder Michael Saunders maintain his newfound hitting career. It was just over a year ago that Saunders, 26, rescued his baseball fortunes through a rather unorthodox training regimen designed by private hitting instructor Mike Bard. But after a solid 2012 season as a regular, Saunders returned to Bard’s training facility in Colorado this winter and added the polyethylene foam noodle – typically used as a pool float by children – to the quirky kit of tools designed to keep his swing compact.

When Michael Morse was last in the Seattle Mariners’ clubhouse at the Peoria (Ariz.) Sports Complex, he was still in the “be seen, not heard” portion of his career. He had undeniable tools, and the sort of long, sleek physique that appeals to scouts. But Morse was still feeling his way around and wondering if, or when, his opportunity would come.

When Michael Morse was last in the Mariners’ clubhouse at the Peoria Sports Complex, he was still in the “be seen, not heard” portion of his career.

PEORIA, Ariz. – The Seattle Mariners could use an experienced No. 2 or 3 starter in the rotation that is headlined by Felix Hernandez, and left-hander Joe Saunders hopes to be that dependable arm. Saunders agreed on a one-year contract with the Mariners on Tuesday that could be worth up to $16.5 million over two years if he reaches all his bonuses, and he got right to work Wednesday.

Locking up Felix Hernandez for the next seven years was the highlight of a day the Mariners used to address rotation concerns in both the long and short term.