Where does Brennen Davis fit? Any updates on cable TV plans? | Mariners Q&A

PEORIA, Ariz. – While most of the industry has turned its attention to the wildly entertaining World Baseball Classic, spring training is rolling along for the Mariners in the Cactus League.

And even with many of Seattle’s regulars away playing for their respective countries, there are some lingering questions about the state of the Mariners (and, yes, their broadcasting plans) midway through spring camp. Let’s get to them:

What is the Mariners’ plan for hot-hitting Brennen Davis?

Davis’ comeback is one of the best and most unexpected storylines of the spring for the Mariners. The 26-year-old, right-handed-hitting outfielder clubbed his team-leading fourth homer of the spring Sunday – hammered 464 feet with a 116.7-mph exit velocity off Brewers All-Star starter Jacob Misiorowski – and he has certainly raised some eyebrows around the club.

Davis was once a consensus top-20 prospect with the Chicago Cubs, before a back injury in 2022 stalled his development. Two more injuries – core surgery and then a fractured ankle – limited him to just 122 games in 2023 and ’24, leading to his release from the Cubs late in 2024.

He signed a minor-league deal with the Yankees for 2025 but was again limited to just 50 games. He hit 12 homers with a .248/.324/.576 slash line (.900 OPS) in 125 Triple-A at-bats last year.

In December, the Mariners signed Davis to a minor-league deal with an invitation to spring training as a nonroster invitee.

The Mariners don’t want to find themselves in the situation they were in last May, when their top two right fielders, Victor Robles (shoulder) and Luke Raley (oblique), each sustained significant injuries (and a third, Dominic Canzone, was still getting on track in Tacoma), forcing the M’s to make a desperate move to claim former Texas outfielder Leody Taveras. In 28 games, Taveras was awful for Seattle, hitting .174 with a 35 OPS+ (100 is average). The M’s paid him the roughly $3.5 million owed on his deal for the rest of 2025.

As things stand, Davis does not have a place on the opening day roster. The Mariners came into camp with a roster largely settled on the position-player side, with the switch-hitting Leo Rivas penciled in as the utility infielder; Robles/Raley are expected to platoon in right field; and Canzone and new addition Rob Refsynder platooning at DH.

The Mariners are thin in the upper minors in right-handed-hitting depth, and Davis could be an intriguing option to join the big-league club at some point this season.

How is Brendan Donovan settling in at third base?

As he transitions from second base to third base, Donovan has drawn consistent praise this spring from Perry Hill, the Mariners’ renowned infield coach, for his work ethic and desire to learn.

The Mariners acquired Donovan for his bat – he’s a career .282 hitter with a .361 on-base percentage and a 119 wRC+ (100 is league average) – and he looks like the ideal leadoff candidate for this lineup.

As a rookie in St. Louis in 2022, Donovan won an NL Gold Glove as a utility player. He has spent the majority of his time at second base and didn’t make any appearances last season at third base for the Cardinals (who had perennial Gold Glover Nolan Arenado there), so it is fair to wonder how Donovan would handle the move to the hot corner.

All indications are it’s been a smooth transition, and Donovan and the Mariners both appear committed to making it work.

Donovan said early in camp he will play wherever the team needs him.

“I believe in preparation; I try to be the most prepared player on the field,” he said. “I think that may come with just being able to play all over the field. I play really hard. I think that’s something that, you know, your effort, your mentality, all those are things that you can control in this crazy game. … I just try to play like my hair is on fire.”

The Mariners’ opening day infield appears set, with Josh Naylor at first, Cole Young at second, Donovan at third and J.P. Crawford at shortstop.

Top prospect Colt Emerson, 20, has impressed in big-league camp this spring, and the Mariners have maintained that he will help the major league team at some point this season. But he will almost certainly begin the season in Triple-A Tacoma.

Who among the relief pitching corps has caught your eye?

If you look at the Cactus League numbers of the relievers added over the offseason – a group that was once referred to as the (Drew) Steckenrider bucket of arms – you wouldn’t be impressed. The various relievers have all seemingly had one bad outing this spring that skews the small sample size for earned run averages.

One thing to keep in mind is that the Mariners’ pitching lab often has its new arms try different things in these spring outings, whether it is pitch usage and sequencing or attack plan. So they aren’t always measuring just based off hits or runs allowed, but whether a pitcher can execute a pitch or a plan as instructed. It’s also important to remember that the true measurement of these changes and successes often comes when a pitcher is in Tacoma, pitching in real games. If you recall, Paul Sewald was the opening day starter in Tacoma in 2021 before becoming a valuable reliever for Seattle. Gabe Speier wasn’t on the opening day roster in 2023 – his first year with the Mariners.

Right now, the Mariners have been very impressed with right-handers Cole Wilcox and Alex Hoppe, and lefty Robinson Ortiz.

Wilcox, 26, was teammates with Emerson Hancock at the University of Georgia. A former top pitching prospect in college and with the Rays, he made his MLB debut in 2025.

He was designated for assignment in the offseason due to 40-man roster congestion in Tampa. The Mariners, who will always look for former high-round picks and top prospects, happily picked him up in a trade for cash considerations. He throws a hard sinker at 96-98 mph and a four-seam in a similar range. His issue has been finding reliable off-speed options that get swings and misses. He has experimented with the gyro slider and a sweeper and different variations of the grip.

Hoppe, 27, has a funky, max-effort delivery that features a nasty slider and a fastball that ranges 97-99 mph. On Monday against the Diamondbacks, he threw 17 pitches – 11 were sliders. Hitters swung at the pitch four times, whiffing on three of them. Hoppe will bury that slider, which has a downward angle, forcing catchers to have to block it.

His issues are efficiency and control (not even command). He doesn’t throw enough strikes to make his stuff play up more. A 12% walk rate is an issue even when he struck out 26% of the hitters he faced in the minors last season. Can the Mariners’ “dominate the zone” philosophy help him find that missing aspect?

Ortiz, 26, was considered a promising pitcher in the Dodgers system before injuries sidetracked his development. The Mariners picked him up in a trade for minor-league pitcher Tyler Gough this offseason. In a combined 591/3 innings pitched last season, he struck out 72 batters, but also walked 33. He’s another lefty option with real stuff that has minor league options.

What’s the latest on the new broadcasting plans?

This might be the most asked-about topic this spring. While the organization, in conjunction with MLB, rolled out its new streaming plan and subscription rates for fans in the viewing footprint – Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Alaska – there has been a lack of information (what channel will it be on?) on how people will be able to watch through their local cable providers like Comcast Xfinity, DirecTV, Spectrum and others.

Unfortunately, there is no exact answer to that question. The Mariners have said, and confirmed again Wednesday, they expect that fans who watched games on ROOT Sports via cable will get a Mariners TV channel on their system. The exact channel number is subject to each provider. MLB is currently in negotiations with each company for the rights fees. Will it cost more on your subscription plan? That’s also unclear. The hope is that the cost will remain the same as it was for ROOT Sports last season. As for when the announcement will happen, there is no impetus for the cable companies or MLB to assuage customers’ anxiety. Sources indicate that the announcement could come a day or two before opening day on March 26, or even that morning. The Mariners are confident that whatever platform fans watched games on last year will be available again this year.