MLB WINTER MEETINGS

December 5, 2022

Scott Servais

Seattle Mariners

Press Conference

Q. You've added Teoscar and Wong since we last talked to you. How do you feel about the way the team is coming together?

SCOTT SERVAIS: Really excited. Going into the off-season, one of the goals was to try to improve the lineup, the depth of the lineup. So getting an opportunity to get Teoscar and Kolten in the mix is exciting, and hopefully we're not done yet. We still might be able to add a little bit more.

At this time of year, everybody is focused on adding players and trying to get their club better. I think we've done a nice job so far.

Q. We get so hung up on your guys' hitting woes last year and certainly some chances where you guys had opportunities to score and didn't.

SCOTT SERVAIS: The 18-inning game. I got you.

Q. As you specifically look at the offense last year, other than the obvious, scoring more runs, how did you kind of want to go about doing it? You've got two guys who do it a little different.

SCOTT SERVAIS: I think the consistency, the depth of the lineup. I think that's what you saw when we started to get our season turned around, we had the winning streak and played very well through the second half of the season, we were getting contributions up and down the lineup. For a while it wasn't that way.

We lost Haniger for a big chunk of the year. Hopefully having Hernandez healthy throughout the year. I know Adam Frazier certainly had some really big moments for us, but just the consistency isn't typically what Adam Frazier does. So hopefully Kolten Wong brings some more consistency there. That's what it takes.

Not everyone is going to be going at the same time, but if you've got enough pieces and enough depth and you can keep guys on the field, staying away from injury, that will be key.

We had power with Hernandez. Certainly Kolten Wong has some power and on-base skills, and the defense that he brings is really exciting as well because there's no shift this year.

Q. You checked off some big boxes with the second baseman and Teoscar. At this stage of the off-season, what would you kind of address as your areas of need?

SCOTT SERVAIS: I think there's still a lot of really good players out there in free agency. I think how we're wired, we're always looking to make trades and upgrade.

So now it's a point of looking at the combination of pieces. I think one thing that served us really well last year, we're really versatile. A number of guys can play different positions, which really helps me when you're putting lineups together and trying to keep guys fresh. If there's somebody that can play some outfield, play some first base to help out if Ty France needs a break, things like that, looking to help there.

Q. Do you need a left-handed bat, do you think, to balance it out? You've got the left-handed bats in your roster, kind of Wong and J.P. How about one switch hitter?

SCOTT SERVAIS: We've got a catcher that's pretty good. I don't know, left, right, you're looking at things. We've got young players. Certainly Jarred Kelenic is still in the mix. I say all that, and he's still a very young player with a left-handed bat with a lot of upside.

I'm not certainly sure if it's left or right, just trying to get the right fit with a guy, and it might be a veteran guy that comes in. We certainly saw the impact that veteran players had on our team last year with what Upton did for us with the little time he was with us and certainly what Carlos Santana did. There's a lot of ways to improve where we're at.

Q. How do you assess where Jarred Kelenic is as a hitter, and what do you look for moving forward?

SCOTT SERVAIS: I think he's making strides. There's a lot of positives we saw at the end of the year when we called him back up. I thought the quality of his at-bats much more consistent, not trying to do so much. Certainly change his approach in using the whole field more consistently than maybe what we saw early on.

Definitely making strides and progress in the right direction, but we've seen it in chunks. We haven't seen it over the course of time at the Major League level. He's done it at the Minor League level.

I think the one thing we've got to be cognizant of is continue to give our young players opportunities, understanding that we're in a window, I really like our team. We busted through and got to the playoffs, and that is the goal, to get in the playoffs again and go a little deeper.

So I say all those things, I still want to give our young players an opportunity to take it and run with it.

Q. What role do you see him playing for the team next year?

SCOTT SERVAIS: He'll come to Spring Training and compete for a job.

Q. How do you feel about the way the division is shaping up? You've got the Rangers being aggressive? The Astros being aggressive? The Angels are making some moves. Is it tougher than ever?

SCOTT SERVAIS: It's a good division. Every year you get to Spring Training and everybody is healthy and ready to go, and some teams have been more aggressive in free agency than others. This time of year, fans love to follow it. It's the hot stove. They need something to talk about.

Some of the things that we've done, we extended Luis Castillo in September. We were out ahead of it a little bit there. Our center fielder is locked up for quite a while. So we've been out ahead of some of those things, but the division is going to be very competitive.

To get deeper in the playoffs, you've got to go through Houston. I talked about it in the last playoffs. You have to go through Houston. Certainly the other teams are improving. Texas isn't going to stop. New ballpark and very aggressive ownership there. That's part of it.

But I really like our team. We are driven by our starting pitching and really good bullpen, catching the ball, and just trying to get a little bit better offensively.

Q. You talked about the names you mentioned, going through Houston, you came so close this year. How long did that linger with you, those games?

SCOTT SERVAIS: Pretty long, I've got to be honest. You put so much of your soul into it, and not just me, but coaching staff, the people in the front office, let alone what our players put into it.

So when you break through, which was critical that we needed to do that this year and we were able to get it done, and I said at that moment, the team wasn't done. I thought we had the ability to go deep in the playoffs. Unfortunately, we got locked up against the World Series champs after getting through Toronto, and that was it.

But every game was winnable. We can't go back and play them again. You can only look forward.

I think what we'll see is the growth from our team and our players having gone through that is really going to benefit going forward. I say all that, and every team is different. We saw it this year. We got off to a slow start this year because we just thought maybe we'd have some of the carryover from 2021, and that wasn't the case. Every team kind of has to start over and create your own identity.

I'm looking forward to that. But I think the experience our players gained through the playoffs is going to help us a ton.

Q. You talked your pitching and their wins last season, but just where they're at. What do you kind of see from a workload standpoint how they approach the season next year?

SCOTT SERVAIS: They carried the workload just awesome throughout the year. We were very concerned about George, making it through the year. Logan, kind of the dip a little bit into August, but he turned it on in September, which was great to see. Those were the two guys we were worried about. I thought Munoz had plenty in the tank right till the end.

Those guys will learn how to manage. And it's not so much the innings load. It's what's going on between the innings. I think Logan adjusted his program quite a bit. George is going to continue to learn as he goes forward. The value of young starting pitching is just huge. We've got to keep those guys healthy.

So I'm not concerned about it going forward. I think the fact that they've checked that box and now they can look on -- you say back of the baseball card, but now it's baseball reference. But they can see they've made it through a full Major League season. They stayed healthy. They put some bulk innings up there, and they can build upon that.

Q. Speaking of young pitchers, what role do you see Matt Brash getting into next year?

SCOTT SERVAIS: A very big role. He's really good. He's going to be in the bullpen. Right now I like our starting rotation, where we're at. We'll probably look at him as being in the bullpen, who knows?

You get to Spring Training, we will stretch him out in Spring Training a little bit. I just think it helps his development, you work on more pitches, versus going out there and throwing 12 to 15 pitches in an outing.

But he's still a young pitcher, and he's got great stuff. He's the one guy, going through the situations he did, through the stretch in September then into the playoffs, he learned a ton, and he handled everything thrown at him really well. So he's going to be even better next year.

Q. The maturity that he showed, obviously the talent is there, but the maturity through the full season, some of the people say he's the face of baseball.

SCOTT SERVAIS: You're talking about Julio?

Q. Julio, yes. From your perspective as his manager, what can you say about that?

SCOTT SERVAIS: Julio's season is, in one word, just wow is what stands out for me. I go back to Spring Training. We came into Spring Training and didn't know if he was going to make the team. Seeing him go through Spring Training and kind of take off from there, okay, he's ready. Let's go.

He got off to a slow start for a couple of different reasons. I said it throughout the year and keep saying it. Credit to him, the reason he had the season he had and won Rookie of the Year is because he didn't panic. A lot of young players panic at that point. And our coaches didn't panic. You have a big-time prospect, and he's struggling. Your hitting coach is, Okay, we've got to fix this, we've got to change this. We didn't. We kept hands off. Understanding that it just wasn't going his way. He wasn't getting a whole lot of breaks. And then it started to turn. When it turned, he took it and ran with it.

He played great defense throughout the season. He ran the bases outstanding. One thing that people don't see on the outside is Julio is a great learner. If he makes a mistake, he's going to talk about it, and he learns from it. It's a great sign for a young player that has that much talent.

The player himself, you can't ask for a better package, but the thing that separates him is the personality. It's the smile on his face. It's what gravitates fans towards him, and he's not afraid of that. Some players don't like the lights on them. He likes when the lights are on him. And the brighter they get, the happier he is.

It's very unique to find in today's game. I said a little bit earlier today, I said when we signed him, the fact that he's going to be in a Mariners uniform for this many years going forward, great for the organization, great for Seattle.

Q. At 21, to not panic, as you just mentioned, what does it say about his maturity perhaps beyond his years?

SCOTT SERVAIS: It says a lot. I go back oftentimes you talk about young players and how are they going to handle the adversity or the failure that happens, and it kind of goes back to the environment they're raised in. They had to come through adversity at some point in their lives, and how did mom and dad react to it?

Typically we'll say how they play out when they get a little bit older and on the big stage. He comes from a very solid family. He just gets it. Again, a credit to our coaches, our front office. Nobody panicked. Just let it play out, let it play out. We know he's really good. As long as we don't panic, he's not going to panic, and he didn't.

Q. He really wowed you with his speed last year in Spring Training.

SCOTT SERVAIS: Yes.

Q. What do you maybe envision he'll show up and wow you with this season?

SCOTT SERVAIS: The speed really jumped out. I did not expect it at all. Going into it, I think everyone projected he would be a corner outfielder. Seeing him move around in center field and how he ran the bases, I know Julio really wants to keep that as part of his game.

Everyone says he's going to get older, he's going to slow down, the body gets thicker. I know, for where he's at right now, it's big for him. He still wants to go out and steal 25, 30 bases or maybe more with the rule change. It may open up more things for him as well.

Speed is a big part of where he's at and his focus this off-season. Don't want to lose any of that at all. Hopefully along the way, we'll gain a few more homers. We'll see.

Q. How do you think the rule change is going to change the game and how you manage?

SCOTT SERVAIS: It's going to create more action. It's going to create more offense, which is what our game needs. We're in the entertainment business. You need action. That's what fans want to see.

It will be good for the game. There is going to be a little bit of an adjustment period. I think that the no shift, you'll see the batting average start to raise a little bit. The stolen bases, will you see more attempts? You will see more attempts. I think you will.

The home run is still going to be a big part of our game, but you're trying to create a little more offense. It's the rule changes, when they were first brought up, everybody said, no, we can't do that, we can't do that, and I think a lot of people stepped back and said, no, we have to do this. It's for the betterment of our game.

You're going to continue to see it. You can't just keep to playing the same game that they played in the 1940s and 1950s. It evolves. We have to evolve with it. The players will adjust. The pitch clock, they'll adjust. It really hasn't been an issue at the Minor League level. Once they understand the rule change and how it works, guys are really good at adjusting.

Q. Is second base the position it affects the most?

SCOTT SERVAIS: As far as the shift? Yes, at times you can hide the second baseman a little bit and how you're moving around. You're going to need the range of your more athletic guy that can really throw, do those things.

I said something earlier too, I still think there will be teams out there that will try to adjust their outfield. If you've got a guy that can play some infield, he may all of a sudden be in a different spot on the field. You look up, and there's only two outfielders out there.

Teams will play with it. That's what we do. We're looking for the competitive edge. I don't think anything will surprise us when we get to Spring Training. A lot of people will be trying things out.

Q. People have said Santana is a guy that could really be benefited by that, the no shift. Anyone on your team you see will benefit?

SCOTT SERVAIS: I think guys who benefit the most from lack of a shift is Jarred Kelenic and Cal Raleigh, the left-handed hitters. Those guys pull the ball quite a bit. I think those guys will be helped out by it.

I know Cal will a bunch as well. I think of all the balls he hit hard or that second baseman is in short right field, and it's an automatic out.

On the flip side, our pitchers will be disappointed (laughter). Early on when shifting first came into the league, we were one of the more aggressive teams early on and had a number of pitchers throughout the years who fought it, did not want it, this is BS. They never remember the ones who are caught. They only remember the ones who get through until this year.

You'll see some of that. Where is that guy? Things have changed. There will be more action.

Q. Teoscar and Kolten have both played on teams with expectations in the past. I mean, the guys you brought in last year had never been in that situation. Do you think that process will be easier to bring them in and get them on board with what you're trying to do? Because Kolten played with St. Louis and Teoscar played in Toronto, where there is high expectations every year.

SCOTT SERVAIS: I'm excited not just the fact that they're really good players, but they do have playoff experience, and they have been through pennant races and had big at-bats, and we certainly saw Hernandez have a couple big at-bats against us in Toronto.

So they've been on that stage. I think both those guys look forward to that. That's one of the reasons they're excited to come to the Mariners. We've proven we can break through. We are a playoff team. They look at our roster on paper, and we should be in a good spot again. But we've got to go out and play.

One thing about those guys, they do have experience. They've had success in the league, and there's some things we can help them with and be more consistent. Kolten wants to get on some things and Teoscar as well, but they're looking forward to being part of a playoff team. I think we have every opportunity and expectations are there for us to get back.

Q. How much of an outlier do you think Kolten's defensive issues were the last maybe year and a half compared to the years before?

SCOTT SERVAIS: He's very aware of it. I know after we acquired him, guess who his first call was to? It was to Perry Hill. Perry does an outstanding job with our guys. I think everyone in the league knows he's one of the better infield coaches in the league.

Kolten wants to get back to that elite level and win a Gold Glove again. It's in there. There's no question it's in there. Hitters get into little slumps. Sometimes fielders get into slumps. It wasn't lack of range. He made a few errors on balls that shouldn't have been errors, and he's aware of that, whether it's a fundamental thing, lack of concentration and whatnot.

He's excited to get back out there and be at that Gold Glove caliber. He and J.P. should be fun to watch in the middle of the field.

Q. You guys have always been very cognizant of not burdening your catchers by -- you talk about not wanting to -- not split it necessarily, but you don't want a guy catching 140 games. That era has now passed us by. That being said, you rode Cal pretty hard last year, and he looks like a guy who can handle that. How would you envision maybe this shaking out this year?

SCOTT SERVAIS: That's a good question. Cal with all the issues he had with his thumb really gutted it out. He can play not at 100 percent and still produce, and he learned a lot going through that.

Looking over the course of the season, you want to keep guys fresh. Having a versatile roster, having another catcher you can put in there so you don't have to run him out five out of six days or playing an entire week consecutively. How the backup catching position works out, we'll have some guys very capable of stepping in and catching 70 games, 65 games, something like that. We get going hot with the bat, you know how it works, you get a little bit more playing time. A lot of that is dictated by schedule and day games and whatnot.

I think keeping it at a realistic number so we don't lose the offensive production that Cal can give you is going to be key for us.

Q. Swanson played a key role for you last year. Do you see someone sliding into that role?

SCOTT SERVAIS: Matt Brash has been a reliever for us all year. He did take on a lot of those high-leverage innings in the playoffs, maybe more so than what Swanson did, but he's certainly capable of taking some of that on. I think every year you look at bullpens. Bullpens, there's some guys you count on. They're really good one year, and maybe they fall back a little bit and somebody else steps up. For us it's incoming in the Minor League system, and I think we have a couple other guys that people don't know about yet, and they could be playing roles next year.

A year ago, Penn Murfee on anybody's -- people don't know. That's the value of a deep organization and having guys at the Double-A, Triple-A level, and maybe given in the right spot, if you use them in the right pockets, this guy could be valuable. From what I understand, we have those guys lined up.

Q. You said you have to go through the Astros and beat the Astros. As presently constructed, do you have the roster capable of it, or do you need to add more to really go toe to toe with that team?

SCOTT SERVAIS: We went through a very competitive series with them at the end of the year. You're basically one swing of the bat at the end of each game from winning it. You have to win the division, no question about it, and there's multiple games ahead of us in the division.

Do we have the roster right now? I believe we do. It doesn't mean I don't want to add to it. Every team is going to continue to try to add, whether it's role players or different guys who can add something to your lineup. Really what we're talking about is offensively for us. It's more consistent is what we're looking for.

I feel good about our team. Like the moves we made so far. Teams are going to continue to make moves this off-season, but the games are played in April. They're not played in January or December.

Q. You got Verlander out of your division too. Any thoughts on that?

SCOTT SERVAIS: We faced Justin seven times last year.

Q. Six.

SCOTT SERVAIS: Six. I think we actually hit him twice the other times. He shut us down. He had an unbelievable year for him. I say all that, and Houston's got plenty of pitching. I don't think anybody feels sorry for them.

Q. On the other hand, you got deGrom into your division?

SCOTT SERVAIS: True. But we only play the Rangers four times this year. We won't see them six or seven.

Q. Japanese pitcher Senga, and if you have heard of him, what's your impression?

SCOTT SERVAIS: Yes, I have heard of him. Our scouting people, front office people have talked about him quite a bit. Very talented pitcher, no question about it. It's not really my job to break down the free agents out there. My job is to work with what we sign and bring in. We'll see how it plays out for him. Very talented pitcher, no question about it.

Q. Do you know if Castillo is going to pitch for the Dominican in WBC? Are you going to monitor that pretty closely?

SCOTT SERVAIS: I'm talking to the general manager for the WBC. That would be Nelson Cruz. I don't know if there's too many managers that want their pitchers to run off and pitch in the WBC. But the WBC is an event. It's something that brings a ton of interest. The players are really into it.

From a personal note, I don't want to see any of our pitchers go, but I understand some of them well. In Luis Castillo's situation, I don't know if that's been ironed out yet. I'll let Jerry and Nelson Cruz work that out.

Biggest thing is get our guys healthy and ready to go on Opening Day, and I would love to hand the ball to Luis Castillo in that first series and have him ready to go, not having to worry about anything else beforehand.

Q. Are you anticipating how many guys you could lose to the WBC? Obviously your center fielder.

SCOTT SERVAIS: We could lose a bunch, there's no question. There's maybe some other guys maybe on the edges. I know Matt Festa is a guy that wants to pitch WBC. A few of our Minor League players. Harry Ford will probably play in the WBC, a talented prospect.

We could lose four or five guys to that. Teoscar could be on the Dominican team. There's guys that are going to pop up and play at different spots. We just have to wait and see when all the rosters are set. Right now every team has 50 guys they're carrying. We know it's going to get trimmed down. We deal with it at that time.