The Seattle Mariners’ coaching overhaul has already won over one familiar voice.
Former Mariners outfielder Braden Bishop joined the latest edition of the “Refuse to Lose Territory” podcast and had plenty of praise for the club’s recent hires, including manager Jason Kanzler and bench coach Tanner Swanson. The M’s also brought in CJ Gillman as hitting coach, and while the staff isn’t fully finalized yet, the early returns have some people around the team feeling encouraged.
Bishop was especially high on Kanzler, saying he’s known him for years through family connections and his own time in the organization.
“Yeah, no, I’m really excited at everything, honestly. I like Kanzler a lot.
I’ve known him actually for quite a while because my brother actually played for him in Cape Cod in 2018. And at that time, I was in M’s organization, so I just got to know him because he’s a really, as you could see through all of his interviews, like, he’s a very introspective guy.
He’s very intense. He was a really great hitting mind.
And so that kind of sparked our relationship as I was going through the minor leagues. He actually did some stuff with my charity back in the day.
So I got nothing but respect for him. And I actually love the hire because I think the more unconventional, the better, especially in today’s game.”
Bishop also spent time on Swanson, who comes to Seattle after seven years with the Yankees and brings a strong reputation in catching circles. He also has local roots, having played at Central Washington, coached in Washington junior college baseball and served as an assistant coach with the Washington Huskies while Bishop was there.
“And then obviously Swanee coming in. I mean, talk about just, like, inspirational and motivational to go from, I believe he was a pitcher at Central Washington and then when he was at UW he was the volunteer making all his money through camps.
And so my first interactions with him were how committed he was to making anything he did the best. And so from the camps and how we would run those, I mean, he crushed it. Like, Washington baseball camps were really well known in the Seattle area and probably the greater Washington area.
And then, Lindsay Meggs was our head coach. He said, ‘Hey, we don’t have a catching coach.
Can you do catching?’ He was a pitcher, so he’s like, ‘Yeah.’
And I’ve never seen somebody double and triple-down on learning the fundamentals, the basics, but then having enough confidence to take risks and have guys try things...
He was unbelievable. And then obviously, when you take all of that and then you go into professional baseball and then into the big leagues and you don’t have the big league experience, to get the respect from the players, I think it just speaks to his character. I think it’s an amazing hire on all fronts.”
Seattle still has more work to do on the staff. The Mariners are looking for a first base coach to replace Eric Young Jr. and also need an outfield coach, though those jobs could wind up going to the same person. Additional hires for the hitting staff are also possible, but not certain.
Meanwhile, the Mariners are in Las Vegas for the general manager’s meetings through Thursday. On day one, much of the attention centered on the team’s possible interest in former Chicago Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki, and while nothing is settled, the pursuit appears to be real.
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