Mariners preview: Nori Aoki, Leonys Martin will boost outfield defense

Franklin Gutierrez rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the seventh inning at Safeco Field on Sept. 15, 2015. Franklin Gutierrez rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the seventh inning at Safeco Field on Sept. 15, 2015. Photo: 2015 Getty Images Photo: 2015 Getty Images Image 1 of / 12 Caption Close Mariners preview: Nori Aoki, Leonys Martin will boost outfield defense 1 / 12 Back to Gallery

Despite playing home games at Safeco Field, one of the most spacious outfields in Major League Baseball, the Seattle Mariners had one of the worst outfield defenses in the league last season.

If that doesn't stand to reason, then you agree with general manager Jerry Dipoto, who told club president Kevin Mather during an interview last fall that the Mariners roster was not suited for Safeco Field.

Last season, the outfield's UZR (ultimate zone rating) was minus-22.7, meaning the group cost them almost 23 runs. That ranked 14th in the American League and 27th in MLB.

The result? The Mariners went 36-45 last season in Seattle, even worse than their 41-40 home record in 2014.

Changes were needed. And that's what Dipoto provided during his whirlwind offseason. Here's an early look at how the outfield figures to shape up when the Mariners hold their first full-squad workout at Peoria (Arizona) Sports Complex on Feb. 25.

Who's gone?

To rehash, let's go back to the start of last season. Left fielder Dustin Ackley was on that roster. So were Justin Ruggiano, Willie Bloomquist and Austin Jackson. Plus, there was the failed experiment to sign infielder Rickie Weeks and make him an outfielder.

None finished the regular season in a Mariners uniform. Brad Miller, who got a shot as an outfielder after losing his shortstop job, was sent to the Tampa Bay Rays last November as part of a six-player trade.

Impact additions:

On Nov. 16, the Mariners dealt reliever Tom Wilhelmsen, outfielder James Jones and Triple-A utility man Patrick Kivlehan to the Texas Rangers for center fielder Leonys Martin and right-hander Anthony Bass.

The Mariners released Bass earlier this year so he could pursue a career in Japan. But they expect Martin to open the season as the team's center fielder.

He is one of the many Dipoto acquisitions looking to rebound from a rough 2015 season. Last year with Texas, Martin hit .219 with 12 doubles, five homers, 25 RBIs and 14 stolen bases in 95 games. After playing 302 games the previous two seasons, he lost his starting job to Delino DeShields Jr. Then, while playing for Triple-A Round Rock, he sustained a hamate fracture on his right hand on Aug. 13. He had surgery to remove the hamate bone, was recalled to the big leagues in late September, then played in one more game for a Rangers club that won the American League West.

Martin spent the offseason in the Dominican Winter League, where he performed well for Tigres del Licey in Santo Domingo.

"He went down and had a terrific month-long run in the Dominican Winter League with del Licey," Dipoto said at the pre-spring training luncheon. "He's showing all the reasons why we went out and got him, playing good defense. He can really throw and he swung the bat."

The expectation is Martin, a career .255 hitter, will fit somewhere in the lower third of the batting order. His biggest assets are his range and throwing arm. Over the past three seasons, the Cuban 27-year-old ranks fourth in Major League Baseball among center fielders in defensive runs saved, with 44.

Biggest question mark(s):

In December, the Mariners signed outfielder Nori Aoki to a one-year contract that will pay him $5.5 million in 2016, with a mutual vesting option for the following season.

After his introductory press conference, it appears Aoki will begin the season as the Mariners' leadoff hitter, a role no player has filled with much success since Ichiro Suzuki was traded to the New York Yankees in 2012.

Is Aoki, owner of a .353 career on-base percentage, capable of continuing at such a clip at age 34? Is he over the concussion issues that ended his 2015 season? He's been remarkably consistent since coming over from Japan and joining the big leagues in 2012. But if he falters, don't be shocked if shortstop Ketel Marte gets a long look at the top of the lineup.

Meanwhile, the tentative plan is to have veterans Seth Smith and Franklin Gutierrez platoon in right field. Gutierrez can't play every day because of an ongoing bout with ankylosing spondylitis, but he was extremely productive last year in limited action, hitting .292 with 15 homers and 35 RBIs in 59 games. It will be interesting to see how many games he can play after battling health issues for years.

Also fighting to stay in the mix is Stefen Romero, another natural infielder the Mariners tried to convert to outfield, and Shawn O'Malley, a Richland native who hit .262 last season with the Mariners in 24 games.

Outlook:

There are a lot of questions with this current group, but it's safe to assume the Mariners will be improved from last season. Martin is a defensive upgrade over Jackson. Aoki, who will also see some time in center and right, is an upgrade over the myriad left fielders the Mariners used under manager Lloyd McClendon.

Don't expect slugger Nelson Cruz to get as much time in right field as he did in 2015. Dipoto preached all offseason about becoming more athletic and versatile, so Cruz, at 35, will likely see more time at designated hitter despite his preference for playing in the field.

The current group doesn't have any potential All-Stars, but it won't embarrass, either.

Better than last year.

Visit seattlepi.com for more Seattle Mariners news. Contact sports reporter Adam Lewis at adam lewis@seattlepi.com or @AdamLewisPI.