PEORIA, Ariz. — The road from San Diego to Seattle is never shorter than in spring training. All reliever Nick Vincent had to do Wednesday was walk across the parking lot at the Peoria Sports Complex.
The Mariners landed the right-handed reliever they have been seeking since an injury sidelined Evan Scribner by acquiring Vincent from the San Diego Padres for a player to be named later.
“It was a short walk,” Vincent said. “So that was nice. It wasn’t like I had to go to Florida or something.”
The move effectively finalizes the Mariners’ seven-man bullpen and means Donn Roach, Mayckol Guaipe and Blake Parker will open the season at Triple-A Tacoma. Guaipe was optioned to the Rainiers before Wednesday’s game.
The Mariners also talked to the Padres about two other right-handed relievers, Kevin Quackenbush and Jon Edwards before the two clubs agreed on Vincent.
“He’s been an excellent performer during the time he’s had in the big leagues,” general manager Jerry Dipoto said, “and very consistently so. He’s neutralized right-handed hitters over 162 outings. There’s no reason to expect that to change.
“He’s very cutter-centric. He’s got a very usable fastball. He’s got some history in the big leagues. I think he gives us a nice upgrade and the additional depth in the bullpen that we were looking for.”
Vincent, 29, compiled a 2.35 ERA last season in 26 big-league games over four separate promotions from Triple-A El Paso. But he is out of options, and the Padres deemed him to be expendable.
“Lot of emotions going on right now,” he told the San Diego Union-Tribune. “I’m trying to wrap things up with car shipments, housing and all that. Just go over there and take a deep breath.”
San Diego has a list of players from which to choose the player to be named later.
The Mariners’ bullpen now sets up with right-handers Steve Cishek as the closer and Joaquin Benoit as the primary set-up man.
The rest of the group is right-handers Tony Zych and Joel Peralta and lefties Vidal Nuno and Mike Montgomery.
“I feel we have five solid major-league relievers from the right side,” Dipoto said. “With Nuno and Montgomery, that gives us two lefties, one with power and one with a unique match-up ability against lefties.
“That’s a seven-man bullpen that we’re pretty comfortable with. With the way the other guys in camp have thrown — Donn Roach and Guaipe and Parker — the depth is more comfortable to us today than it was yesterday.”
Scribner is battling a strained latissimus dorsi muscle in his back and not responding as well as hoped. Dipoto said Scribner isn’t expected to return before mid-to-late May.
The Mariners chose not to rush Vincent into action Wednesday against his former teammates. Instead, he is slotted to pitch Thursday in a minor-league game and again Saturday in the spring finale against Colorado at Salt River Fields.
“Right now, I’m in shock still,” Vincent said as he looked at his Mariners’ workout shirt. “So it’s not too strange right now. But I’m sure once I get into that first game in Texas, and look down at a Mariners shirt, it will be a little different.”
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