M’s season preview: For 25-man roster it’s out with the old, in with the new

Regime change has a way of generating introductory handshakes.

Out with the old. In with the new. What was your name again?

The Seattle Mariners underwent regime change this offseason when former general manager Jack Zduriencik was fired late into his seventh season in charge and replaced by Jerry Dipoto. It was natural to expect Dipoto to attempt to mould the roster into a shape more to his liking.

But few could have predicted the extent to which Dipoto would overhaul the Mariners organization during the offseason.

Forget about the front office or the on-field staff, both of which have seen substantial turnover in their own respects. Let’s look at the players in the organization. Dipoto took over as general manager at the end of September. By Jan. 12 he had made 11 trades involving 34 players. Over the offseason he signed a total of 35 free agents — 27 of those to minor-league deals — and claimed another five players off waivers.

What’s been the result for the major-league squad? Of the 25 players who were on Seattle’s opening-day roster last season, just seven survived to be a part of the Mariners’ roster for Monday’s season opener. That’s half the number from the previous season, when 14 players who began the season with Seattle in 2014 were still with the team a year later. The bullpen has been turned over completely.

So 2016 is truly a fresh start for the Mariners. Let’s hope those name tags that were handed out at the start of spring training are still legible for Monday’s opener.

Seattle Mariners projected 2016 opening-day roster

STARTING PITCHERS

Felix Hernandez

Hisashi Iwakuma

Taijuan Walker

Wade Miley

Nathan Karns

RELIEF PITCHERS

Steve Cishek (closer)

Joaquin Benoit

Tony Zych

Vidal Nuno