Right-hander Phillippe Aumont, the Mariners' first selection in the 2007 First-Year Player Draft, is among the 18 non-roster players invited to Spring Training this year.Veteran relievers Chris Reitsma and Arthur Rhodes, both coming off injuries, are among the 11 pitchers invited to camp, which begins Feb. 13, when pitchers and catchers report to the Peoria Sports Complex.
Seven of the invited players, including pitchers Philip Barzilla, Roy Corcoran, Jake Woods, Reitsma and Rhodes, have prior Major League experience. Infielder Mark Kiger and outfielder Bronson Sardinha have limited big league experience.
Aumont, the 11th overall pick in June, has yet to make his professional debut. He pitched for the Mariners during the Instructional League in Peoria and then played for his native Canada during the 2007 World Cup, being named the Canadian Junior National Team MVP.
Others of note -- meaning ex-Rattlers, include:
C Jair Fernandez: The 21-year-old catcher from Cartagena, Colombia, spent last season at Class A Wisconsin in the Midwest League, batting .260 with 11 doubles, two home runs and 13 RBIs.
RHP Stephen Kahn: He did not appear during the regular season in 2007 while recovering from ACL surgery on his left knee. Kahn pitched for Lara in the Venezuelan Winter League, going 1-2, with a 5.23 in 10 relief appearances this offseason. Kahn has compiled a 6-3 record with a 4.29 ERA and 20 saves in 69 career Minor League appearances.
C Adam Moore: Named a California League All-Star in 2007 at Class A High Desert, Moore batted .307 with 30 doubles, 22 home runs and 102 RBIs. He ranked third in the California League in RBIs and fifth in slugging percentage (.543). Among Mariners Minor Leaguers, Moore ranked second in RBIs, third in batting average and fifth in home runs.
LHP Robert Rohrbaugh: Selected as the Mariners Triple-A Pitcher of the Year, Rohrbaugh split the 2007 season between Triple-A Tacoma and Double-A West Tennessee. He led the Mariners Minor League system with 13 wins and ranked fifth in the organization with 111 strikeouts. Rohrbaugh went 6-3 with a 2.95 ERA in 13 starts at Tacoma last year and tossed back-to-back shutouts -- July 28 (at Oklahoma) and Aug. 2 (vs. Memphis).
RHP Chris Tillman: Selected as the Mariners Minor League Pitcher of the Year in 2007, Tillman split the season between Class A Wisconsin and Class A High Desert, going 7-11 with 4.84 ERA in 28 starts. He led all Mariners Minor Leaguers with 139 strikeouts over 135 2/3 innings and was named the No. 3 prospect in the California League by Baseball America. He was selected by Seattle in the second round of the 2006 First-Year Player Draft.
INF Matt Tuiasosopo: He spent the entire season 2007 at Double-A West Tennessee, earning Southern League All-Star honors. Tuiasopop batted .260 with 74 runs, 27 doubles, five triples, nine home runs and 57 RBIs in 129 games. The Mariners' first selection in the 2004 Draft was also a non-roster invite to Major League Spring Training in 2005, '06 and '07. He ended the '07 season by playing for the Peoria Javelinas in the Arizona Fall League, batting .293 in 23 games.
Not that far away.
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