As the Spring Training season winds down, it is becoming evident who the opening day starters will be at each position. The infield has become one of the most popular subjects for discussion this year with the addition of Kenji Johjima and the possible return of the once dominant Adrian Beltre. Don't forget the young guys: Jose Lopez and Yuniesky Betancourt are ready for a new beginning this year. And who could forget good ol' Richie Sexson! Without further ado, here's your Infield Overview 2006.

Catcher

Five years ago, the Mariners landed one of the biggest fish ever to set foot in free agency, signing Japanese outfielder Ichiro Suzuki to a long-term contract. Ichiro went on to win the American League batting title, and won the Rookie of the Year and the MVP awards. Suzuki, along with fellow Japanese teammates Kazahiro Sazaki and Shigetoshi Hasegawa, became huge fan favorites in the city of Seattle. These dominant Asian players left us wondering... What else is out there?

Gold.

Gold Gloves, that is. During the off season, the Mariners signed Japanese catcher Kenji Johjima to a 3 year, $16.5 million contract. The righty has won 7 Gold Gloves in Japan, and has led the league in caught stealing percentage 4 times in a row. He will become the first Japanese catcher to ever play in the Major Leagues, just as Ichiro was the first position player.

Johjima will be an excellent catcher defensively. Look for him to compete for the Gold Glove award, if not win it. He should be a massive offensive upgrade over all of the catchers we had last year, including Dan Wilson, Yorvit Torrealba, Miguel Olivo, and Rene Rivera (who will serve as a back up to Johjima). The possible downside could be the language barrier, but Jaime Moyer, among others say that Johjima is fine language wise.

Kenji should provide a decent amount of power, shooting off anywhere from 15-25 fireworks a year. He also hits for a good average and has a adequate ability to get on base, as do most Japanese players.

Kenji is by no means an automatic out, as were most of our previous catchers. Johjima, also known as Jo Momma, is a decent pickup for any team. He is expected to bat 7th in the lineup, and will be the opening day catcher.

First Base

If you hear the phrase "Big Sexy" on the TV or Radio, don't be afraid. Big Sexy is the Mariners slugging 6'8" First Baseman, Richie Sexson. Richie was signed by the M's last year during the off season for $50M/4 years. There's a reason they call him Big Sexy. Yeah, his name is Sexson and he happens to be 6'8". But Sexson's game is big; And it's sexy. Richie hit .263 last year with 39 homeruns and 121 RBI's. It's pretty impressive when you can hit 121 RBI with a team like the Mariners. It's also impressive when you can draw 89 walks while hitting 39 long balls. Sexson's offense isn't a problem. He was probably the MVP of offense last year for Seattle. If he can keep his offensive production anywhere near where it was last year, he'll be set for another all-star caliber season.

The thing about Sexson that isn't so impressive? Strikeouts. He managed to K 167 times last season. His strikeouts may be the only thing that is keeping him from being an all-star. Don't look for this to be something that he will be able to improve. Do expect another season similar to last though. .260 with 35 homeruns and about 110 RBI's is a good bet.

Defensively Richie is a decent fielder. Naturally, Richie is a good 1B because it's mighty hard to get the ball over his head. One issue may be that Richie is slow, but that doesn't matter a lot for a first baseman. He's no gold glove, but he's solid.

Overall, Richie will be a HUGE asset to the team. If he stays healthy, look for him to make a run at the team MVP this year.

Second Base

Coming into the spring, the starting nod at 2nd was Jose Lopez's to lose. He competed with non-roster invitee Fernando Vina and Mariners' Utility player Willie Bloomquist. Vina fought injuries and was ultimately cut. Willie was deemed "too valuable" to use as a starting player.

Just two years ago, Jose was among the Mariners' top 3 prospects. When he came up to the Majors for the first time, he struggled and was sent back down. He went up and down from the M's to Tacoma multiple times last season. It seemed that every time, Lopez did well in the Minors, but crashed in Seattle. This forced many fans, and even the front office, to second guess Lopez.

There are two things I really like about Jose. First of all, he has a GREAT work ethic. As soon as the season ended, he went straight to Peoria to train with the Mariners coaches. Not many players will sacrifice their break to do that.

Secondly, Lopez is only 23!!!! A 23 year old who still would be considered a top prospect if he was qualified? Hello, Seattle!

Short Stop

Ever since A-Rod left the team, the Mariners FO has been HUGE on drafting and signing shortstops. Some key names are Matt Tuiasasopo, Jose Lopez, Asdrubal Cabrera, Mike Morse, and Adam Jones. But last year the Mariners signed a young player out of Cuba that surpassed all of them to get into the Bigs' in only a year. That player's name is Yuniesky Betancourt.

To be completely blunt, Bet is the starting shortstop because of his defense and speed. If you haven't seen Yuniesky Betancourt play short, you haven't lived. I guarantee you that if you watch ESPN next year, he will be on the highlight reel 3/7 days. Top scouts believe that Betancourt has a serious chance at winning the gold glove next year. He's just another piece in a Mariners team that is destined for greatness defensively.

Betancourt is a decent hitter at best. He has speed and what Hargrove likes to call "gap power". I would be surprised to see if he hits above .260. Overall though, I believe he's totally worth it. His defense is maybe one of the best I've ever seen.

Third Base

Aaaaadrian Beltre! Last year's big signing. Who could forget the man that was payed 64M for 5 years and only manages to hit .255 with 19 big ones. Adrian certainly had a down year last year. His season left many Mariners fans wondering if the signing was worth it. C'mon, whether you want to think it or not, it's crossed your mind.

I'm an optimistic person. I love to look at the upsides of players rather than the downside. Adrian, I think, is one of those players that is going to rebound considerably. Most people out there say 2004 was a fluke for Adrian, but how can you fluke with 40 homeruns? It's not that easy to hit homeruns like that. You can't just swing and hope you hit it out and be successful.

I don't think he will become his 2004 self again, but I am expecting a decent year in which he hits about .270 with maybe 30 homeruns. That's not necessarily good for the money he's getting, but it's good otherwise. Everyone has to remember he's still young, and if you don't get a homerun out of him, you'll still get a good play from him over at third base.

That concludes our overview of the Mariners' infield this year. As usual, we can debate as much as we want, but all we can do from here is sit back and watch, hoping everything goes right.

The next position overview will be focused on the outfielders. It will be released soon after the season begins.

Ty Bramlet is the owner and creator of Mariners Mania.