July 2016 - Seattle Mariners Wiretap

Robinson Cano addressed former assistant hitting coach Andy Van Slyke's offseason criticism of him before the first full-squad workout of spring training.

"Honestly it didn't hurt me. Coming from a guy like him, it doesn't bother me at all because I know how I play," Cano said. "If you hear the comments, first he threw me under the bus and then he was like [saying] what's so great about myself. So you didn't know what he was trying to say. But Andy, I don't know, it doesn't even matter to me."

Van Slyke, in an interview with a St. Louis radio station in November, labeled Cano the worst everyday No. 3 hitter he'd ever seen in the first half of a season. He said he played the worst defense at second base that the former big leaguer had seen in 20 years. He then backtracked and complimented Cano's throwing arm.

Van Slyke also said former Seattle Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon and hitting coach Howard Johnson were fired after the season because of Cano, who hit .238 with four home runs and 24 RBIs over the first 74 games.

The comments elicited an apology from the Mariners to Cano, he said, even though Van Slyke had since been let go along with the other coaches from the previous staff.

"I said I'm not going to waste my time and say anything back. I got a call from the Mariners that they were like apologizing because he said all that stuff," Cano said. "He was a guy that always talked to me. You guys saw that in the season. He says that. I don't know how come he said that everybody got fired because of me."

The Seattle Mariners have signed Joel Peralta to a Minor League contract.

If Peralta makes the Major League roster, he will earn $1.25 million with the ability to earn $2.5 million through incentives.

The Seattle Mariners have signed Dae-Ho Lee to a one-year Minor League contract.

The Korean slugger could earn up to $4 million with incentives if he makes the Major League roster.

"Dae-Ho gives us another potential right-handed power bat in the first-base competition," Jerry Dipoto said.

"He has performed at a very high level of production in both Korea and Japan, and we are excited to see how that translates to our team."

Lee, 33, put up a .282/.368/.524 line with 31 home runs and 98 RBIs in 141 games last year for SoftBank in Japan's Nippon Professional League.

The Major League Baseball Players Association has forbid Miguel Cabrera, Robinson Cano and David Ortiz from participating in the Caribbean Series' inaugural Home Run Derby after it was announced that they would compete.

The organizers of the 2016 Caribbean Series had the idea of including a Home Run Derby on the third day of the tournament as a way to enhance the event.

"Unfortunately, the people in charge of the event didn't follow the necessary protocol to ensure that any major leaguers participating in an event like that one is protected from a possible injury," said Tony Clark, MLBPA's executive director.

"As a result, in order to protect the rights and interests of the players invited to compete, we were forced to advise those players and their representatives that participating in the event was not in their best interests."

According to the organizing committee, the MLBPA said it would need a financial guarantee to allow Ortiz, Cano and Cabrera to participate, and the request for their participation had to be made no later than Jan. 1.