The Mariners are heading into the season with the intention of using Jesus Montero as their primary catcher.

The 23-year-old is entering just his second full season in the Major Leagues. He is the only "catcher" currently on their 40-man roster.

"I'm preparing myself to catch every day if I can catch every day," Montero said. "Everybody knows that sometimes I get tired, everybody gets tired. I'm going to try to be behind home plate every single time."

The departures of Miguel Olivo (free agent) and John Jaso (trade) have left Montero alone on the depth chart.

"It's more on the mental than the physical side of things. I don't have any doubt he can handle it from a talent perspective, that he can handle the role fundamentally," Eric Wedge said.

"But being so young and inexperienced, the mental grind . we ask a great deal of our catchers here. And then the physical grind that goes along with it, that's pretty real. But he knows he's coming here to catch. It'll ultimately be my decision in regard to how much he does catch, but we're going to ask him to catch as much as we feel he can to go out there and perform the way he's capable of performing."