Valencia could potentially see time at three different positions in 2017 while also receiving starts against either handedness of pitcher, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports. "Danny is there as a veteran guy who effectively can play every day," (general manager Jerry) Dipoto said. "He's been excellent against left-hand pitching. He's also been very good against righties for the last couple of years, and we're confident that first base will be an easy transition for him defensively."
The veteran lefty masher landed in Seattle as the result of one of several trades swung by general manager Jerry Dipoto this offseason, and his positional versatility is likely be exploited by his new team. Valencia is expected to primarily be part of a first-base platoon with rookie Daniel Vogelbach, but he could also see time at both right field and third base. The 32-year-old's career .321/.373/.500 line in 845 plate appearances against lefties essentially guarantees him a spot in the lineup any time the Mariners face that handedness, but his improved play against righties the last two seasons could earn him additional starts. While the team is excited about Vogelbach's potential, Valencia's veteran savvy and lively bat make for a great insurance policy. For his part, Valencia is pledging to keep himself ready and take on the mindset of an everyday starter. "I feel like that (first base) is most likely to be my primary position here, so I'll work hard just like I would if I was playing every day at third or every day in right or wherever it is," he said. "I take it seriously. I take a lot of pride in being a pretty good defensive player. I think last year my hamstring injury hurt me a little bit moving around at third base, but this year I'm fully healthy and I've had a really good offseason. I'm just excited about getting going."