Mariners’ Kyle Seager says new coaching staff ‘a more open group’

A lot has been made of the changes made by the Mariners during the offseason. But as Seattle’s spring training moves into its second week, just how different is the team’s approach under new manager Scott Servais?

According to All-Star third baseman Kyle Seager, pretty different.

Seager joined 710 ESPN Seattle’s “Brock and Salk” at the Peoria Sports Complex on Monday and filled them in on what the culture has been like early on under the new regime.

“They’re a part of it just like everybody else,” he said of the coaching staff. “It’s a much more open group. They’re out there (with the players). We have our meetings in the morning; the meetings are fun. You’re getting to know everybody a little better… It’s a very different dynamic and it makes for a great clubhouse.”

Related: Latest news, photos, video and more from Mariners spring training

While camp has been full of looser moments – for example the addition of a pool table in the clubhouse and a fun take on intrasquad scrimmages – Seager said the Mariners are still getting a lot of work done in Arizona.

“There’s boundaries, obviously, so when we’re doing the baseball stuff, it’s business. You’re getting your work in – we’ve been getting a lot of work in. We’ve been here for probably longer days than last year.”

Here are a few more highlights from Seager’s interview:

• A good sign that the bullpen could be a steady unit for Seattle in 2016 are that new closer Steve Cishek and returning reliever Tony Zych have both made things difficult for Seager in the batter’s box in spring training. “I faced Cishek Day 1. That’s not who you want to face Day 1. That wasn’t good for me. And then the worst thing was after that I faced Zych, so I didn’t want to face that either. I haven’t had too many comfortable at-bats yet.”

• With most of the faces in camp being new ones, Seager has had a good impression so far. “There’s a lot of really good players in camp. That’s the thing I’ve kinda noticed this year, that everybody in camp legitimately looks like they should be there, that they belong. There’s not too many ‘You’re a high pick so we’ll give you a nod to spring training.'”

• Seager said he wasn’t exactly surprised that the Mariners decided to make changes at manager and general manager after the team finished below .500 in 2015. “You kinda understand in the baseball world that it’s a business, and ultimately it’s about wins and losses unless you’re rebuilding. We weren’t in a rebuilding mode – we were going for it – so the way the season ended you kinda thought it was a possibility, but you never really know.”