Servais, Dipoto balance metrics with old-school thinking

Mariners executive vice president and GM Jerry Dipoto discusses the Mariners 2017 expectations and improvements on defense and baserunningPEORIA, Ariz. -- Seattle's Scott Servais and Jerry Dipoto are known as one of the more forward-thinking, analytics-friendly manager-general-manager tandems in the Majors. But that doesn't mean they can't get old school.

Take Servais' observations of what went down in the pitcher-catcher relationship category Friday night at Camelback Ranch, for example.

Six-foot-eight right-hander Max Povse, who hasn't competed higher than Double-A, but has been impressive in his first Spring Training camp with the Mariners, was facing the Dodgers, the defending National…