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The most [optimistic, while realistic] way to view Robert Andino would be as a Jack Zduriencik take on the concept of Willie Bloomquist.
70-80 OPS+: Willie would hit a scrappy .250-.280 with kinda okay walks and below-average power ... but could steal a base for you. Andino may be more like .240-.250 with kinda okay walks and below-average power, or he could hit a little better than that. His swings outside the zone have been REALLY good for a noob, and he's kinda fast, so his BABIP going forward could increase.
... Andino stole 13/16 bases in 2011, so he could serve as a bit of a balance to the M's slow offense. A little. In theory. Willie would enter the game in the late innings to steal a base; because of Andino's position, and Ryan's lack of usefulness when behind late in the game, Andino could pinch-run for various players when behind 4-3 in the 8th.
Multitasking with the glove: Andino appears to be able to play any position. Maybe not center field. This seems like a small thing to us -- us not being in the dugout, responsible for Mariner stoplosses.
Character: Willie was the #25 guy because a huge club loyalty guy. For Mike Hargrove ... well, we don't have to tell you how much Hargrove prioritized that. Andino on the other hand seems to be a #25 guy who adds to the clubhouse ambience in the areas of --- > competitiveness and toughness.
That says all you need to hear about the difference in regimes. A regime can emphasize its own comfort zones and political territory, or it can emphasize having more runs than the other team. For me, Andino vs Bloomquist is symptomatic.
Defense: Andino seems to move past Bloomquist in terms of having a sharp glove at shortstop, which Zduriencik obviously believes to be a key component of fielding "a real ballclub out there." I don't necessarily disagree with that, when you are talking SS and CF specifically.
So you've got the Winning Ballclub's version of Willie Bloomquist here? I think so, yeah.
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Whether Andino will actually make the 25-man, I dunno. Zduriencik's last radio interview seemed to point towards Franklin getting more time in AAA. If so, that just underlines the crunch that will occur when Brad Miller's also ready...
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As all of these All-Hope Team players hit their Rule 5 finish lines with the Mariners, you wonder whether they're (1) simply going to be lost for zero, or (2) converted into real value. The first one, Trayvon, hits the powerflush pipeline, and the Mariners get zero. Zduriencik did a good job of grabbing back a fun interpretation of zero, but it's still just a powerflush.
That's why Stars & Scrubs deals are so important. There's a Grand Imperative to convert multiple lesser culinary dishes into nutrient-dense assets at the top of your roster. It prevents those side dishes from being tossed into the dumpster after they spoil.
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