PEORIA, Ariz. -- On the first day of full-squad workouts Tuesday, the Mariners found themselves with a clubhouse of frustrated players and a front office working to repair relationships in the wake of Kevin Mather’s resignation.

One day after the club’s president and CEO stepped down over disparaging comments he made about several current and former Mariners, general manager Jerry Dipoto and manager Scott Servais assembled most of the squad of 71 players invited to camp across Field 2 in physical distance at the Peoria Sports Complex. The larger gathering was not standard practice, but necessary given the need to address the damage done by Mather’s comments.

• Gonzales earns 3rd straight Opening Day nod

“I know right now they're hearing a lot of noise from the outside, and we've urged them to be frustrated,” Dipoto said. “Share your frustration. Just be who you are, which has generally been our theme since we've been here. We are very open with our players and urge them to be the same. And if they want to be angry, they should be. Frankly, they should be insulted.”

Opening Day starter Marco Gonzales was among those mentioned by Mather in a 46-minute video clip to a Seattle-area Rotary club that surfaced on Sunday. Specifically, Mather called the lefty “very quietly very boring.”

Gonzales has been the unofficial spokesman of the clubhouse since Dipoto’s roster overhaul began in the 2018-19 offseason, taking on a far more pronounced leadership role among his teammates and serving as an unofficial public ambassador for the club. He speaks honestly and candidly in good times and bad, and he has not shied from offering objection to some of the front office’s decision-making processes, including the team’s plans to use a six-man rotation. So, his comments on Tuesday about the Mather situation carried weight.

“I think bigger picture, we view this as an isolated incident,” Gonzales said. “His views are his own. And certainly, the relevancy he has to this team and this group, he's not close to us. He's not here throwing a ball; he's not here swinging a bat. So, although some of his words were hurtful, personal -- and certainly to me -- I think we are a lot stronger than that.

“Sometimes, a common goal can unite you. But sometimes a common enemy can do the same, if not greater."

Gonzales added that he approached some of the younger players included in Mather’s comments, and he specifically praised reliever Kendall Graveman’s efforts for doing so, as well. Some of Mather’s most inflammatory comments regarded Seattle’s top two prospects, outfielders Jarred Kelenic and Julio Rodriguez , both of whom reported to big league camp on Wednesday for the second straight season.

Mather praised Rodriguez for his vibrant personality, but he went on to add that the Dominican Republic native’s grasp of English is “not tremendous,” which stirred strong reaction -- including from Rodriguez, who indicated on Twitter on Sunday that he took offense. Aside from his enormous potential, Rodriguez’s adoration for the game and his teammates, as well as his social and brand awareness, make him incredibly marketable for the Mariners long term.

“Nobody has more empathy for young players, any players that come over and are not fluent in English,” said Servais, who cited his experiences in Dominican Winter League. “I understand how hard that is. And I always make sure our coaching staff and the people around these players do understand -- not just that it's hard to communicate and get messaging across -- but understanding what's going on back home with our players.”

Kelenic, Mather said, turned down a six-year contract offer for “substantial money” and said of the 21-year-old outfielder “in his words, he's going to bet on himself.” Kelenic, who produced a .291/.364/.540 slash line with 23 homers in his last full season in 2019, has candidly and confidently voiced his conviction over the past 12 months that he’s ready to play in the Majors. His status entering camp is arguably the most intriguing, given that the cancellation of last year’s Minor League season left him with just 21 games played above Class A Advanced.

“There’s very little that I can say regarding the contract situation with Jarred Kelenic,” Dipoto said, adding that the negotiations Mather referenced were more than a year ago. “That's unfortunate that that became public. Frankly, any discussions on contracts between us and our players should remain between us and our players.”

In addition, Mather made comments about the language barrier with former Mariners All-Star pitcher Hisashi Iwakuma, who rejoined the Mariners in January as a special-assignment coach. Iwakuma represents one of many successes in the Mariners’ long history of acquiring Japanese players, from future Hall of Famer Ichiro Suzuki (who played catch with Rodriguez on Tuesday) to current starting pitcher Yusei Kikuchi.

“It's incumbent upon us to make their journey easier, and I think that as an organization we've done that,” Dipoto said. “Again, one person's interpretation or breakdown of how that affects him, does not represent the way we have dealt with Hisashi or with Ichiro.”

Servais is looking to restore faith as the front-facing management figure in the clubhouse. He called Mather’s comments “inaccurate” and said that he was “very grateful for how our guys have handled this.”

“For me, personally, I’ve got to say, I was very angry,” Servais said. “I was embarrassed. I'm frustrated, because I know how hard we are working as a group -- coaches, strength coaches, players, front office, everybody involved -- working to create a culture that we're proud of.”

Dipoto recognizes the possible challenges ahead.

“I can't say enough that I understand that we will wear this stigma, but I really look forward to being able to shed it,” Dipoto said, “because we have built a player-friendly, thoughtful environment that allows our players the ability to speak the way they feel.”