Mariners Send Exec To Scout Griffey

If any team would over pay for Griffey it would be the Mariners. He's loved there so they would probably feel that it would be a good PR move and wouldn't want to see him go for what would appear to be a lesser offer from another team.

I have also heard from unreliable sources (the old I heard it on the radio) that Griffey is saying that he'll only approve a trade to the Mariners.

I believe that Griffey will be a Mariner either after he hits number 600 or by June 1st.

According to RotoTimes:

“Ken Griffey Jr. has cleared up trade rumors of him going to Seattle, according to FanNation.com. Griffey, who enjoyed the best seasons of his career with the Mariners as a young phenom, said, "I haven't even thought about that (accepting a trade to Seattle). When I finish playing, I want to retire there. Does that mean I want to play for them? That's my first organization. That's who I want to retire with. When I'm done, that's where I'm gonna go. I give examples like NFL running back Emmitt Smith. He signed a one-day contract with the Dallas Cowboys and went home."

Now, “I haven't even thought about that”, "Does that mean I want to play for them?" and “I give examples like NFL running back Emmitt Smith. He signed a one-day contract” don’t really scream “I hope I get traded to Seattle…"

Coupled with the team having the worst record in the AL, and nearly matching that of the game, well I’d be surprised if he would waive his no-trade to go to a seemingly sinking ship...

Griffey would help fill the seats here in Seattle for sure, but he still is good for 25-30 HRs especially being able to DH 2 days of the week to keep him fresh...

My guess is the sacrificial lamb would be Sexson or Cairo. Cairo makes more sense though because Sexson definitely fits the bill as a great PH option in national league parks and can start against tough lefties still while giving Clement, Ibanez, or Griffey a day of by moving people around.

I can see Griffey playing LF as the regular starter, Ibanez at 1B, with Clement getting in games as a DH primarily and also as a C and 1B. As for Griffey's production, he's got plenty enough in his tank for a couple or three 30+ HR seasons, especially being able to DH again. How many times has a player been trying to reach a milestone and slumps in the process?! I think he'll bounce back nicely once he gets to 600 HRs.

I think if the experiment to bring Griffey back works well for him and the team, they would probably drop the option and then re-sign him to a short term deal more on par with his play...

I'd say 2 years with 1 option on the back side gets it done... It would probably be about $9MM a season on average with a $11MM option... When you factor the $4MM he's guaranteed and maybe a $2MM buyout on the backside, it's like $24MM base plus guaranteed money for the two buyouts, and then you figure it equates to making 9MM for the third year where he'd be 41...

Let's not forget that it's not all about his production... If the stands get filled because of him, it will be better for the other players, much how the Seahawks are known for the 12th man in football... The thing the Mariners had going for them in all their winning seasons was a packed house!

Sure it's good PR and it puts butts in the seats, but also let's not forget the backside of this, they have the 5th highest payroll in baseball and they have to make money to spend money. I'm not saying he won't be worth what they pay him since Cinci will surely be footing the bill for the option buyout and a few million on his base.

Bottomline is this, would it better having him in the lineup than our other options yes... Would it give greater depth to the bench by moving Vidro there and/or/maybe Sexson, sure... Could he make the team enough money to eat the salary, you bet!

There is no downside to this and with the DH position, he'll stay freshure, maybe he won't hit as well on days when he's not in the field, but he'll probably be killing baseballs and making everything look like a cookie that the pitcher throws when he's out in the field and fresh.

I think you have to look at this as a way to cement the order top to bottom and lefties play great in Safeco, much better than righties. As for the lineup, Sexson would be the casualty because I don't see them demoting or trading Clement or Balentien and that means they start... Clement or Ibanez would do a more than capable defensive replacement for Sexson at 1B, leaving the other to DH.

First off, if the Mariners were to get a reliever it wouldn't be the overachieving Weathers (age), or another lefty to clog the bullpen like Affeldt... I also think it's absolutely funny to think that they would a) want another outfielder when they already have too many or b) would even be so brazen as to ask for either of those two players.

It would be Jared Burton, a hard thrower which the Mariners like and who could create the ability for Morrow to be sent to AAA to work on his other pitches or just to force him into the rotation to do the damn thing, regardless of whether his other pitches are truly ready...

Morrow I think would benefit from longer outtings because he has a couple good complimentary pitches to mix in there like his slider and his splitter. I think they would force Cinci to take Batista or Washburn in return... It would minimize the bite with some of Griffey's contract and also it would allow them to move Rowland-Smith or Morrow to the rotation and get some more youth to solidify it for a long time.

If it's Rowland-Smith that would get moved into the rotation, then it would be Washburn going and Affledt coming. If it's Morrow they want in the rotation, then it would be Batista going and Burton coming.

More than likely it's not going to be a whole lot more different than when Moyer was shipped to Philly or Guardado to the Reds... It'll be a LITTLE more in return, but a top prospect is only going to be thrown in for a front line starter or standout position player in his prime...

Balentien is liked by the organization more than Adam Jones was, and that's why they pushed Jones to Baltimore with one hand and pulled Balentien back with their other during the Bedard trade. Clement is still seen as a catcher and after this season will probably be an every 4 games backup to Kenji and the rest of the time will DH or play 1B.

My guess would be a good catching prospect not on the Mariners (sorry they aren't going to trade a current starter off their roster for a 38 year player, plus Clements value is low right now with him scuffling), like Travis Scott, a good sized lefty with some serious pop and can swing the stick. I think they'd also want a more defensive minded and polished catcher too like Rob Johnson, one of the best defensive catchers in the minors.

I see it like this and it's not about what you want, it's about what is realistic... I'd love to trade Sexson for Matt Kemp, but that's not going to happen, nor is trading Griffey for Balentien or Clement no matter how many high-priced hookers and bags of baseballs you throw in!

Also, let's cover the about the same record crap between Cinci and Seattle... Seattle has been playing about as bad as they can and Cinci has been playing their A game, so yeah the Mariners offer a MUCH better chance to get a ring, plus Griffey going to Seattle only makes them better, so if Griffey's the missing piece to turn 4 wins out of 10 games into 6 wins out of 10 games, then yeah it's A FAR GREATER chance at a ring!

So the trade might look like this...

SEATTLE to CINCINNATI

Rob Johnson - C (R)(GG defense)
Travis Scott - C (L) (unknown defense)
Ryan Feierabend - LHP (starter)
Sean Green - RHP (reliever)
Miguel Batista - RHP (starter)
Miguel Cairo - UTL (R)

CINCINNATI to SEATTLE

Ken Griffey OF - (L)
Jared Burton - RHP (reliever)
Ryan Freel - UTL (R)

This allows the Reds to dump payroll like the $3-4MM owed Freel and Griffey's contract and throwing in Burton gives the Mariners options even allowing them to move Baek into the Rotation if they want.

From the Reds perspective, this is also a good deal because it means Batista will be able to mentor some of the young latin arms like Volquez and Cueto. They also get a lefty for the rotation this year or next and someone who will be re-signable since Feierabend is from Ohio.

This deal also solves their long term catcher needs with a solid defender and a lefty-righty platoon of under 25s. They also get Green who with his sinker/splitter becomes a guy who can be the 8th inning guy for Cordero and can keep the ball in the park.

Cairo is a band-aid for losing Freel until they can grab something in FA next offseason, but he comes far cheaper and is equally talented without all the sound bites. Personally I think Freel would be the as big for this deal as Griffey since I think the clubhouse needs a guy like Bret Boone to talk crap and get the guys on point! He also allows them to not have to use Bloomquist so judiciously. This is really a big help to both clubs and solves a lot of each other's problems by working from areas of strength.