12:02pm: ESPN's Buster Olney says the Mariners are "unlikely to get involved" on Bay. He never did seem to fit with Jack Zduriencik's style.
5:12am: Geoff Baker tweeted that the he's heard Jason Bay told his former Pittsburgh teammates he'd "stand on his head and sing" to play for the Mariners.
It makes sense geographically that Bay would like to play in Seattle, as his home province of British Columbia is north of the Emerald City. Additionally, his wife is from Kirkland, just 30 minutes outside of Seattle, and Bay and his family live there in the offseason (Hat tip: Ryan Divish). We've heard several reports that the Mariners are interested in Bay already, which stands to reason as they could use some added punch to the middle of their lineup.
While Bay's defense has been called into question time and time again this offseason, the team that general manager Jack Zduriencik has put together thus far in Seattle figures to be one of the best defensive clubs in baseball in 2010, so sacrificing some glovework to add a legitimate power threat in the middle of the lineup might make sense. A lineup that features Chone Figgins, Ichiro Suzuki, and Bay toward the top is certainly one that should generate some runs.
With their agreement with Figgins in place, talks of extending Felix Hernandez, and interest in Jason Bay, the Mariners are definitely not shy when it comes to spending this offseason. Adding Bay would go a long ways toward making them favorites in the AL West. What type of offer should the Mariners make to land Bay?
