Updated Nov 5, 2009 - 8:14 pm

And So It Begins

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And they're off! After a relatively quiet month since the season ended plenty of activity today. Actually some quiet activity in the past week also.

Things of interest to me...How many times did I hear it mentioned during the World Series that Hideki Matsui would be a free agent and the only other club he was believed to have interest in was the Mariners? Because he wanted to play with Ichiro? The comment was almost as pointed as John Miller's reading of the Cowboy Joe West bio in game 6. Seriously, I don't want to hear about the umpires! I digress. Not sure there is room for Matsui in the M's clubhouse if this is true. Matsui bigger than Ichiro in Japan? Say it ain't so, Joh!

Love how the author describes Ichiro as "the smooth-talking Ichiro."

Moves today include the Mets declining the option on JJ Putz. It was a miserable year for JJ who spent most of it injured and away from the team which may not have been a bad thing (the being away). The Mets were a soap opera this year. Spoke with him recently and he said rehab has come along nicely and he will be 100% this spring.

Mark Teahen has been traded to the White Sox for Chris Getz and Josh Fields. Still waiting for the late "Ibanez-like" breakout the Royals were promising a couple of years ago from Teahen.

Move of the day that hurts the most? Bobby Abreu re-ups with Anaheim in a two year deal that is worth a reported 19 million dollars. Could he have gotten more if he tested the free agent market? Well with the numbers that are being thrown around with Jason Bay, maybe. Last off season was not fun for Abreu however who had to settle for a one year 5 million dollar deal late with the Angels. He would have loved to have come to Seattle back then I have heard from several people. He's happy in Anaheim and wasn't messing around this time round. Sure he is 35 but hit .293/.390/.435, stole 30 bases, stayed healthy, and was a leader in the clubhouse. Defensively? Well lets just say that this deal looks better if he is the DH. I don't know what they do with Guerrero. For a lot of this season he looked 50 out there. Would somebody have overpaid for Abreu on the open market? Maybe. Looks like a good deal for both sides here.

Moving on. Not buying the Milton Bradley for another bad contract talk and certainly not to the Mariners. Those that I have spoke with sounded lets say, less than enthusiastic about such a move. Also, from early reports it sounds like there are some clubs that would welcome his bat, which comes along with the rest of him. I just do not see him becoming the next patron of tickle therapy here.

From the what the heck are they going to do in San Diego file...Apparently the flyer for season tickets that was sent out to fans was missing the image of one Adrian Gonzalez...Now why would they not put their most marketable player on their ticket brochure?

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• That westside guy wrote...

  Putz

  I still remember all the people that howled when Z traded Putz away. Looks like Z knew what he was doing after all. Hard to see Matsui coming this way. Bringing Griffey in made some sense given his history with the M's, but overall Z seems to prefer good defensive players or guys that can fill multiple roles. If he's going to get more productive in the DH role, there are better (and cheaper) ways to do it than bring in another guy who's probably going to decline rapidly. There are lots of first basemen out there that can hit - bring in one of them as a DH + backup for Branyan (assuming we bring him back, which we almost certainly will).

  November 5, 2009 3:06 pm

  120836

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• Chris from Bothell wrote...

  Just b/c Tim McCarver assumes it, doesn't make it so

  I thought McCarver was just being ignorant by automatically assuming Matsui would want to go find The Other Japanese Players To Play With. I haven't heard any other media outlets, front offices, etc. confirming interest. Just repeats of McCarver saying it, kinda like Seth Everett did on XM radio today. And I thought I'd read a while back that Matsui and Ichiro didn't even know each other or follow each other's careers and had only met a couple times - not out of any dislike, just plain didn't know each other. Have you had a chance to ask around your network of contacts to see if this rumor is just broadcaster chatter taken out of context?

  November 5, 2009 3:30 pm

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• Chris from Bothell wrote...

  ...but all that said...

  ...I'd love to see Matsui as a fulltime DH here. We've needed a DH who can actually, um, H, since Edgar left.

  November 5, 2009 3:31 pm

  120848

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• liame wrote...

  Not that tough of a decision....

  With only 15 saves and 8 blown in '08, I doubt that Z lost much sleep over "dumping" Putz for Chavez and company. BTW: how is Endy doing with his rehab? Stoke the stove: Mariners season is well done..... Seahawks are limping, and begging for their end, and no basketball; Go sounders!!

  November 5, 2009 6:42 pm

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• lowgere wrote...

  Tune in next time...

  Did I detect a "teaser" in that last paragraph Shannon?

  November 6, 2009 12:12 am

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• liame wrote...

  Thanks Mariner_ jp.....

  For the insight!!

  November 7, 2009 1:32 pm

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