MVN - Most Valuable Network

Mariners Scout Griffey

According to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, special assistant to the Mariners GM Duane Shaffer was in New York yesterday to watch Reds right fielder Ken Griffey Jr. play.

There have been many whispers that Griffey is on the block with the Reds wanting to open up a spot for young stud Jay Bruce. With his age and the fact that his contract is up at the end of this year, trading him would seem to be the logical move.

It is not shock that the Mariners have interest, as Griffey had his best days with them. Plus, he isn’t a bad fit.

They have gotten off to a horrid start, and therefore need to put some meat in the seats. Griffey, coming back to Seattle, would certainly do that.

Also, they are in dire need of power. Griffey, on the verge of getting six-hundred homers, would seemingly provide that.

However, he has just four this year and is hitting an unimpressive .254. He hasn’t showed signs of injuries yet, but those numbers have to be concerning to the Mariners considering his old age.

They will still consider it, though. I personally feel it’ll be very difficult to complete a deal with the Reds. First, they have to be willing to give up a decent amount. Nothing too big, but possibly more than Griffey is worth.

Next, they must make the defensive sacrifice to move Raul Ibanez to DH, as Griffey might veto a trade if they don’t let him play in the outfield. He can still occasionally flash the leather, but too many balls get by him with his slow speed.

Lastly, they might have to pick up Griffey’s $16.5 million option for 2009, as he might require them to do that. For a player of his age, I can’t imagine them wanting to do that.

In the end, I don’t think a deal will get done. Griffey will have to have a great May and June for the Mariners to be willing to trade for him. I really don’t think they should, as even with him they aren’t much better.

These Griffey rumors will certainly pick up after he hits his six-hundredth homer, as that is when the Reds will be willing to deal him.

This entry was posted on Monday, May 12th, 2008 at 4:55 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.