RealGM

http://baseball.realgm.com/src_wiretap_ ... ike_abreu/

The idea of a one-year deal might have merit. Normally I'm not real crazy about doing that when the team's planning horizon is so much greater than one year, but as we've discussed ad nauseam, the AL West doesn't look so hot and you never know what can happen (look what the 9-7 Arizona Cardinals have done after coming out of a crappy division....).

I wouldn't be so keen on a commitment for more years than that, though. Barring the unexpected run, 2009 should be a year for assessing where the team stands in the long run. We'll get a chance to see if Wlad can hit major league pitching*, we'll have a better idea what Gutierrez is about, and we'll have had another year of minor league seasoning for Saunders, Halman and Raben, and one or more of those players might be ready to hit the bigs in 2010. I think the next off-season is when the team should really assess its long-term direction, and there will be flexibility to make a splash with Washburn, Batista, Beltre and probably Bedard coming off the books. Money not spent now on an Abreu or Dunn will just add to that flexibility.

(Yes, I realize I've been one of Dunn's biggest proponents around here, and yes, I'm big on bargains -- but short of a ridiculously good deal, the team should lay off a long-term deal for Dunn the way Dunn lays of hittable breaking balls.)

* Heads-up: there's an article expressing optimism on this very point on Fangraphs today. Caveat: it's by Dave Cameron.

The pursuit of Abreu, or any other would-be bargain basement hitter, has been interesting to follow.

John Hickey from the P-I indicates one possible move the club may be working on to free up some cap room.

And, despite suggestions that the club would like to add a big bat like a Bobby Abreu or a Ken Griffey Jr., there is a reasonable chance that the club is done dealing for the moment with the start of spring training just around the corner.

As general manager Jack Zduriencik said Monday night, ''I'm getting close to being prepared to think we're going to camp with what we have.''

That could change, he was quick to caution, ''with just one phone call.''

Perhaps that call will come from Minnesota. Sources suggest that the Mariners have been trying to clear some room on the payroll by trading left-handed starter Jarrod Washburn to the Twins.

The Twins, like the Mariners, don't have lots of money, but they do have some interest in Washburn, so much so that Minnesota tried to trade for him last season. One deal discussed in the last week or so involved sending Washburn and catcher Jeff Clement to Minnesota in exchange for 23-year-old outfielder Delmon Young.

The idea would be to get the bulk of Washburn's $10.35 million salary off the books, even at the expense of having to pay part of it. Adding the right-handed hitting Young, who has a .292 career batting average and who made $1.44 million last year, might make it possible for the Mariners to then turn around and add Abreu (if Seattle didn't pay much of Washburn's salary to the Twins) or to add Griffey.

Really? I guess then the idea would be to use the money to sign a hitter like Abreu, and possibly flip Young to another team? I don't see Young as a great bargain/fit in Seattle.

Additionally, the New York /Daily News indicates Abreu has a one year, $8 million offer on the table with a team that probably looks like a better overall fit for him.

Ex-Yankee Bobby Abreu was offered a one-year deal worth $8 million from the White Sox, the Daily News has learned. Abreu made $16 million as the Bombers' starting right fielder last season. He anticipated being able to sign a three-year deal as a free agent this offseason but has mostly received only one-year offers.

Probably means Abreu isn't an option if true...I don't see Seattle topping that offer. So, who is Plan B? Is Dunn an option?

Here's a name brought up by Chuck Armstrong that I don't think has been mentioned [and for good reason]

Armstrong said he met with a representative for former Mariner great Ken Griffey Jr. on Wednesday but nothing came out of the discussion. He also said the team is looking at free agent outfielders Bobby Abreu and Garrett Anderson.

http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2009/01/26/daily48.html?ana=from_rss