Good News For Mariner Fans

The M's have been rumored to have reached a deal with Ichiro, extending his stay in Seattle for another 5 years for reportedly between $90 and $100 million. I'm glad to be keeping him here, but do wonder how much longer he can be productive with his style of play. So much of his game is based on speed, and at 33, he's going to lose a step soon, and that could well mean a 50 point drop in his batting average. He does keep himself in phenomenal shape though, so he could maintain his level of play over the length of the deal. I celebrated the deal by watching Ichiro hit the first in the park home run in All Star Game history in HD.



Coming so soon on the heels of Hargrove resigning, speculation has already begun that Ichiro forced him out. I don't really think that's Ichiro's style, but if there's any truth to it, then I don't know why he didn't force out Bavasi too. I still think he looks like San Hill. Bavasi is twice as evil though.


In other good news, Mark Lowe has begun his rehab duty. I wonder if they are going to turn him into a starter since the bullpen is so solid this year. I also wonder if they'll send Brandon Morrow down and turn him into a starter when Lowe is ready for big league duty again. I'm not sure which is a better alternative.