PEORIA, Ariz. (AP) -If Ken Griffey Jr. is about to return to the Seattle Mariners, it’s news to him.
T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am in California.
Multiple reports earlier Thursday said the Mariners and the agent for the 39-year-old slugger, who became a superstar while playing his first 11 seasons with Seattle through 1999, had intensified talks in recent days toward a one-year contract.
In December, Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik acknowledged he had preliminary talks with agent Brian Goldberg about possibly bringing back Griffey, who is fifth all-time with 611 home runs in 20 seasons.
Thursday, Griffey said he was in the dark on where the talks now stand.
“I really don’t even know. My agent is handling,” he said moments after stepping off the Poppy Hills course.
still fun, I want to keep playing.”
Goldberg did not immediately return phone messages and e-mails left for him by The Associated Press.
At the spring training camp for the Mariners, Zduriencik said through a team spokesman Thursday evening he would not comment on Griffey, or any unsigned free agents.
The Mariners have been trying to add a power hitter for months. They were believed to be pursuing Bobby Abreu and Adam Dunn until this week, when Abreu signed with the Los Angeles Angels and Dunn agreed to a deal with the Washington Nationals. Seattle has also talked to the agent for free agent Garret Anderson.
The Mariners prefer a left-handed bat because the dimensions of pitcher-friendly Safeco Field are shortest in right field – 326 feet down the line.
And the fans in Seattle still love the left-handed “Junior,” who would give an instant jolt to what appears to be a long rebuilding season.
He made his first opening day start with the Mariners as a 19-year-old in 1989. He stayed 10 more years before a trade to Cincinnati that he asked for prior to the 2000 season. He has been hampered by injuries since and had arthroscopic knee surgery following the 2008 season, the last half of which he spent with the Chicago White Sox.
lso second to Martinez in Seattle history in hits, RBIs, extra-base hits, at-bats, doubles, runs and total bases.
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AP Golf Writer Doug Ferguson in Pebble Beach, Calif., contributed to this story.
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