First, Ken Griffey Jr. said he was interested in playing another season, perhaps in Seattle. Now, according to Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times, Mike Sweeney is singing the same song.
"We'll see what happens this winter. I probably won't know if I'll get the opportunity to play for another five months or so. But if I do and it can be in a place where we could all make it work, then I'd love to play another season.''
According to the report, Sweeney was interested in Seattle or Anaheim, though the Angels seem like an unlikely fit.
So it might come down to Seattle, which is apparently a place all the over-the-hill-but-respected veterans want to be. What's next? Jay Buhner coming out of retirement for another season? Mark Langston lobbying for a role in the bullpen?
It just goes to show you they're having fun in Seattle after quickly turning a 101-loss team into a fairly competitive ballclub. In fairness, Sweeney and Griffey have received plenty of credit for their positive veteran presence in the clubhouse, but it takes more than chemistry to win games.
As general manager Jack Zduriencik continues to remake the roster Bill Bavasi left him, he'll have to weigh the worth of having respected guys like Griffey and Sweeney around vs. having guys who can actually still play.
He might get some mileage out of having one of the two around, but use up two roster spots? Not gonna happen. Personally, I'd stick with the guy who can get away with tickling Ichiro (scroll down), but that's just me.
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