Seattle
Mariners

News: According to the Baltimore Sun, the Orioles are interested in bringing back oft-injured starter Erik Bedard, assuming he is healthy.
Impact: The O's were very frustrated with Bedard before trading him to Seattle, so it seems odd that they would be so excited about trying to bring him back. Still, few teams are as desperate as Baltimore for pitching help, so they're likely trying to put on a smile and woo him back to Camden Yards. While his upside is huge, Bedard is as big an injury risk as there is in baseball, and he's not even expected to be ready until May because of a torn labrum and inflamed bursa. 

News: Varvaro was added to the 40-man roster on Friday.
Impact: Varvaro was promoted to Double-A West Tennessee early in the 2009 season, posting a 2.82 ERA in 36 relief appearances with .163 BAA. He gave up way too many walks, though -- 44 in 54.3 innings. His K/9 was 10.4. He was used as a starter in the Arizona Fall League, posting a 2.31 ERA in four starts. He is scheduled to start Saturday's championship game for the Peoria Javelinas. 

News: Carrera was added to the 40-man roster on Friday.
Impact: An interesting move for Carrera, who was named to the end-of-season Topps Double-A All-Star team. Carrera hit .337/.441/.416 in 91 games for Double-A West Tennessee in 2009 with 27 stolen bases. 

News: Ackley work out at second base and then attempt to play there in the minors this coming season, the Seattle Times reports.
Impact: Ackley played outfield in college, and the Mariners have also considered moving him to first base. GM Jack Zduriencik called the move to second "an experiment" for now. If Ackley can play second, it gives the Mariners a replacement should they decide to deal Jose Lopez at some point. 

News: Paredes was added to the 40-man roster on Friday.
Impact: Paredes made 42 appearances (three starts) for High-A High Desert in 2009. He finished with a 4.69 ERA, 64 strikeouts and 22 walks in 71 innings. 

News: Johnson, who has undergone three hip surgeries and a wrist surgery in just more than a month, will not need surgery on his sore right elbow, the Seattle Times reports.
Impact: Johnson is not expected to be ready for the start of spring training, but he's the No. 1 catcher come Opening Day unless the Mariners go in a different direction in the offseason. 

News: Rob Johnson will not need surgery for inflammation and a minor bone spur in his elbow, according to the Seattle Times.
Impact: The veteran already had three surgeries during the offseason. Johnson remains hopeful of being ready to participate at the start of spring training. He will be given a chance to compete for the No. 1 role at catcher if healthy. 

News: Wilson and the Seattle Mariners agreed Friday to a $10 million, two-year contract. The 30-year-old was acquired from Pittsburgh on July 29 along with pitcher Ian Snell for infielder Ronny Cedeno, catcher Jeff Clement and three minor league pitchers.
Impact: Wilson hit .224 with one home run in 31 games. He missed extended time due to a sore hamstring and bruised right heel. Wilson gets $5 million in each of the next two seasons and can earn $250,000 a year in performance bonuses: $50,000 for 450 plate appearances, and $100,000 each for 500 and 550 plate appearances. 

News: Jack Wilson has signed a two-year deal to stay with the Seattle Mariners, according to Ed Price of AOL Fanhouse.
Impact: Wilson hit just .224 in 31 games for Seattle last season after coming over at midseason from Pittsburgh, but is still a capable shortstop, and should be a nice bat at the bottom of the Mariners lineup.  

News: Wilson agreed to a two-year contract with the Mariners on Friday, the Tacoma News Tribune reports.
Impact: The deal is believed to be worth a total of $10 million. Wilson hit just .224 in 31 games with the Mariners after he was traded by Pittsburgh, but was bothered by various injuries down the stretch. His glove is more valuable than his bat, but the Mariners likely believe that he can be more productive at the plate now that he's healthy again. 

News: Griffey and the Mariners are closing in on a deal for another one-year contract. A person with knowledge of the situation tells The Associated Press the announcement could come later Wednesday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the team has not formally announced the agreement.
Impact: Griffey turns 40 this month. The contract is expected to be similar to the one-year incentive-laden deal he signed to return to Seattle for the 2009 season. He hit .214 with 19 homers as a part-time designated hitter. Griffey is No. 5 on the career home run list with 630. 

News: The Seattle Mariners have agreed to a one-year deal with outfielder Ken Griffey Jr., according to the Seattle Times. No financial details have been released by the team at this point.
Impact: Not a big surprise here, as Griffey said he wanted to come back for one more season with the M's. His role will be limited to mostly platoon DH duty next season, so he will not have much fantasy value once again. 

News: The Mariners have agreed to a one-year contract with Griffey Jr., the team's official website reports.
Impact: Griffey Jr. will be returning for his 22nd major league season. Terms of the deal were not announced, but it's likely that the contract will be similar to the incentive-based deal he had with the Mariners last season. Griffey Jr.'s role with the team is still uncertain, but it's a good bet that he'll split his playing time between left field and designated hitter. 

News: Russell Branyan has rejected a one-year offer from the Mariners, according to MLB.com.
Impact: The 33-year-old slugger is looking for a multi-year deal at this point of his career, and could get one after racking up 31 homers and 76 RBI with Seattle in 2008.  

News: Seattle's Ichiro Suzuki and Los Angeles' Torii Hunter highlighted the American League's Gold Glove winners on Tuesday, each winning their ninth straight, according to MLB.com.
Impact: Baltimore's Adam Jones joined them as the third outfielder. Also winning were Evan Longoria at third base, Derek Jeter at shortstop, Placido Polanco at second base, Mark Teixeira at first, Joe Mauer at catcher and Mark Buehrle at pitcher.  

News: The Mariners have extended Branyan a contract offer, the Tacoma News Tribune reports.
Impact: Branyan is a free agent, and early reports indicate the Mariners extended him a one-year contract offer. The two sides are still negotiating. 

News: Chavez (knee) has filed for free agency.
Impact: He should be ready for the start of spring training, but it will likely be elsewhere as the Mariners can turn to younger, more promising options to replace him. 

News: Bedard (shoulder) has filed for free agency.
Impact: He wants to return to Seattle, but Bedard's recovery from a torn labrum could limit his availability for at least the early part of the 2010 season. It's unclear if the Mariners are interested in keeping him around to rehab with the hopes of having him on the cheap if he's able to get healthy again. 

News: Batista has filed for free agency.
Impact: He won't be back in Seattle after a three-year run with a 27-29 record, 4.85 ERA and dismal 258:203 K:BB ratio. The good news for Batista is that he banked $27 million over the last three seasons, the bad news for Seattle is that they've got Carlos Silva on the hook at $8 million as a long reliever in 2010. 

News: Bedard says he doesn't want shoulder surgery to be the final chapter of his time with the Seattle Mariners. Wearing a cumbersome cast and brace, Bedard spoke before Saturday night's game against the New York Yankees and just a day after undergoing surgery in Los Angeles to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder.
Impact: About to become a free agent in the offseason, Bedard says he still would like to return to the Mariners in 2010. Asked if the injury makes it more likely that he'll be back with Seattle, Bedard bristled, saying "What do you think? Not a good question." 

News: Chavez is done for the season after an exam revealed a serious right knee injury sustained in a collision with shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt. Chavez tore the anterior cruciate ligament and has other structural damage in his right knee, Seattle manager Don Wakamatsu said before Saturday's game against Arizona.
Impact: It'll likely be another few weeks before Chavez can undergo surgery and the full extent of the damage is revealed. Surgery will occur once swelling in the knee goes down. Chavez, who started at all three outfield positions this season and was hitting .273, was hurt when he collided with Betancourt chasing down a pop up in the fifth inning Friday night. Chavez flipped hard to the turf after the collision, although Betancourt held on to the ball. 

News: Wilson and the Mariners are discussing a multi-year contract extension, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Impact: The Mariners are considering their 2010 club option on Wilson for $8.4 million, and have reportedly offered a two-year extension worth more than the $8 million the Pirates offered Wilson before trading him. 

News: Sweeney filed for free agency Thursday, the Seattle Times reports.
Impact: Sweeney played the role of cheerleader last season for Seattle. If the Mariners want a cheerleader for 2010, they'll go with Ken Griffey over Sweeney. 

News: Beltre filed for free agency Thursday, the Seattle Times reports.
Impact: No surprise here. Beltre will seek a better hitting environment than Safeco Field provided. Unless the Mariners sign a free-agent third baseman, replacing Beltre will be a battle between prospect Matt Tuiasosopo and veteran Bill Hall. 

News: The Mariners have claimed Petit off waivers from the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Impact: The 24-year-old pitched in 23 games for Arizona last season. He was 3-10 with a 5.82 ERA. 

News: The Mariners claimed Petit off waivers from the Diamondbacks on Thursday, the East Valley Tribune reports.
Impact: Petit started a career-high 17 games for Arizona in 2009, but he finished just 3-10 with a 5.82 ERA on the season. He will have an opportunity to win a spot somewhere on the Seattle pitching staff during spring training. 

News: Jimenez, who is recovering from left biceps tendinitis, is rehabbing at Class AAA Tacoma.
Impact: Jimenez is on the DL, retroactive to March 29. It's still unclear when he'll return to the majors. 

News: Saunders suffered a slight ankle sprain in a winter ball game in Venezuela, the Seattle Times reports.
Impact: Saunders is swinging a hot bat in Venezuela so far. He's hitting .364/.432/.606 in 33 at-bats. He'll have a shot at the left-field spot for the Mariners this year. 

News: The Seattle Mariners say Griffey has undergone arthroscopic surgery on his left knee to remove a bone spur.
Impact: The team says Griffey had the surgery on Monday in Cincinnati and was performed by Dr. Timothy Kremchek. Normal recovery time is four to six weeks. It's the second time in a year that Griffey has undergone surgery on his left knee. He was limited by the knee at times during the 2009 season. He had it drained on multiple occasions. Griffey, who turns 40 in November, has not announced whether he will play in 2010. 

News: Johjima has agreed to join the Hanshin Tigers of Japan's Central League. Johjima held talks with his former team, the Softbank Hawks of the Pacific League, but has opted instead to join the Tigers, signing a four-year deal worth $21 million.
Impact: Johjima opted out of the final two seasons and $15.8 million of his contract with the Mariners last week, allowing him to finish his career in Japan. "Hanshin was the first team to set up talks with me," Johjima said. "I'll do everything I can do to help the team win." 

News: Kenji Johjima has signed a contract with the Hanshin Tigers of Japan's Central League, according to NPB Tracker via Sports Hochi Osaka.
Impact: It's a four-year deal worth roughly $28 million, far more than his next major league contract would have been worth. Consider his American career officially over.  

News: Johjima has agreed to a four-year, two billion yen contract with the Hanshin Tigers of Japan's Central League, the AFP reports.
Impact: Johjima opted out of the final two years of his contract with Seattle to return to Japan. He previously played for the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks. 

News: USA Today is reporting that Mariners' outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee to remove a bone spur on Monday. The expected recovery time for the injury is four-to-six weeks.
Impact: Griffey hasn't announced what his plans are for next season, but this surgery is minor and shouldn't affect his decision much either way. He hit 19 homers this season, and would likely be welcomed back in Seattle if he decides to play. 

News: Griffey had arthroscopic surgery Monday to remove a bone spur in his left knee, the Associated Press reports.
Impact: Expected recovery time is four to six weeks. Of course, Griffey has not yet announced whether he will play in 2010, but if he does, his left knee (which has undergone two surgeries this year and had to be drained several times during the season) will be a lingering problem.