With spring training opening in less than two weeks, the Mariners will very soon have to make the decision that has been looming over the team all offseason.
Will they bring back the franchise's most storied player, Ken Griffey Jr.?
Their ultimate call on Griffey seems closely linked to the outcome of other pursuits by general manager Jack Zduriencik.
If the Mariners can fill their lingering need for an offensive boost with a free agent or a trade, then the likelihood of a Griffey reunion lessens.
But if Zduriencik comes up empty in pursuit of free-agent outfielder Bobby Abreu or others, then he will have an agonizing choice.
Does he bow to nostalgia and the prospect that Griffey, energized by offseason knee surgery and what figures to be a hugely enthusiastic fan base at Safeco Field, can summon up echoes of his past?
Detractors, however, point to the fact that Griffey's best days are long behind him, and that he doesn't fit in with the massive rebuilding job being undertaken by the new Mariners regime.
Griffey, 39, has more home runs (611) than all but four men in history. He's a free agent for the first time.
Though other teams reportedly have interest, one factor no longer in question is that Griffey very much wants to return to Seattle. He was a larger-than-life force from 1987, when he was drafted No. 1 overall by the Mariners, until 1999, when he orchestrated a trade to the Reds.
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