Story Published:
Apr 3, 2008 at 5:42 PM PST
Story Updated:
Apr 3, 2008 at 5:42 PM PST
Ichiro met with both the Japanese and American media separately following today’s workout. He was wearing a standard Ichiro outfit. Stocking cap, pink tee shirt with a silver gothic number 13 on the front with a long sleeve black shirt underneath. The pants were hard to explain. Denim jeans with camouflage patches and pockets. Silver tennis shoes rounded out the ensemble.
He was cordial and did joke with the press a couple of times. Ken Barron translated for the American media.
As expected, there were no clear answers from Ichiro concerning his contract status. He did make it clear that today would be the last time he talked about it this season. He opened the conversation with the standard, I have one year left on my contract and I wish to fulfill that contract to the best of my abilities.
The shot across the bow was what followed. “I have played fifteen years of professional baseball in Japan and America and I have never filed for free agency so I never had the choice to chose for myself which road I would want to take.
So if you ask me is it possible that I might go to free agency, yes I would say there is a possibility, but if you ask me what my feelings are at this point what I can say is that my mind is full of having the best season possible and at this point that is my stance and that is all I really want to say about it.”
We did press further and the question of negotiating during the season was raised. The answer was very curious with Ichiro saying “I don’t know, I really can’t approach from myself to the ball club and I don’t know if the ball club approached us or the ball club approached me, even those things I don’t know.”
Numerous Mariners officials have made it clear that they want Ichiro back. It is hard to believe that there have been no negotiations as of yet. The question is, does Ichiro have the door open for the Mariners to try to get something done?
I asked him if he was prepared to accept an offer at this point and he answered with “I don’t know, I am not ear muffing my ears right now, I’m looking and I am listening but I don’t know.”
Coming into the spring my feeling was something would get worked out down here. The free agency talk now makes me wonder if that is a slam dunk. Stay tuned.
