Friday, November 12, 1999
Seattle calls Griffey offer 'interesting'
The Associated Press
DANA POINT, Calif. — The general managers' meetings ended Thursday with Ken Griffey Jr. remaining the property of the Seattle Mariners — for now.
Seattle GM Pat Gillick said he had three conversations regarding Griffey on Thursday, but none were as good as an apparently intriguing offer that the Mariners rejected on Wednesday.
“We told them at the time that we rejected it,” Gillick said. “We kind of reflected on it overnight. It's interesting.
“I think we can go back and restart it,” he said.
Gillick wouldn't be more specific, other than to say the team that made that offer had met previously with the Mariners.
The four teams believed to have the most serious interest are Griffey's hometown Cincinnati Reds, the New York Mets, St. Louis Cardinals and the Houston Astros, although the latter two are believed to be on the periphery. Griffey wants to be traded closer to his Orlando, Fla., home.
Reds GM Jim Bowden said Wednesday that Seattle would want all the Reds' best players for Griffey, effectively making them non-competitive after coming within one victory of the playoffs.
But Bowden clearly is intrigued with the prospect of landing Griffey. The Reds made five offers to the Mariners here, all of which were rejected. The Reds, who rebuffed three Seattle offers, did not speak with the Mariners on Thursday.
So where do the Mariners go from here?
“I just think we have to be patient, let the things kind of churn,” Gillick said.
St. Louis Cardinals GM Walt Jocketty said the Cardinals waded into the Griffey talks, “and we kind of waded out quickly, too.
“I think it's going to be a little rich for us. The problem is the uncertainty whether Griffey would stay after next year. If you have to give up top-level players — and it would be top-level players — that's pretty tough to do.”
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