Source: Mariners Not Interested In Damon

The Seattle Mariners have recently been linked to free agent outfielder Johnny Damon, who's price appears to have dropped tremendously with the Yankees's acquisition of Randy Winn to fill out their outfield.  An anonymous source in the Seattle organization, however, has vehemently denied that the club has any interest in Damon.

"[Damon] looks like he smells," the source was quoted as saying.  "As an organization, the Mariners are committed to bringing in players who do not smell in order to facilitate a better clubhouse environment."

Damon, who hit 24 home runs last season while playing for the world champion Yankees, had previously been linked to the Mariners, who have a void in left field.  However, our source indicated that the team will likely instead run out a platoon of Milton Bradley and Ryan Langerhans. 

"Both Bradley and Langerhans are very conscious about their personal hygiene.  The team believes they can help the clubhouse environment by showering regularly."

When asked how the team knows that Damon smells, the source replied

"We spoke to a Red Sox clubhouse attendant from when [Damon] played in Boston, and he said that [Damon] never showered.  The other players were disgusted by this, even Kevin Youkilis, who enjoys rolling in his own feces.  A player like that just wouldn't fit into the team that we're trying to create here in Seattle."

With the Mariners apparently out of the running, Damon's asking price appears to have dropped even further, a far cry from the 3 year, $30 million deal that agent Scott Boras was reportedly asking for early in the offseason.  Remaining possible destinations for Damon include the Tampa Bay Rays, Oakland Athletics, and Atlanta Braves.