Is Ken Griffey Jr. On His Last Legs?

This article from the Tacoma Times indicates that Ken Griffey, Jr.’s days as a Mariner are numbered.

Aside from his awful start at the plate, and his inability to contribute in the field because of sore and gimpy knees, Griffey, Jr. has apparently lost his commanding influence in the Seattle clubhouse. 

The article also reports a bizarre anecdote where Griffey, Jr. was not used as a pinch hitter in a recent game. Turns out he was asleep in the clubhouse.

I’ve long felt that keeping old players around simply because they are good clubhouse guys is way overrated. Better to have someone on the bench who can actually help you win some ballgames on the field with a timely hit, a great defensive play, or a run from second on a short hit to the outfield.

The Mariners decided to bring back Griffey, for $2.35 million in 2010, last November. (according to Cot’s baseball contracts ).  I thought it was a mistake at the time .

In December 2009, the M’s acquired Milton Bradley. The organization hoped Griffey's presence as an older brother figure would cause Miltie to straighten up and fly right.  A fool’s errand, I thought.

Of course, it didn't work out that way. 

At this point, the M’s should probably pull the old two-for-one, to paraphrase Dodgers’ announcer Vin Scully, and dump both Griffey and Milton Bradley in one fell swoop.

The Mariners are dead last in the AL at 12-19. But it's still early May, and they’re only 5.5 games back in the division.

It would be wise to do a little house-cleaning, and make a fresh start, with 130 games still left on the schedule.