Griffey Jr. headed back to Seattle

In what will likely be one of those walking-off-into-the-sunset moves, Ken Griffey Jr. is headed back to the Seattle Mariners this season.

Griffey, 39, has reportedly signed a one-year contract with the Mariners worth $2 million, according to mlb.com, with the chance to reach as much as $4 million based on incentives.

Griffey played his first 11 seasons in Seattle and hit more than 40 home runs six times with the Mariners and drove in more than 100 runs seven times. There is a good chance this will be Junior's last season in the majors.

This is a great move for both sides. It will give the sagging Mariners a boost in attendance and it will give Griffey the chance to have one more year in the sun with the team that drafted him. This is also a no-lose situation for both sides, since the Mariners aren't likely to have a winning season this year with or without Griffey and he won't make them appreciably better. It has the chance to turn into a nice story and here's hoping it does.

Since I worked in Washington County for almost seven years, I dealt with Griffey a lot as a member of the Reds since both he and his father, Ken, were born in Donora, Pa. which is also in the county. As big of a player as Griffey has been, he has also been one of the better players to deal with, never refusing an interview request and being very gracious during the interviews. He is also a very personable player to talk to off the record, something missing from a number of today's players.

Good luck Junior, and here's to solidifying your final steps to the Hall of Fame.