One of the most popular questions I get about the Mariners involves pitcher Gil Meche and why the Mariners did not do more to keep him before he became a free agent.

Anyone who has watched the Mariners the past few years has seen Meche pitch one of those games where it looks like the big right-hander can do no wrong. Fastball's popping, control's sharp, breaking stuff's working. And then you've seen the starts where Meche looks like he just picked up a baseball for the first time in his life. No control and worse, no idea of what to do with what he has got. This is the Gil Meche problem in a nutshell and the Mariners were spooked to spend to spend millions on a pitcher who might – or might not – be any good.

Mariners coaches were frequently frustrated with Meche because of his lack of consistency. Some of that could be blamed on the arm troubles Meche had but those have long since ceased to be a concern. Worse, Meche seemed to always have some little problem/excuse that caused his bad outing. Bad arm slot, too long of a stride, didn't feel right warming up, etc. I think these things got to be a bit tiring, too.

Your right if you're thinking at least the Mariners knew something about Meche, who has been with the organization since being drafted, instead of gambling with an unknown pitcher. And that fact alone might speak volumnes why the Mariners didn't push harder to sign Meche.

One more thing to remember: Meche may not have wanted to return to Seattle. He might have vetoed any deal this summer with the Mariners with the thought of getting out of town. Maybe he realized his time had come and gone here or maybe he was holding out for the big payday, which seems likely given the state of pitching and what team's are willing to pay. Whatever the reason, Meche himself might have decided that Seattle was no longer in his plans.

Scanning the internet, there seems to be many teams that have an interest in Meche. The Yankees, White Sox, Cubs, Blue Jays and even the Royals! have been reported to have interest in signing Meche.

First of all, let me say thanks to all the loyal readers who have been checking the blog; your attentiveness is appreciated. I also want to apologize for not posting more but I've been off work the last two weeks while attending a family emergency. I'm back now and will be more diligent, promise.

That said, the next week could be interesting. Baseball's winter meetings began today in Orlando, Florida, and the Mariners have already signed what they hope to be a productive, middle-of-the-order bat in outfielder Jose Guillen.

Staff writer Larry LaRue is in Orlando and he'll be keeping us up-to-date with all the goings on. Here's his story on what the Mariners hope to accomplish.

At the first day of the winter meetings, the Mariners announced Monday they have signed outfielder Jose Guillen to a one-year, $5.5 million contract with an option for 2008.

Guillen, 30, is coming off a season cut short by reconstructive elbow surgery. He hit .216 with nine homers and 40 RBI for the Washington Nationals but is a career .272 hitter with 143 homers.

"He fits real well in our lineup among Ibanez, Sexson and Beltre," Mariners manager Mike Hargrove said. "Considering the production he has shown in his career, it's a significant acquisition for us. He plays the game with a lot of passion and heart -- he's not afraid to stick his nose in there. Defensively. He's a plus in how hard he plays the game."

Guillen left a game on July 18, 2006 in the third inning and didn't return to the lineup. He underwent season-ending Tommy John surgery later that month to repair a completely torn ligament in his right elbow. Guillen underwent a physcial on Sunday with no apparent problems.

"We feel like this is a signing with some real upside," GM Bill Bavais Bavasi said. "Our doctors have given him a very complete physical and we are very confident he's healthy; when Jose has been healthy in his career he's put up numbers. This was an opportunity for us to sign a top-quality rightfielder, and a productive middle-of-the-order hitter."

In 2005 Guillen led the Nationals in runs (81), hits (156), total bases (264), home runs (24), and RBI (76). In 2004 with the Angels, he notched career highs of 148 games and 104 RBI.

To make room on the Major League, 40-man roster, Seattle designated left-handed pitcher Bobby Livingston for assignment.