Here are two stories that should interest Mariners fans. The first is from Jasyon Stark of ESPN.com and is about the high cost of pitching.

Then there's this interesting story from the L.A. Times about new Mariner Jose Guillen and his former teammate Jarrod Washburn. Both were on the Angels when Guillen had his run-in with manager Mike Scioscia that eventually led to him being suspended for the rest of the season.

Former Bellarmine Prep star Jon Lester reportedly received good news recently in his ongoing battle with lymphoma.

A source who has direct knowledge of Lester's medical condition told The Boston Globe that the Red Sox left-hander's latest CT scan was clean and his lymphoma seems to be in remission. The source told the newspaper that Lester expects to be with the Red Sox in spring training.

Lester has anaplastic large cell lymphoma, a type of cancer that forms in the body's lymph system. He has been undergoing chemotherapy since September.

The rookie pitcher was originally sidelined for back pain from an auto accident in mid-August, but "something stuck out" during a test in Tacoma, Wash., Lester said in September.

When contacted by The Globe, Lester's father said he would leave comment for his son.

"That's something that has to come from Jon," John Lester told The Globe "It's his body, his treatment. I'd love to say something, but I wouldn't want to compromise his wishes."

Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein also declined comment.

Enlarged lymph nodes were identified when Lester was tested to determine the cause of back pain that sent him to the disabled list on Aug. 28.

Lester has been one of Boston's top prospects since he was drafted in 2002. He reached the major leagues for the first time on June 10, won his first five decisions and was 7-2 with a 4.76 ERA when he went on the disabled list.

With the winter meetings in full swing you are bound to hear many players being mentioned as interested in or on their way to Seattle. Here are a few of the main names being tossed around the rumor mill and their situation:

Freddy Garcia – The White Sox are one of the few teams that have a surplus of starting pitching because they want to use Brandon McCarthy in the rotation. That makes Garcia, who's due $10 million in the last year of his contract, expendable. Unless the Mariners get creative, it's hard to see how they match up with the White Sox in a trade, unless you start including guys like J.J. Putz and Adam Jones, which I'm sure they don't want to do for a guy who's potentially only going to be in Seattle for a year.

Manny Ramirez – Yes, he's flakey and yes he's getting older and more likely to start breaking down. But the man can hit, and would be a boost to any lineup ... just probably not the Mariners'. Boston would like to move ManRam but he holds a no-trade clause and the team is looking for a lot in return. The Angels have some young talent and seem to match up better but they're in no hurry to make such a move.

Jason Schmidt – A free agent who can go where he pleases, the soon to be 34-year-old Schmidt is highly sought after despite some recent arm woes. The Cubs, Dodgers, Cardinals and M's are said to be the favorites. Those are some of the heavy hitters in baseball as far as resources are concerned and Seattle will have to be willing to step up its offer if it wants to compete in that neighborhood. The M's can only hope that Schmidt, who's from Longview, thinks playing near home is worth more than a year or two and $20 million in the final deal.

Barry Zito – The coveted pitcher of this offseason, Zito has the pick of the litter. What Seattle has going for it is location and the American League. Zito is a West Coast guy and is a little eccentric and might be wary of trying to fit in in Dallas or New York. It would be a coup if the Mariners could land him. Side note: When I was living in the L.A. area in the mid 1990s, I saw Zito pitch for L.A. Pierce Junior College, which was a block down the street from the L.A. Daily News. Even then, the guy could pitch and throw that big old curve.

Ted Lilly – A left-hander with a decent fastball who has had a Gil Meche like career (read: Inconsistent). A lot of teams are targeting him figuring they can't afford a Zito or Schmidt. The teams interested, besides Seattle: Cubs, Giants, Yankees, Blue Jays. Lilly is a California native who has said he would like to pitch closer to home, which could help the M's chances.