Don Wakamatsu got more than two coaches Monday, he brought two good friends aboard the Seattle Mariners 2009 staff.

Both bench coach Ty Van Berkleo and first base coach Lee Tinsley are long-time friends and colleagues, on and off the field, and Wakamatsu said that was a factor.

"They're good friends, but as coaches they're as good as there is out there," he said. "Both these guys are instructors, they communicate well with players. They're going to help change the baseball culture on this team."

As the coaches were being introduced, GM Jack Zduriencik said he had one contract offer on the table to an unnamed free agent, had offered binding salary arbitration to Raul Ibanez - and had talked last week to the agent of Ken Griffey Jr.

“I’ve had discussions with Junior’s agent, yes. We talked about him next year,” Zduriencik said. “Is there anything concrete? No. It’s more an inquiry than anything else. It was a very cordial conversation. How would he fit with the club? I’m not sure.”

The team plans to announce other new coaches as they are hired, probably within the week.

Read our story here.

The Seattle Mariners have hired Ty Van Burkleo as bench coach, Lee Tinsley has first base coach and offered outfielder Raul Ibanez arbitration.

Van Burkleo worked as Oakland's hitting coach last year on a coaching staff that included new Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu.

Tinsley, a one-time Mariner, coached in the Arizona system.

And Ibanez now has a week to accept or decline the offer of binding salary arbitration.

More details after a 1 p.m. conference call.

Welcome to December, a month when the Seattle Mariners figure to begin adjusting their roster.

New coaches could be announced as early as today, and there's one other piece of business on the table - Raul Ibanez.

Today is the last day teams can offer salary arbitration to their own free agents, and the Mariners almost certainly will offer it to Ibanez.

Once that's done, Raul will have one week to accept or decline, and if he declines and signs elsewhere, the team would get compensation through the draft.

And a week from today, the baseball winter meetings begin in Las Vegas, and the Mariners will be in pursuit of trades and, perhaps, a free agent or two.

So bid adieu to November. We're one month closer to spring training - and the off-season is about to heat up.