Spring training looms ever closer, which means the hot stove league heats up - and rumors over the last week have had the Minnesota Twins interested in Jarrod Washburn. Again.

Turns out, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, that the Twins aren't interested. You can see their blog here.

Moving Washburn and his $10-million plus contract is a non-starter until or unless he begin to pitch well and someone has a need develop. The Mariners have no choice but to keep working the telephones. looking to move at least some salary.

But teams aren't foolishly tossingly money around, and what Washburn makes is more than what No. 4 or 5 starters are signing for now.

So, Jarrod remains a Mariner.

Last August, the Twins were willing to make a trade, but Seattle walked away from it. That's a mistake they'll have to live with.

A day after posting scathing comments about Ken Griffey Jr. by a talent evaluator, ESPN's Buster Olney now says much of Griffey's struggles last season was due to a knee injury that has now been surgically repaired.

Here's today's blog post

Also SI's Jon Heyman talked with Griffey's agent and has a similar story.

And the debate on bringing Junior back continues, what are your thoughts?

*** Also the White Sox offered Bobby Abreu a one-year, $8 million contract, so unless the Mariners can do something with Jarrod Washburn or Miguel Batista to dump salary, he may be out of the M's price range.

*** Here's a story from the Portland Business Journal (thanks to ArcticIce for the heads up) where Mariners president Chuck Armstrong met with Portland business leaders. He also mentions that the Mariners are interested in Griffey, Abreu and Garrett Anderson.

* Trying to find some more links for an afternoon post.

When Erik Bedard was told he’d been called a jerk by a Seattle columnist – and one talk radio host – he might have been expected to say something unkind in return Tuesday.

“Just a jerk?” he said, and laughed. “That’s not too bad.

“First impressions last, and when you’re hurt and don’t do as well as expected, that comes with the territory. When you don’t talk to the media, people can write whatever they want.”

Coming off a disastrous season for the Seattle Mariners, Bedard’s 2008 mirrored that of his team. He was hurt, stopped pitching in July and in September underwent shoulder surgery that removed a cyst.

And now?

“I’m feeling pretty good,” the left-hander said. “I’ve been throwing since mid-December, and I’m up to 12 minutes three times a week.”

How far is he throwing?

“The length of my garage, which is about 72 feet,” Bedard said. “It’s minus 10 degrees outside.”

Perhaps that explains a few things. Bedard is one of those goofy Canadians who actually enjoys sub-zero winter into which he was born and raised. He could easily move to Arizona or Florida and take up golf, like so many professional athletes do.

He hasn’t. And he won’t.

Asked if he’s read much about himself this off-season, Bedard said he hadn’t.

"Up here, it's all about hockey," he said.

But he had a fairly good take on what he’s missed.

“I know if you’re not signed to more than one year and you’re not on a contender, people talk about you being traded a midseason,” Bedard said. “That’s baseball, and it happens every where. I haven’t thought about it, but maybe if we were in July I would be, I don’t know.

“I certainly have no control over it. My goal this year is simple – stay healthy, help this team win. It’s the same one I had last year.”

He doesn’t know if he’ll change the perception of his being a jerk.

“I don’t think guys on the team felt that way,” he said. “I probably won’t do a lot more interviews this year than any other time. It’s just not me. I know I’m a lot more comfortable going to camp this year.

“Last year, I was the new guy and two days in I was named opening day starter. I thought that confused a lot of guys who’d been there longer than me – I know it confused me a little. But it never changed how I pitched. I just couldn’t stay healthy.”