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I've always thought the anti-Seattle noise was just that, noise.
How many players would take huge salary hits to not play in a beautiful city, with a team filled with young gun arms and some neat young bats on the horizon.
He's not getting an equivalent offer from the Yankees or Red Sox, so every other team is a bit of a playoff gamble, anyway.
If Seattle clearly has the best offer, he'll be here. If we don't clearly have the best offer, all kinds of things come into play, which the M's can't control. Does he want to be close to family? How about his wife? Does he hate fresh seafood? All those things could come into play....beyond our control.
moe