Ichiro was a terrific ballplayer for the M's. Obviously. Who can forget the electricity of that early season 2001 rocket throw that nailed Terrence Long at 3B? I thrilled to Ichiro until those who ran the franchise decided it was okay to build the offense around him. Even then it wasn't Ichiro's fault the M's were (1) chintzy and (2) incompetently GM'd, as subsequent results made evident.
But I was really glad when Seattle traded him. It needed to be done for some time. To be impactful he needed a genuine offense around him. If Seattle wasn't going to be shrewd or generous enough to do that, then his salary and presence on the team was sorta like a bowel obstruction (no offense intended, just a metaphor). We weren't going to make progress until the obstruction was gone. Trading him made room for a good GM to rebuild and revitalize the team. It wasn't Ichiro's fault that Jack Zduriencik was, like Bill Bavasi before him, utterly futile in his efforts. Z was put in a position to wildly succeed, as the Astros have now done. He just wasn't up to it.
Enter 2018. With Gamel's injury the M's needed something, nearly everyone agrees with this. If you're not going to spend the money for an above average MLBtm left fielder (Jay?), then what you need is someone who (a) is a short-term solution who (b) is likely to produce acceptable results and (c) has some upside but (d) will present no personnel issues if he doesn't live up to expectations.
With this in mind, Ichiro makes sense. If he reaches Doc's hoped for heights, and if the M's have an up season, he can be a difference maker that helps you get over the 15 foot wall. If he doesn't, he probably doesn't hurt you that much. If he does hurt you that much, either he voluntarily retires or you nudge him that direction.
Even though I participated as a zealous fan during the Ichiro era, I don't have an Ichiro obsession like some had. Thassokay. I respect that. Still, either the M's are chintzing out again, or holding their chips for next year, or DiPoto is convinced that one of Gamel/Heredia is indeed a full time player. My guess is mostly the latter and partly the hold-your-chips angle.
To me the situation must be looked at in context of the encrusted resentment of M's fans towards the team because of the playoff/respectability/worth-the-effort-to-watch drought. If the feel-good nostalgia is part of the reasonaing, it upsets me. We've had too much of that over the years. Like many fans, I am sick of nostalgia as a substitute for deploying an ALCS contender. But if the nostalgia is really just a side-benefit, and Ichiro is really considered the best solution to this particular set of problems, then by all means, let's enjoy Ichiro and hope he makes us really glad he's on board.