Could the Mariners and Hisashi Iwakuma give it one more try?
The veteran right-hander believes it’s a possibility. Speaking to a group of reporters in Kyodo, Japan, Iwakuma said that the team has offered him an opportunity to return to the organization.
“It’s not a done deal, but I have received an offer,” he told reporters.
Iwakuma didn’t provide any further details of the situation or the contract offer.
Given his age and his injury issues, particularly this past season, it’s difficult to see the Mariners offering Iwakuma anything more than a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training or a “split contract” that’s a minor league deal with a certain amount of money guaranteed and locked-in incentives if he were to be placed on the 25-man roster.