Jody Gerut is retiring after six seasons in the major leagues. Gerut played for five teams before being invited to spring training as a non-roster player by the Mariners. He appeared in 574 games in stints with Cleveland (2003-2005), the Chicago Cubs (2005), Pittsburgh (2005), San Diego (2008-2009) and Milwaukee (2009-2010). "Physically I'm fine," Gerut said in a statement from the Mariners. "But mentally my reasons for wanting to be in uniform have become so thin and narrow that I refuse to disrespect the game that has provided so generously for my family by playing it in a halfhearted way."

Mariners outfielder Ichiro Suzuki is preparing for his 11th major league season. "Every first Spring Training day is always a good day," Suzuki said. "We have new teammates, meeting your old teammates, new faces. The weather wasn't typical because we had rain today, which was unfortunate. But besides that, it's a new start and you have a lot of hope. That's how I felt today, as always." That hope is bolstered by his initial impression of Eric Wedge, who becomes his eighth manager since arriving in Seattle in 2001. "He's not the kind of guy that will sway," Ichiro said. "He's got his own strong feelings and will come right after you, which is good and what this team needs. "My impressions were he has such a strong base that it's not just him talking with his emotions. I think he has a very big and long picture in his mind and is definitely a different type of manager than we've had in the past. So I've had a good impression."

Ken Griffey Jr. has returned to the Mariners as a consultant. Griffey's role is still being defined, but he'll be involved with Seattle at spring training and the regular season, along with visiting most of the team's minor-league affiliates. He is also expected to be involved with marketing, broadcasting and community relations.

Eric Wedge reported to his first Spring Training with the Mariners on Monday. One of his first tasks will be getting to know the 63 players that Seattle will have in camp. "The majority I've got to get around to," Wedge said. "That'll just be a process. It's not going to happen in one day. It'll be in the clubhouse, it'll be outside the clubhouse, it'll be on the field, maybe at the parking lot or wherever." Wedge was 561-573 as a manager with the Indians, and is hoping to lead a renaissance in Seattle. "When I talk to them that first day, we won"t leave much to the imagination," Wedge said. "A lot of the things I'm going to say to them, you've heard already. "It's about respecting the game, being a good teammate, what we expect and our level of expectations. What I look for from day to day, what I'm looking for this spring, what we're going to look to accomplish and how we're going to do it."

The Mariners may be closing in on a deal with reliever Chad Durbin, according to Prospect Insider. Durbin has been holding out for a raise from the $2-plus million he made a year ago, but so far there have been no takers.

Prosecutors in Los Angeles have scheduled a meeting with Mariners outfielder Milton Bradley after his felony arrest last month. Bradley was scheduled for a court hearing earlier this week. That was changed and he'll have a meeting with the prosecutor's office early next month. The outfielder's attorney, Harland Braun, released a statement through the Mariners on Friday stating that Bradley would not be charged following his Jan. 19 arrest on a domestic violence allegation.

The Mariners have signed outfielder Gabe Gross to a minor-league contract. Gross joins Jody Gerut, Ryan Langerhans and Mike Wilson as outfielders that have been invited to spring training by Seattle.