Before taking his physical on Friday, recently-acquired pitcher Garrett Olson had some “painting” to take care of.

The former Orioles right-hander plopped down on the stool in front of his locker, put one of his  baseball shoes in one hand, a magic marker in the other, and proceeded to get rid of as much orange that he could.

There wasn’t much he could do to remove the bright orange on the bottom of the shoes, but he was successful in coloring out the rest of the orange.

Meanwhile, across the room, clubhouse attendant Pete Fortune was busy working on another pair of Olson shoes.

In another camp observation, it might be just a coincidence, but there are two unoccupied lockers at one of end of “regulars” row. You have to wonder if a guy named Ken Griffey Jr. soon will be occupying the lockers.

And speaking of Junior, negotiations are ongoing as we speak and I would be more surprised if the two sides don’t agree on an incentive-laden one-year contract than if they do.

— Jim Street

Ken Griffey Jr. could be coming home in a few days.

A little more than nine years after being traded to the Reds for four players, Griffey and the Mariners are nearing agreement on a one-year contract.

Griffey, who is playing in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am golf tournament this week, could join the Mariners in Spring Training as early as Wednesday – the first full-squad workout.

Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik would neither confirm or deny that a deal is imminent, saying, “I do not comment on free agents.”

The deal would not be finalized until Griffey passes a physical, which is expected to occur in the Phoenix area.

— Jim Street

Welcome to the latest, and hopefully, the greatest Mariners blog in cyberspace.

In the coming days, weeks, and possibly years, this will be the place to learn all about the Mariners as they attempt to return to the top of the AL West and deep into the playoffs.

My mission is to give the readers a glimpse of what happens in the clubhouse and on the field. If a trade is made, hopefully this will be the first place to have the news.

Anyway, sit back, click on and enjoy the blog. Feel free to say good things about it and, if you must, say not-so-good things as well.

— Jim Street