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If the Seattle Mariners are truly interested in Ken Griffey Jr., and if he's sincere about wanting to finish his career with the club that gave him his professional start, then the Reds should jump at a trade — even if they're offered nothing more than a box of baseballs and a vat of pine tar.

I've always been a Griffey admirer. I know fans like to grouse about his injury history, but I doubt he ever pulled a ligament or ruptured a tendon on purpose. And while he comes off as aloof in public, he's actually, by all accounts, an engaging person in private and a positive clubhouse presence.

But as a player, Griffey is fading fast. He had 23 home runs before the All-Star game last year but finished with just 30. He hit one homer every 12.5 at-bats before the break, one every 34.4 plate appearances after that.

This year, he had just four homers in 40 games going into play Wednesday, which would give him about 16 for the season. He has one homer every 35 at-bats. Anyone else spot a trend here?

And it's not just the offense that has diminished. In one game against the Cubs this year, he made a throw to home plate from short right field that bounced at the edge of the infield grass, hopped a couple of times and rolled feebly to the catcher.

I know the Reds want to keep Griffey around for his march to 600 homers, but at the rate he's going, they could be in for a long wait.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2125

or at dharris@DaytonDailyNews.com.

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