Moving Ichiro would be smart, but Mariners likely won't ship him

"He's a very valuable asset to us."

Ichiro, in his own quirky way, says that he is not surprised that the notion of trading him might arise in an off-the-tracks season such as this.

"I haven't heard that, but what I think about it is that when things are not going well, many people have different ideas, and that's only natural," he says. "If a crow has thought it, it would surprise me. But since it's human beings, it does not surprise me."

He could not resist, though, getting in a dig, in his unique way establishing that, even at 34, he's better than a package of young players.

"All those younger prospects people talk about, I'd probably have more youthful movements than them," he said, smiling. "The way I move probably would be younger." Most likely, it's nothing he will have to consider.

"Our plan for Ichiro is for him to lead us back to the playoffs," Armstrong says. "That's what he wants, and it's what we want."