Gillick's name popping up in Mariners' rumored future

SEATTLE -- The supposition is that Mariners CEO Howard Lincoln and president Chuck Armstrong will name a permanent general manager to replace Bill Bavasi sometime between now and shortly after the season ends.

Don't look now, but Pat Gillick might find himself back with Seattle. (Getty Images)

One fascinating rumor making the industry rounds has an investment group led by Microsoft executive and current Mariners minority owner Chris Larson and former Seattle GM Pat Gillick taking control of the Mariners sometime in the near future, with Gillick running the baseball operation and naming the new GM.

As the story goes, Hiroshi Yamauchi, retired head of the game company Nintendo, is looking to get out of the baseball business and is intent on selling his controlling share of the Mariners. Larson, it is said, wants to become the controlling owner.

Gillick, currently the GM in Philadelphia, has told the Phillies that he intends to retire at the conclusion of this season.

Fueling the Seattle chatter is that Gillick, a Canadian citizen, has sold the dream retirement house that he had custom-built in Toronto -- and his wife, Doris, has sold the art gallery that she owned in Toronto.

Gillick is notoriously close-to-the-vest on most things, and one source close to him says, "I have no idea what Pat's plans are."

One source close to the Mariners says that the club's decision to award catcher Kenji Johjima a three-year, $24 million contract in April was based solely on the Japanese ownership group's desire to take care of him before getting out, and that the baseball operations people wanted no part of extending Johjima.

Stay tuned.