With this season’s signing of Ken Griffey Jr., the Mariners signaled that

With this season’s signing of Ken Griffey Jr., the Mariners signaled that as long as the team is going to rebuild, it might as well throw fans a nostalgic bone in the process. So now that Carlos Silva’s awful Seattle career looks about over, another suggestion: As long as the M’s are intent on carrying an overweight, washed-up Venezuelan pitcher on its roster, why not sign Freddy Garcia to replace him? Garcia, who won 89 games (plenty more than Silva has notched in his entire career) for the M’s back in his (and the team’s) heyday, recently flamed out in the Mets’ minor league system, and could be had on the cheap, thus cushioning the hit the club will take for eating Silva’s salary for the next couple years — assuming El Gordito doesn’t eat it first himself. Plus, Garcia is sure to be a one-man stimulus to the Pioneer Square’s flagging economy, at least after he showers. Bringing back Carlos Guillen would double that fun, come to think of it.