February 18 2011 Last updated at 03:41 PM ET
PEORIA, Ariz. -- The last time Milton Bradley and Eric Wedge were receiving paychecks from the same company, they butted heads so fiercely that their employer, the Cleveland Indians, had to pick between the two.
That was back in 2003, and the Indians wound up keeping Wedge and letting Bradley go. Fast forward to 2011. Wedge is the new manager of the Seattle Mariners and Bradley is the club's second highest-paid player.
Can the two coexist?
Based on the words each uttered Friday, the day before the Mariners start their full squad workout -- or try to; there's a 80-90 percent chance of rain -- there will be a sincere effort on both sides to work together.
They were full of complimentary praise for each other. Bradley wouldn't talk about his January arrest for making threats to his wife and Wedge said simply that issue is something that the outfielder would have to deal with.
But it seems clear that Wedge doesn't believe there will be an issue with Bradley on the field, past history notwithstanding. Bradley is being paired off with Michael Saunders, a promising prospect eight years Bradley's junior in a battle that will see the winner as the club's regular left fielder.
"If he's healthy, there's no question that Milton can have the greatest impact,'' Wedge said when asked about Bradley's competition with Saunders. "The first thing I asked him about when he got here (Thursday) was his health. We need him to be in a good place physically.''
The talent is there, no question about it, for Bradley to be someone who can hit in the middle of the Mariners' lineup. But he has to be at his best, and it's going to be difficult if the knee isn't recovered from surgery last Aug. 17 and if his temper isn't under control.
Wedge and Bradley have talked several times since the former Indians manager came on board. Both men say their previous problems took place a full continent away and almost a decade ago. Both say they have no problem moving on.
" If he's [ Bradley] healthy, there's no question that Milton can have the greatest impact. The first thing I asked him about when he got here (Thursday) was his health. We need him to be in a good place physically.''
--Eric Wedge Bradley on Friday made it sound like he was on Wedge's P.R. team.
"I've talked to him some,'' Bradley said. "I'm glad he's here. We needed that discipline. We got a little lax last year.''
Uh, yeah. Bradley was one of those, at least when he walked out on the club after manager Don Wakamatsu replaced him with a pinch-hitter mid-game. He came back less than 24 hours later, asking Wakamatsu and general manager Jack Zduriencik for some time to deal with personal issues, which turned out to be his needing to take anger management classes before he was allowed to play again.
He returned to active status several weeks later, but he was never able to contribute in a big way because of his bum knee.
Asked about the role he expects to play in the lineup this season, Bradley said that was an issue that concerned the media more than it concerned him, then added, "I'm not trying to hit ninth."
Wedge may well see Bradley as a middle-of-the-lineup guy with his high on-base potential and occasional power potential maybe making him a No. 3 hitter in a lineup that doesn't have a true No. 3 guy. And while the Mariners went out to get Jack Cust, late of the A's, as their DH, Wedge said Friday that Bradley, a switch-hitter, could see some time at DH in addition to playing left field.
In that scenario, Bradley would get some at-bats instead of the left-handed Cust against left-handed pitchers.
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