Milton Bradley Keeps Low Profile in Arrival at Mariners' Camp

PEORIA, Ariz. -- There are three big screens in the Mariners' clubhouse in the Peoria Stadium Complex, and on none of them Thursday was the arrival of newsmaking left fielder Milton Bradley even a glimmer.

It was all about Detroit's Miguel Cabrera, who is in the headlines after an arrest, reportedly for drunk driving. What will the Tigers do with Cabrera, who has a history of alcohol trouble, including late in the 2009 season when Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski had to pick him up at a police station during a pivotal series against the Minnesota Twins?

And it was all about Albert Pujols, the St. Louis slugger surrounded by television cameras because he and the Cardinals can't get together on a contract extension, meaning the 31-year-old Pujols will be the free agent of the decade when his contract with St. Louis ends after this season.

Just because it wasn't about Bradley in Peoria Thursday doesn't mean the Mariners get a free pass on this one. Bradley, after all, was arrested on a felony charge of making threats against his wife in January. He isn't expected to face criminal charges, although he still must meet with the district attorney in Los Angeles, where the whole thing came down back on Jan 19.

Other than a few hellos, Bradley didn't talk to the media Thursday and he probably will not be talking about the incident much ever -- his attorney has advised him against it.

That doesn't mean that the questions won't be asked, though, and any time that happens, there's always a chance for a headline, depending on the question and the response.

Seattle Manager Eric Wedge said he'd talked with Bradley early Thursday but did not get into specifics. Wedge and Bradley were together in Cleveland when the two had a major falling-out.

Both sides have indicated they believe they can work with each other. That will start Saturday when the Mariners take the field for the first full team workout of the spring.

John Hickey | Twitter: @JHickey3

John is a National Baseball Writer for AOL FanHouse. He covered the Seattle Mariners from 2000-2009 for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, and seattlepostglobe.org and the Oakland A's for two decades at the Oakland Tribune and The Daily Review (Hayward, CA). He is a multiple Associated Press Sports Editors award winner for his baseball coverage. A member of the Baseball Writers Association of America, he is a Hall of Fame voter.