M’s won’t talk about blockbuster, but nobody’s denying it either

9:05 p.m. update

The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that the Phillies are prepared to hold a news conference Wednesday morning at Citizens Bank Park to introduce Roy Halladay.

With that, you would expect announcements from the other teams involved to occur simultaneously. The Inquirer did say that the only thing that may push things back a day could be a delay in the physical exams of the other players involved.

However, I was told this evening that everything should be announced Wednesday. So get ready to see Cliff Lee and that 230-innings-a-year-arm wearing a Mariners jersey, and imagine what next summer may feel like watching Felix Hernandez one night and Lee the next.

It certainly beats the seven-plus innings of Felix and the get-the-pen-up-in-the-fifth of Erik Bedard that M’s fans became accustomed to the past two seasons.

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Safeco Field was the home of ear-to-ear smiles today, and we’re not just talking about newly signed Chone Figgins and his family, who were introduced at a news conference.

There was a clear air of anticipation — and hope, huge amounts of hope — amid reports that star left-hander Cliff Lee would become a Mariner soon. General manager Jack Zduriencik, as you’d expect, refused to talk about reports of the trade that broke Monday afternoon.

“No comment,” Zduriencik said. “Today is all about Chone Figgins.”

Asked if he could understand fans’ thirst for more information and the desire for some kind of confirmation on whether the rampant online reports had merit, Zduriencik again was quick with an answer.

“Absolutely,” he said. “And I have no comment on that.”

There you have it. No confirmation. But one thing we haven’t seen or heard in all this is even the slightest hint of denial.

Look for an announcement Wednesday, with Lee coming to the Mariners, who will send three minor leaguers, pitchers Phillippe Aumont and Juan Ramirez and outfielder Tyson Gillies, to the Phillies.

“We have a lot of balls we’ve been juggling,” Zduriencik said. “We’ve had a lot of discussions going on, a lot of options, looking at them and investigating, and at this moment in time this (the Figgins signing) is one that’s in the fold.”

Some other odds and ends from today’s gathering:

—Figgins came across as a humble and extremely thankful guy (who wouldn’t when you’re getting $36 million over four years?). He brought his parents to the news conference and had them stand, then thanked everyone from Angels ownership to the Mariners’ head groundskeeper. I haven’t heard a spiel like that since Jimmy Johnson thanked every sponsor down to the tag on his underwear for helping him win the NASCAR title last month. Still, the first impression of Figgins is that he’s a polite, thank-you-sir, high-character kind of guy who’s happy to be here.

And yes, he’s thrilled that Cliff Lee is on the way and like many fans hasn’t been able to stay away from the stream of online reports of the trade.

“I’m a baseball fan first, so I keep up with all of it,” he said.

—I’ve been hearing a growing degree of concern over the state of first baseman Russell Branyan’s back, and Zduriencik didn’t exactly say anything today to change that. Branyan missed the final month because of a herniated disc and he has been undergoing considerable therapy at home near Nashville this offseason. What does Zduriencik know of Branyan’s condition?

“We know quite a bit,” he said. “I don’t know where all this is going to end up or how this club is going to look when we open spring training. But Russell is one of those players we’ve had talks with. Russell is working hard to get himself … healthy, if you will. Any time a player ends the season injured, there’s always rehab and question marks. I know he’s working hard. We’ve talked a few times this winter and he’s working hard to get himself in shape.”

The Mariners offered a one-year contract, but Branyan is seeking more than that.

—Ken Griffey Jr. has lost 6-8 pounds this offseason and the range of motion in his left knee is better now than at any point during the season, trainer Rick Griffin said. Griffin visited Griffey last week at his home in Florida.

“I think this is going to make a difference in how he feels overall,” Griffin said. “He won’t have as much inflammation in his legs.”

Griffey had surgery in October to remove a bone spur from the knee. He told Griffin that he hoped to lose 15 pounds by spring training, which would put him at about 220.

—Griffin said catcher Rob Johnson is recovering well from operations to both hips, but the team will remain cautious throughout spring training because of all the bending/squatting required to play the position.

—Zduriencik said outfielder Ryan Langerhans, who wasn’t tendered a contract, may re-sign with the Mariners soon.

“We have a strong desire to bring Ryan back, and I would hope that would get done in the next couple of days,” Zduriencik said.