"With the Texas Rangers finalizing a six-year, $60 million deal with Yu Darvish on Wednesday, it's less likely they'll have the funds needed to also sign star free agent Prince Fielder. Which means the Mariners now have a slightly better chance to snag the hard-hitting first baseman than they did before.

I say "slightly" because, well, Seattle still has many high hurdles to clear for any deal with Fielder.

First of all, there's the money issue. After the Angels signed Albert Pujols for $240 million over 10 years, the salary bar is high for a hot commodity like Fielder. He could be looking for $200 million or more from whatever team eventually signs him. And the Mariners aren't exactly swimming in cash."