"The Mariners have made progress toward a deal with free agent Chone Figgins and are clear frontrunners to sign the third baseman, multiple major league sources told FOXSports.com.

The team and Figgins' representatives engaged in serious talks Thursday. One person briefed on the discussions said he wouldn't be surprised if the sides agreed to a deal of at least four years over the next several days. But he cautioned that there is "nothing done" yet.

The market for third basemen began to take shape earlier Thursday, when Placido Polanco signed a three-year, $18 million contract with the Phillies. Figgins is younger than Polanco and had a better 2009 season, so it's likely that his deal will be worth more than $30 million.

The Angels have maintained interest in retaining Figgins since the free-agent period began, but it doesn't appear that they have offered more than a three-year deal thus far. It's still possible that Angels owner Arte Moreno will counter the Mariners' efforts by authorizing a late push to re-sign Figgins.

The Angels could free up money for Figgins with an 11th-hour trade of outfielder Gary Matthews Jr., who has $23 million left on his contract. But general manager Tony Reagins has tried unsuccessfully for some time to trade Matthews, a .248 hitter over the past three seasons. "