Could Detroit Tigers hitting coach Lloyd McClendon be a candidate for the Seattle Mariners' managerial opening?  On his Freep blog, Jon Paul Morosi points out that McClendon played for the Pittsburgh Pirates while new Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik was the team's scouting director.

Asked about McClendon during this week's GM meetings in California, Zduriencik had nice things to say about him.

“I’ve known Lloyd and I’m very proud of the job he did when he had a chance to become a manager,” Zduriencik said, in reference to McClendon’s tenure as the Pittsburgh manager (2001-2005).

“We’ve kept in touch – not a lot – more socially, when we run into each other at different places.  We’ve always gotten along well.”

And when Dave Dombrowski was asked if he'd grant permission for the Mariners to interview McClendon (which Detroit would have to, since he's under contract for next season), the Tigers GM said he would.

For now, however, this is pure speculation, trying to connect the dots.  Nothing has been reported on this from the Seattle side of the scenario.