He's happier and healthier, but will Chone Figgins be better?

PEORIA, Ariz. -- There's no doubt that Chone Figgins seems much happier.

There's no doubt, he says, that he's healthier.

But can Figgins, one of the biggest disappointments in baseball since signing that four-year, $36 million contract, really get back to, as he says, "being the type of player I am"?

Scouts watching the Mariners early in spring training are reserving judgment, even though they say that he does look to be healthy. One scout asked me Friday where Figgins would even fit in the Mariner lineup.

The answer to that seems to be simple, because if Figgins can indeed go back to being the player he was just three years ago with the Angels, they'll make room for him.

They've already opened the leadoff spot up for him, moving Ichiro Suzuki to third in the order. Figgins never seemed to adjust to batting second,

"The leadoff role is huge," he said.

He was a leadoff man with the Angels, of course, and he was a good one. In 2009, Figgins walked 101 times, had a .395 on-base percentage, stole 42 bases and scored 114 runs, second-most in the American League.

He scored just 24 runs last year, tied with Matt Treanor, Luke Scott and Jason Kipnis for 154th in the AL. Mike McCoy, the Blue Jays' utility infielder, scored more runs than Figgins did.

Figgins became the symbol of all that was wrong with the Mariners. Mariner fans wanted him gone, and there's little doubt that if the Mariners could have traded him, they would have.

Instead, he's still here, back with a better attitude and determined to once again become the guy who, as he says, "makes it tough on the other team."

He blames some of his problems on a torn hip labrum that eventually ended his 2011 season. He says he feels 100 percent now, a result of rehabilitation and of strengthening the muscles around the hip.

He has two years and $17 million remaining on that huge contract, along with a 2014 option that would vest if he gets 600 plate appearances in 2013.

That was hard to imagine last year. It's still hard to imagine now.

Then again, who would have imagined that Figgins would decline as quickly as he did?

Is it possible he could recover just as quickly? Is it possible he really could get back to being "the type of player I am"?

Happy and healthy, he's getting a chance to show it.