Mariners Offseason Assessment

Well, it looks like the Mariners are done with this offseason, as far as acquisitions go. Time to take a look at what they've done, and maybe what they could've done, or should've done.

12/20/07 Signed P Carlos Silva to four year deal worth $48M with option for 2012

Is there anything that bad with this signing? I'm not a huge fan of the $48M, but $12M a season is almost becoming the average rate for a good starter these days. He'll be 29 this season, and has put up decent numbers over the past couple seasons with the Twins. His best ability is eating up innings. Over his last four seasons with the Twins, he's averaged about 195 IP, and gone over 200 twice. His career ERA of 4.31 isn't good, but the Mariners decided that Jeff Weaver was a great oppurtunity at about the same time last year that they signed Silva. his career record of 55-46 isn't bad, considering that he's been on a iffy team over the last few years. He had a solid defence, offence and bullpen backing him up, so we may be able to see him touch 15 wins for the first time in his career. The improved defence, and spacious Safeco Field should bring down his ERA to maybe under 4, but around that. Silva won't strike out too many, but he won't walk many either. His K/9 is 3.97, while his BB/9 is 1.60. He also doesn't give up many HR's, only 20 in 202 IP last season. He should have little problem topping 30-33 starts in 2008. He isn't an ace, but a very good number 3 starter for the M's.

Grade: B+

12/6/07 Selected P RA Dickey from the Twins in Rule 5 Draft

RA Dickey was set to battle for a rotation spot, but that dream faded fast when the Mariners acquired Erik Bedard. Dickey is now in competition for the long reliever spot in the bullpen. Dickey wasn't bad with Nashville (AAA) in '07. 13-6 with a 3.72 ERA in 169.1 IP. The 33 year old hasn't had much of an MLB career. He's bounced around the Majors a bit, posting a 16-19 record with a 5.72 ERA in 266 IP. The Mariners will have to offer Dickey back to the Twins if he is not on the Opening Day roster, or 40 man roster or something. Again, Dickey would look better if their was still a rotation spot to compete for. Instead, the knuckleballer is competing for a bullpen spot.

Grade C+

1/8/08 Signed INF Miguel Cairo to a one year contract

I thought we had this guy already, but his name was Willie Bloomquist. I'm not huge on Cairo, because he was signed to a garunteed contract, pushing guys like Jeremy Reed and Mike Morse down the depth chart. The 33 year old has been with a lot of organizations over his career, including the Mariners a few years ago. A career .267/.315/.359 hitter with little power or speed, and not a knock-your-socks-off defender either. I can't imagine this guy doing a lot to help out this team, but Bavasi needs to have his mediocre or poor signing every winter. Like I said, I can't imagine that this guy will be that helpful to this team.

Grade C

1/10/08 Re-signed RHP Chris Reitsma to a Minor League contract with an invitation to Spring Training

Can't say too much about Reitsma. This will be his second stint with the Mariners. He spent most of 2007 on the DL, and wasn't anything special in the 23.2 IP he managed with the Mariners last season. Over his career, he hasn't been great, but he hasn't been that terrible either. A career ERA of 4.70 in 696 IP isn't great, but after injuries, and being in the Reds' and Braves' organizations, he doesn't look that bad. He is looking for a bullpen job, but may have to settle for Tacoma.

Grade Incomplete

1/15/08 Re-signed LHP Arthur Rhodes to a Minor League contract and invited him to Spring Training

Same thing for Rhodes as Reitsma. He's been up and down with multiple organizations. he's had a few good years, MVP in 1997. Injuries have worn him down a bit, but does the 38 year old have anything left? He didn't pitch in 2007 because of injuries. A career ERA of 4.31 in 1011 IP looks alright. I'm just not too sure what he will be able to do for this organization.

Grade Incomplete

1/18/08 Signed LHP Horacio Ramirez to a one-year contract

Sigh. Do I really have to look at Ho-Ram? He looked okay when he was brought in last winter from the Braves for Rafeal Soriano, in a trade that can now be considered a loss. Horrd 7.61 ERA last season. He did manage an 8-7 record though. In 98 IP, he gave up a ton of hits, 139 to be exact, and walked 42 batters. just terrible numbers. He's in the race for the long relief spot, and the hope is that new pitching coach Mel Stottlemyer could help him became a decent pitcher.

Grade F

1/31/08 Signed free agent OF Brad Wilkerson to a one-year contract worth $3M

Finally an alright signing by Bavasi. Well, now that I've taken a look at his stats, he looks a tad less than alright of a signing. A career .250/.354/.451 hitter with a bit of pop in his bat, but not too much speed but some ability with the glove. Wilkerson is close but not garunteed the Mariners' starting right field job. The main factor is Wladimir Balentien, who if he can show enought his Spring, could be in a platoon role with Wilkerson. I can see this signing work out okay. Wilkerson is only 30 years old, and has only had one real injury problem with his shoulder back in 2006. If he can get his average up to about .275, and put up around 20 HR's and 60 RBI's, maybe that's wishfull thinking, this signing may be considered a win. I don't expect Wilkerson to replace Jose Guillen's 30 HR and 100 RBI for last season. Wilkerson can play all outfield positions and first base, so he may be moved around a bit.

Grade. C+

2/8/08 Acquired LHP Erik Bedard from the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for OF Adam Jones, LHP George Sherrill), RHP Chris Tillman, RHP Kam Mickolio and LHP Tony Butler

The 'Big One', and maybe the determining factor in Bill Bvasi's future, was the mortgaging of the farm for lefty Erik Bedard. Bedard is coming off of a Cy Young caliber year, and looks to possibly improve on his 13-5 record with a 3.16 ERA and 221 K's in 182 IP, before being shut down for the lst couple weeks of the season with an elbow injury. Great pitcher, but they give up a lot. Adam Jones will be missed five-ten years from now, George Sherrill leaves a huge hole, and the other three could turn out alright a little while from now. Bottem line is, the Mariners want to win in 2008 and have made the push, that will put them over the hump, and get them into the playoffs. For 2008, best acquisition, but in 2013...

Grade A+++++++++++++++++++++++

2/13/08 Signed IF/DH Greg Norton to a Minor League contract with an invitation to Spring Training

Nortan adds some competition for the bench role, but will likely end up at AAA. I don;t have much to say about Nortan, but he looks like he could be a decent veteran presence in the clubhouse, or for the younger guys down in Tacoma.

Grade C

2/16/08 Claimed RHP Anderson Garcia off waivers from the Philadelphia Phillies

More competition for a bullpen job, and some depth. Nothing wrong with this pickup here.

Grade C

2/19/08 Signed OF Bubba Crosby to a Minor League contract with an invitation to Spring Training

Okay... Why? Some depth I guess.

Grade C

I'll come back to this post is October, or November depending on what circumstances we face, and see how these guys impact he team.

Fantasy Plus: Erik Bedard

Next up in the Fantasy Plus series, is Erik Bedard. Bedard will open the season for the M's, as the rotation's new ace. Bedard established himself last season as a fantasy stud.

CBSSports.com

Bedard said he didn't change anything from his previous start. He had fewer words than pitches -- he threw 38, 26 for strikes. His ground rules for the session: "You've got four questions." Why four? "That's one," Bedard said. "I was throwing the same as last time," he said during the 78 seconds he made himself available. "They just weren't hitting them today." Continue to draft the strikeout artist among the top 10 pitchers in Fantasy despite his so-so start to the spring.

ESPN.com

Though it cost them perhaps more in talent than it did the Mets to acquire Johan Santana, the Mariners nevertheless paid the steep bounty to get Bedard to install him as staff ace. Not that it was a poor move; he shifts to a ballpark and a pitching staff better suited to his talents. Bedard has ranked a fantasy ace -- a clear No. 1 type -- since June 2007, and on the road, he has a 1.07 WHIP and .205 BAA in his past 24 starts, awfully encouraging numbers. The case can be made he's the American League's top fantasy starter.

MLB.com

Going from Baltimore to Seattle is a huge step up for Bedard, who will now enjoy the benefits spacious Safeco Field and greater run support. Coming off a career year in which he registered 221 strikeouts despite missing all of September, Bedard is a good bet to build on his success in Seattle, with 20 wins in the realm of possibilities.

AOL Sports

Bedard's quote basically sums up his season and his career. At times, he's had "it" and performed very well for fantasy owners – such as when he was 4-0 with a 2.77 ERA and 18 strikeouts through his first four starts of this year. At other times, the 27-year-old southpaw hasn't had "it" – like his last six starts, when he's gone 1-3 with a 7.04 ERA, 15 strikeouts, and 17 walks. Few things irk fantasy owners as much as inconsistency, and Bedard is definitely testing our patience.

My Analysis

Erik Bedard coming to Seattle strongly improves his fantasy value. Safeco Field will help bring down his home run rate, and a strong defence behind him also helps. Not to mention a solid bullpen that will save a few games for you. Bedard is almost an ace. To me, it takes atleast two seasons of domanince to be considered an "ace". A Cy Young award would help that. Don't be afraid to use a high pick on him, as he will most likely not dissapoint you. Did I mention that he's Canadian, eh?

"Mariners Will Win AL West"

I heard Steve Phillips today on SportsCenter talking some baseball, and went over the best offseason acquisitions. Naturally, Johan Santana was the best acquisition in the NL, and Phillips said that Erik Bedard was the best in the AL. This may not be quite as exact as he said, but here goes:

The Mariners acquisition of Erik Bedard will put them over the hump, which will allow them to win the AL West.

Pretty strong words. He didn't even mention the Angels being of some competition. I agree on how much Bedard's coming here makes this team better, including pushing Felix Hernendez back a spot relieving him of some of the potential pressure, and not to mention Bedard's abilities on the mound. Looking forward to Opening Day. The Mariners' first Spring Training game is tomorrow!!!

PS: Sorry for not having a link for this.

Bedard Gets Deal

The Mariners avoided arbitration with Erik Bedard, signing him to a new contract. But not the contract that everyone has been hoping for, as in the long term. Bedard gets a one year deal worth $7M. Bedard had wanted $6M. I can tell you that the Orioles were offering $6M to Bedard. There wasn't a figure that Seattle submitted that I have been made aware of. If anyone has a link for any dollar amount that the Mariners had, then leave it in the comments.

Bedard made $3.4M with Baltimore last season. The Mariners inherited Bedard's arbitration eligable situation when they acquired him.

Assesing the Bedard Trade; Part VI

Time for our final assesment of the Erik Bedard trade. The rest of the assesments can be seen in these links; Part I, Part II, Part III, Part VI, and Part V. The final analysis will be on the biggest name in the trade, Erik Bedard.

I can't really do this assesment like I did four of the previous five, because Bedard is not a prospect. But anyways... In three MLB seasons, Bedard has not been able to get over the 200 inning mountain. In 2005,'06, and '07, he had 141.2, 196.1, and 182 innings pitched respectively. I guess you can and you can't call 196 IP a 200 season. It's almost there, but that's what my feeling on Bedard is, he's a pitcher that is almost ready to be a greater pitcher. A solid Mariners team may be able to get him over that hump. His stats in 2007 where remarkable; in 182 IP, he had 221 K's (franchise record), a 13-5 record, and gave up less than a HR per nine, and only a 1.09 WHIP. Pretty good numbers to me. His 2006 season, wasn't bad. 15-11, 3.76 ERA, 171 K's. Again, not bad. For you fantasy geeks, including myself, here is what CBSSports says about Bedard:

Bedard went 13-5 with a 3.16 ERA last year and was third in the AL in strikeouts (221) while allowing a league-low 6.97 hits per nine innings. A move to a contender in Seattle will make Bedard a potential 17-game winner and solidify his spot among the top 10 starting pitchers in Fantasy Baseball. It was harder to trust a Fantasy ace on a bad team like the O's.

Now for my take on Bedard. Erik Bedard is a great Canadian pitcher, with amazing skills. He has the ability to be an ace pitcher. He won't have the pressure of 'ace' as King Felix is number two, and the three other pitchers, Washburn, Batista, and Silva, make up a solid rotation. Not to mention that Seattle has a better lineup and team behind Bedard than Baltimore had. Bedard should become a 17-20 win pitcher with an ERA of around 2.50-3.00 with over 200 K's. If he can get over that 200 inning mark, he will finally get that load off of his shoulders. Bedard needs one more great season to become a true ace. A Cy Young, or a couple playoff victories could help out his case.

Assesing the Bedard Trade; Part V

It's time for the almost final assesment of the Erik Bedard trade (Part I, Part II, Part III, Part VI). I will in all likelihood be finished with this before Spring Training begins, so we can focus on thos down in Peoria. Just as a sidenote; for a week in March, I will be away from this blog as I am going down to Arizona for Spring Training. Just to make you all jealous. Now for Kam Mickolio.

Mickolio looks to be the Orioles' most ready pitching prospect acquired in the Erik Bedard trade. The 6'9" righty tore up AA in 2007, with an ERA of 1.82 in 29.2 IP, while averaging almost a strikeout an inning, and gave up no HR's. His record was 3-1. He jumped up to AAA and went 3-3 with a 3.75 ERA in 24 IP. He gave up 3 HR, and averaged more than a K/IP. He looks to be at AAA to start the 2008 season. The Orioles may try at AA for a few minuted before getting him up to AAA. He could see some MLB action in 2008, and will get a serious look come September. He could be an MLB regular in 2009. I'm sorry, but I don't have a review of Mickolio's pitches for you. I will keep digging though. Now for my thoughts;

Mickolio represents a very good talent. He will likely be a career reliever, but may get to close. He can strike out almost anyone, and as the speed on his fastball improves, he will begin to be more of a strikeout pitcher. I see Mickolio as a part of the Orioles bullpen in 2009. Unless he has a crazy spring, expect to see him in The Show come September. He could be a dominent pitcher in a couple years.

Assesing the Bedard Trade; Part IV

Time for round four of the Bedard trade assesment. The previous parts are below:

Part I - Adam Jones

Part II - Chris Tillman

Part III - George Sherrill

Now it's time for Part IIII, Tony Butler. Here is what RotoWorld has to say about Butler.

A third-round back in 2006, Butler struggled with his control last season and missed time with arm problems, but is a 6-foot-7 southpaw who works with a low-90s fastball. If his control improves and his secondary pitches develop further, Butler has a chance to be a No. 2 starter. As a hard-throwing left-hander he could also fall back into a bullpen niche if some of the rough edges can't be smoothed out, but at just 20 years old he'll get every opportunity to prove that he can stick in the rotation long term.

Like Chris Tillman, Butler is not near ready for the majors yet. He is still floating around A ball, and hasn't truly blown away everyone yet. He has the tools to become a solid pitcher in a few years. He still needs another year, probably two, maybe even three more seasons in the minors before he is ready for the majors. He is what ProspectInsider has to say about Butler's pitches:

Fastball: 60/75

Butler’s fastball reaches the low 90s, and in time could naturally grow into a mid-90s offering where he can reach back and get to 97 or 98. Velocity isn’t everything, however, as it’s much more critical that he stays on top of his heater and attacks the bottom of the strike zone. He’s already showing as a flyball pitcher, but he can’t let the ratios get out of hand.
His 4-seamer has decent movement, but adding a two-seamer to feed his ground ball ratio wouldn’t be bad idea.

Curve Ball: 55/70

Currently his out pitch, Butler’s curve ball isn’t a true 12-6 breaking ball, but is certainly a curve, not a slider, as has been reported elsewhere. After a 93-mph four-seamer, try hanging in to fight off a 1-7 curve ball with sharp, late action breaking down and out of the zone. Yeah, that’s a good pitch, and it’s only going to get better.
His breaking ball might be his bread and butter and his magic carpet to The Show.

Change: 45/55
The fact that Butler feels good enough about his change-up to throw it as much as he has of late, is a great sign that he understands how important changing speeds truly is for any pitcher.
The club asked him to back off the breaking ball a little bit, so he’s pretty much using fastball-change as he finishes off the year. Considering the fact that he still isn’t getting hit…

Now, it's the part of the show where I tell you my thoughts on Tony Butler. I see the tall lefty to be a successful pitcher in a few years. He has a good arsenal of pitches, but still needs a bit of work with his command, but that will come with experience. Butler is another one of those prospects that could be rushed up to AAA or even the MLB, but shouldn't. The Orioles should take this guy slowly, and watch him succeed further down the road, instead of tomorrow. I think that a comparable pitcher to Butler could be Scott Kazmir. Both show the same qualities; tall, left handed, strong arm, and an overall good pitcher. Look for Butler in 2010 or 2011.

Assesing the Bedard Trade; Part III

This could almost be considered a series now. Part I covered the Adam Jones angle on the trade, and Part II covered Chris Tillman. Now Part III will be George Sherrill.

George Sherrill has been a big part of the Mariners' bullpen over the last couple seasons as a set-up man. Sherrill appeared in 73 games, and had an ERA of 2.36 while on average facing one to two batters a game. Sherrill will only be 31 this season, so he still has gas left in the tank. He's expected to be the Orioles' new closer in 2008, although he hasn't done much closing in his career, only for bits at a time with Tacoma (AAA). He could turn out to be a decent 30 save guy with a little bit of work. The Mariners are losing a very religable pitcher who seems to be allergic to injuries. The Orioles pick up what the Mariners lose. Sherrill will also be a solid mentor fir some of the Orioles younger pitchers. The Orioles now have a solid bullpen of veterans. The reason why the Sherrill part of this trade is so short, is because the other players are rookies that need almost like a preview. Not to lower Sherrill's value or anything, but there just isn't too much to say about him.

Assesing the Bedard Trade; Part II

Time for Part II in our assesment of the Erik Bedard trade. You can find the first part here, which was about Adam Jones. Next up, is pitching prospect Chris Tillman that Baltimore recieved in the trade.

Chris Tillman, the 6'5" righty that was picked in the second round by the Mariners in the 2006 Amateur Draft, was seen as a medium first round pick, but lucky for the Mariners, he fell through an extra round. Tillman has a fastball at about 90 MPH, and a great breaking ball. He has also been working on a splitter or changeup to compliment his other pitches. Because of Tillman's size, he can rely on his skill to make his pitches instead of having to overwork his arm and elbow, which would likely lead to injuries.

Tillman doesn't appear to be much more than a high quality prospect at this point in time. He hasn't pitched higher than A+ so far, and hasn't truly dominated at A Ball based on his statistics. Like I said, he doesn't appear to be someone that the Mariners will regret trading, but he will only be 20 years old in 2008, which is still very young. He needs another year or two in the minors before we can really expect much from him as a force in the majors.

Jason Churchill of Prospect Insider gives his take on Chris Tillman here. Here is what he thinks of Tillman's pitches:

Fastball: Tillman sat anywhere from 90-93 in his pro debut last season, occasionally touching 94 or 95, which could ultimately become his average fastball. He’s a candidate to learn the art of the two-seamer in order to induce more ground balls, but the club sees him as the type of pitcher, being taller, who can learn to stay on top of his pitches and keep the ball down, so a different heater may not be necessary.

With plus velocity, Tillman has the makings of a very good four-seamer.Grade: 60/65+

Curve: Tillman’s 12-6 style curve is his bread and butter and is thrown in the 75-77 mph range – potentially a true power curve. As always, his command of the pitch needs improvement, but it’s got sharp, late break and solid depth, though it may endure some altering on his path to the show.

The Mariners do not want to see their kids throw too many curves or sliders, so watch for Tillman to be asked to use his curve sparingly, particularly later in the year as his workload tops out.Grade: 55/65

Splitter: Tillman began throwing a split-finger in high school, but the M’s prefer he learns a true change to save his valuable arm as he continues to mature physically. In a few years, they’ll remove the limitations and the better bet is that he sticks with the splitter, as a true change, usually of the circle grip variety, is much more difficult to master.
He can throw the true changeup and will be asked to develop it further.Grade: 45/55

Now for my take on Chris Tillman. Tillman is a pitcher that is very mature for his age. He could be someone that shoots up the minor leagues in 2008. He has two great pitches, his fastball and curve, that have been developed well, but still have soom room to go in terms of control. As he develops his changeup/splitter, he will become a pitcher that can dominate the strike zone because of his size, and the abilities of his pitches. Once he matures, he should have the abilities to be a solid number two or three pitcher in the rotation. He doesn't appear to be a bonafide ace pitcher of a prospect, but things could change, going up, or down. He probably won't see the bigs in '08, but may get a taste in '09. Probably by 2010, he will be somewhere between a AAA Ace, and an MLB starter.

Assesing the Bedard Trade; Part I

Since there isn't too much hotstove going on for the Mariners, I'm going to access this trade, and break it down. First, we are going to look at the players that Baltimore recieved in the trade. First, we will be starting with the centerpiece of the trade.

OF Adam Jones

As I noted, Adam Jones was the centerpiece of this trade, as he was told by the Mariners. Jones was the Mariners' first round pick in 2003 (37th overall), and quickly sped his way through the Mariners' organization. He only needed a short season with Everett, and after playing Fall Ball, he encountered his first test at the age of 18, with Wisconson in the MidWest League, where he had solid numbers 11 HR 72 RBI .267/.314/.404. The next season, at the young age of 19, he started at AA, and established himself as a top prospect. His stats for that year, getting 271 AB's at High A and 228 at AA, were 17 HR 70 RBI .275/.328/.456 1with 6 SB. He continued to be noticed. He came up to the Majors, but was blown away. So, at age 20, he was with AAA Tacoma, where he shined once again, hitting .287/.345/.484 with 16 HR, 62 RBI and 13 SB. He improved his discipline behind the plate, and continued his improvement on his deffence. ESPN's Keith Law had this to say about Adam Jones:

He's an exciting player. Outstanding defensive center fielder with a 7 arm (2-8 scale, 8 is the best) and tremendous range. At the plate he's got a very quick bat and average power already, projecting plus in the future, but struggles some with pitch recognition and can be beaten with breaking stuff. He's going to be a star, but he's the type of guy who can have a lot of ups and downs as he adjusts to big-league pitching, especially since he hasn't really been challenged in the minors.

Adam Jones was given a B+ grade by John Sickels in his 2007 Baseball Prospect Book. He notes that Jones had significant strike zone issues in his first exposure to the majors, which must be fixed if he wants to have some long term success. John also advises that Jones has a great glove, and runs the risk of being miscast as a leadoff hitter.

My take on Adam Jones: A player who is too good for the minors, but needs a bit of improvement if he is to suceed in the majors. He has the potential to be a star for the next ten to fifteen years. He has an above average glove, and an amazing arm. He has great speed, but may not be quite qualified enough to be a leadoff hitter. He has above average power, but won't be the next Vladimir Guerrerro. He can hit for average, and may be able to go over .300 a few times. Maybe not in 2008, maybe not even in '09, but come 2010, Adam Jones will probably be a household name.

More to come...

Mariners Talking Extension With Bedard

As most of us should expect, the Mariners are working on a contract that would keep newly acquired pitcher Erik Bedard in Seattle for more than the next two years, according to Ken Rosenthal. It is still uncertain on whether or not the Orioles tried to give Bedard an extension before they traded him.

What is a guy like Bedard going to cost? The bar for an ace pitcher under 30 years of age, is between $18-20M annually. Bedard could easily get that much. I hate that as soon as a player has a great season, he is considered to be an ace. Anyway, Bedard's closest comparable would likely be CC Sabathia, who has one more year left before he can reach free agency.

MLBTradeRumors says:

If Bedard wants to maximize his dollars and has confidence in his 2008 season, he'll be best-served to wait and see what Sabathia does.

Erik Bedard Trade Official

Finally, the Mariners have finished their trade for Erik Bedard. Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports confirms that Bedard passed his physical completeing the trade that has gone on for a while now. The players going over to Baltimore are Adam Jones, George Sherrill, Chris Tillman, Kameron Mickolio, and Tony Butler. The Cubs will be looking to get a deal to bring Brian Roberts to the Chicago. The Erik Bedard trade being completed should mean that a Brian Roberts trade will be happening soon. Wow. Now that this trade is over, most of the Mariners' hot-stove will finished. My whole Erik Bedard tag will basically come to an end. It's hard to believe that this trade almost took a month.

My reaction to the Bedard trade? I like Bedard, especially the fact that he relieves the pressure off of Felix Hernendez to be the ace. If Bedard can stay healthy, he could win 20 games. I really like what Bedard brings to the table, and gives the Mariners a very formidable rotation. I'm in favour of the Mariners going for it now, seeing as they have the pieces together, it makes sense. I'd say that maybe not in 2008, or in 2009, but if Bedard leaves two year from now, and Adam Jones is tearing it up, there will be some hate-mail in Bill Bavasi's inbox. Your reactions?

Bedard In Seattle!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Finally. The Seattle PI is reporting that Erik Bedard was heading to Seattle as of Thursday morning for a physical. The Baltimore Sun says that Bedard is in Seattle for the physical, which will likely carry over into tomorrow. If Bedard is in Seattle, it looks like Baltimore was satisfied with George Sherrill and Adam Jones' physicals.

I'm not surprised that Bedard's physical could go into tomorrow. If I was trading for a player of that magnitude, and giving up what the Mariners are, I'd be checking over Bedard for the rest of February. It looks like the Mariners will be sending Adam Jones, George Sherrill, Chris Tillman, Kam Mickilio, and Tony Butler. I still think that that's a lot to give up. Hopefully Bedard gets an extension soon.

Almost over........

Still Waiting

The Erik Bedard saga seems to have no end. According to John Hickey of the Seattle PI, this trade most likely won't be finalized untill Friday at the earliest. Bedard is still believed to be at his home in Ottawa, Ontario (Canada) and won't travel to Seattle for his physical untill Thursday. With his physical potentially on Thursday, an announcement won't come untill Thursday evening or Friday. No word or words yet on how Adam Jones and George Sherrill's physicals went. Has a trade taken this long in any sport?

According to the Baltimore Examiner, today was the target day for the Orioles to try and get this trade finished. This is a very slow process.

Erik Bedard Trade Might be Almost Done

Your daily update of Erik Bedard rumors. It's amazing that everyday, we get the same stuff being repeated by different people. Today isn't really any different.

Jeff Zrebiac of the Baltimore Sun says that the two teams have agreed to the framework of the trade. He says that according to his sources, there will be five players headed to Baltimore. He also says that the deal isn't official yet, mainly because the physicals have not been taken.

Roch Kubatko of the Baltimore Sun says that Bedard was expected to take his physical today, also saying that this deal is almost done.

The Baltimore Sun now says that Erik Bedard has not taken his physical. The same newspaper can't agree with itself, or, it keeps bsing misinformed. Apparently, Bedard is still at his home in Ontario.

John Hickey of the Seattle PI also agrees that the Bedard trade is almost done.

Erik Bedard Trade Almost Done, For REAL

It's getting close to the end of this saga, as the Mariners quest for an ace pitcher is almost complete. But not according to an article on the Baltimore Sun that was posted earlier today. This article says that no one has taken their physicals yet. It seems that nobody on the Oriole side of this trade thinks that players are or have taken physicals. The Sun then makes a 180, and says that the trade is pending physicals, and Adam Jones is heading to Baltimore to take his.

Geoff Baker checks in with us, sort of confirming Jones going to Baltimore to take his physical, and also saying that the rumors that had Brian Roberts added into the deal aren't true. I don't think that many people thought that they were true in the first place.

Geoff Baker also says that George Sherrill is in Baltimore to take a physical, and Chris Tillman is in the deal. He now confirms that Jones and Sherrill have taken physicals in Baltimore.

Sean Welsh of the Baltimore Examiner says that this trade won't be finalized today, but should be soon.

Finally this trade is coming to a close. I may need to start up something new on this blog, because there won't be many rumors come Spring Training. Only 12+ days untill Erik Bedard, the other pitchers, and catchers report.

AJ in Baltimore?

John Hickey of the Seattle PI has some interesting news on the Erik Bedard trade.

Mariners outfielder Adam Jones traveled to Baltimore on Sunday, a source said, presumably to undergo a physical examination that originally was scheduled for Jan. 29.

A clean bill of health would be the last hurdle standing between the Mariners and Orioles and one of the most significant trades in franchise history.

The Mariners would get left-handed starting pitcher Erik Bedard in exchange for five players, highlighted by Jones and left-handed reliever George Sherrill. The Mariners also would send three minor league pitchers to the Orioles to complete the deal.

It looks like this deal may be nearing completion soon.

Stone Update

Larry Stone of the Seattle Times has a bit of an update for us. The big quote from this:

Put down your phone, Sam Presti. All current indications are that, after all the histrionics of the past week, the Mariners and Orioles will really, truly, actually, once and for all, no turning back, no mulligans, no backing out, no passing go, get this trade done. But check back tomorrow, because nothing is for certain in this messed-up deal.

Stone also points out how the Orioles have brought Bedard up for the Mariners.

The Orioles endured his serious injury stage (reconstructive elbow surgery in 2002), his rehab stage (a grand total of 20 innings pitched in 2003, all in the low minors), his learning-the-ropes stage (a 12-18 record in 50 major-league starts in 2004-05), and his blossoming stage (15 wins in 2006, a franchise-record 221 strikeouts in '07).

The Orioles are getting "a mother lode of talent in return". The believed package of Adam Jones, George Sherrill, Chris Tillman, Kam Mickolio, and Tony Butler is considered to be better than the package the Twins recieved for Johan Santana. I hope that Bavasi knows what he is doing, and gets Bedard signed long term. Bedard is only looking for about $8.5M in '08, so looking him up for five to six years and say, $10-15M a season would be a bargain. Who else is ready for this to end?

Not of an Erik Bedard Update

Larry Stone of the Seattle Times has sort of an update for us. I guess that it can't really be called an "official" update, but it is news.

A National League executive, asked late this week to assess the industry buzz on trade talks between the Mariners and Orioles, just laughed.
"The buzz in the industry is we're all scratching our heads," he said. "Nobody knows. There are no secrets in baseball, but this has gone on too long.

That's about as good as it gets for today. Stone has the usual stuff about the players involved, nobody has taken a phyical, that we know of. This has gone on too long.

Jones Passed Physical?

Bleeding Blue and Teal has some infoon the Mariners front of the Bedard trade. Their source from Orioles Hangout is telling them that Adam Jones has passed his physical, and we are now waiting for a press conference announcement. On the sites message board, there is someone posting under the name Belkast, who is known as an insider for Orioles info. Belkast posted:

Jones passed his physical, and we're waiting on the exact date and time of the press conference.
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This post has been approved by my source. If in fact I have posted an opinion, it is by no way the view of my source, it is only my opinion.

I would have this as a confirmed, unconformed rumor at this time. I will be looking into this.