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Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Orioles Trying to Re-Sign Bedard?

I just got finished listening to the BaseballChannel.tv Under the Lights broadcast featuring MLB.com's Baltimore Orioles reporter Spencer Fordin. These quotes shouldn't come as a total surprise, but they're not gelling with other reports surfacing earlier today.

"There might be a late breaking development that we've ascertained," Fordin told host Peter McCarthy. "The Orioles may be trying to sign [Bedard] to a 5-year extension instead of trading him. We don't have confirmation from sources high up in the general manager's office yet but it does appear that that could be the case right now."

"They never thought he would [sign an extension], to be quite honest," he continued. "They talked to him about a 3-year deal earlier in the offseason and his agent countered with a much longer proposal, apparently, and the Orioles weren't able to stomach that at the time. So they sniffed around, considered offers, they got very reportedly close [with Seattle]."

"They apparently decided to explore the option of seeing if they could sign him to a 5 year deal," said Fordin, adding moments later, "I think Seattle's on hold, from what we've been told."

Fordin was unsure of whose idea it was to try and re-sign Erik Bedard, president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail or owner Peter Angelos, but called a new contract a "sketchy possibility."

When asked how close Baltimore came to trading Bedard to the Mariners, Fordin replied, "They came very close. They decided on the players involved. They were close enough that Seattle thought it was imperative to get Adam Jones back from Venezuela. Adam Jones thought it was close enough that he told reporters that he was traded to Baltimore, but somewhere along the line there was a slip in communication and the Orioles apparently canceled the physical for Adam Jones. It's really hard to tell where things lie right now."

Not a lot of new info there. Fordin went on to mention that Angelos never approved the deal, not saying he nixed it either. "From what I'm told they never fully got approval from the ownership."

Besides that, Fordin went on to say that he didn't believe any other teams besides the Mariners were involved at this point, contrary to a recent report.

As far as the contract talks go, he said it was still in the early stages. Bedard and the Orioles are still feeling each other out and determining how many years and dollars it will take.


That's all I got from the broadcast.

The contract that Baltimore previously couldn't stomach? $100M over 7 years, according to Jim Street.

In my last post I wrote about the different ways to interpret a recent Prospect Insider update:

UPDATE: 2:37 PM - Prospect Insider's Jason Churchill is expecting this deal to be done before the weekend, according to his sidebar. He went on to say that "the same Orioles rep that gave me the trade offer details has told me Angelos has told McPhail he's fine with the trade as long as extending Erik Bedard is not a realistic option at this point." (Thanks Rob T.)

You could look at that quote two ways. Patrick thinks that it could be bad news, considering Bedard's quotes in which he mentioned that he'd be open to an extension. I see it as good news, because Bedard also said he didn't want to be part of a rebuilding effort. What do you think?

It looks like Patrick had the better guess, assuming Fordin's reporting is correct.

It's strange that we can have so many conflicting reports in such a short period of time. As I was transcribing these quotes BBT contributor Dustin Shires let me know that Tim Kurkjian was on ESPN and was saying something along the lines that the deal makes too much sense, both teams are in too deep, and it's inevitable now. He further paraphrased Kurkjian by telling me, "the Orioles need to take the deal. Adam Jones can be a superstar in the league. He's young, and can have a team built around his potential."

As if these rumors weren't already a mess...

I'm sure we'll have more for you later.

18 comments:

Rob T. said...

all the orioles hangout insiders are saying this rumor is BS and Angelos has already approved the deal.

Anonymous said...

got a link?

Dustin Shires said...

I have heard through the grape vine that Angelos has approved of it, but it still won't take place officially until Thursday or Friday.

Rob T. said...

I've been following that site since this started and this guy is always right with his information. I cant get the link to work but here is his comments.

"It really is quite amzing reading so many reports and so many theories. Just about every report and theory has Angelos to blame. "He nixed it", " He wants to sign Bedard long term", " He found a serious injury". Here's an idea.... Let's lay off of Angelos! Angelos has approved this thing if AM sees it as a must for this organization. PERIOD. I know he has given us reasons in the past to bash him now, I realize this. But I think we can agree alot of people are just speculating right now. IMO, the Old Angelos would not have approved the Tejada deal. Who's Tejada playing for now? That's right- We did successfully trade him, didn't we?! AM will trade Bedard and we can again all rejoice!!! The team will be on the right track!!!


"I know, I read the story. We are not going to extend him. Speculating is all that article is doing. Regardless, this will all be over soon and then there will be other ways to bash the man."

Anonymous said...

that doesn't surprise me at all. these reports about the extension are seriously overblown, IMO, but I thought it was worth-while to pass on those quotes.

Rob: were those from a comment section or something?

Rob T. said...

yes those were from the comment section in the forum and Geoff Baker now has a actual recording of what jones said to put all this specualtion to an end.

Anonymous said...

Yeah I heard that.. as if there was any doubt.

How's Mariner Moose going Rob?

Anonymous said...

yea, who posted that? I know there is a few posters over there that seem to have some credibility.

Rob T. said...

its going decently ive gotten a couple followers. Right now i'm just doing hot stove stuff for signings and trades and when the season starts ill probably post the box scores and write a summary of the game.

Anonymous said...

you seem like you're all over the rumor mill. i thought i was pretty quick with it but you seem to sniff out a couple things i miss everyday.

thanks for the help

Rob T. said...

No problem Jon. I really like this blog so whenever i find something ill let you guys know.

Anonymous said...

Hey Jon, when is that new site going to be up and running?

Anonymous said...

hard to say exactly. i really want to have it up before the season starts at the latest. i was hoping for before spring training, but that isn't looking likely. sometime before now and ERIK BEDARD's first pitch at Safeco. haha.

Rob T. said...

This from a comment from churchill. It sounds convincing.

"I guarantee the trade gets done.

I have yet to talk to anyone in the game who believes otherwise.

Bedard is now the best starting pitcher the M’s have had since 1998when Randy Johnson began the year as the M’s ace."

Anonymous said...

crazy stuff. are you convinced, rob?

Rob T. said...

I am convinced a trade gets done before the weekend. I am also convinced the Mariners can and will sign Bedard to an extension. If he really is asking for that salary then he is only asking for about 2 million more a year then Silva got so im sure Bavasi will accomodate him.

Anonymous said...

i'd agree with most of that.

Anonymous said...

Just a thought, although I admit that it's probably a bit too silly.

Maybe these recent extension talks are just a way to convice the O's fans who don't want Bedard traded that they are indeed "trying" to bring him back?