A Series of Inconvenient Events

posted by Patrick and Jon

Jon: It's been a chaotic couple of days for all of us trying to follow the Erik Bedard/Adam Jones trade rumors. It seemed to get more and more confusing as the day went on, but finally Geoff Baker was able to clear some things up and make everything make a lot more sense. Through all of the confusion, the only obstacle as of right now would seem to be Orioles owner Peter Angelos. He has a history of squashing these deals, so we'll see how it plays out in the coming days.

Patrick and I compiled a timeline of key Bedard reports over the last couple of days to help cut out some of the confusion or to help you get caught up if you're behind. Skip to the end for the latest if you've kept up so far.


1/27/08 (3:06 PM PST): Shannon Drayer reports that Jones was pulled from the lineup in the Venezuelan Winter League because he was the subject of a trade. Her sources told her that Jones would be flying to Baltimore on Monday for a physical in order for the trade to be completed. She then spoke with George Sherrill who said he was not aware of any deal being done and said that he was not scheduled for a physical.

1/27/08 (3:37 PM PST): Geoff Baker reports the Venezuelan newspaper Diario Panorama had supplied him with quotes from an interview with Adam Jones "(Bill Bavasi) called me yesterday and told me the news. I've got to go to Baltimore tomorrow morning and handle things there. I'm the centerpiece of the deal on the Mariners side. It's an honor to get traded for such a highly talented pitcher as Bedard is. He's one of the best. Last year he finished up as arguably one of the top candidates for the Cy Young. He's that good, so for me it's an honor. You know, I like Seattle, but if I am in Baltimore, as I think now I am, I'm going to embrace it and have the best time of my life in Major League Baseball."

1/27/08 (about 8:30 PM PST): Jason Churchill of Prospect Insider reports that the deal for Bedard is "as close to being done as it can get without an actual deal." Churchill goes on to explain that the deal would send Adam Jones, George Sherrill, Chris Tillman, Tony Butler, and Kameron Mickolio to Baltimore.

1/28/08 (8:26 AM PST): ESPN reports that a baseball source has told Jerry Crasnick of ESPN that Adam Jones and George Sherrill have now both said that they are to be taking a physical examination. It is also believed at this point that the deal consists of Jones, Sherrill, Tillman, and one other undisclosed prospect.

1/28/08 (11:01 AM PST): Geoff Baker explains that the only thing holding the deal back is the fact that Peter Angelos, owner of the Baltimore Orioles, must approve the deal before it is finalized and that Angelos is attending to a personal matter today and won't be available to make a decision until Tuesday.

1/28/08 (1:46 PM PST): Shannon Drayer reports that she learned through email with Adam Jones that he is still in Venezuela but isn't competing in winter ball because the Mariners requested that he not play. But here's the kicker, Jones also told Drayer that he had never told Venezuelan reporters that he was involved in a trade and that he did not know what was going on. Not only this, but she reports that George Sherrill is not scheduled to take part in a physical despite earlier reports that said he was despite earlier reports that said he wasn't. Confused yet?

1/28/08 (3:06 PM PST): The Baltimore Sun reports that the deal is on hold and that Jones was going to take a physical in Baltimore presumably on Tuesday. The article says that Orioles GM Andy MacPhail said there is no agreement yet and not to expect any developments for at least a few days. Bill Bavasi told the Baltimore Sun that any reports thus far have been "very, very premature" and confirmed that a deal had no yet been agreed upon. He also explained to the Sun that "Adam Jones has met his goals so there was no point of leaving him in [winter ball]. He's been called back from the club and sent home." To me, this seems like Bavasi covering up a leak of information and that he was not pulled from winter ball because he had accomplished his goals unless his goals were to be involved in a trade.

1/28/08 (3:12 PM PST): Patrick personally learned from Chris Tillman, who is thought to be a player involved in the Bedard deal, that he has not been notified by the Mariners of anything saying, "I've definitely been hearing it around, but as of right now, I'm pretty much clueless as to what's going on."

1/28/08 (3:15 PM PST): Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports that Peter Angelos may have a reason to reject the supposed deal after learning that Erik Bedard is open to hearing proposals from the Orioles about a contract extension if it is for at least five years. According to Rosenthal, the Orioles organization had thought Bedard only wanted to discuss a one-year deal.

1/28/08 (5:19 PM PST): Geoff Baker, like a genius, figured out a solution to this complex chain of events and arrant reports and summed it all up in a blog entry. He says that he has heard audiotape of Adam Jones' comments to reporters and that he did in fact tell them that he has been traded to Baltimore and was going there to take a physical despite saying later that his his comments were misinterpreted and "lost in translation." Baker made it clear that he thinks Adam Jones should not have blamed the language barrier for him leaking information to reporters prematurely. He goes on to explain that Angelos is the final road block before this deal is consummated.