Wilkerson Official

Nothing too surprising here; I woke up from a quick nap to find Jim Street, Shannon Drayer, Ryan Divish, John Hickey, the AP and many others all reporting that Seattle officially inked outfielder/first baseman Brad Wilkerson to a one year deal.

Geoff Baker reported that Seattle had this deal in their "back pocket" back on Monday.

The AP noted that Wilkerson can play all three outfield positions, which was new to me. Maybe he's not as slow out there as some of us were thinking?

Geoff Baker and Ken Rosenthal are reporting that he was signed for a mere $3M, which is a steal for a starting outfielder, whether you're pro-Wilkerson or not. Looks like we inked him for backup money. Rotoworld adds that there is another $2M in incentives, though I haven't come across another report that says that.

Wilkerson will likely backup/platoon in right field, first base and DH. He brings some very nice pop, but can struggle with low averages and high strikeout rates.

What does this mean?

Bedard?

Pretty much.

Encouraging Trade Reports

Everytime a new rumor surrounding the Erik Bedard/Adam Jones trade talks comes out, I can't help but smile. Earlier this week I was getting a little frustrated, now whenever I come across the daily dose of conflicting reports I just chuckle quietly to myself.

Thursday morning brings a few reports that may lead you to believe that this deal is happening sooner than later.

First of all, the extension rumors are the latest to be tossed down the bogus shoot. Bedard's agent, Mark Pieper, made it known that no such negotiations were taking place. He personally emailed Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times, Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun and others to let them the world know his client is unlikely to be extended by the Orioles.

''The report that appeared yesterday regarding Erik Bedard on MLB.com is wholly inaccurate and contains nothing factual,'' Pieper wrote. ''Quite honestly, that type of journalism is irresponsible and reckless.''

So much for that.

Buster Olney submitted a seemingly optimistic article on ESPN. According to Olney the trade that was set to go through was Adam Jones, George Sherrill, Chris Tillman and Tony Butler, along with one more player. There hasn't been any clashing reports on this subject for quite awhile, so that's a relief. Olney added:

The Orioles have asked the Mariners for written language that Seattle will submit Jones and Sherrill for a physical examination by the Orioles -- and if they pass physicals, then and only then will Baltimore be obligated to finish the trade. The inherent risk for the Mariners is that if either Jones or Sherrill were to flunk their physicals in Baltimore, then the respective value of the players would be diminished within the industry.

It seems common enough that if the players pass the physicals, the trade goes through, and if they fail, they trade is scraped. That's not the interesting past, though. Check out the first sentence again. According to the supposed written agreement, if Sherrill and Jones pass their physicals Baltimore will be locked into the deal.

If I was 99% sure this deal was getting done yesterday, I am not 99.9% certain. Let's just hope Sherrill has been staying in shape this offseason.

Q&A with Shannon Drayer

KOMO's Shannon Drayer knows the current Seattle Mariners team as well as anyone, working in close capacity with the them all season long. She started covering Mariner baseball on a part-time basis back in 1998, moving to full-time during the 2003 season. You can check out her KOMO baseball blog here. Shannon was kind enough to take some time out of her busy schedule to answer some questions for us here at Bleeding Blue and Teal.

BBT: Seattle lost a lot of leadership in Jose Guillen. Who are the most vocal leaders on the current team?

Drayer: Guillen had a leadership style we haven't seen in the clubhouse in a long time. He was a butt kicker. I don't think there are any other butt kickers, but there are different leaders that are important in different ways. Without question, JJ has grown into a leader, and from what I understand, he can be rather vocal at times. Mostly with the bullpen, but he is also a good team guy. Carlos Silva insists that he is vocal. He told us to look for him to be very animated on the bench in games that he is not pitching in. Ichiro believe it or not, felt more comfortable speaking up last year. Raul is a quiet leader, but the first one most guys go to when they are struggling. Willie Bloomquist has been known to speak up and has also been very helpful with the younger players. Adam Jones credits him with showing him the ropes. Willie is also the union rep. I don't think leadership is a problem on this team.

BBT: Do you believe that manager John McLaren is on any type of hot seat in his first full year, or will he be given the complete season for better or worse?

Drayer: Unless something dramatic happens, really dramatic, McLaren has nothing to worry about. The organization gave him everything he wanted in a staff and that is a good indicator that they trust him and they are behind him. Mac has surrounded himself with a lot of experience and I think that was a smart move on his part.

BBT: The Mariners have a few players heading for free agency after the 2008 season, including Raul Ibanez, Kenji Johjima and Willie Bloomquist. There are many variables that could play into the team's decision, but which of these players, if any, do you see Seattle extending before they hit the open market and why?

Drayer: Good question. I don't think the organiztion feels a pressing need to extend any of these guys early. I think Raul and Willie could be end of the season (in the exclusive negotiating window) deals provided they have good years. Willie might want to test the open market, and the team will probably let him. Joh is an interesting case. I don't know if this will be an ownership decision or a management decision. Jeff Clement will be ready to go. Can you keep Joe while you move Jeff in? Ideally Jeff would be at first base resting his legs and swinging that bat every night. Problem is, from what I have heard, he has been resistant to this. He insists on catching which is a shame. Bill Hassleman on our post game show once said that he couldn't understand how anyone that talented with the bat would want to catch. He says the wear and tear of catching will affect his hitting. Joh is a very tough call.

One other thing to keep an eye on. Isn't it time they lock Felix up to a long term deal? That's one of my first questions when we get past this Bedard thing.

BBT: What type of roles do you think Brandon Morrow and Horacio Ramirez would assume should an Erik Bedard trade become official?

Drayer: Word is that Morrow will be in the pen as the right handed set up man. This could get interesting though if Mark Lowe comes back at full strenght. If Lowe is lights out, maybe, just maybe, the organization would send Morrow down to the minors to get ready to move into the starting rotation either next year, or at the deadline after a trade. Ramirez will be looking at the long relief role, Tacoma or possibly he could be let go at the end of spring training.

BBT: Can you confirm reports that Seattle has a deal in place with Brad Wilkerson, pending an Erik Bedard trade? Do you feel it is necessary for the Mariners to look outside of the organization, or are Jeremy Reed and Wlad Balentien viable options?

Drayer: I cannot confirm Wilkerson, but I expect to see him or perhaps Trot Nixon platooning in right with Wlad. Is it necessary to look outside the organization? I think so. If they get Bedard they have to go for it. They have to have something out there that is a known quantity. I like the idea of a platoon, break the young guy in easily. I would give Morse a long look in spring training as well. He can hit a single to right field all day long. That's nice, but not enough. I have talked to a lot of scouts who think he is going to hit for power some day. If he wants to do it in Seattle, he is going to have to do it this spring because he is out of options.

---

I want to thank Shannon again for helping us out here. Some great points to think about:

• Jeff Clement doesn't want to play first base.
• Seattle could be looking to lock up Felix Hernandez soon.
• Brandon Morrow could get the minor league time he needs if Mark Lowe is healthy.
• Trot Nixon? This has been the first connection between him and Seattle. Word is he's working on his first base defense.

Read and React: Bedard Predictions

posted by Jon, Patrick and Dustin

Dustin Shires: Throughout all this madness, nothing seems certain anymore.

• Jones' injury
• Angelos could nix the trade
• Bedard seeking Orioles extension
• Jones' talking could have hindered the talking between clubs

There could be other unknown factors. Simply put, no one has concrete answers, but most of the baseball world thinks this trade is going to happen. I too have taken this stance.

I believe that the Seattle offer is too lucrative for the Orioles to turn down. These type of deals are the ones that Baltimore needs to make in order to avoid another decade of irrelevance. Adam Jones, whether you think he'll be great or not, is the type of player you want to center your rebuilding efforts around.

Do I believe that he'll live up to the hype and fulfill his potential as a Mariner? Absolutely not.

The Orioles are willing to trade their ace and a Cy Young hopeful to find out how good Jones will be. They will also be getting one of the most reliable relievers in the MLB in George Sherrill, a potential front of the rotation pitcher in Chris Tillman, along with unknown 4th and/or 5th prospects.

This deal is a must for the rebuilding Orioles, and the Mariners need this deal to go down in order to acquire a proven ace. Bedard has proven he can carry the title of ace, and can win ball games. He could win on a terrible Orioles team, so just think about how good he can be in Safeco (the SafeCave), and with offensive and defensive upgrades. Bedard can be a Cy Young pitcher on the Mariners, assuming he goes through the year healthy.

As I have stated before, I do not believe Jones will be the player USS Mariner thinks he will be, and do not see him as the "savior of the franchise." Sherrill, I believe, came into his own way too late, and is already fairly advanced as far as the lifespan of relief pitchers go. Yes, I know he's relatively new to the MLB, but age is age. We have no idea how good Tillman will be, because he is two or three years away from scratching the surface of the MLB.

To sum it up, I believe this deal is too good for either side to pass up. Both teams have gotten too far into it. The deal is 99% done. All that is needed is the necessary "stamp of approval" from Angelos and Bedard is a Mariner. I believe that Erik Bedard will be pitching for Seattle on Opening Day.

Patrick Whealton: At this point in time, we are all aware of the tumult over the last few days about a possible trade to bring Erik Bedard to Seattle. While many reporters as well as my fellow bloggers here at BBT believe that a deal will be finalized and announced by the end of this week, I have something that I must admit to you. Since the beginning of the off-season, I’ve had the gut feeling that Erik Bedard will be the Orioles starter on opening day 2008.

Despite the developments this week, my gut feeling has not changed. Of course, I hope that I am wrong, but new evidence seems to suggest that the deal that was supposedly done just a couple days ago continues to fall apart at the seams. Since the beginning of the week, we have, in essence, seen a trade work backwards from the point where it was completed, onto finalizing the players involved, onto having the general framework of the deal in question by O’s team owner Peter Angelos, and now finally to the point where the Orioles will explore their other possibilities. This process is completely backwards and to think that it will magically work itself out in a day or two, while possible, seems a little unrealistic to me.

So what other possibilities do the Orioles have? Well, it seems as if other teams including the Reds and possibly the Indians may be back in on the Bedard talks. "General Manager" Andy MacPhail said the other day that other teams are now “chiming in.” However, Bedard to any other team besides the Mariners seems out of the question at this point, especially with the Reds refusing to give up prospect Jay Bruce.

Apparently, there is now another option on the table that was previously didn’t seem to be viable; for the Orioles to sign Bedard to an extension. In the past, the Orioles were under the impression that Bedard and his agent only wanted to discuss contract extensions on a year-by-year basis. Now, based on recent quotes by Erik Bedard, it looks like he is willing to discuss a long-term deal with the club. This development, coupled with the fact that Peter Angelos loves Bedard because he puts butts in seats at Camden Yards, points towards a contract extension or at least a few more roadblocks before a deal with the Mariners is made.

Once again, I am completely for a trade for Bedard and I really hope that it happens, but the window for being able to do that may have just closed.

Jon Shields: I was going to write a long entry like Dustin and Patrick, but I don't feel it's necessary at this point. We've been reporting mostly everything to you, so it's down to gut feelings.

This deal was done. Adam Jones said he was traded to Baltimore. The deal was done, and then there was some sort of wrinkle that needed to be ironed out. That may have been a quick check to see if Erik Bedard could be re-signed, it could have been Baltimore trying to squeeze out some more talent from Seattle, it could have been anything. I don't think there was anything so significant that took us back to square one.

There are too many people with too many sources that are way too confident that this will happen sooner than later. Pair that with anyone who's anyone around baseball saying this deal needs to get done for the Orioles to ever become relevant again, and how can you dispute it?

This deal is announced as early as Thursday morning, late as Monday afternoon. I don't see this falling apart.

Question to the readers: Will this deal go through? If so, when? If not, why not?

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.

Bedard Deal Close... Again

posted by Jon

Sources are saying a deal could be close to being finalized, that would indeed include Adam Jones, George Sherrill, Chris Tillman and a couple more prospects. Earlier reports were saying those other two could be Tony Butler and Kameron Mickolio, but it's hard to say at this point. MLB.com's Jim Molony had this to say today:

Talks were thought to be stalled, but multiple MLB sources said Wednesday that Baltimore and Seattle are close to finalizing the deal the two teams have been discussing for weeks. The trade would send Orioles pitcher Erik Bedard to the Mariners for outfielder Adam Jones, pitchers George Sherill and Chris Tillman and as many as two additional prospects. Tillman is the reigning Mariners' Minor League Pitcher of the Year.

After all the strange and conflicting reports we've been seeing lately, it is nice to see something straight forward like this. Either way, I have been scared to skepticism until I see some sort of press conference or official release.

I should have more to pass on in just a bit. MLB.com Orioles' reporter Spencer Fordin will be on BaseballChannel.tv today, so hopefully we'll find out something soon. I don't think they'd have him on if he didn't have something relevant to say, especially since he wasn't originally on the schedule. Check back!

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?

BBT Reader Survey

I created a very simple and short survey that our users can run through here. It is anonymous and no email address is required. The purpose of this is to try and figure out who our audience is. This is mostly for our regular readers.

For additional comments please email bleedingblueandteal@gmail.com. We would love to hear from you! Let us know how often you swing by the site, if you are a RSS feed user, suggestions, anything at all..

And if you ever just want to talk Mariners, go ahead and send an email that way. There is a good chance you will get an instant response.

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http://blueandteal.questionform.com/public/BBT-Reader-Survey

Out of Jones/Bedard Titles

posted by Jon

I'm getting a little tired of the subject, especially since no puzzle pieces seem to lock together. Here are a couple odds and ends from today, but take everything with a large grain of salt at this point.

I already wrote about the Adam Jones degenerated hip rumor in my last post, but like everyone else knew next to no details at the time. Looks like the Stan Charles of Press Box is the one who brought it up. Press Box is a Baltimore sports site. They say nothing about the injury, and without hearing or reading an exact quote it's hard to tell what is going on.

MLB Rumors had this to say a couple hours ago:

The trade for Erik Bedard is not official, and probably won't be until the end of the week. It appears the Orioles brought Jones into Baltimore to check out his hip, and assuming that goes well, Bedard should be in Seattle by Monday. What happened earlier this week was probably just miscommunication by Jones and the reporters in Venezuela. Still, it seems like a deal will get done. Yes Orioles owner and "co-GM" Peter Angelos has to sign off on the trade but I think the Orioles realize that if they do not make a trade soon, the offers will only get worse. By trading Bedard, they clear up money to make a splash in the upcoming off seasons that feature better talent.

I can't tell if those first couple sentences are new information, or if Eli just fell behind in the chaos of these rumors. Either way, once reliable MLB Rumors has been questionable at best lately. Hopefully they can turn it around, as they were formerly one of my favorite resources.

More news you are bound to love; the Baltimore Sun has a report that the Mariners are not the only team in on Bedard at this point. Common speculation seems to be that this is just a ploy to drive up the price, but who really knows at this point.

Patrick and I have a bit of a running bet whether or not the Yankees and Sox will become players for Bedard by the end of this. I still don't think the O's would deal within the division. I heard somewhere that they almost had a deal in place with the Blue Jays earlier this Winter and Angelos nixed it. Anyone else hear that?

"We continue to talk [to the Mariners]," MacPhail was quoted today. "We've had some other clubs chime in as well."

That's all I've got today. Anyone else ready for something concrete?

Also, anyone else hoping that the Orioles will learn from the Minnesota Twins' mistake? From the Baltimore side of things, they need to trade Bedard before the offers get worse. I suppose there is always next offseason, though.

Degenerative Hip Reports

posted by Jon

I'm not happy to add to the confusion, but a Baltimore radio show was reporting or speculating today that Adam Jones has a degenerative hip condition. This is completely unconfirmed, and no one else has reported anything similar.

Here is what the Baltimore Sun's Roch Kubatko had to say:

I've been in meetings most of the day and have an interview at 5 p.m. - not for a new job, so don't get your hopes up. But I wanted to address the rumor (because it's what I do these days) that Adam Jones has a degenerative hip condition and that's why the Erik Bedard trade hit a snag.

All I can say about the topic is that the Orioles became concerned with something related to Jones, and the fact that they wanted to bring him in for a physical before
alerting Bedard's agent that a trade agreement was reached should send off signals. But we've heard nothing up to this point about his hip.

Maybe this will prove true later. We'll find out soon enough. But nobody at The Sun would go on a radio show and blurt out this kind of information without being absolutely positive (and obviously reporting it in the paper first). That's dangerous territory, especially when you're possibly impacting a young athlete's reputation and future earnings.

For the sake of Jones, I hope it's false. For the sake of the person who said it, it better be right.

The first thing that popped into my head was Baltimore owner Peter Angelos and his reputation.

Paul White of Sports Weekly was on BaseballChannel.tv yesterday, and while talking about the Erik Bedard chaos said, "Angelos has been a stickler in the past with physicals and using them to get out of deals."

The one that comes to mind as a Mariner follower is when he used Aaron Sele's physical to get out of signing him. Sele ended up with us.

Angelos will definitely be looking at this as a way to get out of the deal, if that is really what he wants. What I don't understand is why no member of the Seattle media knows anything about this, and how the Baltimore Sun found out. Sounds a little phony, but only time will tell.

In other news, Adam Jones is heading home to Arizona. No physical, just out of Venezuela.

Also, Johan Santana is reportedly heading to the Mets. The Twins are getting a package lacking the big-time talent Seattle would have offered; too bad for us. Seattle may even be offering a better package for Bedard.

Angelos Out of Control

posted by Jon

Ken Rosenthal continues to update this particular entry with new info. I thought this paragraph was worth mentioning:

The Orioles are angry with the Mariners for allowing the trade talks to go public. Outfielder Adam Jones, the centerpiece of the M's offer, blurted to reporters in Venezuela that he was headed to Baltimore for a physical, indicating that a deal was near. The Orioles are so furious, another source says, they again might be insisting that the Mariners include 17-year-old shortstop Carlos Triunfel in the deal.

Mariners fans have been getting their first taste of Baltimore Orioles owner Peter Angelos. We've been discussing his massive ego, poor business practices and history of deal squashing; traits that Baltimore fans know all too well.

Adam Jones spilled the beans, so what? He ruined your big announcement so you're going to try and get more in return? No wonder Baltimore hates you, Mr. Angelos. Way to run a baseball team.

I really hope this is resolved sooner than later, because this has gotten out of control.

BLOG NOTE: We have set consecutive traffic records for each of the last two days, blowing away the old highs. Wooooo!

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.

Un-Breaking News: Adam Jones Trade

Major things coming out of Shannon Drayer's blog:

Just heard from Adam Jones via email. Said that he is still in Venezuela but obeying orders from his MLB team and not playing. He says that he said nothing about being traded to the Venezuelan press. Something may have been lost in translation somewhere. Like the last time he was pulled from the lineup by the Mariners, Adam says he does not know what is going on, and that with his winter league team in the finals, it sucks to not be able to help them.

Confused yet? Add to this George Sherrill's denial of being instructed to report to Baltimore for a physical it would appear that we got wind of this trade in the very early stages. Things most likely are still being hammered out and players won't be getting on planes until they do.

This goes along with all the other conflicting information flying around.

So what is really going on? Hopefully we'll know soon.

Seattle to Sign Wilkerson

I was going to hold off on this, but it is rapidly making its way around the blogosphere so I decided it was best to get it out there.

It would appear that the Seattle Mariners are close, or have possibly already signed, free agent Brad Wilkerson. Geoff Baker said earlier on radio and confirmed on his blog that "the Mariners already have a one-year deal with free-agent Brad Wilkerson in their back pocket for the moment a Bedard trade is finalized." He went on to speculate that the deal could be worth as much as $8M.

Seattle P-I's John Hickey just posted a blog about the same thing, though it appeared to be based on other reports, not necessarily on his own inside information.

This also goes along with MLB Trade Rumor's post from Saturday that we passed along.

We already know, Seattle would have been better off re-signing Jose Guillen, so no need to remind everyone. Wilkerson won't be too bad, no matter what happens with Adam Jones. Low averages, high strikeout rates, but he will add some pop to the bottom half of the lineup and is defensively versatile, despite being average in the field at best. You can read why Patrick is against Wilkerson here.

Baker was not the first to talk of a Wilkerson/Wladimir Balentien platoon, an arrangement that would likely please many a Mariner fan.

How do you all feel about adding Wilkerson to the team?

Angelos Could be the Deal Breaker

Baltimore Orioles owner Peter Angelos is notorious for nixing potential trades.

He has yet to approve any Erik Bedard trades, according to ESPN's Jayson Stark.

This deal is still believed to go through, but keep your fingers crossed (or make a peace sign, if you're one of the many that doesn't want to see Bedard in Seattle).

Stark adds that Angelos is busy on personal business and we won't know what's going on until tomorrow at the earliest.

The Answer Should Be Wlad, Not Wilkerson

posted by Patrick

As many of you know, in recent days the Mariners have been linked to free agent Brad Wilkerson (1B/OF) and, in fact, a deal with Wilkerson is thought to materialize very soon and probably will as soon as the deal for Bedard is consummated.

Brad Wilkerson
2005: 565 AB's, .248 AVG, 11 homeruns, K every 3.84 AB's
2006: 320 AB's, .222 AVG, 15 homeruns, K every 2.76 AB's
2007: 338 AB's, .234 AVG, 20 homeruns, K every 3.15 AB's

Career at SAFECO: 33 AB's, .182 AVG, .357 OBP

In 2007, Richie Sexson struckout once every 4.34 at bats; a better rate than Wilkerson's numbers from 05, 06, and 07.

So why in the world would we want to bring in another low average guy that strikes out even more than Richie Sexson? Sure, he has a little pop and can play the outfield as well as first base; but unless it's absolutely necessary to acquire another outfielder (meaning that Jones and Balentien are traded), I would not want to throw anywhere from 2 to 6 million dollars (per year) at him, especially if the deal is more than one year. His career average at SAFECO is abyssmal and I don't see him as a good fit here.

Note: When the Adam Jones to Baltimore deal is finished, I'd want to see Wlad in right field.

Who is Seattle Giving for Bedard?

posted by Jon

The first report of who Seattle is sending to Baltimore in exchange for ace Erik Bedard has been issued by Churchill at Prospect Insider.

His source(s) are telling him Adam Jones, Chris Tillman, George Sherrill, Tony Butler and Kameron Mickolio.

As a fan I hate to see Sherrill and Mickolio go, and losing Tillman and Butler in the same trade will be quite a loss, but overall this isn't as bad as it could've been. Remember when we were talking about how many of Jones, Jeff Clement, Brandon Morrow, Carlos Triunfel and Wladimir Balentien we'd have to give up?

Hopefully we won't have to speculate for too long. The official announcement and all that comes with it should surface before mid-week.

Once this all becomes official we'll release a big post about what we're getting and who we lost.

UPDATE 1/28, 9:22 AM - George Sherrill has been informed and is scheduled to take a physical, according to ESPN. Thanks for the tip, Carver.

UPDATE 1/28, 11:10 AM - What do you know, more conflicting reports: Seattle P-I blog

Bedard Coming to Seattle!

The Erik Bedard/Adam Jones trade is going down, according to Geoff Baker and other sources.

As I blogged earlier, Jones was held out of the lineup in Venezuela and is coming home to take a physical.

"(Bill Bavasi) called me yesterday and told me the news," Adam Jones told a Diario Panorama reporter. "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."

Very exciting to see this deal actually happen after weeks and weeks of speculation. No word yet on who the other players are, we'll keep you updated.

Note: As soon as this deal becomes final, expect the Mariners to waste no time in acquiring a right fielder. The most likely option right now is Brad Wilkerson.

UPDATE 7:36 PM - "We do not have an agreement with the Mariners," Orioles president of baseball operations MacPhail said.

We get it. No deal until he passes his physical, that he is likely taking in Seattle, not Baltimore.

I don't see how these latest reports can be wrong, but this has been a strange offseason so who knows.

Adam Jones Out of Lineup.. Again

Shannon Drayer is reporting that Adam Jones will not be available to the Cardinales de Lara for the second time this offseason.

Could the Mariners be close to another trade? Hard to say after a wacky offseason.

She also mentioned that she has heard from "good sources" that George Sherrill will likely be heading to Baltimore if a trade occurs, and Carlos Triunfel will not be.

Interesting Santana Note

From Pioneer Press:

The Twins tried to get the Los Angeles Angels interested in Santana, but the Angels appear more interested in acquiring hitting than pitching.

It seems everyone has been under the impression that Seattle would be unable to obtain Johan Santana because he didn't want to play on the West Coast.

I remember a report that Santana was upset when that rumor started flying around, though I can't find the link at the moment, so I wouldn't be surprised if his East Coast preference was severely blown out of proportion.

Maybe Seattle is still in on Santana?

“We’ve tried to keep all of our lines in the water to get the premier guys that are out there,” GM Bill Bavasi said on Thursday. “And we’ve been involved all the way on those guys and we’ve stayed involved.”

Don't get your hopes up, but interesting nonetheless.

UPDATE - Now that Bedard is reportedly heading to Seattle this was obviously a pointless post.

Clark Update 2; Silva Interview

According to MLB Rumors, Tony Clark could be nearing a deal with the San Francisco Giants.

Such a deal would be contradictory to recent Chris Haft speculation. Besides that, Giants GM Brian Sabean recently said, "I don't know that we could marginally improve ourselves with anybody out there," hinting that he was done with the free agent market.

The Giants don't seem to have much of a plan this offseason, so I suppose anything is possible.

The majority of Mariner fans seem to be against a Tony Clark signing, so this could only be good news.

Lately I have been thinking that Brad Wilkerson could be brought in as a backup, not necessarily as a starter, but that is all speculation. I also wonder if Seattle would go after Ryan Klesko. He would be a seemingly pointless addition, like Clark, but if Bill Bavasi is hellbent on adding first base depth from the left side he could look that direction.

Besides the latest rumblings on Tony Clark, MLB Rumors has also just released an interview with new Seattle Mariners pitcher Carlos Silva that may be worth your while.

Wilkerson Update

MLBTR:

Can't promise anything, but my source is saying Brad Wilkerson is likely to become a Mariner on a one-year deal. Put this in the unconfirmed category for now.

We all know how solid the information has been this offseason, but a Wilkerson deal wouldn't be surprising to me at this point.

My first reactions were that GM Bill Bavasi was referring to Wilkerson on Thursday when he said, "You might see some of those drop-dead dates where agents say, 'Well, I can't wait for you anymore. I know you have an everyday job for me if you make move-A, but you know what, this other team over here; they've got 250-300 at bats for my guy, I gotta go that way.' So you might see some of that."

We'll keep you updated.

McLaren to "Steal" Some Wins

I just finished up a post on MVN's Caffeinated Confines about manager John McLaren's intentions to steal more bases in 2008. Here's a snippet:

Back at the Winter Meetings McLaren was asked how many bases Ichiro could steal. “Let’s just say 80 to start with,” he responded. “Let’s go there.”

“I think Betancourt has got the capabilities of being a 20-plus stolen base guy,” McLaren was also quoted as saying in the same media session.

Thursday at the annual Spring Training luncheon hosted at Safeco Field, McLaren backed up his statements. “Ichiro can walk backwards and steal 40 bases, he’s on base more than anybody.”

The manager talked about being aggressive all game long, and having a “daredevil” or “riverboat gambler” attitude on the basepaths next season.

“I want Betancourt running more for sure,” he said, also mentioning Adam Jones and Jose Lopez. He continued a few minutes later, “I would like to see Betancourt stealing some bases– 20, 30, 40. I mean, he’s got that type of talent.”

For the complete post click the link: Seattle to be Aggressive on the Basepaths in '08.

Bedard Unhappy, Clark's Choices, Jason Bay?

Alright, a couple tid-bits to wrap up the work week.

Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun was able to talk to Erik Bedard on the phone today.

"If they don't want me, [a trade] is the best thing to do," Bedard told Jeff, among other things. Be sure to check out the article for all the quotes.

Bedard has voiced his displeasure with Baltimore before, but the timing of these comments can only help Seattle get a deal done, in my opinion.

Zrebiec goes on to agree with everyone that Chris Tillman would likely be involved alongside Adam Jones.

---

MLB.com's Chris Haft has this to say in his latest installment of Giants' Notes, "Numerous free-agent first basemen remain available -- Sean Casey, Mike Sweeney, Doug Mientkiewicz and Tony Clark, among others -- but none is likely to sign with the Giants as a complement to Dan Ortmeier."

Pair that with Buster Olney's report that Clark's choices were down to Seattle and San Francisco and it looks like our Mariners are going to end up with Clark, for better or worse.

---

There have been some mentions of new Jason Bay rumors in our comment sections. Anyone wanna help me out and elaborate a little bit here? URLs, quotes or whatever you have, because I'm not following where these are coming from.

Unless this the quote everyone is talking about:

Churchill: The latest I’m hearing is that the Pirates deal may only involve Bay, not Snell, and may only happen if the Mariners are sure they are going to trade Jones for Bedard.

Doesn't sound like much of a rumor.

Clark Update

A couple readers already mentioned this in the comments, but Buster Olney is reporting that Tony Clark is going to likely sign with either the Mariners or the San Francisco Giants.

Unfortunately you have to be a subscriber to read the whole piece, but other outlets such as Rotoworld are reporting what they read.

We'll keep you updated.

Putz to Win Rolaids Relief Award

posted by Jon

Everyone that sat through Seattle's two hour long address to the media, either in person or at their computers, were probably looking for the same things. Most of us were waiting for GM Bill Bavasi's Q&A session, over an hour into the conference, to try and find some quotes to stoke the hot stove.

There was a lot of other good info to come out of it from everyone that contributed. Surely there will be mentions of minor league news, injury updates, new team philosophies and other things at later dates on this blog as they pertain to the posts. There was one little tid-bit that is unimportant in the grand scope of things, but noteworthy nonetheless.

J.J. Putz will be announced as the American League Rolaids Relief Man Award winner on Sunday. This shouldn't be a shock, as this is one of the few awards in which the winner is determined by the stats, and not skewed by Red Sox Nation or lazy players.

Putz, the first Mariner to ever win the award, ran away with the title. The Angels' K-Rod finished in a distant second.

It's always nice to see our guys get recognized, and hopefully Putz will be right back on top of the American League next season.

Baker/Street Latest: Bavasi Confident

posted by Jon

Geoff Baker just posted on his blog, backing up the Shannon Drayer entry I mentioned yesterday. Baker adds some great quotes.

First, Bavasi still expects to get a deal done for a top-of-the-rotation starting pitcher. He never mentions names, but it's clear he was talking about Erik Bedard. It's also clear that Bavasi feels this team is ready to challenge for a playoff spot and is ready to give up Adam Jones and plenty of other names to get a deal done.

"We're in a position now where we have to do our best to make those moves for a top-of-the-rotation guy so we can slot the rest of the rotation where it should be,'' he said. "We feel we have to make a move -- one more move."

Bavasi says he's already put his best offer on the table and that it's now a waiting game. He says there's been a genuine reluctance by some clubs to part with young prospects, but "we're not one of those clubs. We're prepared to move...but there is a limit.''

What would that be?

"I don't think you can give a club its terms and its price,'' he said. "We can move a premier prospect and numbers (of players), but we're not going to move a number of premier prospects."

So, what's going to happen now?

"As I'm sitting here today, I think we will (get a deal done),'' he said. "I think there's a good chance of that."

Based on the above quotes I have trouble believing the rumors that Adam Jones was the dealbreaker a week ago. Sure, maybe Baltimore is asking too much, but Bavasi is willing to get this done.

MLB.com's Jim Street has just written about the same topic, adding some interesting quotes of his own.

"I might think we're going to make a move, so I'll go ahead and make other moves, assuming I will make that big deal," Street quotes Bavasi as saying. "But if I don't make that big deal, I'm in trouble."

What moves could these be? Acquiring another outfielder perhaps?

According to both Street and Baker, Bavasi is being realistic about his rotation, which is encouraging.

As quoted above, Baker has him saying, "We're in a position now where we have to do our best to make those moves for a top-of-the-rotation guy so we can slot the rest of the rotation where it should be.''

Street collected this quote from Bavasi, "For us, the most important thing is the top-of-the-rotation starting pitcher. Not a No. 2 or No. 3 or a No. 4. But there is a limit to what we will move."

Everyone knows we currently have a rotation that includes one ace-in-training and three back-end guys in Washburn, Silva and Batista, and it's nice to know Bavasi is on the same page.

There was rumors about a deadline at the end of this month, but Baltimore's Andy McPhail would just like things settled by the time pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training, just shy of three weeks from now.

It's very exciting to me to see these rumors spring back up, as anticipated, especially now that we know Bavasi will not be taken. I know many of you are attached to our prospects and are seemingly against the "win now" mentality, but it looks like Bill Bavasi will be able to keep some good, young talent in Seattle even with a Bedard trade.

Watch the complete press conference.

How does everyone feel about the latest happenings?

"Minor" Help, part 2

Back in early December I posted an ad on here for someone to write about the Seattle organization from rookie ball to AAA. Chris Meer answered the call, and made his debut on December 15th with a post about Robert Rohrbaugh.

I was pleased with the post, but I haven't heard from Chris since December 23rd. I've decided it is time to start looking around for someone else. (Chris, if you're out there, send me an email!)

If you are interested in contributing 1-2 posts per month profiling minor leaugers, writing about transactions, who's hot/who's not, and all things minor leagues please send me an email at bleedingblueandteal@gmail.com. After you contact me be prepared to get write a post, and if it is what we're looking for it will be posted on the site and you will be added as a contributor to BBT.

You could be granted more than 1-2 posts depending on your content. If you can post entries that include more than a quick Google search and a glance through Baseball-Reference you are obviously more valuable.

If you have any interest at all, even if you feel under-qualified, please send me an email and we'll talk about it. Look forward to hearing from you.

Bavasi Still Looking for an Ace

posted by Jon

It's been a slow day today, but I decided to poke around and see if I could find anything worth passing along.

KOMO's Shannon Drayer has posted today that Seattle GM Bill Bavasi is still trying to acquire an "elite starter" via trade. (Decent read, check it out)

Nothing too significant in the entry, but encouraging nonetheless. Many fans seem to assume that Bavasi has dropped out of the Bedard race after last week's events, but obviously the talks just stalled and it's back to the drawing board.

Drayer did mention that Cincinnati has seemingly pulled out of the Bedard race, which makes the New York Mets' interest in Johan Santana much more interesting.

Many sources have the Mets as the new favorite to come away with the two-time Cy Young award winner. If they can seal the deal and bring Santana to Shea Stadium then it would appear that Seattle has a better shot at Erik Bedard. The Mariners would be the lone team targeting Bedard at that point and the price could come down just enough to get a deal done. I would expect a final attempt by the Reds, but they have been much more stubborn than Seattle thus far.

The Mets impact is all speculation with a lot of variables, but it seems to add up. Thoughts?

UPDATE (7:02 AM - 1/24) - Prospect Insider's sidebar is saying that the two sides are in a staring contest, as each team is waiting for the other to blink. Churchill mentions than if it doesn't get done this weekend it won't get done at all, so hopefully we'll know once and for all within a week or so.

Bloomquist Could Be Back

posted by Jon

At some point last season I saw a television interview with Willie Bloomquist in which he expressed his unhappiness with his role, saying something along the lines that he would be searching for something better once his contract expired after the '08 season.

If I had been blogging at the time I would have documented it or at least gotten an exact quote, but either way I had developed my own belief that he would not be back. Because of this belief I have defended Mike Morse on several occasions, because I figured he was a decent option to help fill the void left by Bloomquist.

Bloomquist is still slightly down on his role, but it seems he has learned to accept it and may be more willing to sign an extension with Seattle, according to this Kitsap Sun article.

Willing, but only if they show him the money.

Willie's 2007 paycheck was just shy of a million bucks, but he could be looking to double his salary. In the article he compares himself to utility men Alex Cora and Alex Cintron.

"Those guys are making somewhere around $2 million a year or something like that. In the past they have been everyday guys, but the bottom line is they're paid as utility guys. With all due respect to them, they're good players and they play short and second and maybe a little bit of third. I can throw in center field, right field, first and left field as well," Bloomquist was quoted as saying.

There is no doubt that he is confident in his role, referring to himself as "one of the better guys in the league at it" and passing along the Mariners' belief that he is "one of the best, if not the best at being a utility guy."

Could Bloomquist really command $2M annually? It's hard to find players as defensively flexible as Willie, but here are a couple utility men and their salaries:

Seattle's newest utility man, Miguel Cairo, just signed for $850,000 this year, and has not made more than $1M in his career (2006). Cairo plays all four infield positions and can play some outfield.

Former Oakland and current Toronto utility man Marco Scutaro will make $1.55M next season. Scutaro routinely gets more at bats than Bloomquist, but like Cairo he does not bring speed to the table and only plays emergency outfield.

Alfredo Amezaga of the Florida Marlins is fairly comparable to Bloomquist. Plays everywhere, steals bases, but receives quite a few more at bats than Bloomquist (400 last season). Unfortunately Amezaga is still under team control so it's hard to tell how much he could make with arbitration out of the way. Like Bloomquist he made just under one million last season.

Former Mariner bust Scott Spiezio has done well for himself as the Cardinals' utility man. He's been a better hitter than Bloomquist, but lacks defensive ability at center field and shortstop. He is currently making over $2M annually.

I could go on listing other utility men, but obviously none of them quite compare to Willie. He's not a great hitter by any stretch, not even a good hitter, but he plays solid defense at seven positions and not many players in the Major Leagues can boast that.

Is $2M too much to give a guy who has yet to eclipse 251 at bats in a season? Sure it is, but he is valuable in his own right. If you based the salary strictly on offense and speed off the bench he shouldn't be making any more than $1-1.5M, but his versatility could indeed push him to the $1.75-2M range if that is what it takes to retain him. That may be too much, but I believe the Mariners would like to keep him and $2M is practically pocket change for a team whose payroll is over $105M.

I can see why Willie would be reluctant to pursue a job elsewhere at this point. He will have to fight twice as hard as anyone else for a starting job now that he has been pigeon-holed into the utility role, and his family is rooted in the Seattle area. Bloomquist has hinted in the article that he doesn't want to deal with this during the season, so we could see him extended before Spring Training closes. We'll keep you updated.

Question to the reader: How much is Bloomquist worth?

Seattle Interested in Tony Clark

posted by Jon

Ken Rosenthal is reporting that the Mariners are among three teams vying for free agent first baseman Tony Clark.

If signed, Clark would likely get at bats at first base and DH, as well as pinch hitting late.

New BBT addition Dustin Shires had Seattle going after Clark over a month ago at his old blog, Mariner Nation. Here is a paragraph from his post dated December 16:

Clark is an imposing figure, standing 6'7" and weighing in at 245 pounds. The guy is a switch-hitting power bat who has more power success from the left side of the plate. A pull, power hitter is what Seattle has always lacked in Safeco. The fact that he's a switch hitter makes him all the more appealing because once Sexson hits the wall, Clark can fill in full time, hitting against both lefties and righties. When given playing time, Clark has been a successful power bat. Every year that he's played more than 130 games, he's hit more than 30 home runs. I won't lie, the guy strikes out quite a bit, about 1/4 of the time, but not like we haven't seen that in Sexson. Honestly, he can't do worse than Sexson did last year.

I happen to strongly disagree here. First of all, Richie Sexson will bounce back next season. There is no way he will repeat his numbers from last year, or post a .245/.330/.460 vital line (AVG/OBP/SLG) as U.S.S. Mariner predicts. He has a career vital of .263/.345/.514 and has managed to post a .248/.338/.488 since joining the Mariners, despite the horrifying .205/.295/.399 he produced last year. I predict he will post something closer to his 2006 numbers than his 2007 nightmare.

Besides my belief that Sexson will bounce back, he actually hits righties just as well as Tony Clark, posting a .264 career average against them compared to Clark's .263 while hitting left-handed. Sure, Sexson has slipped to the .240s in recent years, but I don't believe the drop is significant enough to warrant a platoon situation (especially since Clark has hit .213 and .254 against right-handers the past two seasons).

I would hate to see Clark taking up a roster spot on the bench. He can only realistically play first base, and he would be hurting Mike Morse's future with Seattle. The only reason I would be alright with a Tony Clark acquisition is if the Mariners front office is still planning on trading Sexson. I don't see that happening at this point, and even then it would just be a salary dump move, because I doubt Clark would outdo Sexson next season.

Tony Clark would simply replace Ben Broussard, a player who was traded because there was no room for him. Yay or nay on a Clark signing?

Poll Results: Top Prospects

posted by Jon

Q: Who will have the best major league career?

Adam Jones - 70 - ~50%
Jeff Clement - 32 - ~23%
Brandon Morrow - 19 - ~13%
Wladimir Balentien - 17 - ~12%

Jon's vote: Jeff Clement
Dustin's vote: Jeff Clement
Patrick's vote: Wladimir Balentien

First of all I'd like to mention the great voter turnout. It obviously reflects on all the new readers we have gained recently, and I'd like to thank you all for contributing.

There wasn't a lot in the results that surprised me. Without thinking much about it I placed the players in order of how many votes I thought they would receive, and that's how it ended up. I did expect Morrow to grab a few more votes and I figured Wlad would finish in a distant last.

A few days after the launch of this poll I realized that there was a real problem with the question, especially since I wasn't sure who to pick. How can you rank the MLB careers of players that are slotted into completely different roles?

Maybe a more appropriate question to ask would be:

Who will have the biggest impact on the teams they play for over the course of their career?

Change any votes?

Jeremy Affeldt, Brad Wilkerson

posted by Dustin

Jon previously blogged here that a move the Mariners could make if Sherrill is traded would be to sign Jeremy Affeldt, a Washington native. Well, that idea was nixed today when it was announced that Affeldt and the Reds have agreed on a 1 year, $3 million deal (with performance bonuses).

He may be used as a end of the rotation starter to begin the year, but if all else fails, he'll be moved to the bullpen where he was exclusively used last season, and successful as well.

---

Rumor has it that the Mariners are interested in Brad Wilkerson. The Red Sox had previously shown some interest, but the lofty demand of 3 years, $21 million should have them thinking otherwise.

Also connected to Wilkerson: Yankees and A's

Wilkerson is 30 years old and is a home hitter. If Jones is dealt, could Wilkerson by a viable option to fill right? Certainly, as long as Boras, Wilkerson's agent, drops the price.

---

Jon's two cents: It's not difficult to connect the dots on this one. I'm almost certain Affledt was holding out for the Mariners, the Bedard deal has supposedly fallen through, so he signed with Cinci.

As far as Wilkerson goes, I don't believe he would be a good option for Seattle, with or without Adam Jones. He's a high strikeout, low defense guy who only got it done in a hitter's haven of a home stadium last season. He's left handed, which is always a plus, but I don't think he'd be the best choice for Seattle, especially if Richie Sexson is in the same lineup.

Wilkerson's price will undoubtedly come down, though, as there has been a backlash against Scott Boras lately. His clients have not been getting the outlandish demands he has been asking for, and I think he may be toning it down a little bit.

Bedard to Seattle: Important Precedent

posted by Patrick

It's July 31st, 1989 and the Minnesota Twins are 51-53 after finishing 91-71 the year before, and are just two years removed from winning the World Series in '88. With a weak pitching staff that was in dire need of rebuilding, general manager Andy MacPhail traded away the Twins lone starting pitcher sensation; a 29-year old Cy Young Award winner by the name of Frank Viola. The trade involved sending Viola to the Mets for starting pitchers Rick Aguilera, David West, and Kevin Tapani as well as relief pitchers Jack Savage and Tim Drummond.

When asked about the trade, GM Andy MacPhail stated that "This is the kind of deal a general manager hates to make, you put your head out there because you know it's the right thing to do for the organization." Although the move didn't completely pan out for the Twins, MacPhail managed to keep his job for a couple more years despite lack of support for him among Twins fans.

If you've stuck with me so far, you have reached the paragraph where I make my point. Andy MacPhail is the Chief Operating Officer of the Baltimore Orioles but essentially serves as general manager (Mike Flanagan is officially the GM but MacPhail pulls the strings). So MacPhail is faced with the same type of situation that he was faced with in the summer of 1989. He's already demonstrated that he will trade a superstar pitcher to rebuild a franchise if it's in the best interest of the team, and I think the consensus is that trading Erik Bedard is the better choice for the Orioles in the long-term. By the way, remember when I said Viola was 29 when he was traded? Erik Bedard turns 29 in March...

More MacPhail Quotes about the Viola Trade:

"The reality is that baseball is cyclical. Sometimes you've got to play the cycle and turn in your chips for more chips."

"You knew at the time it was one of those trades that can be a career buster, when you get right down to it. It's one of those that you have to get right. But I had a lot of confidence in our evaluators, and I just knew in my heart and soul it was time."

Source: http://nc.startribune.com/twins/story/1584638.html

Jones is the Hangup?

posted by Jon

Prospect Insider has been single-handedly driving the Adam Jones rumor mill at times this offseason, and they have some new info on their sidebar today.

After exchanging emails with a person connected to the trade discussions between the Baltimore Orioles and the Seattle Mariners, I've learned that maybe the reason a deal has not been consummated is not what we've been led to believe up to this point.

Thus far it's appeared that the Orioles' demand for either Brandon Morrow, Carlos Triunfel or even Chris Tillman to be included may have held a deal up for the past few weeks. But perhaps that's not true, says the source.

"It's Adam Jones. I don't think they (Seattle) are sure about giving him up."

The two clubs are apparently keeping the lines of communication open, but no deal is imminent.

That is pretty surprising to me, but it makes the whole Winter league episode make a little more sense. That brings me to this little blurb by MLBTR:

Maybe the Mariners have been reading blogs again.

Honestly, that wouldn't surprise me one bit. There is not way you pull out of that trade unless you've been listening to biased, whiny fan bloggers crying about it. Bottom line is that Erik Bedard makes this team better than Adam Jones would in 2008 and 2009. You don't need to think beyond that, because we have plenty of youth waiting in the wings.

Everything looks at Jones' power numbers in AAA and thinks he is some sort of god. Anyone else realize that he could strike out 200 times if he doesn't have any lineup protection?

Horacio Ramirez Inks For 2008

It was announced today that the Mariners and Horacio Ramirez have agreed to a one year contract for 2008 worth $2.75 million with an opportunity for Ramirez to earn up to $300,000 more in bonuses. In doing so, the two parties avoid salary arbitration.

The base salary of $2.75 million is a $100k raise from last year. Yes, that's right; apparently you can get a pay raise for being the worst starting pitcher in baseball. Does this mean that Horacio is a lock for the rotation? Absolutely not. The Mariners did this so that they had an option to fall back on in the event that none of our young guns were capable to be in the rotation and we don't sign or trade for another starter.

Hopefully we'll be able to close the case on HoRam in the next couple of weeks by acquiring the ace that we've been looking for.

M's Issue Non-Roster Invites

The Seattle Mariners announced their first 18 Spring Training invites today.

Pitchers (11): Arthur Rhodes, Chris Reitsma, Chris Tillman, Kam Mickolio, Phillipe Aumont, Robert Rohrbaugh, Philip Barzilla, Jake Woods, Roy Corcoran, Brodie Downs, Stephen Kahn

Infielders (3): Matt Tuiasosopo, Mark Kiger, Tug Hulett

Outfielders (1): Bronson Sardinha

Catchers (3): Adam Moore, Jair Fernandez, Brant Ust

Pitchers: Chris Reitsma and Arthur Rhodes you know. They are both veterans of the game, both successful in the past, both made Seattle's Opening Day roster last season and both missed substantial time on the disabled list. The Mariner bullpen would receive a nice boost if either of these two can bounce back from their injuries and pitch like they did in the days of yesteryear. I think Reitsma has the best chance to bounce back. He should be fully recovered and still has some innings left in his arm, while Rhodes missed all of last season and may be running out of time. While he had a great year for Cleveland in 2005, Rhodes hasn't pitched successfully in back-to-back seasons since his last stint with Seattle.

Mariners fans will get their first look at first round pick Phillipe Aumont. He has yet to make his professional debut, however, and should be cut fairly early. Chris Tillman, as good as he could become, probably won't last long either in his first big league Spring Training.

Jake Woods is another familiar face, but I think he blew his chance at a regular role with this team and is now below several pitchers on the organizational depth chart. Don't expect much out of Stephen Kahn either. He has pitched well during his brief Mariner career, but he'll likely start the year back in AA. Brodie Downs hasn't taken the typical path to the majors. He was drafted out of Junior College at age 27 last year, and combined for a 2.49 ERA between rookie ball, AA and AAA in his first season. He could be an interesting story to follow.

The young pitchers with the best chance to crack this years Opening Day roster would have to be Kameron Mickolio and Robert Rohrbaugh. Mickolio was in the same draft as Brandon Morrow, and is a hulk of a man that delivers some serious heat. Rohrbaugh may be in the same boat as Jake Woods. He's a lefty starter type that will probably end up in AAA instead of in the bullpen or fifth spot, but he is just about major league ready. More on Rohrbaugh here. Philip Barzilla and Roy Corcoran could surprise some people as well. Barzilla has pitched fairly well over the last seven seasons in the Houston organization, but has only logged a third of a major league inning. Being left handed is an advantage, and he would definitely benefit from a George Sherrill departure, though there appear to be better pitchers in front of him. Corcoran, most recently of the Marlins organization, has also pitched in seven minor league seasons with a very nice 3.11 ERA and 9.39 K/9, but has been unable to put it together in his 16 appearances at the major league level.

I was rather surprised that neither Austin Bibens-Dirkx nor Doug Fister were able to get an invite. ABD also came out of the same draft class as Morrow and Mickolio, and might be more advanced at this point in his career had it not been for some injuries slowing him down. He should be up before season's end, though Fister might be another year or so away.

If I had to pick one non-roster pitcher to make the 25-man, besides Reitsma and Rhodes, I would have to pick Kam Mickolio. The guy has shot through the organization and finished 2007 with 10.5 K/9 in AAA.

I'll write at length about all the pitchers competing for jobs once Spring Training rolls around.

Infielders: Seattle's first pick of the 2004 draft (3rd round), Matt Tuiasosopo has been a bit of a disappointment so far. He has yet to develop the power most scouts thought he had, and will not be granted a 25-man roster spot anytime soon. Tug Hulett, who was acquired in the Ben Broussard trade, along with Mark Kiger give the Mariners even more depth among utility men. Neither of them are better options than Willie Bloomquist or the recently signed Miguel Cairo, so this is no more than a tryout for next year. Bloomquist and Cairo will both be free agents after this season, and the Mariners will have to find new utility guys for the bench.

Catchers: The Mariners are going to have a very nice group of catchers working with the pitchers this Spring Training. Kenji Johjima, Jaime Burke, Jeff Clement and Rob Johnson will be joined by up-and-comer Adam Moore this Spring. He is projecting to be a very solid major league catcher, a Michael Barrett type, and he is reportedly very good with the pitchers. I wrote much more about him here. Joining Moore will be Jair Fernandez and Brant Ust, and neither are much to write home about. Ust has been playing pro ball since 1999 but has yet to make his major league debut. Like Fernandez, he is weak with the stick but does have some value. Ust is a rare breed of utility players that can play catcher. Last season in AAA Tacoma he logged innings at catcher, first base, second base and third base.

Outfielder Bronson Sardinha is a former first round pick by the New York Yankees (2001). I doubt the 24 year old will compete with the likes of Jeremy Reed, Charlton Jimerson and others for the fourth outfielder spot, and he is probably just auditioning for another AAA job. If anything he can entertain us with his totally awesome middle name: Kiheimahanaomauiakeo. I wonder how long it took him to learn how to spell that.

This seems like a pretty good bunch of players. I don't see any of the position players making the team however. There should be a few more invites dished out in the coming weeks.

Roberts to Cubs; Seattle's Turn?

posted by Jon

There have been reports today that the Cubs are all set to acquire second baseman Brian Roberts from the Baltimore Orioles. I know we throw you off sometimes, but this is in fact a Mariners blog, and this trade could very well impact Seattle.

It has been my belief that the ongoing Baltimore/Chicago trade talks were hindering Seattle's ability to get a deal done with the Orioles. Baltimore obviously wants to move Roberts more, whether it has to do with the recent steroid allegations or anything else. They have already stated that they are in no rush to trade Erik Bedard, and they feel comfortable with him as their Opening Day starter.

With Roberts out of the way, Orioles GM Andy MacPhail can now turn all of his attention to moving his ace southpaw. Don't believe the rumors that the once "imminent" Seattle/Baltimore deal is dead. Obviously Baltimore needed to shift their focus as they were preparing to bring in a different boatload of prospects.

Yes, Adam Jones is back in Lara's lineup, but I think that is less of a factor than some think. A deal was close, so he was pulled out. The deal was put on the backburner, so he was put back in the lineup.

This Cubs/Orioles trade could also impact a potential Seattle deal, for better or worse, depending on what Baltimore gets in return for Roberts. Jon Lieber was signed by the Cubs just before this report came out, making some of Chicago's young starters available, namely Sean Marshall and Sean Gallagher. Could the inclusion of either or both of these pitchers extinguish Baltimore's interest in Brandon Morrow? While you can never have enough young pitching, it would certainly make it easier for them to drop him from the price tag. You could ask the same question regarding the possible (though unlikely) inclusion of stud center fielder Felix Pie, but I think Adam Jones would remain the centerpiece regardless as he is obviously capable of playing one of the corners.

I know many of us would rather send Baltimore Brandon Morrow over some other prospect, but Seattle GM Bill Bavasi may not feel the same. If Morrow is dropped from the deal something could get done sooner than later.

Just read this blurb from the bottom of the aforementioned report:

One baseball insider confirmed through email that the Cubs would like to make another move this off season before pitchers and catchers report. He went on to say that he has not heard anything about a deal being close, but said a deal is likely to go down before the end of the month.

This could obviously be referring to anything, but interesting nonetheless. I wouldn't be surprised in the least if talks were renewed within the next week or so.

Note: Take the Roberts-to-Cubs rumor with a grain of salt. Although this trade has been on the verge of happening for quite some time, there hasn't been a lot of confirming reports out there. We should know within the coming days.

Update (11:55 PM PST) - A new update on the previously linked MLB-Rumors entry seems to contradict the entire reasoning behind this post.

The Daily Herald believes the Orioles would prefer to trade Bedard before Roberts, so we will see what happens.

It's their speculation against mine, we'll see who wins out.

Rhodes, Sherrill Agree to Terms

The Seattle Mariners agreed to terms on a minor league deal with lefty reliever Arthur Rhodes today. Rhodes missed all of last season, and may also miss the beginning of this coming year. This is another low risk signing and I see no problem with it.

The M's also avoided arbitration with George Sherrill, so he is now officially signed for next season.

It's easy enough to connect either of these moves to Bedard, but I wouldn't bother. I'll try to sum up today's rumors a little later on.

Adam Jones to Return to Lara

posted by Jon

Alright, back to the Erik Bedard! Back to Adam Jones! Here are a couple of things I picked up last night:

Roch Kubatko is reporting that Adam Jones is set to resume play for the Cardinales de Lara of the Venezuela Winter league. He was pulled out over the weekend, spawning an overload of speculation as to the reason why. It still could have been the result of Seattle/Baltimore discussions heating up, and there could be numerous reasons why he's playing again. Maybe the trade negotiations have taken a step back, maybe Jones was begging to help Lara in their playoff run, maybe he is only available from the bench, maybe he hasn't actually been cleared and it was a false report. It wouldn't be the first time a report was wrong. Many sources had been reporting that Jones was on his way back to Seattle, likely to take a physical. Just don't write this trade off yet.

On a slightly more creative note, Baltimore appears interested in signing Octavio Dotel. Now, I am not totally familiar with the Orioles' plans or current bullpen situation, but would a Dotel acquisition alter Baltimore's pursuit of George Sherrill? Maybe some of you O's fans that have recently invaded can help us out on that one. I don't think it would, but it is a valid point to bring up.

Winter League Wrapup

posted by Jon

We've been writing so much about non-Mariner Erik Bedard lately that I thought you might appreciate an update on current Mariners players. Winter league baseball seasons have reached their conclusions and, besides those involved in playoffs, players will be returning home to get some much needed R&R before Spring Training.

(These stats do not include the playoffs.)

Wlad Balentien, OF - 110 AB, .191 BA, 4 HR, 17 RBI, 27 K, 21 BB - It's tough to make a case for him to be Jones' replacement in Seattle after a poor showing in Venezuela, and he would definitely benefit from another half year or so in Tacoma. It is encouraging that his slump didn't effect his walk totals much, as it is always an asset to have a player that can get on base without hitting.

Cesar Jimenez, LHP - 21 G, 23.1 IP, 0.77 ERA, 18 K, 3 BB - Jimenez wasn't able to get it done during his first stint with Seattle in 2006, but could be getting closer to becoming a Mariner mainstay now that he is a full time reliever. He had a solid, albeit injury shortened season last year, posting a 3.51 ERA with Tacoma over 25.2 innings. He averaged over 10 K's per nine against lefties, and could be a viable option should George Sherrill be traded.

Adam Jones, OF - 69 AB, .304 BA, 10 RBI, 16 K - Jones has had a strong showing in limited action this Winter, though he has shown no power whatsoever (0 HR, 3 2B, 2 3B). What effects his trade value more, the .304 batting average or the lack of power?

Jose Lopez, 2B - 117 AB, .316 BA, 5 HR, 17 RBI - These stats are encouraging, but he only drew 5 walks. The Seattle lineup lacks on-base percentage, and most of the players don't seem to be improving much. In regards to the other stats, we know all to well that Lopez' struggles come late in the year, so do we even put any stock in these?

Brandon Morrow, RHP - 7 starts, 36.1 IP, 2.72 ERA, 31 K, 8 BB - I've touched on this line before, and the most important stat to notice is the K/BB ratio. Control was Morrow's main weakness during his rookie year, and if this is any indication as to what may come he could be a standout member of the Seattle (or Baltimore) pitching staff. He also averaged more than 5 innings pitched per start, so he seems to be well on his way to stretching that arm out.

Sean White, RHP - 8 starts, 46 IP, 2.54 ERA, 20 K, 8 BB - Had the Mariners decided to go with young guys in the 4 and 5 spots of the rotation White would have been a leading candidate, especially after putting up solid numbers this Winter. White should have a real shot at the long relief role, but I don't know how much of a chance he'll be given to compete as a middle reliever.

Michael Wilson, OF - 119 AB, .303 BA, 7 HR, 30 RBI, 41 Ks - Wilson has some outstanding raw power, but strikeouts continue to be his worst enemy. The Hawaiian Winter League isn't the most talented, and 41 whiffs in 35 games won't get him any closer to the bigs. He should start the year in AA.

Besides Balentien, some other notables who didn't help their stock include Charlton Jimerson (31 Ks in 25 games), Brian LaHair (.200 BA) and Ryan Rowland-Smith (5.34 ERA).

Please visit Mariners Minors for more players.

Read and React: Which Package?

By Dustin Shires

In regards to Erik Bedard, the Mariners had reportedly offered:
Adam Jones, Jeff Clement, and George Sherrill

The Orioles want either of these:
Adam Jones, Carlos Triunfel, George Sherrill
or
Adam Jones, Brandon Morrow, George Sherrill

Earlier reports speculated that the asking price was:
Adam Jones, George Sherrill, Carlos Triunfel, Chris Tillman

I'll start out and say that I am 100% for the Adam Jones, Carlos Triunfel, and George Sherrill deal. My reasoning? I'm not sold on Adam Jones, and I never have been. George Sherrill is an aging left handed reliever, and we have plenty of youth and some lefties in our bullpen still. Those players are going to develop as they get more time. The kicker for me is Carlos Triunfel.

Now, I'm not 100% sold on Morrow becoming a great starter, but he's MLB ready now. Triunfel won't be ready for the MLB until at least 2010, maybe 2011. Triunfel also has to change positions, since Betancourt is our shortstop now and the front office is in love with him. You can make the case that Triunfel won't be ready until Betancourt is a free agent, but honestly, I don't see Betancourt getting any worse in the next four years. I would rather keep the player that is going to help the big club, and is more proven. Triunfel has plenty of time to underdevelop. The kid can't even buy smokes yet, so he's got a ways to go.

Which deal would you rather see happen and why? (Please tell if you're an Orioles fan or a Mariners fan, or neither)

Anonymous Commenters

Feel free to enter in a quick nickname on the comment forms. It gets a little confusing sometimes!

Baltimore Waiting on Triunfel, Morrow

Jason A. Churchill of Prospect Insider has once again dug up some juicy info on the Erik Bedard trade talks. It seems that the Mariners have offered an Adam Jones/Jeff Clement/George Sherrill package, but Baltimore is waiting for Seattle to cave and offer Jones, Sherrill and either Carlos Triunfel or Brandon Morrow. Also sounds like the Mariners would give up Morrow before Triunfel, a choice I could go either way on at this point.

One league source predicted the Mariners would announce their new acquisition on Thursday. [Er-Bed Br-Mor Ca-Tri]

Dear New Readers,

Just wanted to pass on that we are cruising like never before here on BBT, traffic wise, and I want to say a quick hello to all the new readers on behalf of Chris, Patrick, Dustin and myself. Welcome to the site! Feel free to comment on the posts, because your responses are what make putting hours into some of these posts worthwhile. Once again welcome, and hope to see you back! Tell your friends!

Bedard: A Seattle Perspective

By Dustin Shires

Hey Bleeding Blue and Teal fans, this is my intro-post. I'm a huge, huge Mariners fan hailing from Seattle. I hope you all enjoy what I'll be writing!

Growing up in Seattle, and living 15 minutes from Safeco Field, I've always been able to watch the power hitters that Seattle has had in my lifetime. I have been able to experience the dominance of Ken Griffey Jr., the sweet, consistent swing of Edgar Martinez, the mash of Jay Buhner, and the all-around game of Alex Rodriguez. However, rarely have I been able to look at the rotation and say, "That is our ace!" The first clear-cut ace the Mariners brought in, in my lifetime, is easily Randy Johnson. The man pitched in Kingdome, which is more comparable to a crackerjack box, and absolutely dominated a sturdy AL West. Randy Johnson went a combined 84-30 (W-L) from 1993-1998, while starting 147 games in that span. Also, in 36 of those starts, he went the distance. What am I trying to say? That Johnson was the last starter that the Mariners had that when he took the mound, we expected to win the game, every time. Now, you could make the argument that Freddy Garcia was this ace when he was with Seattle, but I don't think so. I believe Johnson was the last true ace the Mariners staff had.

If this deal goes through, we could be receiving Erik Bedard, an ace. Now am I saying that Bedard compares to Randy Johnson? In no way. However, I am much more comfortable calling Erik Bedard the ace of the Mariners' staff than I am calling King Felix the ace. Bedard put up 13-5 (W-L) in a hitter dominated park, hitter dominated division, heck, in a hitter dominant league. I would love to see what Bedard could do in Safeco, in a less competitive division, in the SafeCave that he would call home.

Trading Jones, Sherrill, Triunfel and Tillman honestly isn't a horrible deal. Jones, although dubbed the "Savior of the Mariners," hasn't lived up to anything, at all. Triunfel has plenty of time to flop, and might not see the MLB until 2010 or 2011, maybe at the earliest. He's only 17 and I'm not comfortable holding onto that when he would have to undergo a position change (he's a shortstop), and he has infinite time to underdevelop. Tillman, although dubbed the best pitching prospect in the organization, hasn't really done anything spectacular either. His numbers don't tell me that he's going to be good. Felix dominated at that level, this guy is struggling to win 40% of his games (which he isn't).

My only objection to the trade would be Sherrill, and it isn't much of an objection, honestly. While he was the most successful of the Mariners relievers, he is 30. We have plenty of younger pitchers to fill our bullpen, and I will highlight the lefties. Ages given are on Opening Day.

• Eric O'Flaherty will be 23.
• Brandon Morrow will be 23.
• Ryan-Rowland Smith will be 25.
• Mark Lowe will be 24.
• Jake Woods will be 26.

While these are only a few of the members of the bullpen, 4 of them will be given Opening Day spots, theirs to lose, and Woods could be a fixture later on in the season. [Er-Bed]

Bottom line, to get Bedard, the future Mariners ace, we wouldn't be giving up too much at all. We would be able to keep Balentien, Morrow and Clement, who are all huge fixtures in the Mariners future. While we might only have 2 years of Bedard, it would be two years of successful pitching, and more consistency from the top of our rotation. If not re-signed, okay cool, we have given Morrow two years to work on becoming a successful starter. I see no problem with this. Who knows, if he is successful in Safeco, maybe he'll want to re-sign?

What Could We Expect from Bedard?

I stumbled across an entry on Fantasy Sports Experience discussing what Seattle could expect from Erik Bedard should a trade happen. Here's a piece of the article:

For the upcoming season, (I don't mean 2-3 years from now, when prospects might finally pan out) I really like this deal for Seattle. Seattle gets a clear number one/ace, to park in front of their young up and coming ace, Felix Hernandez. Bedard is currently stuck in Baltimore, playing in one of the great hitter's ballparks in all of baseball, in front of a disenfranchised fan base, in a clubhouse littered with steroid accusations and an owner who is like George Steinbrenner, only without the talent. Basically the Baltimore Orioles have become the Oakland Raiders without the heart. Oh, and add to that the fact Bedard plays in the A.L East, and pitches most of his games against some of the league's best offenses in New York, Boston, and Tampa Bay. Even the Blue Jays, who have the East's worst offense (outside of Baltimore), has a formidable lineup.

Here are the things that would benefit Bedard if he was traded to Seattle:

1) Bedard goes to a much better pitcher's ballpark, with a much better defense.
2) Bedard would be pitching to much less formidable and deep lineups in the A.L. West.
3) He Joins a team that showed a bunch of moxie, till they fell apart in the middle to end of August.
4) Baltimore's bullpen was awful last season, while the Seattle bullpen was really one of their strengths.
5) He will be matching up against pitchers who aren't the caliber he would be facing in the A.L. East. (A.L East: Beckett, Schilling, Dice-K, Wang, Pettitte, Kazmir, Halladay, Burnett (when he feels like it) Shields---A.L West: Lackey, Weaver, Blanton Millwood?, Gaudin?)
7) On a bad, bad Baltimore team last season, Bedard managed to win 13 games. Pencil him in for about 16-18 wins next season, with his name again, prominently featured as a Cy Young candidate.

Now, there are probably a lot of people saying, "Well with all those things, shouldn't Eric Bedard be a shoe in for the Cy Young and the reincarnation of Sandy Koufax?!?!" Please don't forget, while Bedard is a special talent, he has a propensity to break down late in the season. In 2005 and 2006 he is a combined 3-5 in September. I didn't include September of the 2007 season because he was hurt and didn't pitch. Rotisserie owners probably wouldn't care too much about those numbers, but for people in a head-to-head league, this is smack in the middle of the playoff run. Bottom line is fantasy or reality, Bedard has never thrown more than 200 innings and still has the potential to miss about 2-4 weeks during any given season.

Please visit FSE to read the article in its entirety. [Er-Bed]

So does this change any opinions?

View other Bleeding Blue and Teal posts about Erik Bedard

Bedard: A Baltimore Perspective

By Patrick Whealton

Growing up about a half hour from Baltimore I've always known the Orioles to be synonymous with pitching just as the Ravens are with defense. I hear the tales of legends like Jim Palmer, Mike Flanagan and Scott McGregor. I remember going to ballgames and seeing the likes of Mike Mussina, Scott Erickson and Jimmy Key. But at the turn of the millennium the Orioles organization seemed to lose touch with its identity and shifted the focus to hitting. Now granted, this paradigm shift didn't exactly make for a winning ballclub and has left fans frustrated and management between a rock and a hard place as to the direction of the club. Like Mariner fans have been over the last few years, O's fans are frustrated. The days of seeing the seats at Camden Yards filled to capacity are gone and for me, it's a sad sight. So the question remains, what is the next step the Orioles need to take to ensure that they are competitive in the future?

There really isn't a choice right now between succeeding now or succeeding in the future; the former is not possible, especially not in the AL East where even the Devil Rays have a more intimidating roster. After trading Miguel Tejada to the Astros, it seemed as if management had come to its senses. But the litmus test for their decision making could come very soon depending on what happens with Erik Bedard. Trust me on this, the Orioles trading Bedard would be about the equivalent of the Mariners trading Felix Hernandez. Oriole fans would feel betrayed after years of waiting for the minor leagues to produce a pitching gem that can get the team back to the pitching-first mentality that was successful in the past. But what choice do they have? I mean, Bedard is only under team control for this coming year and 2009 when he will become an unrestricted free agent. You think the O's have a good shot to re-sign him? Neither do I, especially since sporadic reports have mentioned that he wants to play for the Blue Jays since he hails from Canada.

Are the Mariners a good fit for Bedard? In the eyes of the Orioles, sure they are. The two teams don't play each other all that much and the Mariners are in desperate need of another starter and have the prospects to acquire one. At this point, the deal that's been tossed around over the last few days (Jones, Sherrill, Triunfel, Tillman to Charm City & Bedard to the Emerald City) would make sense, regardless of what most O's fans think. But I can't say for sure, as an M's fan, whether I am comfortable with a deal like this just because we are only guaranteed two years of Erik Bedard; although I am leaning towards 'do it' if we can manage to keep Morrow and Balentien which, at first, nobody thought was possible. As for Bedard's injuries, they haven't really been connected so I'm not really worried about that. After all, he was healthy last year up until the last month or so. [Er-Bed]

Either way, I'm going to be seeing a lot of Adam Jones whether it be on TV with the Mariners or up close and personal with the O's.

BBT News: Added Authors, Expansion Plans

Dustin and Patrick of Mariner Nation have been added to Bleeding Blue and Teal, making four to go along with Chris and myself. Some other additions that you will surely be excited about will come later.

The reason for the added authors? We are working on a new site, independant from Blogspot, that will blow this one away. It will start small, but we have big plans.. Some stuff all Mariners fans can be excited about, and can't find on other Mariner blogs.

Any suggestions for the new site?

Adam Jones Pulled from Winter Ball

Adam Jones was pulled from play down in Winter Ball today. The default speculation for a move like this is to say he could be traded in the coming days. Let's see what happens. [Ad-Jon]

Your thoughts?

Poll Results: Gil Meche

Q: Now that a year has passed, do you think the Mariners should have paid Gil Meche $11M+ to stay in Seattle?

Yes - 18 (40%)
No - 27 (60%)
My vote: Yes

I am surprised by these results. The majority of voters are happy with the fact that we let Meche go and signed Carlos Silva to an even richer deal a year later?

Silva's 2007: 32 GS, 202 IP, 1.312 WHIP, 4.19 ERA, 103 ERA+, 3.97 K/9, .287 OBA
Meche's 2007: 34 GS, 216 IP, 1.296 WHIP, 3.67 ERA, 128 ERA+, 6.50 K/9, .263 OBA

Silva's Career (as a starter): 47 W, 45 L, 770.2 IP, 4.46 ERA, .304 OBA
Meche's Career (as a starter): 64 W, 57 L, 1026 IP, 4.43 ERA, .261 OBA

Yes, Meche had been susceptible to injuries in the past, but I thought 2006 was really a turning point for him. He has always had top of the rotation upside, and it looked like he was getting to the point where he was healthy enough to put it all together. I was on the "re-sign Meche at all costs" side of the debate last offseason, as the market was thin and we were striking out with our targets (Zito, Schmidt, Eaton- thankfully). We ended up with Horacio Ramirez and Jeff Weaver.

Meche showed that he can pitch at the top of the rotation last season, putting up good numbers with a horrible team. I don't see how anyone voted 'no', but what good is a poll if everyone agrees? [Ca-Sil]

Your thoughts? DEFEND YOUR VOTE!

Chris Reitsma Brought Back!

Chris Reitsma has re-signed with the Seattle Mariners. Don't panic, this isn't half as bad as it sounds.

In fact, this is probably a good move by the Mariners. While Reitsma made over $1.3M last season, he will make just a fraction of that in 2008.

This is a very low risk minor league signing. If finally healthy Reitsma could provide the veteran presence and stability the Mariners were looking for last season. If not, he sits in AAA as insurance or is released. Think of this like 2007's Arthur Rhodes signing. Didn't hurt us, did it? [Ch-Rei]

I have no problem if he makes the team, as long as he proves healthy and effective in Spring Training. The only fear I have is that he'll take a roster spot from a more deserving youngster, such as Kam Mickolio or Jon Huber. We'll see how it plays out in Spring Training.

If George Sherrill is Traded...

This goes along with the Caffeinated Confines post I did titled If Adam Jones is Traded, Who Replaces Him? Though Adam Jones figures to leave a bigger hole on the Seattle roster, the question is still valid; If George Sherrill is traded, who replaces him?

There is no straight up answer for this question, however, as Sherrill's 2008 Mariners role hasn't been determined. Personally, I would give him a full-time setup role at this point in his career, though I can imagine Bill Bavasi and John McLaren having an "if it ain't broke" approach and leaving him as the team's LOOGY.

If Sherrill was expected to be a full-time setup man it is possible to replace him internally. Having a righty/lefty tandem covering setup duties is a luxury, not a requirement, and Seattle can use their depth among right-handers to fill the void. Besides J.J. Putz, the Mariners will consider six other righties for non-long relief bullpen roles. These guys include Sean Green, Mark Lowe, Brandon Morrow, Kam Mickolio, Austin Bibens-Dirkx and Jon Huber. Bibens-Dirkx is the biggest longshot at this point, but will be given a long look in Spring Training along with Mickolio.

Bill Bavasi has already announced his intentions to make another bad decision, stating that Brandon Morrow will not be given the opportunity to develop as a starter in Tacoma, but will instead be a part of Seattle's bullpen next year if another starter is acquired. Making the best of a bad move, Morrow would benefit from the long relief role. The Mariners would get the most out of him in a late innings role, however, so it will be interesting to see how badly Bavasi and McLaren are willing to hinder Morrow's development as a starter in order to help the team.

My vote would be to give Morrow one of the setup roles, because I think his real future is in the late innings and not as a starter. I would like to see Mark Lowe as the other setup man, but only if he proves to be healthy and effective in Spring Training. If not, Sean Green would be my next choice, though I would be more comfortable using him as a middle reliever.

It may be slightly more difficult to replace Sherrill if Seattle was planning on making him their left-handed specialist again. Eric O'Flaherty would have likely nabbed the role if Sherrill was still there for insurance purposes. O'Flaherty may be capable, but I'd like him to have one more year of middle relief assignments before being forced to face hitters like David Ortiz or Travis Hafner with the game on the line. Ryan Rowland-Smith was actually much better against right-handers last year, so he will not be seriously considered in that role.

I believe that the Seattle Mariners would turn to free agent Jeremy Affeldt.

From a Seattle P-I article titled Mariners' needs simple: Pitching:

...Medical Lake native Jeremy Affeldt said Thursday his agent has talked to the Mariners and is scheduled to do so again in Nashville. Affeldt, 28, was the lefty setup man for Colorado last season -- a role the Mariners have well-covered with George Sherrill...

Here's what I had to say about Affedt a few days before the P-I article was published. The post, Free Agency: Veteran Relief, was a list of my top five veteran relievers the Mariners could bring in to fill the void left by the very ineffective Rick White, Chris Reitsma, John Parrish and others:

5.) Jeremy Affeldt - The only lefty of this list, Affeldt bounced around in different roles with the Kansas City Royals early in his career and didn't find too much success. This past season he landed with the Rockies and posted a career low 3.51 ERA, including a 1.74 ERA in the hitter friendly confines of Coors Field. He was a matchups guy, only logging 59 innings in 75 appearances, but could be on the verge of a breakout season in a bigger role. He's got age on his side (28) and showed that he can get it done against both sides of the plate (3.65 ERA vs. right, 3.27 vs. left) and in the playoffs (1.69 ERA during Colorado's playoff run, his only mistake a solo home run in the NLDS). Affeldt is the biggest gamble on this list, especially since he's only had success in the National League.

Affeldt hasn't pitched nearly as well as George Sherrill, but I think he is the Mariners' best option to fill the role occupied by Sherrill last season. It would also allow Eric O'Flaherty to continue developing away from the pressures of setup and specialist duty. Obviously Affeldt is interested in pitching for his hometown team, and I believe that he would be Seattle's first acquisition announced once George Sherrill is out of the picture.

The biggest obstacle in signing Affeldt would be the money. There have been rumors that he is seeking about $4M annually, an absurd amount of money for a reliever with his credentials. Sherrill will likely make less than a quarter of that salary, even if he takes his case to arbitration. I assume Affeldt's price will come down, as superior relievers such a LaTroy Hawkins ($3.75M) and Luis Vizcaino ($3.5M) have been signed for less this offseason. [Ge-She Je-Aff Br-Mor]

If George Sherrill is included in a trade for Erik Bedard, Jeremy Affeldt will become a Seattle Mariner. You heard it here first.

View other Bleeding Blue and Teal posts about George Sherrill

Bedard to Mariners Deal Soon?

Orioles guru and Fox Sports reporter Ken Rosenthal has another great batch of rumors, starting off with the Baltimore/Seattle talks regarding ace Erik Bedard.

Rosenthal and others believe that Chris Tillman could be the player that gets the deal done. He also mentions Adam Jones, obviously, along with Carlos Triunfel and George Sherrill.

I don't want to part with Sherrill. I really don't want to lose Triunfel. At this point, however, I would be ok with a deal that included three or all of the above listed players. At least we get to keep Jeff Clement, Wladimir Balentien and Brandon Morrow, which didn't seem like a possibility early on in the talks.

Tillman and Triunfel are awfully good, but they are both teenagers and the Mariners could be just one good draft and one international signing away from replacing them. You never know how the young guys will develop, and I would not hate Bavasi for making this move. I am still somewhat against it, but it is his job to make moves to win, not to build for the future.

I'm actually a little bit excited. It's tough to lose the players that we've been calling "the future of the Seattle Mariners baseball franchise" for the past few years, but it could be really fun to have two Cy Young candidates at the top of our rotation. [Er-Bed]

Cairo? Really?

Not going to go too far into this one, but the Mariners signed veteran utility man Miguel Cairo to a one year deal.

I don't understand this. Willie Bloomquist was all the soft-hitting utility man we needed. While the defense isn't as good, I would have liked Mike Morse to have this roster spot. [Mi-Cai]

Does this mean Jeff Clement starts the year in AAA? It certainly boots some deserving player off of the 25-man. Maybe it means that Clement or Morse is about to get shipped to Baltimore. Purely speculation, though.

New Bedard Developments

Today we finally have some new developments on the Seattle/Baltimore trade talks regarding Erik Bedard.

Jason Churchill's Prospect Insider is reporting that the Mariners and Orioles could be close on a deal including Adam Jones, Carlos Triunfel and George Sherrill.

Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports is reporting that Seattle would be willing to offer Adam Jones, Jeff Clement and Matt Tuiasosopo, but speculates that Baltimore could have their eyes on some combination of Tony Bulter, Chris Tillman and Carlos Triunfel to go along with Jones.

My reaction: When I first read the Prospect Insider report I was a little frustrated with the inclusion of Triunfel's name. He is the best young talent we have, even more-so than Jones, Clement and Balentien. I had actually written this post several times over expressing how I felt about it, but I couldn't get the words down properly.

Now I've calmed down a little, and I can understand why the Mariners may be willing to part with Triunfel. He's so young and raw, and no matter how great he is now it's always impossible to predict where a prospect might be five years down the road. Truinfel won't be major league ready until 2010 at the very earliest, and a lot could happen between now and then. He could get injured, he could drop off slightly, the Mariners could sign another young international stud by then; it's hard to drop out of trade for one of the best starters available on the basis of one young star and all the variables he carries with him. That said, it is tough for me to cope with losing Jones and Triunfel in the same trade.

You already know my stance on George Sherrill. Yes, the Mariners have very good depth in their bullpen, but most of it is right handed. In fact, Seattle's only three major league ready lefties appear to be Sherrill, Eric O'Flaherty and Ryan Rowland Smith.

As far as Rosenthal goes, I wouldn't mind a bit if Tui was part of the package, but I would probably lose it if Jones and Clement left in the same deal. You all know how I feel about Clement, and how I think he could contribute offensively in the future.

I wouldn't be opposed to giving up one of Butler and Tillman, but I would honestly rather give up Brandon Morrow instead. The reason is that Morrow will be placed in the bullpen if Bedard is acquired without him. If this happens, Morrow increases his chances of becoming a career reliever, and isn't as valuable to us. In my ideal world I would offer a package of Adam Jones, Brandon Morrow and Matt Tuiasosopo, possible another if required, and allow Butler and Tillman to continue to grow as starters in the minor leagues. I don't know if Bavasi will rethink his stance on Morrow at this point.

Alright, there you have it. A little sloppy, but I have other things on my mind tonight. What would you realistically offer for Bedard if you were Bavasi? [Er-Bed Ca-Tri]

Clement vs. Johnson vs. Moore

From from an anonymous reader in the Wake Up Call: Ian Snell, Edwin Jackson comment section:

On a side note I liked the piece you did on jones vs. Balentien, and would like to see one on Clement vs. Rob johnson vs. Adam Moore. Just an idea, thanks for all the great posts.

Ask and you shall receive.

Jeff Clement, Rob Johnson and Adam Moore are the top three catching prospects in the Mariners organization, but not necessarily in that order. You all know Clement and have heard of Johnson, but Moore may be a bit of a mystery to you. Hopefully this will have you well acquainted with all three.

The golden boy of the trio, Jeff Clement was taken with the third overall pick in the 2005 draft ahead of Troy Tulowitski, Ryan Zimmerman, Jacoby Ellsbury and Ryan Braun. If not from the extensive coverage directed towards him following the draft, you may know Clement by his memorable home runs during his September callup last season, or the reoccurring mention of his name in trade rumors this offseason.

Clement was an offense first catcher when we drafted him, and he still is today. My jaw dropped the first time I ever watched him hit, because his left handed swing seemed so perfect to me; a natural uppercut that is balanced, quick and powerful. His strong wrists bring the bat through the zone as fast as anyone, causing the ball to explode off his bat. Clement possesses the swing of an ideal power hitter, crushing the ball without over exerting himself.

Besides a balanced swing with robotic consistency, Clement brings more to the table offensively. Early on there were concerns that he had trouble with the outside pitch, but like most other minor leaguers Clement has worked on going the other way and has been able to do it with power. Though he's not a high strikeout guy the way Adam Jones is, he continues to cut down on the whiffs and has been drawing more walks.

Offense first, yes, but Clement is no slouch defensively. Everyone seems to think that Clement would be better off as a DH or first baseman, for different reasons. The only reason Clement should be moved from catcher is to prolong his career the way Craig Biggio did years ago. A common practice in today's game, Cleveland's Victor Martinez is in the process now. Many have speculated a position change for Clement for this reason, but readers misconstrue the reasoning and believe that he is an incapable catcher. Clement is certainly more valuable as a catcher, as you'll be hard pressed to find a backstop with his upside, especially from the left side of the plate. I detailed this in post titled Jones/Clement Value back in November.

He's no Pudge, but he is an adequate defender. There have been concerns about his game-calling and receiving abilities, but he has grow by leaps and bounds defensively since being drafted, a process interrupted by injuries and slowed by platooning. More time in AAA would serve him well, but his bat is major league ready so he may have to learn on the fly. Dan Wilson and Kenji Johjima have spoiled Mariners fans with superb defense, making an average catcher like Clement seem bad. I believe he should take up first base at some point in his career, but there shouldn't be any rush. He has healthy knees and is just 24 years old.

Rob Johnson is about the opposite of Jeff Clement. The two have split time in AAA between catcher and DH, showing off different skill sets. If the two could be melded into one, you would have the perfect catching specimen. Johnson has less offense, more defense and more speed than his power hitting teammate.

Tacoma's team captain last year, Johnson can call a good game, block tough pitches and is nimble behind the plate. He was drafted as a defensive catcher with some offensive upside, but he has yet to break out as a hitter. He still has the makings of a starting catcher, but will have to compete for every job he gets in the majors. Right now he projects to be an average major league hitter, hitting in the bottom third of the order. The power could still come, but for now he is predominately a singles hitter, muscling out the occasional home run while hitting few doubles.

It's always nice to get 5-10 stolen bases out of your catcher. Speed in a backstop is a rare quality, and I'm sure it will only help Johnson secure major league jobs in the future.

Johnson, also 24 years of age, may not see regular playing time with the Mariners under their current plan. He has been brought up in trade talks this offseason, as the front office knows they have decent depth at the position. If Seattle chooses not to re-sign Kenji Johjima and Jeff Clement is traded or moved to first base, however, Johnson could stumble upon a starting role. In this situation, I would only expect him to be in Seattle's plans long enough to allow Adam Moore to develop.

Adam Moore, Seattle's second best catching prospect, was drafted in 2006 and is 23 years old. Fairly new to the organization and unknown to most Mariners fans, he projects to be slightly above average defensively and slightly more above average offensively, but doesn't stand out on either side of the ball the way Johnson and Clement do.

Taking a quick look at the stat sheet, it is easy to be impressed by Moore's 2007 numbers. He hit .307 with 22 home runs and 102 RBIs in 433 at bats for High Desert. Some great stats, but keep in mind that he was playing his home games in the most hitter friendly ballpark of the very offensive California League. I've seen him compared to Michael Barrett offensively, and we should be able to better tell where he stands after next season.

I don't know a ton about him defensively. I know he calls a good game, is popular among the pitchers and that he has a decent arm, projecting right in the middle of Clement and Johnson.

A history of knee injuries could cause Moore to eventually abandon the position, but the jury is still out. He is apparently capable at both third and first, but would prefer to remain behind the plate.

MLB offensive expectations (once established): Jeff Clement - A 2002 Mike Piazza (33 HR - .280/.359/.544) or 1977 Johnny Bench (31 HR - .275/.348/.540) at his best, while a 2004 Victor Martinez (23 HR - .283/.359/.492) with a couple more home runs would be nice as well. Many have speculated Clement could hit 35 home runs at some point, especially if he is moved to first base. Expect a 1999 Jason Varitek season if he doesn't live up to his potential (20 HR - .269/.330/.482), which is still above average for a catcher. This guy is going to be a stud offensively. He should have Jason Varitek caliber defense if he remains at catcher.

Adam Moore - A 2004 Ramon Hernandez (18 HR - .276/.341/.477) or a 2005 Michael Barrett (16 HR - .276/.345/.479). That would make him a very solid major league catcher, though not on the same level as Clement. 20 home runs may be too much to ask from him. He has a nice looking swing, but it doesn't seem to generate a lot of power.

Rob Johnson - A 1999 Dan Wilson (7 HR - .266/.315/.382) or 2007 Yorvit Torrealba (8 HR - .255/.323/.376). He may be able to hit around .270 or so, but I wouldn't expect a ton out of Johnson. His real value is as a defender.

My ideal scenario: I would love to see Clement catch and work on his infield skills, shifting to first base once Moore is ready. Johnson could be the backup, but there is a good shot he is traded or let go if there is no spot for him.

A crazy idea: Obviously it is doubtful, but the Mariners could end up with all three of these guys in the same starting lineup, let alone on the same team. Clement and Moore could play the corners or DH, while Johnson is the starting catcher. Either Clement or Moore could be the backup catcher, preserving their value as a backstop. If Johnson's bat develops, he could be rested at DH. Don't hold your breath, though. [Je-Cle Ro-Joh Ad-Moo]

There you go, Mr. Anonymous Commenter. I hope that is what you were looking for.

View other Bleeding Blue and Teal posts related to Jeff Clement

Wake Up Call: Ian Snell, Edwin Jackson

Sunday Morning Tidbits

Beaver County Times:

Seattle has interest in trading for Snell and would likely offer catching prospect Jeff Clement as part of a package. However, the Pirates almost certainly would hold out for outfield prospect Adam Jones, considered a potential superstar, in any deal.

This is interesting because it seems to contradict a Bucco Blog post from the 3rd that said, "Pittsburgh Pirates GM Neal Huntington passed on a Jones-Morrow-Sherrill deal for Snell in December." Like any rumor this offseason, no one knows what is actually going on, not even Bavasi and Huntington.

I think I would rather package Adam Jones with some lower prospects (if that is enough), than send Jeff Clement and one or two of our better prospects like Morrow, Balentien or Triunfel.

Just to further complicate things, I thought I'd throw in this bit from MLB Rumors:

The Mariners approached the Pirates about Ian Snell, but quickly backed off when they asked for Adam Jones in return

...

St. Petersburg Times:

The Edwin Jackson to Seattle rumors won't die, but there still seems to be little substance to the idea of sending him to the Mariners. ... The Rays are still in search of a left-handed reliever, but there has been little recent progress on that front.

The two statements are meant to be separate, but can we help the Rays out with a southpaw reliever? Would everyone freak out if we traded George Sherril for Edwin Jackson straight up? Sounds almost like the Soriano/Ramirez deal of a year ago.

Most of our bullpen depth is right handed, except for Sherrill, Eric O'Flaherty and Ryan Rowland-Smith. Sherrill and O'Flaherty figure to play major roles, and I doubt Tampa Bay would be looking to acquire RRS. [Ia-Sne Ed-Jac]

Now that Broussard is gone, who could we offer the Rays? More importantly, shouldn't the signing of Carlos Silva negate the need for Edwin Jackson?

Who Replaces Jones?

There has been a lot of discussion and speculation about who would take Adam Jones' lineup spot should he be traded, but there hasn't been much published on the subject. I went ahead and posted my opinion a few hours ago over on Caffeinated Confines.

Check it out! [Ad-Jon]


Link: If Adam Jones is Traded, Who Replaces Him?

Ruling Out Bartolo Colon

I've brought up Bartolo Colon's name several time this offseason as a guy the Mariners should try to sign. The offseason is entering it's final stages and I think it's time to rule Colon out as part of Seattle's 2008 rotation.

3 reasons:

1. He is looking for $8-9M guaranteed annually and a multiyear deal, according to Bob Dutton.


2. Impacto Deportivo reports that Colon has yet to hit 90 MPH in winter ball.


3. There has been no official reports of any type of negotiations between Colon and the Mariners since November.

The third is probably the most obvious reason that Colon will not land in Seattle, but since when have I needed an official report to speculate? The fact that Colon has yet to hit 90 on the radar guns indicates he may not be fully recovered or may be pitching with pain. He has put together some nice outings down there, but I would be reluctant to sign him until I knew his arm strength was where it should be. Even if it was, signing him to a multiyear contract would be risky. I can deal with $8-9M, considering I predicted about $10M earlier this offseason, but he is no longer low risk if you can't dump him after 2008. I can't see anyone signing him to more than a single season, at least until he shows off a few low-to-mid 90s heaters.

I don't see the Mariners going after Colon. He could be great, but if Mariners are going to add another starter it's going to be (or at least should be) someone proven and healthier.

Besides, his offseason conditioning hasn't been going so well, as you can see from the picture below.

Just kidding.

Pittsburgh's Lofty Demands for Snell & Bay

We're not alone in thinking that the Pittsburgh Pirates' demands for Ian Snell and Jason bay are a bit ridiculous. Jason Churchill over at Prospect Insider submitted his thoughts on the situation, as well as what he thinks Pirates' GM Neal Huntington may actually be asking for.

Adam Jones, Jeff Clement, Brandon Morrow and Carlos Triunfel? All of them?

Whatever.

That's not as bad as Bucco Blog's six player package that we were talking about, but this is still 2-3 top prospects too pricey.

I think it would be best for the Mariners to solely pursue Ian Snell at this point, but it seems to be an expensive endeavor either way.

“We’ve talked to them about one of those guys, too,” said an AL East team’s representative, “and they aren’t ready to make a deal. They are asking for the sun and the moon, and neither player is that kind of talent. I don’t know what they said to Seattle, but when they are ready to deal either player, they’ll come way down or nobody is going to take them seriously.”

It comes down to the fact that Pittsburgh doesn't need to trade either player right now. They saw what mediocre hurlers were getting on the open market. They read the reports of the packages teams have been putting together for Johan Santana and Erik Bedard. Pittsburgh made one of their better young starters available, hoping some pitching desperate team would overpay. [Ia-Snell Ja-Bay]

Stay strong, Bill Bavasi, stay strong.

View all Bleeding Blue and Teal posts related to Ian Snell

Bargain of the Offseason: Jorge Cantu

One month ago I brought up Jorge Cantu as a player that the Seattle Mariners should take a look at. Seattle never showed any interest in Cantu, who agreed to terms with the Florida Marlins today.

He signed for $500,000.

This is a fantastic move for the Marlins. How often can you sign a former 100 RBI guy for half a million? Sure he has struggled since his monster 2005 season, but he appeared to be on his way back with the Reds last year, and should be a valuable player for Florida next season. If he wins a starting job he could easily be viewed as the bargain of this offseason.

I think Cantu would have been a great player to bring to Seattle to challenge Jose Lopez at second and backup Adrian Beltre at third. Tally another "oh, well" for this offseason.

Blog Note: Today has already been by far the biggest day here at BBT traffic wise, which is amazing because we were at an all time low just nine days ago. I want to say hello to all of the new visitors, and I hope to see you back here soon!

Read and React: Ian Snell for Adam Jones?

While Bucco Blog continues to spit out outrageous demands for Pittsburgh Pirates young starter Ian Snell, other unbias sites seem to be thinking more clearly.

MLBTR:

If Neal Huntington can get Adam Jones for him straight up, I think he should pull the trigger.

While some Mariner fans would continue to wince at the thought of this trade, it is much more realistic than the Santana/Bedard-esque asking price Bucco Blog has been throwing out there.

Time to get involved, would you trade Adam Jones straight up for Ian Snell?

I'll comment with my opinion once you guys get it started. [Ia-Sne, Ad-Jon]

Oakland Continues Rebuilding

It's a shame that the Oakland A's are in the AL West, because they've already unloaded two players the Mariners would have loved to pick up. Former Athletics ace Dan Haren was the first and Nick Swisher is the second, being shipped off to the Chicago White Sox for three top prospects earlier today.

I imagine that if the A's were in another division Seattle would have been more than willing to completely deplete their system for Haren and Swisher, two guys that are signed long-term to relatively cheap deals. They would have fit nicely on our current team.. oh well.

This move pushes Oakland further into rebuilding mode and further from 2008 contention, but with the prospects they've picked up this offseason they will be a force in a few seasons, after they endure some growing pains.

Mariners vs Angels, 1/3/08

A crazy amount of my posts this offseason have been about starting pitchers that the Mariners have not obtained. In fact, about 63% of the posts are about said pitchers. What is sadder, that a majority of the posts on this Mariners blog are about non-Mariners, or the fact that I know the percentage of posts refering to starting pitching targets?

Either way, the likelihood that our Mariners acquire Erik Bedard or Johan Santana seems to be dwindling, at least according many writers (ye of little faith), I decided it was appropriate to discuss our current Seattle Mariners team.

I've posted many entries about how the Los Angeles California Angels of Anaheim are now miles ahead of the Mariners after this offseason, but that was assuming they would get Miguel Cabrera or backup plan Miguel Tejada. Cabrera is a Detroit Tiger, and Tejada is a Houston Astro.

So how do the Seattle Mariners and L.A. Angels stack up as of today? Let's see.

Starting Rotation:

SEA/LAA:
Felix Hernandez/John Lackey
Jarrod Washburn/Kelvin Escobar
Miguel Batista/Jered Weaver
Carlos Silva/Jon Garland
Brandon Morrow/Joe Saunders

It's hard to tell what order either rotation would actually go in. For Seattle, Washburn, Batista and Silva are all pretty equal and could go in any order. For Los Angeles, the five spot could go to Ervin Santana or someone else. Either way the Angels have Seattle beat overall, as they have better pitchers in every slot. the 4-5 slots are debatable, but I still give L.A. the edge.

Position Players:

SEA/LAA
C: Kenji Johjima/Mike Napoli or Jeff Mathis - Adv. SEA
There is no doubt about this, Johjima is a top-10 catcher in the league both offensively and defensively, while this pair of Angels can't hit .250.

1B: Richie Sexson/Casey Kotchman or Kendry Morales - Adv. LAA
Kotchman and Morales don't have the power that Sexson has, but they don't need to in the current Angels lineup. Whoever the Angels go with (likely Kotchman) it's going to take a Sexson resurrection to even the playing field.

2B: Jose Lopez/Howie Kendrick - Adv. LAA, hands down
Lopez is a very fine second baseman, but Kendrick is a future star in this league.

3B: Adrian Beltre/Chone Figgins - Tie?
Figgins can hit well above .300 and steal you 60 bases, but has below average defense. Beltre is a gold glover, but can drive in 100 RBIs as well. I'm inclined to give Los Angeles the slight edge, but it's tough when you're not comparing apples to apples.

SS: Yuni Betancourt/Aybar, Izturis or Wood - Adv. SEA
It's unclear who the Angels will put at short, but I believe Betancourt slightly edges out any of them unless they decide to field Figgins there, which would be a mistake defensively.

LF: Raul Ibanez/Gary Matthews - Adv. LAA
Raul had a better offensive year, but I believe Matthews will rebound and his speed and outstanding defense will make up for any offensive woes in this comparison. The advantage is slight.

CF: Ichiro Suzuki/Torii Hunter - Adv. SEA
Hunter is an above average hitter and defender, but Ichiro is much better in both categories. It's another comparison that isn't apples to apples, so you could take another angle on it.

RF: Adam Jones/Vladimir Guerrero - Adv. LAA
Do I need to bother saying anything?

DH: Jose Vidro/Garret Anderson - Adv. LAA
Vidro is a great hitter, but doesn't produce anything. Anderson can still get it done, especially against the Mariners. With Anderson out of the outfield he should be able to squeeze in a few more at bats, too.

Possible Lineups:

Ichiro Suzuki/Chone Figgins
Jose Vidro/Gary Matthews
Adrian Beltre/Vladimir Guerrero
Raul Ibanez/Garret Anderson
Richie Sexson/Torii Hunter
Kenji Johjima/Casey Kotchman
Adam Jones/Howie Kendrick
Jose Lopez/Mike Napoli
Yuni Betancourt/Maicer Izturis

I would give the Angels an edge over the Mariners on the everyday lineup. Both leadoff men or above average, but the middle of the Angels order scares me. The Mariners don't always know what to expect out of Beltre, Ibanez and Sexson, but you know you're in trouble with Guerrero, Anderson and Hunter. Let's just be thankful that Miguel Cabrera wasn't adding in there, then there would be no contest between the two lineups. The Mariners only really stand out in the 8-9 spots.

Bullpen:

Without getting into much detail, the Mariners bullpen slightly edges out the Angels relievers. Putz is slightly better than K-Rod, the Angels' back end guys are slight better than the Mariners but the Mariners' middle relievers are probably a bit better than the Angels'.

It's hard to say how the benches for both teams will shape up at this point. If Jeff Clement lands on the Seattle bench, I would give them the early advantage, but it's too early to tell.

All this said, I believe the Angels are better than the Mariners, but not that much. Seattle's success could rest on solid seasons from Beltre, Ibanez and Sexson, the middle of their order, and a step up performance from one of the many "number 4" starters in their rotation. Some more moves will be made by both teams, but this is how they stand as of today. I know I was pretty vague on most points, so please give me your take and start a debate! (unintentional cheesiness)

Mariners Might Be Able to Wait for Santana

There have been reports today that the New York Yankees and our Seattle Mariners are not in the bidding for Johan Santana. I still believe that no one really knows what's going on, because both teams would be foolish to rule themselves out completely, but if true that leaves the Red Sox and Mets as the lone bidders for Santana's services.

As I said in a previous post, the Red Sox don't really want Santana, and I'm not the only one with that take on things. So that really leaves the New York Mets as the only ones trying to get Johan Santana, the best pitcher in baseball. I find that hard to believe, but let's go with it.

If there was really only one team trying to obtain Johan, I don't think Minnesota GM Bill Smith would bother trading him. True, Santana will not drop his no-trade clause once the season starts, but Smith has to hope that the Twins' billionaire owner will pony up more than $80M to re-sign him. It's doubtful, but may be better than taking next to nothing for the most valuable pitcher in baseball. If Santana is not re-signed the Twins will get a couple of top draft picks, which could be as valuable as any offer a lone bidder would put up.

If that happens, Seattle would be able to bid for Santana next offseason with Richie Sexson's contract off the books, and without giving up any of our promising youth. Unfortunately every team in baseball would be in the same position next offseason, but who knows what can happen.

For a good read on why Santana hasn't been traded, and why he should be traded, check out this Sporting News article. [Jo-San]

Ian Snell/Jason Bay to Seattle Rumor

Ever since it became known that Jason Bay was available, many Mariner fans have thought it would make sense to make a run at him. I didn't expect the Mariners to pursue him, especially with starting pitching remaining a priority.

Now that Carlos Silva has been signed it seems that Seattle is willing to get creative. Jake over at Bucco Blog is reporting rumors that Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Ian Snell and outfielder Jason Bay could be Seattle bound, if the two sides could agree on a deal.

Ian Snell had the best season of his young career last year, posting a 3.76 ERA in 208 innings. I'm not sure how he'd do in the American League, but pitching in Safeco can never hurt. He's not the big name we're all hoping for, but could improve the rotation for years to come.

Jason Bay is loaded with talent, but strikes out about as often as Richie Sexson and had a career low .247 batting average last season. He is a capable 30/100 guy, and obtaining a high-strikeout guy like him could force the Mariners' front office to move Richie Sexson and put Raul Ibanez or Jose Vidro at first base.

Everyone seems unclear of the cost. Adam Jones would likely be required, but I doubt it would take the same type of deal a Bedard/Santana trade would.

I'm not going too in depth for this one, but I would love to hear what you think about the effect this would have on Seattle, possible trades, etc. Remember, you don't need an account to comment! [Ia-Sne Ja-Bay]

UPDATE: 6:25 pm PST

It appears I missed this part of the Bucco Blog post:

There are numerous reports that suggest Huntington is looking for three MLB-ready prospects for Snell and I assume if he's dealing Bay at 2006 value, he'll want close to that for him.

Will Clement, Jones, Balentein, Morrow, Tillman, Triunfel, and maybe Sherrill get it done? Hmm..

That sounds absolutely absurd to me, and I don't think it would take anywhere near that to get it done. Besides, George Sherrill shouldn't interest the Pirates at all, and it was just his involvement in Erik Bedard talks that got his name in there. I wouldn't pay attention to that part of the post.

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