Bedard unlikely to be traded by opener

[Fairfax Bird]

I just can't wait for a surly Bedard to ignore Kranitz and get shelled for the first month in the season because he has a mechanical flaw...

Is this a joke? Bedard all of the sudden is going to develop a mechanical flaw?

[JTrea81]

To me this whole thing is a joke. Like AM is going to sit there and say o.k. the whole grand expirement is over. He is still going to have talks. Bedard still might be moved. The worst thing that is going to come of this is that opening day Bedard is pitching for us. That is the worst thing.

Considering that means we missed out on two top players that could be potential cornerstones, and will be lucky to get one at the deadline or next offseason. That's pretty bad...

[Believer]

Tough week at the hangout. Belkast loses his insider-ship (at least temporarily); the Roberts done deal doesn't get done; we learn that our best chip for re-building in a self-declared re-building project is held ransom for seemingly unrealistic value; BRob admits to steroids; AND Mora tries to show-up management with a defiant attitude about switching positions. I'm really tempted to get bummed, swear off hope in the Orioles (again), and curse AM, PA, and anyone that includes lol in their posts. But then I remember... Christmas is coming.

Christmas is Christmas because of the hope it gave to people 2000 years ago. They were living scared because of an oppressive King (Herod) and their hope was in a coming King who would offer a whole new way of life. Christmas is amazing AND it reminds me to have hope. You never know what will happen today, tomorrow, next week, in 2008, etc... I'm not saying that I'm not frustrated or that I understand/agree with the O's approach. Things don't make any sense at all to me right now. I'm also not trying to create an analogy that anyone in the O's front office is deity in any way - I'm just saying, there's something great about Christmas and that is hope. Keep it alive - that's what has made the past few weeks on the hangout fun - anticipation and hope of great things to come.

In the mean time, while we're waiting - share some hope with your friends, family and those around you this season - just like the shepherds and wise men did 2000 years ago.

Peace!

[JTrea81]

Is this a joke? Bedard all of the sudden is going to develop a mechanical flaw?

He's a pitcher, these things happen. Pedro developed one. Mussina has had problems. You can't just expect Bedard to have no problems and dominate just like he did last year...

[olehippi]

Bigbird, that was my problem w/the Cincinnatti trade that some people here were lionizing. You w/have gotten a good pitcher, a good (but not particularly great) first base prospect, and a couple of nobodies who either don't play those key positions or aren't remotely close to coming up here. If they'd made that trade, you w/still have had Hernandez and Redman in your starting lineup.

Seattle w/have given us a top CF prospect in Adam Jones, but if they pull back Morrow as we're hearing now, there's not much else else in their farm system that's good enough-at least not in the high minors. Balentien's good but that w/mean losing their 2 top outfield prospects if Jones goes, so I doubt if they'll trade him either.

It looks like ther only kind of trade we mite be able to make right now is the kind we made for Tejada-a bunch of may bees and hopefulls, but no real blue chipper.

I don't want Bedard here opening day, that's for sure! He doesn't want to be here. More importantly, he could have a bad start or even a bad year that w/diminish his value. Or, heaven help us, he could get hurt. In which case he has NO value.

But there is no way I'd trade him for the second hand players Cincinnatti and Seattle are willing to give us.Neither team will give us its top prospects-Bruce, Morrow, etc. So you pull him back in and bide your time. Maybe things will open up.

Or maybe MacPhail's posturing as some are suggesting. I hope that's what's happening.

My problem is people believing either of these trades were ever on the table. They were no more than hopeful wishes by people on OH based upon "rumors" posted by our insiders and musings by a few sports writers. That doesn't make them true! Someone show me a statement from MacPhail, or the Cincinnati or Seattle GM's that these offers were made and the O's turned them down.

[Fairfax Bird]

Considering that means we missed out on two top players that could be potential cornerstones, and will be lucky to get one at the deadline or next offseason. That's pretty bad...

You have Adam Jones and Jeff Clement penciled in to cornerstones? You better get that eraser ready. Most prospects fail to live up to the hype ... now back to "the sky is falling ... run for your lives!"

[Fairfax Bird]

He's a pitcher, these things happen. Pedro developed one. Mussina has had problems. You can't just expect Bedard to have no problems and dominate just like he did last year...

Pedro and Mussina did not develop mechanical flaws, they are old and one of their arms is falling off. What a joke.

You can't expect Bedard to dominate even though he has dominated for 11/2 years. You can expect Jones and Clement to be cornerstones, even though they haven't done jack in the majors.

[66-70-83-??]

To me this whole thing is a joke. Like AM is going to sit there and say o.k. the whole grand expirement is over. He is still going to have talks. Bedard still might be moved. The worst thing that is going to come of this is that opening day Bedard is pitching for us. That is the worst thing.

But, AM did trade Tejada.

And he has been saying the right things during the offseason that shows he "gets it" (need for rebuilding).

For all we know- he is on the cusp of pulling the trigger.

I also think that it is possible that by waiting that he could get another GM to knee-jerk and make an offer he cant refuse (NYY, BOS, NYM come to mind).

I know it has been floated that PA won't allow trading in the division but I dont believe it. Didnt we trade Javy to Boston ? PA knows the history (ie McGregor, Tippy, Dempsey deal, Brady deal, etc).

Also, I gotta believe there are other teams out there that are possibliities to get involved in EB- like Cleveland. Especially since DET got MCab and Willis.

Part of me wants to blast AM for not dealing EB already for Jones and ???? or Votto/Bailey. But, part of me wants to beleive that he has those and other irons in the fire (ie LAD ?, CLE, TEX, NYY, BOS, NYM, etc...).

So, I will try and wait until ST before I start to get restless.

[Moose Milligan]

Haren didn't set the market for Bedard.

Different deal, different teams and GM's. Apples and oranges.

You miss his point. Everyone values these guys differently.

SEA and CIN will only give up what THEY think EB is worth, regardless of how Ariz valued Haren, and regardless of what AM thinks he is worth. Besides, maybe 3 of SEA/CIN prospects are better than the 5 Ariz prospects.

I see where you're coming from, but I have to disagree.

Going back to the house selling analogy with the million dollar listing, the agent bringing the buyer will make an offer saying "Well, the two models down the street sold for 930 and 920, we don't feel yours is worth a million, so we're offering 925."

I'm willing to bet a GM will get on the phone with MacPhail and say "Hey, the Diamondbacks only gave x, y, and z for Haren, we feel that Bedard is probably equal value and we're not about to give more than what the Diamondbacks gave Oakland..."

It's basic deal making 101 when dealing with comps and things of that sort...you're right 3 SEA/CIN prospects could be better than 5 ARI prospects, but you can bet SEA/CIN knows that, too.

[JTrea81]

Pedro and Mussina did not develop mechanical flaws, they are old and one of their arms is falling off. What a joke.

You can't expect Bedard to dominate even though he has dominated for 11/2 years. You can expect Jones and Clement to be cornerstones, even though they haven't done jack in the majors.

I say they have a better chance of improving than Bedard does. Bedard has a much better chance of declining.

[Moose Milligan]

My problem is people believing either of these trades were ever on the table. They were no more than hopeful wishes by people on OH based upon "rumors" posted by our insiders and musings by a few sports writers. That doesn't make them true! Someone show me a statement from MacPhail, or the Cincinnati or Seattle GM's that these offers were made and the O's turned them down.

Good statement.

Or at least, how far the talks went.

[JTrea81]

Pedro and Mussina did not develop mechanical flaws, they are old and one of their arms is falling off. What a joke.

You can't expect Bedard to dominate even though he has dominated for 11/2 years. You can expect Jones and Clement to be cornerstones, even though they haven't done jack in the majors.

In case you haven't noticed, Bedard has a new pitching coach. And you don't think that has the potential to make a difference (negatively) at all? That's a joke.

[reisig08]

I think McPhail is doing the right thing. The Reds and the Mariners have made their best offers and now they are pulling back players. These are teams that McPhail needs to remove from his address book because if they are no serious about acquiring possibly the second best option out there in trade right now (and neither of those teams is competing for Santana) then we either need to wait for other teams to jump in with better offers, or we need to keep Bedard. If a team really wants him, we can still trade him later. The same goes for Roberts, whose value would be MUCH higher in July when a playoff contender is looking for a good top of the order bat who can force pitchers to throw alot of pitches and can run the bases with baseball intelligence. These are very valuable skills in the playoffs. Plus, his involvment in the Mitchell report will be well in his rearview mirror then. We don't have to have all the future pieces this second. If McPhail is waiting because he values Bedard and Roberts for what they are worth, then he is doing a great job.

[JTrea81]

I think McPhail is doing the right thing. The Reds and the Mariners have made their best offers and now they are pulling back players.

No they are not, they just aren't going to deal more than two important pieces from their major league team or their future. We can get two, just not three or four which were never on the table in the first place, even though the Orioles keep demanding them. It's not the other teams that are being unreasonable, it's MacPhail that has to come down and accept a solid if not darn good offer for Bedard. Bedard doesn't have as much value to other teams as he does to us.

[ChaosLex]

What a wonderful story to read first thing in the morning!

* Millar is batting cleanup for us this year.

* Mora is being a #%*& as usual.

* We traded one of our "best" chips for quantity, not quality

* Our biggest free agent signing is an oft-injured backup catcher

* Redman and L. Hernandez/Bynum/Fahey will make up our starting lineup and bench

* And Bedard is now unlikely to be traded

I don't care if there's three teams picking before us in the draft next year. WE ARE THE WORST TEAM IN BASEBALL. The fact that there's people defending the FO's idiocy is absolutely absurd.