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Schmuck: O's interested in Hairston, M's may non-tender Bedard?


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The level of the Mariners frustration with Bedard last year is what keeps this story alive and intriguing. They despised him, his work ethic, fired Bavasi over the trade (mostly), and they made the decision to shut him down.

Bring them both back. As the Ravens learned this year, depth is the key!

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Well you really have to look at it like this. If Bedard even misses half the season, he will not be a Type A or B, too many pitchers will outperform him. If he won't fetch them anything in return, and he is a free agent after the season, why pay him millions of dollars for no reason? It's not like they will be in contention in the last 3rd of the season.

I see it as a likely dump and they are just confirming with Yocum how much time he is looking at missing.

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You mean the one that whines about everything and scowls at the media every chance he gets?

Admit it. Baltimore loved Bedard. His re-signing with us could only mean that he actually loved Baltimore too, which is more than I could ask of any player.

Despite always having some "dumbass" thing to say, he was an amazing pitcher for us in 2007 and it was hilarious to hear about how much of a jerk he was to the press. I could picture myself being very similar to him if I was a pitcher.

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It wouldn't surprise me if they non tendered Bedard for a few reasons:

1) The mariners GM isn't the one who traded for him.

2) The mariners may be worried about spending that much money on a guy that they think could miss some significant time this year.

3) Last year was such an awful year in Seattle that you have to wonder if they just want him gone.

That being said, i agree that they won't non tender him and if they were going to, that they would trade him....but it won't surprise me if it happens.

And yes, if he gets non tendered, I hope we sign him...Gotta think it will be us or Toronto.

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Why Hairston? Or for that matter Bedard? Been there done that with both of these players.
Thats simply awful logic.

Hairston would be probably the very best utility guy we could possibly land. He can play 2B, SS, and OF. Plus, he'd be a great insurance policy if we happen to deal Roberts as both a 2B and leadoff hitter.

Bedard clearly is an excellent pitcher when healthy. He'd be a risk to sign for health and durability issues, but to question his ability is misguided.

But mostly, the logic of not wanting to go after a player simply because they've played here before is terribly, terribly flawed.

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Well, there's this one: He's just as much an undependable head case in his own way as Sidney Ponson is in his. Unlike Ponson, he has it under control for longer stretches of time.

Once upon a time, he and Hairston were both good ideas, but I think they both belong in the past tense as far as the Orioles are concerned.

Bedard has far different issues than Ponson, Bedard's major issue is and always has been his health not his head. Bedard has never been arrested, never been to rehab, never shown up out of shape, never been caught drinking the night before a start, & he has never punched a judge. The only issue Bedard has ever had is an inability to communicate with the media, which IMO, has unfairly affected the light in which he is portrayed by the media.

Show me a quote where a teammate said he was a head case? All of the speculation that he is a headcase has come from the mediatypes. I find it interesting that none of this "clubhouse cancer" stuff popped up until after Seattle traded the farm for him and he underperformed expectations due to injury.

Is he a grouchy person? Sure and it probably opened him up to alot of negative press coverage from the Seattle media, but his personality has nothing to do with the fact that when he is healthy he is a solid #2 starter on any team.

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Seattle's GM previously said Bedard's recovery was going well:

Zduriencik said the team's trainers are encouraged by the recovery from shoulder surgery by left-handed starter Erik Bedard, who is expected to be in the rotation in 2009.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/baseball/390210_mari02.html?source=mypi

Still, they have to pay him at least $5.6 mm (80% of the $7 mm they paid him last year), so if they have doubts as to whether he's going to pitch the whole year and how effective he'll be, that's pretty expensive.

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Seattle's GM previously said Bedard's recovery was going well:

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/baseball/390210_mari02.html?source=mypi

Still, they have to pay him at least $5.6 mm (80% of the $7 mm they paid him last year), so if they have doubts as to whether he's going to pitch the whole year and how effective he'll be, that's pretty expensive.

Can't speak for anyone else but $5.6MM is a risk I'm willing to take to bring him back and see what he can do.

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Thinking back to 2008 and remembering the bench we had, I would be absolutely thrilled to have Hairston as a UTI guy. He can play more positions then any of our bench could last year (with the exception of Fahey, but who are we kidding?), has some speed and can hit better then pretty much anyone we had last year. This is a no brainer for me. I think we sign him and quick.

As for Bedard, I'd be surprised to see the Mariner's non tender him. I'd be even more surprised to see him not land with Toronto if he does get non-tendered. However, I'd be elated if he was non-tendered, didn't sign with Toronto and instead signed with us. :D

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If he is non-tendered, would we have to pick up his contract or negotiate a new one? If we have to pick it up, then it might benefit us as well to know how much time he would miss. It's not like we need to spend money on a player who is sitting on the DL for half of the year, either.

If he's non-tendered he's a free agent, free to sign with any team at any price.

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I'd take Bedard back - no question. I'd take Bedard over Burnett right now to be honest - and I like Burnett. Bedard is a legit #1 starter - '07 is far more reflective of the pitcher he is opposed to his injury-ridden '08 season. It is a variable if he'd be able to produce at that level in '09... but we all know that we aren't looking to '09 to win anyway (well, some of us do, at least).

He is worth the investment if there is even a shred of hope that he'll return to his old form - and I think he will. Of course, this is all likely a pipedream since the M's would have to really give up completely to non-tender Bedard.

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