MLB: Hot Stove Time

[-Jrabbit]

Schilling is done. He will never pitch again.

[-Jrabbit]

Mariners get their man: Bedard traded by rebuilding Orioles for prospects
By DAVID GINSBURGAP Sports Writer, AP

BALTIMORE (AP) — Left-hander Erik Bedard was acquired by the Seattle Mariners from the Baltimore Orioles on Friday in a long-delayed trade for five prospects.

Baltimore received outfielder Adam Jones, who probably will start in center field in opening day. The Orioles also obtained reliever George Sherrill and pitchers Chris Tillman, Tony Butler and Kam Mickolio.

Bedard, Baltimore's opening-day starter last year, joins a rotation that includes newly signed Carlos Silva and holdovers Felix Hernandez, Jarrod Washburn and Miguel Batista.

The departure of Bedard is yet another move to youth by the Orioles under president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail. Shortstop Miguel Tejada, a former AL MVP, was traded to Houston on Dec. 12.

With Bedard gone, Baltimore does not have an ace or even someone that's a lock to pitch on opening day. Jeremy Guthrie and Adam Loewen are the top candidates, and Daniel Cabrera might be given consideration.

Baltimore had failed to reach an agreement on a contract extension with Bedard, who can become a free agent after the 2009 season. He went 13-5 with a 3.16 ERA last season and set a franchise record with 221 strikeouts. Opponents batted .212 against Bedard, including an AL-low .196 on the road.

Jones told a reporter in Venezuela on Jan. 27 he was headed to Baltimore to take a physical, signaling that a trade was in the works. But that physical did not occur until this week.

The 28-year-old Bedard ranked among the AL leaders in several pitching categories before a rib injury ended his season in late August. He was leading the league in strikeouts at the time and, although he finished third, his average of 10.93 strikeouts per nine innings was tops in the AL and an Orioles record.

Jones, 22, was Seattle's top pick in the 2003 amateur draft. He batted .246 in 41 games with the Mariners last season and hit .314 with 25 home runs and 84 RBIs for Triple-A Tacoma. He began his career in 2006 with an 0-for-12 drought that ended in Baltimore on July 18, when he got his first major league hit.

Sherrill went 2-0 with a 2.36 ERA and three saves in seven opportunities in 2007. He will probably be given a look as the closer for Chris Ray, expected to miss the season after elbow ligament replacement surgery on Aug. 16.

Tillman, 19, was Seattle's minor league pitcher of the year in 2007. Neither Tillman, Butler or Mickolio were on the Mariners' 40-man roster.

[snoopy369]

Wow, not a bad deal for Baltimore ... Jones could be pretty good. That Mariners team could - perhaps, will - win the West... I have little faith in the Angels for some reason this year.

[Arrian]

I don't think the Mariners will win the west. I think they are an ~85 win team, with Bedard. Their record last season is deceptive. We'll see.

-Arrian

[snoopy369]

Unfortunately, ESPN (or at least the guy on sportscenter who talked about the trade) agrees with me, which probably means you're right...

If I recall correctly, they show up well on some of the more important stats like OBP for hitters, and K/BB ratio for pitchers; but it's been a while. We'll see, ultimately

[SlowwHand]

Surprises of surprises, the Rangers say they're looking for pitching. The dumb bastards have simultaneously been looking for pitching, while at the same time trading their young prospects, for about the last 35 years.

[-Jrabbit]

It's somehow reassuring, like knowing the sun will set in the west each night without fail...

[snoopy369]

I hear Kevin Brown is available... sadly, Chan-ho Park is not (dodgers non-roster invitee)

[Arrian]

Originally posted by snoopy369
Unfortunately, ESPN (or at least the guy on sportscenter who talked about the trade) agrees with me, which probably means you're right...

I've got decent odds, but strange things happen in baseball.

If I recall correctly, they show up well on some of the more important stats like OBP for hitters, and K/BB ratio for pitchers; but it's been a while. We'll see, ultimately

The Mariners? OBP? No. That is a major weakness of theirs. Their offense is decidedly meh because of it.

Their pitching should be good. Bedard/Hernandez is a nasty 1-2 punch, and the rest of the rotation is serviceable. They have an excellent closer.

Their offense is projected to be similar to last year, possibly worse (Guillen > Wilkerson). Their bullpen did amazing work last year, and it's not necessarily repeatable (one of their good relievers was traded to Baltimore, among other things). Their outfield defense is projected to be bad (Ichiro is fine, but the corner OFers are bad). Their infield defense is good, except for 1B.

All in all, it's a decent team. They won 88 games last year, but there are several reasons to believe that they played above their real talent level. Many people look at last year and say "88 wins + Bedard = playoff contender." Others look at a team that could just as easily have won 80 games and decide that Bedard isn't going to be enough. Some projection systems have the Mariners as a losing team this year, with Bedard. I don't think they're that bad, but it's possible.

We shall see.

-Arrian

[Arrian]

Surprises of surprises, the Rangers say they're looking for pitching. The dumb bastards have simultaneously been looking for pitching, while at the same time trading their young prospects, for about the last 35 years.

Well, I hear they hired Nolan Ryan. He might be able to win a spot in the rotation...

-Arrian

[snoopy369]

Hmm, I must be mentally remembering the old Mariners with Martinez et al who weren't half bad at OBP (or at least BA, to be honest I don't think I thought much of OBP in the late 90s).

Clearly I need to look at the stats for this year

[SlowwHand]

Roger is toast. I hope not. I hope he's not lying.

Clemens again denies using steroids, HGH
Star pitcher testifies before Congressional committee investigating drug use in baseball. Full story | Video

Clemens calls ex-trainer a liar
Celizic: Clemens' charm won't work with Congress
Vote: Who do you believe?
Discuss the Clemens case

[Imran Siddiqui]

Reading all this stuff about his testimony, Clemens is lying through his teeth and getting hammered for it again and again and again. He's looking far worse than any other ball player in front of Congress has looked.

It hurts him badly that Pettite came out against him.

[snoopy369]

Once he started though, he pretty much had to keep going, didn't he? Perjury is perjury, he's not particularly likely to get that much more time for it now (unless he would've gotten a sympathetic sentence if he was nice about it?), and if he recanted they'd probably have to send him up anyway...

[asleepathewheel]

I'm astonished at how badly Clemens is doing here. I guess you just try to work with the facts the best you can.

How hilarious that the canseco defense that we've heard for teh past several days backfired big time.