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Mailbag: Bedard, Roberts, Konerko, Johan

Feel free to submit a mailbag question at mlbtraderumors@gmail.com.

If you're the Orioles, do you take Jones/Clement/Morrow or Bailey/Votto/Hamilton for Erik Bedard? - Mark

I would take the Seattle group.  Of all six players named, I think Jones is the most valuable and the closest to a sure thing.  The Mariners may be the favorite for Bedard, according to John Hickey.

Any shot the Yanks send some pitching to the White Sox to get Konerko to start at 1B?  Maybe dump guys like Igawa or Moose, plus a mid-level prospect?  What's left on Konerko's contract? - Jason

Konerko is owed $12MM annually through 2010.  He's a bargain and an asset right now, not a salary dump.  The White Sox are built to contend in 2008 and have no viable replacement for Konerko, so I'd be very surprised to see him traded.

Is Brian Roberts still on the Cubs' radar?  Or did they back off a bit after the Mitchell Report? - Tim

From what I can tell (and my best guess) is that the Mitchell Report did nothing to change the price to acquire Roberts or the Cubs' interest.  The general consensus seems to be that Roberts got a raw deal being named in the report.  As an aside, I'm not sure why the Cubs view second base as a need.

Where do you see Johan Santana playing in 2008? - Billy

I think he's wearing a Boston uniform in '08.  A package of Ellsbury, Lowrie, Masterson, and a fourth player seems excellent to me for one year of Johan. 

What's your opinion on the Jim Edmonds trade, and who do you think the Cardinals are going to go after with the extra money? - Alex

The move only freed up $6MM, but it definitely seemed financially motivated.  I think the cash goes toward a questionable free agent signing like Kyle Lohse.  Viva El Birdos has a new post up on this very topic, if you really want to get into it.  UPDATE: Just noticed via VEB that Edmonds actually requested the trade.

With the O's looking to build their farm system and get younger, why haven't we heard anything about them trading Melvin Mora? - Brad

We have, it's just that he has little to no trade value.  At best they could get some salary relief.

If the Brewers chose to take offers on Ben Sheets, what sort of bounty could they expect in return?  Is his value higher than Haren and Bedard? - Andy

Sheets' value is much less than Haren and Bedard.  For one thing you only get one year of him as opposed to three of Haren and two of Bedard.  He's also more expensive in '08 than those guys, and the biggest health risk of the three.  I think he could net two or three B type prospects, but the Brewers are best served hanging on to him.

We Mets fans are getting  very antsy...where is Omar Minaya and what is he thinking? - Steve

Steve is correct, as I have gotten many emails like this.  Minaya seems willing to sacrifice his best prospects, and maybe the price for Joe Blanton will be a bit more reasonable to him than Haren.  His best prospects are outfielders, though, and I wonder whether Oakland has enough of those.  I imagine Minaya is quietly kicking the tires on tons of starters.  My guess is that he winds up signing a guy like Silva or trading for one of the Brewers' starters.

What do you think about Kenny Williams' comments that fans know too much and GMs see fan reactions to trade rumors and get scared away from completing deals'?  Do you take that quote personally? - Kris

I don't take it personally but definitely find it interesting.  That some GMs would give more weight to public perception than making the best deal is surprising.  If that's really the case why don't they just do a better job keeping things under wraps?  That wouldn't be good for MLBTR but it seems possible. 

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