Mets Prefer Bedard Over Santana?

Do you really consider Johan only "slightly" better than Bedard?! It wasn't too long ago that Bedard was putting up 4.00+ ERA seasons, while Santana's been brilliant (in the AL, no less) since 2002.

To me it seems like no comparison.

Yes, for 2008 I consider Santana only slightly better than Bedard. It's not an insult, more a compliment to Bedard.

Likewise, I find Angelos' 'I won't trade within the division' to be completely idiotic.

I can see the Yankees refusing to trade Cano or Wang to the Red Sox, or something similar, if the return was only unproven prospects. Both teams are competitive, and likely to finish 1 and 2 again this year, in some order. You don't trade quality major league talent to a competitor without the same in return.

However, the Orioles are NOT competitive. Angelos insults his own fans' intelligence by pretending otherwise. Get as much as you can for your free agents to be, regardless of who gets them.

they need to just sign Livan and get it over with. they'll need his lg.avg. 200in when Pedro & El Duque are goin 5in or skipping starts this year, and are gone next.

Maine
Perez
Pedro
Livan
El Duque/Humber/Pelfry

"Delois Guerra is 18 and at A ball. Again huge risk."

What? that doesn't sound like a "huge risk" to me...

Word delaware bird. Not only is ANY 18 yearold pitcher (or otherwise) a risk, but pretty much all prospects are a risk. This is one of the reasons I think the O's should have done that deal with Seattle involving Jones, since he's about the closest thing to a sure thing as you're going to find.

About the Bedard stuff we were discussing yesterday... I'm not saying I know for sure that Bedard can't be signed to a long term deal, I'm just assuming that because why else would the O's trade him rather than extend? They can totally afford it... I think it's a pretty safe assumption and I think other GMs are making it too.

The stuff I was saying yesterday about market value... Santana and Bedard are drawing similar deal offers and Santana is clearly a better arm than Bedard... The Twins are giving up a lot of leverage, that's why Santana and Bedard are drawing similar offers.

Just my opinion...

I agree with Delaware Bird that there is a much larger risk with the package the Mets would offer.

I disagree with Questions reguarding the value of Bedard. Name recognition is something that Santana has had for a few years because of a better team behind him. If Bedard was on the Twins, I wonder if he would have put up similar numbers (especially Wins vs. No Decisions).

You could argue a durability point, but Bedard is the superior pitcher to a club for reasons other than on the field play. Bedard produces a similar quality of play to Santana for a lower price with more club control than Johan. I'm not sure if you weigh the economics and club control concerning Bedard versus Santana in your post, or perhaps do not put as high a value on those factors as a GM would.

As far as the in division trading, there is a solid reasoning for not doing it.

You are competing against your own division first and the wild card SHOULD be more of an after thought, while teams like TB use it as their division title since they'll never beat out both the Yankees and Red Sox. Anywho, the point is that your division is filled with the teams that you play the most. I know this isn't a shocker, but here's the point.

If you say that Bedard is worth +5 wins for the Yankees and Melky Cabrera is worth +2, Phil Hughes is worth +3, and the other prospect has zero effect on the Orioles for the next two years, than you have essentially not picked up any ground on your division rivals.

Now say that Bedard is worth +7 to the Mariners cause they are more in need. Adam Jones is we'll say a +3, Brandon Morrow is a +1.5, Sherrill is a +2.5 and the fourth prospect has no effect on the team. They get more from a team because the player has more value to the new ball club. Also, they just improved +7 minus the effect Bedard leaving has on the club, say he's worth 4 wins, than this trade will increase the Orioles by 3 wins overall and gain ground on both the Red Sox and Yankees. It's complicated and this is not an "official" calculation, but it gives you the general idea. If Bedard makes the Yankees better and who you get makes you better, than what's the point cause you are only trying to get better than your opponents, not better than your last team.

Misconception number one, you don't rate the team on how much they got better, but rather how much they got better than the other teams!

Okay the last part needs to be rephrased... You don't compare the Orioles team of '07 to the Orioles team of '08, you compare the Orioles team of '08 to the Yankees team of '08.

OH, and this is coming from a White Sox fan who absolutely dispisess the twins, but they own the biggest game changer in baseball. Trust me this guy can bring it.