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Erik Bedard

Week In Review: 9/21 – 9/27

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Here’s your weekly look back at some of the biggest stories we’ve covered on MLBTR!

  • The Pedro Alvarez drama may finally be behind us. The Pirates’ first-round pick agreed to terms with the organization on a new four-year, $6.355MM major league contract. Jim Callis and Dejan Kovacevic have some more insight to offer on the signing here. The contract was officially signed later in the week, and the grievance was resolved. Royals fans and Eric Hosmer are also both relieved that this is over I’m sure.
  • The Blue Jays began talking extension with A.J. Burnett this week. Later on, we learned that the Jays would offer a two-year, $30MM extension onto the remaining two years of his contract, bringing the total remaining value to four years, $54MM. Burnett seemed pleasantly surprised with the amount of money the Jays were said to offer. He expected they’d offer less. You’re always going to be wondering just how many innings he can give you in a season, but in a world where Carlos Silva makes $12MM per season, if Burnett is healthy he’d be a steal at this price.
  • Lots of question marks for another AL East team’s rotation, with the Yankees trying to figure out just what exactly Andy Pettitte and Mike Mussina are planning for 2009. Pettitte has said that he’ll play for the Yankees or retire. Bringing Pettitte back only makes sense if he’s willing to take a much smaller contract. I think around $10MM would make sense; someone also suggested a $7-8MM deal with incentives. That seems fair as well. As for Mussina, he initially said that he didn’t think he’d pitch in 2009, but later at least discussed the possibility of pitching for 300 wins. His first preference would be to pitch for the Yankees again. Congrats to Moose on picking up win number 20 today, by the way. Another milestone in a great career.
  • Erik Bedard’s injury and operation weren’t as serious as thought, and the Mariners now face more of a decision on bringing him back. If he’s healthy enough to pitch, I can’t see a reason not to bring him back. Maybe they can at least get a few months of the pitcher they initially thought they were getting, and get something in return in July.
  • Curious about what it will take for your club to reel in that free agent you’re craving? Buster Olney took a look at the market earlier this week that might shed some light on the issue.
  • One player who will be in that free agent pool is Orlando Cabrera. He openly criticized his teammates, saying that none of them wanted to win enough, and that "they were the problem," not him. Cabera’s hitting a very weak shortstop market; he should draw a lot of interest from numerous clubs. Interestingly, that article suggests Chicago’s biggest rival – Minnesota – as a possible landing place for Cabrera.
  • Two players officially called it quits this week. Todd Jones retired, notching 319 saves in his career. Elsewhere, J.T. Snow signed a one-day contract with San Francisco, so he could officially retire as a Giant.
  • Tim updated the Offseason Outlook series with entries for the Reds, Rockies, and Rangers.
  • Has anyone seen Brad Penny recently? No? Apparently, neither have the Dodgers.

M’s Unsure About Bedard

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The Tacoma News-Tribune’s Ryan Divish is keeping us up-to-date on the status of Erik Bedard’s shoulder. The lefty had told reporters he felt he had a torn labrum or extensive damage, but after undergoing surgery to remove a cyst, the Mariner’s said there’s no such thing:

Dr. Lewis Yocum removed the cyst from the shoulder and performed a minor minor labral debridement (clean-up of some fraying). But in the search for any major structural damage, none was found.

With the news, Divish thinks Bedard may get to pitch next year and may do so in a Mariners uniform.

Team president Chuck Armstrong, however, wasn’t too enthusiastic about Bedard’s possible return. Speaking to the Seattle Times, he was "deliberately vague:"

"It’s like trying to invest in the stock market," Armstrong said. "If you make a bad stock pick, you don’t go back and … well, some people do, but you have to teach yourself. You don’t hold on to it hoping it’s going to come back. If it’s a bad one, you move on."

According to the Times, it is widely assumed the M’s will tender Bedard a contract, and if he is heatlhy enough to pitch next year they could trade him midseason for prospects.

Alejandro A. Leal writes for UmpBump.com and can be reached here: alexo05 [at] umpbump (dot) com.

Mariners Rumors: Johjima, Washburn, Ibanez

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Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times has all sorts of good Mariners info today.

  • Kenji Johjima’s three-year, $24MM extension was mandated by Japanese ownership.  Johjima has an opt-out clause after the ’09 season, but only in the event of a serious family issue.  The extension looks like a sunk cost for Seattle before it even begins.
  • Backup catcher Jamie Burke is a free agent after the season.  He would like to return but needs to discuss playing time with the Ms.
  • The Mariners’ direction remains unclear – is 2009 a rebuilding year?  If so, why didn’t they swap Jarrod Washburn and his contract for a young Twins pitcher? Even if ’09 isn’t a rebuilding year that would’ve made sense.
  • The Mariners still have interest in re-signing Raul Ibanez.  He may prefer to sign with a contender, leaving the Mariners with even less power.
  • Baker believes that with Erik Bedard’s injury (and possible non-tender), the team should focus on contending around 2011.  After the ’11 season, Felix Hernandez will reach free agency.

Odds and Ends: Hawkins, Pettitte, Strasburg

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Rounding up the day’s links…

  • Jack Etkin of the Rocky Mountain News talks about the future of Garrett Atkins.  We discussed the possibility of an Atkins trade in this post.
  • MLB.com’s Jim Molony says the Astros would like to re-sign reliever LaTroy Hawkins.  Amazingly, Hawkins has thrown 17 scoreless innings as an Astro.
  • This is a popular link lately…Vegas Watch examines April predictions from various analysts.  Meanwhile, Scott Long digs in deeper on PECOTA’s American League predictions.  Personally I am more interested in the logic behind projections.  Did anyone predict Rays starters to post a 3.88 ERA?  Did anyone peg Dioner Navarro and Carl Crawford’s seasons?
  • Viva El Birdos hopes the Cardinals do not sign Jon Garland this winter.
  • Sam Mellinger wonders how the Royals would replace David DeJesus if they traded him.
  • Andy Pettitte remains undecided on 2009.  He’s hinted a desire to come back, but it’s unknown whether the Yankees want him.  Houston could make sense.
  • The Mariners are currently in line to have first crack at drafting Stephen Strasburg.  They could even use Erik Bedard’s money to sign him.
  • Javier Valentin hasn’t heard from the Reds regarding 2009.

Week in Review: 9/14 – 9/20

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Another week down here at MLBTR, here’s your review!

  • The Brewers fired manager Ned Yost on Monday. Yost has taken a lot of criticism, and while I personally don’t feel like it’s a bad move, it seems like an odd time to disrupt the clubhouse, given that the Brewers are right in the wild card race. Perhaps this was intended to spark the Brewers and act as a wakeup call, but they have just two wins since the move.
  • In an attempt to cut payroll, the Tigers may have to move Magglio Ordonez this offseason. Ordonez will make $18MM next year and has options for 2010 and 2011. Anyone else think the Reds should make a serious run at Maggs? A lineup filled with Jay Bruce, Brandon Phillips, Joey Votto, Edwin Encarnacion, and Ordonez could be extremely potent, to go along with a rotation anchored by Edinson Volquez, Aaron Harang, and Johnny Cueto.
  • Despite their bullpen woes, the Mets are not likely to make a run at either Francisco Rodriguez, or Brian Fuentes either. The Mets’ internal options have been bad, but K-Rod is in for a record-setting deal, and aside from the sheer number of saves, I don’t feel that his numbers stand out to the point where the team that lands him is going to get the full value of that contract. Personally, I think passing is a good decision.
  • Are the Royals currently interested in making a move for Braves’ right fielder Jeff Francoeur? The Royals have very few guys with solid OBPs, and adding Francoeur to the everyday lineup doesn’t seem like the route to go. Still, he has a long-standing relationship with Royals GM Dayton Moore, so it could be a valid possibility. The Royals have said they are willing to part with anyone aside from Zack Greinke, Gil Meche, and Joakim Soria.
  • The Red Sox and Theo Epstein have agreed to a contract extension.
  • Things to think about for in the offseason: Kevin Gregg expects to be traded, Matt Cain wants to stay in San Francisco, Milton Bradley wants a long-term deal and feels he has a 50-50 chance at returning to the Rangers. In the meantime, likely non-tender candidates include both Josh Bard and Erik Bedard.
  • Tim updated the Offseason Outlook series with entries for the Athletics, Braves, and Tigers. He also took a look at the Third Base Market, led by Casey Blake.
  • And for anyone curious about Manny Ramirez’s end in Boston, here’s Curt Schilling’s take on the situation.

Bedard A Non-Tender Candidate?

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THURSDAY: Bedard speaks!  He pitched hurt for most of the season, apparently.  Bedard said today he has a labrum tear and a cyst in his shoulder.

WEDNESDAY: Erik Bedard hasn’t pitched since July, and he’s elected to have exploratory surgery on his pitching shoulder.  GM Lee Pelekoudas expects Bedard to be able to pitch next year, but admits it’s an unknown until Dr. Yocum gets in there and pokes around.  John Hickey says trading Bedard this winter is no longer an option, and the situation may increase the chance of a Jarrod Washburn trade.  The Mariners would like to clear spots in the rotation for two young pitchers.

ESPN’s Buster Olney tosses out an interesting idea: he thinks the Mariners should consider non-tendering Bedard.  Bedard is arbitration-eligible, and should receive a raise on his current $7MM salary.  If the Mariners were to truly treat the players dealt for Bedard as a sunk cost, they’d only ask themselves whether he is worth a one-year, $9-10MM contract.  Depending on the results of the September 26th surgery, cutting Bedard might be the right move.  The Mariners’ new GM probably will not have ties to the Bill Bavasi acquisition.

Graziano’s Latest: Sherrill, Arroyo, Rhodes, Zaun

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Dan Graziano of the Newark Star-Ledger has a new Trade Winds column.

  • Graziano notes how incredible the Erik Bedard trade could look for Baltimore if they spin George Sherrill for prospects.  He names the Cardinals, Rays, Marlins, and Red Sox as suitors.  The Mets fear Sherrill’s price tag, while the Yankees don’t expect a deal within the division.
  • The Yankees haven’t spoken to the Reds about Bronson Arroyo (although based on previous reports, they have scouted him).  The Yanks aren’t likely to sign Barry Bonds, and aren’t terribly thrilled with the catching market.
  • Fernando Martinez’s possible injury could increase the Mets’ urgency to find a left fielder.  For some reason, Adam Dunn is not in the mix.  The Mets are in on relievers Brian Tallet, Jack Taschner, and Arthur Rhodes. 
  • The division rival Marlins are after Rhodes, as well as Gregg Zaun.
  • Graziano says no one denied his rumor that the Blue Jays were quietly discussing Roy Halladay with other teams.  The offseason might be a better time to shop him, though.

Odds and Ends: Bedard, Hudson, Inoa, Varitek

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Let’s dig through today’s links.

Week in Review

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Another week in the history books! Here’s a look back from July 13-19:

  • The Phillies acquired Joe Blanton from the A’s for a package of three minor leaguers: Adrian Cardenas, Josh Outman, and Matthew Spencer. Cardenas and Outman were the Phils’ #2 and #4 prospects. Personally, that seems like a lot to bring a pitcher who’s already struggling to a much smaller park. Blanton is a much better pitcher than he’s showed this season, however.
  • Francisco Rodriguez will test the free-agent market this offseason. I don’t think anyone would be surprised to see K-Rod sign a record-setting contract for a reliever.
  • The Yankees signed Richie Sexson.
  • Francisco Liriano – or at least his agent – is not pleased that the Twins still have him in AAA. The Twins won’t blame Liriano for the investigation. Upsetting a player who’s that young and that talented seems like a bad idea to me…
  • The Padres traded Tony Clark to the Diamondbacks for minor leaguer Evan Scribner. The D’Backs have looked like they can use all the help they can get lately.
  • A.J. Burnett likes Toronto and doesn’t want to be traded. My advice: Don’t talk to Chicago reporters anymore, A.J.
  • Tim updated the third base and second base markets.
  • Erik Bedard’s injury looks like it will keep him in Seattle. And if you don’t believe me yet, here’s another one for you.
  • The Twins balked at Seattle’s asking price for Adrian Beltre. And considering they asked for one of Scott Baker, Nick Blackburn, Glen Perkins, or Kevin Slowey as well as other minor league prospects, can you blame them?

Bedard Going Nowhere Fast

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10:30pm: Riggleman is now saying there is a chance the Ms get Bedard a start in late July against the Rangers.  Regardless, his injury came at a poor time and a trade seems unlikely.

2:30pm: Tightness in Erik Bedard’s left shoulder did not improve over the All-Star break, so the team won’t start him before the July 31st trade deadline in an attempt to showcase him for other teams. "We’re not looking at trying to pitch him before the 31st. The 31st is irrelevant with a guy who’s got a tender arm," Seattle manager Jim Riggleman said.

Bedard will try and play catch Monday and if that goes well, he could throw a bullpen session next week. If it doesn’t go well, it won’t be long before talk of shutting Bedard down for the rest of the season. Trading Adam Jones and George Sherrill for Bedard didn’t look good on paper before the season started, but now it looks like an absolute steal for Baltimore. The Bill Bavasi era will not be remembered fondly.

Coley Ward writes for Umbump.com. You can contact him here.

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