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Erik Bedard

Heyman’s Latest: Santana, Bedard, Willis

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UPDATE, 12-3-07 at 5:48pm: Jayson Stark confirms the Reds’ interest in Willis.  However he suggests that the Marlins would ask for Homer Bailey and then some in return.

FROM 12-3-07 at 11:41am:

SI.com’s Jon Heyman checks in with the latest hot stove banter he’s hearing.  There’s some confusion here as Heyman has contrary info to other published sources.

  • Heyman believes Johan Santana is "more likely than not" to get traded at the Meetings, and quite possibly today. 
  • Heyman says the Red Sox and Yankees are the two teams Santana would waive his veto power for, running contrary to LENIII’s recent note.
  • Heyman reports that the Mets offered Gomez/Humber/Heilman for Erik Bedard, though as you may recall Roger Rubin said it was Lastings Milledge and not Gomez.  Whatever it was, the Orioles weren’t impressed with the offer.  Heyman says the Mets feel they still have a chance.  The Dodgers, Mariners, and loser of Santana will be in on Bedard as well.
  • Heyman seems to indicate the Marlins are still asking for Adenhart and Ervin Santana in a Miguel Cabrera deal, despite Peter Gammons’ comment this morning.
  • The Reds may pursue Dontrelle Willis.  I was thinking they might, the fit makes sense.  A package with Josh Hamilton and one of the Reds’ stud pitchers might be required though.  Also keep in mind that Joe Frisaro said the Marlins plan to keep Willis at least until July.
  • Heyman suggests the Mets could re-acquire Xavier Nady to play right field for them.

Erik Bedard Rumors: Monday

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UPDATE, 12-4-07 at 12:20am: MLB.com’s Jim Molony has a big ol’ post up at his blog.  Molony names the Phillies and Cardinals as new teams interested in Bedard.  Previously we’d learned that the Yankees, Mets, Mariners, Angels, Dodgers, and D’Backs had inquired.  Neither the Phils nor the Cards would appear to have the goods in my estimation.

UPDATE, 12-3-07 at 9:06pm: Andy MacPhail says he told the Washington Post that extension talks with Bedard had cooled, but the door remains open.  Something have gotten lost in translation.  MLB.com’s Spencer Fordin believes Bedard and Miguel Tejada could both be traded by week’s end, anyway.

UPDATE, 12-3-07 at 4:55pm: Sounds like the Mariners might make a run at Bedard now, but it’d cost ’em Adam Jones, Brandon Morrow, and Jeff Clement.  That bounty sounds about right.

UPDATE, 12-3-07 at 2:38pm: ESPN 1050 via MetsBlog reports Andy MacPhail as saying he will meet with Omar Minaya while in Nashville to discuss Bedard again.

UPDATE, 12-3-07 at 8:35am: I knew the Red Sox belonged in the mix for Bedard.  Jayson Stark confirms their interest, and adds a new one in the Phillies.  Stark also verifies that the Orioles want more for Bedard than the Twins want for Santana – as in four top youngsters.  Stark’s source thinks the Orioles will hang onto Bedard.

FROM 12-2-07 at 11:30pm:

According to Dave Sheinin and Barry Svrluga of the Washington Post, Erik Bedard has informed the Orioles that he has no interest in signing an extension.  He’s under Baltimore’s control through the 2009 season.

The authors indicate that Bedard would cost half the talent Johan Santana will.  I don’t agree with that assertion – two years of a cheap Bedard is easily worth more than one of Santana, without question.  If anything, Bedard should require more talent than Santana to pry loose.

According to Jeff Zrebiec, six teams have inquired on Bedard so far: the Yankees, Mets, Mariners, Angels, Dodgers, and Diamondbacks.  The Mets reportedly made an offer of Lastings Milledge, Aaron Heilman, and Philip Humber to the Orioles before trading Milledge to Washington, according to the Roger Rubin of the Daily News.  A source of Rubin’s believes replacing Milledge with Carlos Gomez or even Ryan Church would represent a superior offer.  And to further the speculation, I think the Mets would have to replace Humber with Mike Pelfrey to really get the Orioles thinking.  I repeat: Erik Bedard is worth more than Johan Santana. 

Hat tip to MetsBlog on the Daily News link.

Giants, Astros Interested In Miguel Tejada

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Friend of MLBTR Jeff Zrebiec reports on the Orioles Winter Meetings situation.  All Orioles are available, and Miguel Tejada and Erik Bedard figure to be in all sorts of rumors.

A few days ago Zrebiec named the Yankees, Mets, Mariners, Angels, and Dodgers as the teams that have inquired on Bedard.  Today he adds the Diamondbacks to that list.

As for Tejada, we know he’s a fallback option if the Halos can’t acquire Miguel Cabrera.  One new one is the Giants, who have an opening at third base.  The Orioles won’t pry Matt Cain or Tim Lincecum loose, but maybe Jonathan Sanchez would be a start.  Hard to see the two teams matching up though.  Plus Tejada makes little sense for the Giants. 

Meanwhile, Jon Heyman confirms the Giants’ interest and adds the Astros to the mix.  They’ve been interested in before, but Roy Oswalt was a part of those talks way back when.  These days the O’s have interest in Adam Everett, Michael Bourn, and various prospects.  Hopefully they can do better than that!

Zrebiec On Bedard, Roberts

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The Baltimore Sun’s Jeff Zrebiec was recently named Rumor Royalty for the Orioles.  Here’s the last in a series of questions we asked him.

MLBTR: Erik Bedard and Brian Roberts are elite players under team control through 2009. If you had to guess, will both be playing for the Orioles on Opening Day 2008?

Zrebiec: Yes, I would guess that both will be Orioles on Opening Day. I’ve been surprised about the lack of trade buzz surrounding Roberts. I can’t help but think that it is because O’s owner Peter Angelos has already nixed one deal involving Roberts last year and has made his fondness for the second baseman known. I just think Roberts means more to the Orioles than he would to any other team and I don’t see MacPhail moving him unless he’s totally overwhelmed. And even then, good luck convincing Angelos to sign off on the deal.

Bedard is a little trickier. MacPhail and Mark Pieper, Bedard and Roberts’ agent, have been talking "conceptually" about an contract extension for Bedard. I think people in the organization are split on whether they should secure long term the team’s first legit ace since Mike Mussina or trade him and get multiple major league ready young players in return to a roster that is badly in need of them. If Bedard’s contract demands aren’t reasonable, that could make their decision for them. But even if that’s the case, I don’t see the O’s in a hurry to do anything since Bedard is still under contractual control for two more seasons.

Erik Bedard Rumors

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The Baltimore Sun’s Jeff Zrebiec has the latest regarding ace Erik Bedard.  Some rank Bedard as the best available starter, all-in-all – he’s under team control for longer than Johan Santana, doesn’t have no-trade rights, and has better stuff than Dan Haren.

  • The Orioles and Bedard’s agent never actually exchanged salary figures, and now contract extension talks have come to a stop.  Andy MacPhail isn’t concerned but no one seems to expect the O’s to pony up the money needed to retain their ace beyond 2009. Johan Santana should set the bar; Bedard may become a $20MM pitcher.
  • Zrebiec lists the Yankees, Mets, Mariners, Angels, and Dodgers as teams that have inquired on Bedard.  It’s surprising to see the Red Sox omitted from that list.
  • The Mets made an offer: Carlos Gomez, Aaron Heilman, and perhaps Phil Humber.  That’s an OK starting point but the O’s could do better.
  • The Dodgers have also had talks with the O’s, with Matt Kemp, Jonathan Broxton, and Clayton Kershaw coming up.  That’s certainly worth mulling over.

Can Mets Acquire An Ace?

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We’ve discussed this before…it seems like the Mets don’t stack up with certain other clubs trying to acquire available frontline starting pitching.  Ken Rosenthal definitely feels this way – Carlos Gomez is considered a blue-chipper but the others may not be.

Rosenthal notes that a package starting with Lastings Milledge and Aaron Heilman doesn’t do much for Billy Beane.  The A’s don’t see Milledge as a long-term center field solution, and Heilman is a reliever.  Mike Pelfrey and Phil Humber aren’t the top-shelf pitching prospects the A’s covet in return for Dan Haren or Joe Blanton.  It seems as if the very best package the Mets can assemble might only be enough for Blanton.

The Mets are also after Johan Santana and Erik Bedard, but it’s the same story.  Unless they create a huge hole by trading Jose Reyes, it doesn’t seem they can offer the best package.  Though the Twins still want Reyes, Adam Rubin and Joel Sherman indicate that’s not an option.   

Dipping into the free agent market for Hiroki Kuroda or Carlos Silva seems to make more sense.  One option the Mets have been linked to in the past, Dontrelle Willis, may be off the market now.

Rosenthal’s Latest: Nathan, Garza, Bedard

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Ken Rosenthal recently dished out a slew of fresh rumors for us to devour.

  • Rosenthal still believes that if the Twins trade Johan Santana, they will also trade Joe Nathan in a separate deal.  Back on November 11th, Rosenthal first suggested this might happen.  About a week ago, Joe Christensen reported that the Twins exchanged contract proposals with Nathan.  Nathan is in line to earn at least $15MM per season, if he wants full market value.  Rosenthal suggests the Brewers, Indians, Tigers, Cubs, and Red Sox as possible fits for Nathan.
  • The Angels may want to keep Gary Matthews Jr., given Vladimir Guerrero’s declining defensive abilities.  Also, Guerrero may soon get a contract extension in the $18MM per season range to put him in line with Torii Hunter.  His contract runs through 2009.
  • The Twins may be close to getting a center fielder, but it may not be Coco Crisp.  Another team is chasing Crisp – perhaps the White Sox? 
  • Melky Cabrera could be dealt independent and regardless of a Johan Santana deal.  The Braves may be interested; the Yanks would then move Johnny Damon back to center.
  • Matt Garza or Boof Bonser may be moved for a bat.  Probably not Delmon Young, but some young slugger.  The Rays also want to find a young shortstop to compete with Reid Brignac.
  • The Yanks don’t want to overpay for a free agent reliever – 3/12 seems their limit on the Riskes and Mahays of the world.
  • Back at the GM meetings, the Mets inquired on Erik Bedard.  The O’s are waiting to see what happens with Miguel Cabrera since they covet many of the prospects being discussed there. 

Odds and Ends: Riske, Bedard, Wolf

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And now for your daily jumble o’ rumors.  More to come.

Orioles, Dodgers Talking Bedard, Kemp

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Earlier this month, we learned that the Orioles will listen to offers for Erik Bedard. Sounds kinda crazy, shopping a potential Cy Young candidate with two years remaining until free agency. But if the Orioles can pick up a couple of younger but still MLB-ready players, so be it. The first connection comes from the Dodgers, who are offering a package centered around — guess who — Matt Kemp.

Kemp himself won’t get this deal done. Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports lists the usual suspects from the Dodgers: Andy LaRoche (because 93 at-bats is a plenty big sample), Jonathan Meloan, James Loney, Clayton Kershaw, Delwyn Young, Andre Ethier, and Tony Abreu.

Of course, Kemp would play a large part in a potential Miguel Cabrera trade, so the Dodgers must choose wisely. They certainly have the players it would take to land either player.

Brown notes that the Dodgers are already looking to upgrade at center field. We all know what that means: Hunter, Rowand, and Jones.

Joe Pawlikowski is co-author of River Ave. Blues.

Odds and Ends: Kuroda, Hunter, Crede

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What’d I miss recently?  Here are some odds and ends.

  • The Tigers have expressed interest in Hiroki Kuroda.  They join the Phillies, Mariners, Dodgers, Royals, Rangers, Cubs, and Mets in that pursuit.
  • 10 teams are interested in Aaron Rowand!  That’s almost 1/3 of all baseball teams!
  • Torii Hunter is after a seven-year deal.  Most feel he’s saying that because he wants six.  Clever!
  • The Twins are taking a look at Tony Clark as a cheap DH option.  He’s supposedly looking for something like two years, $4MM and more playing time.  This would be a very Twins-like signing. 
  • T.R. Sullivan has a Rangers update.  Apparently Jon Daniels is checking in on big names like Johan Santana, Erik Bedard, and Miguel Cabrera.  More realistically Daniels may go out to Japan for players such as Kosuke Fukudome and Hiroki Kuroda (we knew that already).  We also knew the Rangers had Kerry Wood and Eric Gagne on their radar.  Sullivan speculates that Scott Linebrink and LaTroy Hawkins could also be in the mix.
  • Barry Rozner expects Joe Crede to be traded. It seems like Crede is a Plan B or C for a lot of teams and Kenny Williams may have to wait til a few dominoes fall first. 

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