Jeff Clement

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.