Orioles Still Exploring Trades

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

According to FOXSports.com, the Mariners and Orioles are progressing in talks for Erik Bedard. The Orioles goal is to acquire a solid center fielder and could possibly do so if they land Adam Jones. Orioles acting GM Andy McPhail pulled Erik Bedard off the market to get more from a desperate team like the Mariners, and it seems to have worked. However, this does not mean that the Orioles are going to trade Erik Bedard. The Baltimore Sun is reporting that the Cubs and Orioles are still talking about a trade that would send Brian Roberts to the Cubs for an outfield prospect and two other prospects, probably pitchers. My guess on the hold up of that trade is that the Orioles are asking for Felix Pie, and the Cubs are just not ready to give him up yet. However, they do have a solid prospect in Sam Fuld, and have Tyler Colvin waiting in the wings as well. Roberts would be huge for the lineup, and all it would do would push incumbent second baseman Mark DeRosa to playing less second base, and more center field. But they have invested a lot in Pie and are not ready to just give up for a big name player. A trade to the Mariners would definitely help their rotation, which was already improved by the addition of Carlos Silva. The Mariners are not willing to part with pitcher Brandon Morrow, but could offer something very good that would please the Orioles. Personally, I think the Orioles will ask for both Jones and Morrow, but might have to settle for Jones along with several other top prospects. Also, it seems that the Orioles are more willing to part with Bedard than Roberts because owner Peter Angelos is a big fan of Roberts and does not want to see him leave. Both of these trades are back on now after talks were called off last week, so we will have to wait and see happens. If anything happens, it will probably happen by the end of the month so they can prepare with their new team for Spring Training.

5 comments:

Anonymous 9:18 PM CST  

DeRosa would not play center, either cedeƱo or fukudome would

Anonymous 9:30 PM CST  

When did the Seattle Mariners become a "desperate" team?

The Mariners won 88 games last year with Jeff Weaver (ERA 6.20) and Horacio Ramirez (ERA 7.16) filling two-fifths of the starting rotation.

Weaver and Ramirez will be replaced by Carlos Silva and Cha Seung Baek, R.A. Dickey, Ryan Rowland-Smith, Ryan Feierabend, Brandon Morrow or Robert Rohrbaugh.

Seattle will be content to enter the 2008 season with their current pitching staff if the asking price for Erik Bedard is too high ... and the asking price probably will be too high.

Anonymous 10:53 PM CST  

No way that Triunfel EVER gets traded.

Anonymous 1:26 AM CST  

Neither Cedeno nor Fukudome would play center, thats Pie's spot. Fukudome is the RF'r, and Cedeno is going to be shipped to the O's for Roberts. This deal will happen very soon. Hopefully the Cubs are smart enough, if he isn't traded to Toronto for Burnett, to start DeRosa at SS, and relegate Theriot to a lessened (non-existent) role.

Anonymous 3:51 PM CST  

MacPhail's not "acting GM." He's executive vice president of baseball operations.

And my guess is that Angelos's love for Roberts diminished some when Brian fessed up to some steroid action.