Jayson Stark's most recent column on ESPN.com stated that the Mariners are letting it be known that Erik Bedard is available.
Now of course, this is the same Erik Bedard that cost the Mariners a package of 5 players, including Adam Jones. However, his performance this year 4-4 with a 4.14 ERA hasn't exactly been the stuff aces are made of. So, any trade would undoubtedly involve the M's "selling low" so to speak.
Naturally, there will be plenty of clubs interested in acquiring the hurler, even with his mediocre performance this year. That list, according to Stark, includes the St. Louis Cardinals.
One team's nomination of a club to watch on the Bedard front: St. Louis -- a place where the fans embrace everybody, where they're tired of piecing together a patchwork pitching staff, and where their farm system has improved enough to assemble a decent package.
Being a Cardinal fan, I'm painfully aware of the patchwork nature of our rotation. However, with nearly an entire staff on the DL (a list that includes Chris Carpenter, Mark Mulder, Matt Clement, and Adam Wainwright) I'm not sure how willing the Cardinals would be to deal for another pitcher. With Clement and Mulder rumored to be close to coming back, I would expect the club to take a wait and see approach to their rotation.
If, however, the walking wounded don't pan out, or hit even more setbacks in their rehab, a deal for a healthy and at least somewhat effective innings eater doesn't seem out of the question. Cardinal fans, you may now commence dreaming of a rotation anchored at the front end by a healthy Carpenter, Wainwright, and Bedard.
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