And The Pitcher Is...

Mariner Nation can now reveal the identity of, and the details surrounding the mystery pitcher that everyone has been anticipating for the last 3 days since we broke the story. Recently, former Mariners pitcher Norm Charlton, the Sherriff as he is affectionately called, has been scouting left-handed starter Erik Bedard of the Baltimore Orioles. Tonight, Norm is thought to be in Oakland, where Bedard will pitch against the A’s on extended rest after being scratched from his start against us just two days ago. We do not know if any offers have been made for Bedard thus far, or if he is even available. We learned from Geoff Baker, Mariners beat-writer for the Seattle Times, that Bavasi apparently offered Richie Sexson for Bedard at some point last season. Geoff also told us that Bedard is not available to the best of his knowledge, but right-hander Daniel Cabrera may be. It is certainly very exciting to hear that we are scouting such a great pitcher, and by sending Norm Charlton on a special scouting assignment, it shows that management is serious about making a move before the deadline. Though Bedard is thought to be un-available, most anything can happen in the hectic days leading up to the deadline. Erik Bedard is under contract through the 2008 season, and it doesn’t look like the Orioles will be contending any time soon, and Bedard may want to play for a winning team. Another aspect that could work in our favor is that Bedard will command a significant amount of money assuming he keeps performing at his current level. Orioles’ owner Peter Angelos is not one to dish out large contracts too often, thus contributing to the Orioles recent success, of lack thereof. I can tell you from living a half an hour from Baltimore, the people who cover the Orioles have been skeptical about the chances of re-signing him. The question that we are left to ponder is what would it take to bring Bedard to Seattle? Quite frankly, we don’t know and any guesses would be shots in the dark. We will keep you updated on any further developments. And remember, you heard it here first!

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