UPDATE, 12-10-07 at 2:47pm: I thought this link in the Cincinnati Enquirer was worth including here. A member of the Reds’ organization rated the team’s chances of getting Bedard at 75%. Should we consider them the frontrunners in this race? Some talent would be coming into the NL, for once. However, Ken Rosenthal believes the Reds’ unwillingness to include Jay Bruce may prevent this deal from happening.
FROM 12-8-07 at 9:05pm:
The Reds definitely have the talent to acquire Erik Bedard from the Orioles. They may even be able to pull it off without including Jay Bruce. John Fay believes Homer Bailey, Joey Votto, and a top prospect could work. Johnny Cueto, a 21 year-old hard-throwing starter, would definitely be on the Orioles’ short list. Those three would be a slam dunk for Baltimore. Bedard could become a fashionable NL Cy Young pick, even pitching at Great American.
You could also imagine guys like Josh Hamilton and Edwin Encarnacion piquing Andy MacPhail’s interest. There are many ways this deal could work.