THURSDAY: Bedard speaks! He pitched hurt for most of the season, apparently. Bedard said today he has a labrum tear and a cyst in his shoulder.
WEDNESDAY: Erik Bedard hasn’t pitched since July, and he’s elected to have exploratory surgery on his pitching shoulder. GM Lee Pelekoudas expects Bedard to be able to pitch next year, but admits it’s an unknown until Dr. Yocum gets in there and pokes around. John Hickey says trading Bedard this winter is no longer an option, and the situation may increase the chance of a Jarrod Washburn trade. The Mariners would like to clear spots in the rotation for two young pitchers.
ESPN’s Buster Olney tosses out an interesting idea: he thinks the Mariners should consider non-tendering Bedard. Bedard is arbitration-eligible, and should receive a raise on his current $7MM salary. If the Mariners were to truly treat the players dealt for Bedard as a sunk cost, they’d only ask themselves whether he is worth a one-year, $9-10MM contract. Depending on the results of the September 26th surgery, cutting Bedard might be the right move. The Mariners’ new GM probably will not have ties to the Bill Bavasi acquisition.
