That's according to multiple published reports, including this from Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun:According to a league source, Adam Jones, the young outfielder who is the centerpiece of the Mariners' offer, is in Baltimore today and the deal is now pending results of physicals.This deal is a long-time coming with even more drama, twists and turns than the Johan Santana circus -- and I'm just talking about last week! Erik Bedard isn't quite the superstar that Santana is, but he's definitely one of the top aces in the game and could very well take his game to a new level pitching in the spacious Safeco Field.
If all goes well with Jones' physical, the trade could be announced as early as this afternoon. It is expected that the Orioles will send Bedard, the organization's first legitimate ace since Mike Mussina, to Seattle for Jones, a 22-year-old who is one of baseball's best prospects, reliever George Sherrill and pitching prospects Chris Tillman, Tony Butler and Kam Mickolio.
I'll confess to not knowing much about the pitching prospects included in the deal, but Adam Jones is a stud prospect (without a degenerative hip condition) and George Sherrill is a top-notch setup man. It'll take years to truly evaluate this trade, but impatient Orioles fans should brace themselves for Bedard to emerge as a Cy Young front-runner this coming season.
