Cueto defeats Bedard tonight. Let's go back in time...

[Warner2BruceTD]

...to when Orioles fans (and some Reds fans) were ready to trade Cueto (or Homer Bailey), Bruce, & Votto (or Josh Hamilton) for Erik Bedard.

Also, Kershaw/Kemp for Bedard.

Bedard.

Erik Bedard.

I don't know about the Dodger thing having legs, but the Reds trades definitely did as these were actual Baltimore demands at the time. It makes you wonder how many trade rumors of recent vintage will end up looking this silly.

http://talk.baltimoresun.com/showthread.php?126342-Bedard-to-Reds

[Goober]

JOE BLANTON.

[Guest]

And the Orioles still got Adam Jones and Chris Tillman for Erik Bedard. Obviously, the other deals would have been better, but can I really complain given how prospects usually turn out?

[Woy]

I think I made a thread about something similar to this a few months ago. I'll go back to see if I can find it.

e: Found it. Ironically enough, the same proposed swap with Votto and crew for Bedard was the first post I highlighted in that thread.

http://www.virtualsportsnetwork.com/forum/showthread.php?127180-Rumors-from-2007-(Baseball-Prospectus-Article)&highlight=trade

[Villain]

Some times it's the moves you don't make which make the biggest impact.

[MVPete]

That 2007 season sticks out like a sore thumb when you look at his other years. What was the reaction of Orioles fans after this went down?

[Warner2BruceTD]

That 2007 season sticks out like a sore thumb when you look at his other years. What was the reaction of Orioles fans after this went down?

Yeah, I don't remember Bedard being THAT hyped at the time, but I guess he was, because guys like Jay Bruce, Josh Hamilton, & Clayton Kershaw were top of the line prospects that every fan knew about, and Kemp, Cueto, Votto were also considered good prospects. And the O's ended up getting a nice package from Seattle.

[Warner2BruceTD]

This Sunday is Mariano Rivera Day at Yankee Stadium -- a day set aside to commemorate the Hall of Fame career of the greatest closer in baseball history. However, as the New York Post's Ken Davidoff writes, Rivera came close to never saving a game in Yankee pinstripes. Prior to the 1996 season, the Yankees debated flipping Rivera to the Mariners in exchange for offensively challenged shortstop Felix Fermin because they weren't sure a hot prospect by the name of Derek Jeter was ready. Several members of the Yankees staff, including then-assistant-GM Brian Cashman and then-manager Joe Torre talked president George Steinbrenner out of the deal. Jeter went on to win the AL Rookie of the Year award, while Rivera finished third in the Cy Young voting with 107 2/3 innings of dominant relief work. Here's more from around the league...

[Guest]

Yeah, I don't remember Bedard being THAT hyped at the time, but I guess he was, because guys like Jay Bruce, Josh Hamilton, & Clayton Kershaw were top of the line prospects that every fan knew about, and Kemp, Cueto, Votto were also considered good prospects. And the O's ended up getting a nice package from Seattle.

That 2007 season sticks out like a sore thumb when you look at his other years. What was the reaction of Orioles fans after this went down?

Coming up, he was a highly touted prospect, but had TJ surgery in 2002 and spent 2003 rehabing it. He also had a great start to his 2005 season, posting a 2.08 before missing two months with a knee injury. In 2006, he had a pretty good season, with 2007 being his best.

I knew that we weren't going to compete with Bedard before he left in FA. It sucked losing a pitcher who we spent a lot of time developing and was our first pitcher who actually put everything together. While many Oriole fans who were disappointed in the years of losing, it was also a realization that we still had a way to go.

Add in the fact that Bedard was a lefty and still under club control, and teams really wanted him. He also set the Orioles strikeout mark despite missing most of the final months.

As it turns out, the elbow surgery, sprained knee and oblique injury that ended his 2007 season early, Bedard ended up being very injury prone and suffered a labrum injury as well, so it was certainly a deal that worked out for us.