RotoChamp Taro sez:

+++ Bedard is good but he aslo really fragile. For me it comes down to the contract terms. His agent wanted 7 years at $14mil per WHEN he was traded to Seattle. The market is DOWN since then. Dunn just signed for 2/$10mil.

Bedard takes 5 years for $65mil or so and its a deal. +++

I respect the position as being logical. But as you might guess, I'm going to ping-pong this one back...

The market was soft THIS winter, but do you expect $13M to be the going rate for the league's best pitcher, for the next five years?

The Yankees didn't worry much about the soft winter market when they gave Sabathia $23M x 7 years a few months ago. They gave A.J. Burnett $82/5 just this winter, and who would you rather have, Burnett or Bedard?

Derek Lowe, a meatball who can only pitch in the National League, got a better deal than 5/$65M.

There were several notable players who had trouble finding jobs, but the really crispy Oreo cookies went for huge dollars as usual, including Teixeria's $180M. I wouldn't let a couple of weird Dunn-type deals fool me into thinking that Bedard-class pitchers aren't worth $17-23M.

I'd love to sign Bedard for pennies on the dollar too, but that attitude is what has kept the Mariners odd man out for 30 years.

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OTOH, Bedard is most definitely not a workhorse, and that should factor into his salary (as it did into A.J. Burnett's).

It's the eternal cyber-Seattle wish to get great players and get them at "comfortable" dollars. Bedard will take a piddling $13M per year, great, but if you want Felix and Bedard to build around, you'd better figure a bit more...

OTOH, Bedard was willing to take a big hometown discount from Balmer and I wouldn't be surprised in the least to see him cut the Mariners a major break.

Dr. D gives Bedard 5/$90M, drives nice easy miles with him, pulls him at 100 pitches, skips a few turns now and then, gets his 180 innings and then enjoys the Big Unit-type performances against the Yankees in the ALCS. :- )

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San-Man sez:

+++ Getting the 29-year-old HoF SPs that can lead a team for 6-10 years, (depending on health), is no trivial matter. The Yankees have sunk boatloads of money into attempting to assemble a big 3 off the FA market. ....

Seattle gave up a bunch to get Bedard into town. If he is willing to stick around, the club could easily have two pillars for a LONG run of success. .... Personally, I think the extension is the best route.

Personally, I think Pedro is a better comp for Bedard than Unit. He's got fragility issues, but the same type of dominant stuff, backed up by some natural gifts in understanding the ART of pitching. +++

Thath high-quality H20 :- )

I often think of Pedro as well, when watching Bedard pitch: Pedro wasn't as awesomely overpowering as Johnson, but sometimes he was even more maddening to hit against. You had the "trying to hit a fly with a willow switch" feeling, despite the great stuff.

And you had the health questions all the time -- little nicks and dings, worries more than disasters.

Bedard is kind of a composite of Pedro and Randy: his arsenal reminds of RJ's, but his pitchability and physique remind of Pedro.

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Matty sez:

+++ The team has expressed an organizational philosophy of disliking contracts longer than 4 years...ESPECIALLY for pitchers. They stretched very VERY far outside their comfort zone in acquiring Bedard in the first place, so one would hope they'd stretch one more time and lock him up for 5-6 years...but it's not a given that they are willing to do this. +++

Absolutely. Agreeing the years is often tougher than agreeing the dollars. We remember Lincoln bailing on Miguel Tejada precisely because the club "feels secure" on short contracts. Pat Gillick steeped them in this bitter, 70's-throwback brew.

One cheery thought is that Lincoln DID offer very long-term contracts to two players: ARod and Ken Griffey Jr.

Position players, obviously, but perhaps the seeds are there for a possible bouquet of "well, if he's the franchise, let's bend the rules."

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=== I'LL FIGHT 'EM WITH ONE UMP TIED BEHIND MY BACK Dept. ===

In Bedard's start Sunday night, he made it 11-for-11 on his low-run starts, despite a really brutal strike zone that had him staring out into the stands all night.

I was particularly taken with Kubel's AB in the second:

1) FB right on the black at the knees, tracer has it a strike: 1-0

2) FB right on the black at the knees, gets a bit more of the plate: 2-0

3) Curve ball right down the middle, bellybutton high: 3-0

So you've thrown three gorgeous strikes, and you're down 3-0. If you're Miguel Batista, what do you do now?

What Erik Bedard does is:

4) Bury a FB for a strike, 3-1

5) Go to your hellacious curve ball RIGHT! DOWN! THE! HEART, groundout, no problem

You decided RJ was too risky. How'd that work out for ya? :- )

Cheers,
Dr D