Erik Bedard Throws The O's Under The Bus, Hon

"With Baltimore, it seems like you were backwards. When I first got there, they were signing players and trying to compete with Boston and New York. Then it went downhill. I'm glad to be here."
-- Seattle Mariner Erik Bedard

No matter how Rick Maese tries to spin it, Bedard's right. The Orioles have been going backwards since 1998. By no means does trading him to the Mariners mean the team is out of the woods but it's a hopeful first step. Adam Jones is a great pickup and Orioles manager Dave Trembley has already told George Sherrill that he wants him to be the closer this season.

Orioles fans, including myself, are surprised and strangely relieved that the deal was successful. We suck again and that's a good thing. Hopefully this is a sign that GM Andy MacPhail will be allowed to go about his job and rebuild the team. Besides Jones and Sherrill, the Orioles picked up three pitching prospects in addition to the prospects received in the Miguel Tejada trade.

After trading Bedard and Tejada, Brian Roberts is next up on the block if the rumors are correct. Owner Peter Angelos is a strong supporter of Roberts and has been reluctant to let him go in spite of the Cubs wanting to feel the fiber of his fabric. Even if the Orioles trade Roberts for value, the fact still remains that the organization has wasted over ten years and millions of dollars for 4th place finishes. If that's not going backwards, I don't know what is. Baltimore's already the city that bleeds. It's got to stop somewhere.