After weeks of speculation, the Mariners and Orioles pulled off the worst-kept secret in baseball when southpaw Erik Bedard was shipped west to Seattle in exchange for five players, most notably for the upcoming season, outfielder Adam Jones and reliever and probable closer, George Sherrill. This trade has enormous fantasy implications as Bedard, already considered one of the majors best leftys, if not best pitchers overall, leaves the offensive bastion of the AL East and heads to the West where he'll get to face the much lighter hitting Angels, A's and Rangers 19 times each while pitching for of a very strong defense up the middle (Kenji Johjima, Jose Lopez, Yunielsky Betancourt, Ichiro), in park that might be the opposite of Camden Yards in terms of being pitcher friendly.
The Orioles moves are designed much more for the long haul on the field, but in fantasy Sherrill will pay the most immediate dividends, especially with both closers, Chris Ray and Danys Baez, expected to miss most if not all of the 2008 season. Sherrill has an overpowering fastball and could chalk up 35 saves in the Orioles 65 wins.
Jones is the prize of the deal for the O's, who hope he can take the mantle of the team's star from the tarnished and traded Miguel Tejada, and he has the tools to be a top fantasy producer for years. Playing fulltime in either right or center field in Camden, Jones has 35 to 40 home run potential, although 20 HRs, 75 RBIs, 10 steals and a .275 average is probably the best you can hope for in what amounts to his first full big league season.
Time will tell if pitchers Chris Tillman, Tony Butler, neither of whom has ascended above Class A, and Triple A reliever Kam Mickolio contribute in Baltimore. As for now, all three major league players are all in improved situations and warrant a place in every fantasy league.
Jessica Gomes
Melissa Haro
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