The Seattle Mariners finally got their hands on pitcher Eric Bedard on Thursday.
Today, the star left-hander could be on their roster.
Bedard flew into Seattle and began a round of physical exams Thursday, and the testing is expected to continue today. That alone is a significant step in a trade with the Baltimore Orioles that has progressed slowly since it became known nearly two weeks ago that the teams had reached an agreement.
Bedard’s arrival in Seattle means the Orioles have given their approval to the physicals taken by Mariners outfielder Adam Jones and relief pitcher George Sherrill, who underwent those exams Monday in Baltimore.
Jones, Sherrill and minor league pitchers Chris Tillman, Tony Butler and Kam Mickolio are believed to comprise the package being sent to the Orioles.
If Bedard’s exams go well, the Mariners could announce the trade today.
The Mariners will have plenty to check out with Bedard. He missed the final month of last season because of a strained oblique and had reconstructive surgery on his left elbow five years ago.
Bedard, 28, went 13-5 with a 3.16 earned run average last year and, with the Orioles in a major rebuilding mode, he became one of the most sought-after pitchers this offseason.
He would join a Mariners rotation that includes Felix Hernandez, Miguel Batista, Carlos Silva and Jarrod Washburn. It also insures that right-hander Brandon Morrow, who’ has been groomed in winter ball as a candidate for the rotation, will return to the bullpen and strengthen the late-inning right-handed setup role.
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