The Seattle Mariners moved closer Monday to finalizing the trade with the Baltimore Orioles that they’d sought throughout the offseason and thought they’d completed numerous times in recent weeks.
It’s not a done deal, however, and probably won’t be until at least Wednesday.
Outfielder Adam Jones and pitcher George Sherrill, the key figures in a five-player package the Mariners are believed to have offered in exchange for pitcher Erik Bedard, were in Baltimore on Monday to take physical exams.
Once those players pass their physicals, Bedard will fly to Seattle from his home in Ottawa, Canada, for a physical with the Mariners. The Baltimore Sun said Bedard had not been told as of Monday afternoon to travel to Seattle.
Sherrill didn’t return a call from The Herald, and Mariners officials don’t comment on trades or negotiations.
Besides Jones and Sherrill, the Mariners’ offer is believed to include three highly regarded minor league pitchers — Chris Tillman, Kam Mickolio and Tony Butler.
Tillman and Butler told one teammate that, as of Monday evening, they hadn’t heard anything about the trade beyond what they’d seen in the media.
There was speculation Monday that the trade would be announced today, although the logistics involved in getting the physical exams completed and approved made that timetable difficult.
An announcement Wednesday is more realistic, but even that could change because of the delicate nature of the trade.
“When and if we have anything to announce, we’ll get it to you as quickly as we can,” Orioles baseball operations president Andy MacPhail told The Sun.
The Mariners and Orioles both stand to get what they have sought this offseason — the M’s a highly regarded starting pitcher and the O’s several young prospects as they rebuild for the future.
The teams have discussed the trade for nearly two months, and Mariners general manager Bill Bavasi said he thought he had a deal more than once.
The trade appeared to be nearly complete more than a week ago when Jones told a reporter in Venezuela that he’d been dealt to the Orioles and was traveling to Baltimore the next day for a physical. Once that became known, the trade stalled and Jones didn’t immediately go to Baltimore.
Several reports said the Orioles were upset that Jones broke news of the trade before it was complete. That led to a week of confusion and varied reports as to why the trade appeared to be put on hold.
There was speculation that the Orioles were so irritated that they were asking for more than the Mariners’ five-player package. One theory was that because Orioles owner Peter Angelos was dealing with a personal matter, he needed time to review and approve the trade. Some reports said the Orioles would attempt to re-sign Bedard to an extension, while another said the M’s and O’s were haggling over details involving physical exams of the players involved.
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