Erik Bedard Trade: Trayvon Robinson The Cornerstone For Seattle Mariners

The Seattle Mariners reportedly traded Erik Bedard to the Boston Red Sox in a three-team deal on Sunday afternoon, receiving two prospects in return. The Los Angeles Dodgers entered the mix, sending Trayvon Robinson to Seattle as part of a package that saw multiple players head every which way. For the Mariners, Robinson may be the centerpiece of the deal, giving the team a near-major league ready player that can be plugged into the outfield in Seattle.

Jack Zduriencik spoke to the media about Robinson shortly after the trade was announced, discussing how the deal came to pass and why the Mariners like Robinson (via Kevin Shockey)

Robinson w/ 26 hrs in AAA. Scouted them a lot. Told Erik. He is said to leave but excited to go to a contender. "Robinson is a runner. He's a switch hitter" Zduriencik on Trayvon Robinson. "Red Sox were persistent with this" Z on the Bedard trade

For a different take on Robinson, I asked Eric Stephen, of SB Nation Los Angeles and True Blue LA, for his thoughts. There are question marks and some fluky numbers involved in Robinson's stats, though it's clear why the Mariners like him.

He doesn't have the arm to play CF, and the concern is he won't hit enough to stick in the corners, but he has the tools, power and speed, but his K rate is too high in AAA IMO. Weird Trayvon stat: .2010 in AA: 23 2B, 9 HR; 2011 in AAA: 9 2B, 26 HR.  Seems fluky. I'm always concerned with such a low doubles total like that. He does have 6 triples though.

Albuquerque, the Dodgers AAA affiliate, is known as a launching pad, so take the home run numbers this year with a grain of salt. Even still, he does have speed on the basepaths and seems to have decent gap power, as evidenced by his doubles numbers in AA.

The return for Bedard and Fields, the former of which is a rental player, is a solid one, and gives the Mariners at least one building block going forward. Combined with the Doug Fister trade, the Mariners were able to flip the two starters and two relievers in the deals for decent hitting prospects, a priority for the Mariners going forward.

For more trade deadline news, stay with our MLB trade rumors StoryStream. Be sure to head over to Lookout Landing for all your Mariners news and analysis needs.

Erik Bedard Trade: Trayvon Robinson, Chih Hsien Chiang Reportedly Headed To Seattle In Three-Team Trade

In a late MLB trade deadline move, the Seattle Mariners reportedly shipped Erik Bedard to the Boston Red Sox just as the window for trades closed. The move came down to the wire, with scouts anxiously watching Bedard on Friday night in his first start since being placed on the disabled list with a knee strain. His performance was less than spectacular, leading many to wonder whether the Mariners would be able to move him at the trade deadline.

But the Boston Red Sox maintained interest and made a move for Bedard after a trade for Rich Harden fell through. In order to get a deal done, a third team, the Los Angeles Dodgers, was reportedly brought into the mix, with prospects heading every which way. According to Buster Olney, here are the details.

Three-team deal Bedard for BOS: Federowicz, 2 other minor leaguers to LAD, Trayvon Robinson, Chih Hsien Chiang to SEA for Bedard, Fields.

Robinson is an outfielder with the Dodgers and is currently in AAA. He's a quality prospect that may be close to major league ready, and could provide the Mariners with power from both sides of the plate. It's the addition of Robinson that makes this deal enticing for the Mariners. Here's what Tacoma Rainiers announcer Mike Curto had to say about Robinson:

One of the top prospects in the PCL - we go to Albuquerque Wed. RT @Kevin_Goldstein: Seattle gets Trayvon Robinson, Seattle wins the deal.

Chiang, on the other hand, comes from Portland, the AA affiliate of the Boston Red Sox.

If this is truly the return for Bedard, it should have fans excited. Jack Zduriencik pulled a rabbit out of the hat at the trade deadline, and turned Bedard and Fields into two quality hitting prospects that could be useful in the near-future for the Mariners.

MLB Trade Deadline: Erik Bedard Traded To Boston Red Sox, According To Report

Just under the wire and right before the MLB trade deadline passed, the Seattle Mariners were able to deal Erik Bedard. As the trade deadline approached, the Mariners had been working hard to trade Bedard, going so far as to showcase him on Friday night, his first start off the disabled list. His start didn't go as planned, with only 1-1/3 innings of work and a less than impressive showing. But he was healthy, and looked as though he had recovered from an earlier injury.

Once the Boston Red Sox deal for Rich Harden fell through, the door opened for the Mariners, giving them a chance to send Bedard to Boston. According to Jon Heyman, Bedard is headed to Boston.

bedard traded. going to #redsox, says gordon edes

The reports are still coming in and we have no idea what the return on Bedard is yet. The move has been expected for quite some time -- the Mariners fell out of contention and Bedard's contract is up at the end of the year, making it all-important that the Mariners got some kind of value out of him at the trade deadline.

We'll be back with more on the trade as it becomes available.

For more trade deadline news, stay with our MLB trade rumors StoryStream. Be sure to head over to Lookout Landing for all your Mariners news and analysis needs.

MLB Trade Deadline 2011: Brandon League Staying In Seattle, Erik Bedard Talks Ongoing

The Seattle Mariners will reportedly hang onto close Brandon League at the trade deadline, opting to keep him under team control. League had been seen as a somewhat valuable trade piece for the Mariners, and became expandable as the team fell out of contention. Since the All-Star break, League has barely seen any work, pitching in only a small handful of save situations.

According to Sports Illustrated's Jon Heyman, League is not moving, but another Mariner might be.

#mariners are keeping league. bedard still being discussed, tho. #redsox, #stlcards

Erik Bedard's Friday night showcase start was less than spectacular, leaving many to wonder whether he would generate any interest. Bedard lasted just 1-1/3 innings, getting roughed-up by the Tampa Bay Rays in the process. However, Bedard looked healthy in his return from the disabled list, throwing a low-90s fastball and a curveball with solid movement.

The Mariners may still sell at the trade deadline, which comes around at 1 p.m. PDT.

For more trade deadline news, stay with our MLB trade rumors StoryStream. Be sure to head over to Lookout Landing for all your Mariners news and analysis needs.

Doug Fister Trade Details: Mariners Get 4, Tigers Get Fister, David Pauley

The Seattle Mariners have traded right-handed starter Doug Fister and reliever David Pauley to the Detroit Tigers for three players and one still be named. The three known Tigers players involved in the deal are outfielder Casper Wells, infielder Francicso Martinez and left-handed pitcher Charlie Furbush.

The Mariners will receive 25-year-old Furbush (1-3), who spent two years in the minor leagues before being called up to the Tigers on May 11^th. He has an ERA of 3.62, and he will be hoping to find success in the Mariners' rotation as his first season in MLB progresses.

Infielders Wells, who will turn 27 in November, is batting .257 this season. He has hit four home runs and 12 RBIs. Wells is currently in his second year in the major leagues after being called up by the Tigers on May 14^th, 2010.

Martinez, 20, has been playing in the minor leagues. He batted .287 with seven home runs and 46 RBIs in 91 games with Double-A Erie. He will likely be assigned to Double-A Jackson following this trade.

The 27-year-old Fister (3-12) has not received a lot of run support from his Mariner teammates this season. Over the course of his current nine-game losing streak, the Mariners have scored a total of five runs. Fister, in fact, has the lowest run support (1.97 runs over nine innings) amongst all 110 qualifying major league starters this season. The Tigers should produce more runs than the Mariners have been lately, which can only help Fister this season.

Pauley (5-4) is tied among all AL League relievers for wins. The 28-year-old has an ERA of 2.15.

The interesting aspect of this trade is that the Mariners are set to receive one more player as part of this trade. The still-to-be-named player could become a central part of this deal as the Mariners attempt to land one more talented player to conclude their four-person haul. 

David Aardsma Had To Be The One To Say It

MLB Trade Deadline: Doug Fister, David Pauley Dealt To Detroit Tigers

The reported trade between the Detroit Tigers and Seattle Mariners is official, just a few short hours after word of the transaction leaked. The Tigers will receive Doug Fister and David Pauley from the Mariners, sending multiple prospects to Seattle in return. Fister has been seen as a valuable trade chip leading up to Sunday's trade deadline, and the Tigers had been rumored to be interest all along

According to Jon Morosi, the deal is finally done. The Mariners will reportedly get Casper Wells, Francisco Martinez and Charlie Furbush in return for Fister and Pauley. Wells is an outfielder, Martinez is a young infielder and Furbush is a pitching prospect.

Ignoring Fister's record -- thanks, Mariners' run support -- paints a picture of a valuable trade piece, at least in a way. Fister doesn't become arbitration eligible until 2013, and is under team control until 2016. He's cheap, he's young and his peripheral stats paint a better picture of his abilities than his record.

With that, the Mariners have made their first move of the trade deadline. It may not be over, however, and rumors are still swirling about Erik Bedard. His showcase start on Friday night was less than desirable, but he did show he was healthy again, albeit with some rust.

For even more on the Mariners, head over to Lookout Landing.

Doug Fister Traded To The Detroit Tigers

Sports Ilustrated's Jon Heyman is reporting that the Detroit Tigers have acquired starter Doug Fister from the Seattle Mariners. 

The Tigers have acquired Mariners starter Doug Fister. The deal may include the Tigers' Charlie Furbush and Casper Wells and Mariners pitcher David Pauley.

Detroit had called up top pitching prospect Jacob Turner to start Saturday, but with this move Turner may be ticketed back to the minors after his debut.

CBSSports.com's Danny Knobler is also reporting that the Tigers are shipping third base prospect Francisco Martinez to the Mariners:

Tigers could trade Martinez because another top prospect, Nick Castellanos at A West Mich, is also a 3B. #tradedeadline

Despite compiling a 3.33 ERA, Fister win-loss record stands at 3-12 due to an incredible lack of run support from the Mariners offense in his starts. The Tigers will be receiving a more than capable third starter in Fister.

MLB Trade Rumors: Erik Bedard's 'Showcase' Start Is Short-Lived

Erik Bedard's long-awaited return to the mound didn't go as well as the Mariners might have hoped. With the trade deadline quickly approaching, the M's wanted to get Bedard out there, have him throw well and possibly showcase his recent dominance to drum up interset for a trade with a team that needs a left-handed starter in their rotation.

Bedard, though now apparently healthy, had trouble shaking off the rust. He went just 1 1-3 innings, throwing 57 pitches and giving up 5 earned runs on three hits and walked four. He struck out two. Bedard returned from 32 days on the disabled list and did not bounce back to the form he had prior to hurting his knee.

Before his stint on the DL, in his previous 8 starts, Bedard had gone 3-2 with a 1.72 ERA. It's been rumored that the Boston Red Sox may have interest in his services, but tonight's performance isn't going to be driving the price up much. 

MLB Trade Rumors: Doug Fister Draws Interest From Detroit Tigers

The Detroit Tigers are looking everywhere for starting pitching and the newest name to their search is Doug Fister of Seattle Mariners.

Why would Detroit be interested? For one, Fister is a talented young pitcher who has excelled in his first two full seasons with Seattle. He keeps the ball on the ground (45.9% career ground ball rate) and in the ballpark (7.0% FB/HR rate). His ERA is a bit inflated because of poor defense and a hitter-friendly Safeco Field, though his xFIP of 4.01 the last two seasons has been solid.

Where are these rumors coming from? Look no further than Jon Morosi's tweet from earlier Friday:

#Tigers and #Mariners engaged in active trade talks, source tells FOXSports.com. Detroit has interest in Fister and a reliever.

Fister would not come cheap should Detroit try to acquire him. The right-handed pitcher is cheap and under team control through 2015 and has impressed many of his peers in Seattle. At the same time, though, the Mariners are desperate to add capable hitters to their organization and could be tempted to do so in a deal with the Tigers.

DH Jack Cust Designated For Assignment By Mariners

Per Larry Stone, Mariner's outfielder Jack Cust has been designated for assignment. The move was made to make room for P Erik Bedard's return. Bedard was activated from the 15-day disabled list and is set to start in Friday's game against Tampa Bay in Seattle. 

Per Stone:

"Seattle has 10 days to trade, release or outright the contract of Cust. Not a huge surprise -- he'd been riding the pines for past month."

Jack Cust was signed this last offseason as the club's designated hitter and was expected to provide some left-handed pop in the middle of the lineup. He struggled to get on track though, and has hit .213 with 3 home runs and only 23 RBI in 67 games. He had 87 strikeouts in 225 at bats. 

Bedard will have a chance to get back on track this season after spraining his knee on July 29th. He has a 4-6 record with a 3.00 ERA. In his last 8 starts, Bedard has gone 3-2 with a 1.72 ERA. The Mariners are looking to feature him this weekend in the hopes they can begin to negotiate a trade for the 32 year old on a one-year deal with the team. 

Ryan Langerhans Traded To Arizona Diamondbacks For Cash

The Mariners have made their first move of the trade system and have traded outfielder Ryan Langerhans to the Arizona Diamondbacks for cold hard cash. 

The news was first reported by Larry Stone. He said:

Ryan Langerhans will report to Triple-A Reno. He had been hitting .313 for Tacoma. He hit 10 doubles, 16 home runs, and added 37 RBIs. Wily Mo Pena can now fill Langerhans' AAA roster spot.

As Stone noted, Langerhans, 31, had been hitting .313 for Tacoma and previously had appeared in 117 games in three seasons (2009-2011) with the Mariners. In his 19 games with the Mariners this season, Langerhans hit .173 with 3 HRs.

Langerhans is a career .226 hitter. He's hit 33 home runs and has 125 RBIs in 591 games over nine seasons.

Pena was picked up by the Mariners on Wednesday after he was released by the Diamondbacks on Sunday. Pena, 29, is a career .251 hitter with 82 HRs, 232 RBIs, and 67 doubles. He hit .196 with five homers in 46 at-bats with Arizona this season before being released. 

MLB Trade Rumors: Erik Bedard To Be 'Showcased' Friday Night

The Seattle Mariners could still become a player during the final ays leading up to the trade deadline, with one player in particular that may be getting shopped; Eric Bedard. 

The left-hander will return to the rotation on Friday against the Rays after missing his previous four starts with a sprained left knee. Before he went down Bedard sported a 4-6 record along with a 3.00 ERA in his 15 starts before going down with his knee injury during a 3-1 loss to Atlanta on June 27. His start on Friday, in essence, will be a showcase for him as the Mariners will likely try to get rid of him over the next few days. 

Seattle hasn't ruled out resigning him, but have teams like the Yankees, Red Sox and Tigers interested in him, meaning they may be able to get some decent value in return if they do trade him. Seattle is supposedly looking for a lot in return for Bedard, so it will be interesting to see how this pans out over the next few days. 

MLB Trade Rumors: Erik Bedard Generating Interest From Boston Red Sox

The best part of the MLB Trade Deadline is even if even the club you root for is no longer in contention for a playoff spot, they can still build for the future by pulling off a big deal before July 31. For the Seattle Mariners, they have a chance to do so with Erik Bedard.

Bedard is set to come off the disabled list on Friday evening and all eyes will be on the veteran left-handed starting pitcher. The Boston Red Sox have been rumored to be very interested with the back-end of their starting rotation in shambles and the lefty would be a welcome addition.

From Ken Rosenthal and Jon Morosi:

The Seattle Mariners had two scouts watching the Boston Red Sox's Triple-A affiliate on Wednesday night and one watching the Sox's Double-A club, according to major league sources.

...

However, Boston's primary focus could be left-hander Erik Bedard, who has not pitched since June 27 because of a strained left knee but will come off the disabled list Friday night to pitch against the Tampa Bay Rays. The Sox are "all over" Bedard, one source said, and both the Sox and New York Yankees are expected to scout Bedard on Friday night.

It has been a rough season in Seattle, but Bedard has quietly excelled after battling injuries for multiple seasons. His ERA of 3.00 and xFIP of 3.30 have been a valuable addition to the starting staff. The Red Sox know this, and assuming Bedard looks sharp in his return on Friday evening, he could fetch a valuable piece or two from Boston's farm system. And if recent trade deadlines have shown us anything, it's that teams are desperate to add pitching for the final two months of the season.

For a player who was signed for just a million dollars this past offseason, Jack Zduriencik has found his most valuable asset at the trade deadline. Those are the kind of deals you look for when rebuilding a ball club.