For those of you still holding out that the Dodgers will trade some youngsters for a stud ace like Johan Santana or Erik Bedard, it's not going to happen. For those of you that are worried they would give up on blue chip prospects for one starter, you can breathe easier now. The ship has sailed on all of that talk.
Andy McPhail, the Orioles' president of baseball operations, said there is a "strong likelihood" that Bedard will be the team's opening day starter. Since the Dodgers signed Hiroki Kuroda and were unwilling to give up on Matt Kemp, that talk has died down. Other teams like the Mariners and Reds are also finding that they will not give up on certain prospects, hence no deal.
The battle for Johan Santana seems to flip-flop daily between the Red Sox and Yankees (big surprise). What seems definite is that the National League is out of the running. Much like Bedard, it comes down to the fact that the Dodgers already signed a starter and did not want to give up too many young guys.
With the starting rotation set (Penny, Lowe, Billingsley, Kuroda, Schmidt/Loaiza), it appears as if the bullpen will now be the main focus. Will Andre Ethier or Juan Pierre be dealt for more relief pitching? That is the next major question that will be answered over the next few weeks.
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