The Baltimore Orioles Finally Trade Erik Bedard

Left-hander Erik Bedard was acquired by the Seattle Mariners from the Baltimore Orioles on Friday in a long-delayed trade for five prospects.

Baltimore received outfielder Adam Jones, who will probably start in center field on Opening Day. The Orioles also obtained reliever George Sherrill and pitchers Chris Tillman, Tony Butler and Kam Mickolio.

Bedard, Baltimore's Opening Day starter last year, joins a rotation that includes newly signed Carlos Silva and holdovers Felix Hernandez, Jarrod Washburn and Miguel Batista.

The departure of Bedard is yet another move to youth by the Orioles under president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail. Shortstop Miguel Tejada, a former AL MVP, was traded to Houston on Dec. 12.

Its hard to say at the moment whether this trade helped or hurt the Orioles. However, one thing is certain. With Bedard gone, Baltimore does not have an ace or even someone that's a lock to pitch on Opening Day. Jeremy Guthrie and Adam Loewen are the top candidates, and Daniel Cabrera might be given consideration.

The Mariners, with Bedard, Silva, and Washburn, have a chance to compete in the AL West. I remember last year they went on such a tear at one point I was ready to start supporting them, but then they quickly quieted down again. I still don't think they will be able to match the Angels hitting and pitching, but they'll make things interesting like they did last year.

Hall Of Fame Pitcher Nolan Ryan Takes The Next Big Step Of His Career

We all know a majority of the good players can't walk away from their game after they retire. They have to contribute in some, way, shape, or form.

Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan has agreed to become the Texas Rangers team president, a person with knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press.

In recent years, he has been a consultant for the Houston Astros, a former team, and part owner of two Astros minor league teams in Texas.

The person spoke Wednesday on condition of anonymity because the team had not yet made an announcement. The agreement was first reported by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

It was not immediately clear how much control over personnel Ryan would have in his new role, but the all-time strikeout leader told Houston television station KRIV that he would be "over all of the Rangers baseball operations."

"This is something new for me," Ryan said. "It'd different from what I've done in the past or on the playing field."

Ryan, who had a record seven no-hitters, won 324 games in a record 27 seasons, the last five with the Rangers.

The 61-year-old Ryan replaces Jeff Cogen, who owner Tom Hicks moved to the Dallas Stars during a shake-up of his hockey team in November.

Ryan leaves the Astros with more than a year remaining on a five-year personal services contract he signed in 2004. He most recently served as special assistant to the general manager, scouting players and holding pitching camps.

Ryan's return could bring a jolt to a franchise that has struggled to stay competitive in many of the seasons since he retired in 1993.

The Rangers have finished no better than third in the AL West since 2000, although the only three playoff appearances in franchise history came after he retired in 1993. Pitching has long been a frustration; the Rangers had the fewest strikeouts in the AL last season and their team ERA ranked in the bottom five.

Texas last month bolstered is rotation by signing free agent Jason Jennings, who grew up in Dallas watching Ryan pitch. But bringing Ryan into the front office is likely to stir the most excitement among Rangers fans, many of whom still revere the Texas native.

Nolan Ryan should be their pitching coach rather than President. Between Kevin Millwood, Vincent Padilla, and Jason Jennings, the Rangers have decent pitching to work with. Even still, I'd rank them to be 3rd in their division this year. They can't equal the Angels and Mariners, at least not right now.

Closer Troy Percival Will Pitch Again

I've liked Troy Percival ever since I watched his career take off on the Anaheim Angels, so I'm glad to hear he will be returning to MLB. Assuming there are no unforeseen snags in negotiations, Percival and Maddon will be reunited in Tampa Bay next season. Sources say that Percival is close to completing a multiyear contract with the Rays. Percival, 38, retired after pitching in 26 games for Detroit in 2006. But he came back to pitch for St. Louis last year and threw well, compiling a 1.80 ERA in 40 innings over 34 games. Percival has a long history as a closer, with 324 career saves, but he probably will fill a variety of roles for Tampa Bay, which has retained closer Al Reyes.

In 1996, he became the regular closer for the Angels and had 36 saves with 100 strikeouts in 74 innings. He had a career-high 42 saves in 1998, and enjoyed his best season in 2002 with a 4-1 record, 40 saves, 68 strikeouts, and a 1.92 ERA. A four-time All-Star, Percival has compiled a 29-38 record with a 2.99 ERA in 586.2 innings. His 316 saves put him at 12th on the all-time list in Major League Baseball.

The Devil Rays consist of a young squad, so Percival's wisdom and mentality as a long-standing veteran could help guide this fresh talent.

Where Will Johan Santana Be Pitching In The Spring?

According to the rumor mill on Yahoo sports, The New York Daily News has installed the New York Yankees as a 3-1 favorite in the race to acquire Johan Santana of the Minnesota twins. The Boston Red Sox are 4-1, the Los Angeles Angels are 5-1 and the New York Mets 8-1.

It's no secret that the Yankees would love to add the left hander ace to their rotation, but at what price? They have made it clear that Joba Chamberlain is untouchable, although Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy can be had for the right price - and Santana, who will be 29 on March 13, could be that player. However, that'll leave the Yankees with a weak bullpen once again if they plan on making Joba a starter.

The Red Sox are in strong position to deal for Santana, since they possess potential pitching prospects in Clay Buchholz and Jon Lester

The Mets, according to Billy Wagner, are being criticized for not making any transactions in the offseason thus far. With Glavine gone, Santana would fit in comfortably in that rotation.

The Angels already have Garland, Colon, and Lackey in their rotation. Adding Santana would only buff up that incredible rotation.

I would like to see Santana go to a team in the process of rebuilding instead of one of these big name teams who already have enough star players to carry them. I mean, c'mon. Does Boston really need another star pitcher? The Tigers of 2 years ago when they went to the World Series is an example of a team that suffered for years before finally assembling a great team. I think he would fit in well with the Blue Jays. The 1-2 punch of Halladay and Santana would be an interesting combination and would help the Blue Jays keep up with Red Sox and the Yankees.

It is also rumored that if the Twins can deal Santana, they may also be interested in trading their closing pitcher Joe Nathan.

The Angels Acquire Speedy Torii Hunter

Outfielder Torii Hunter and the Los Angeles Angels reached a preliminary agreement Wednesday night on a five-year contract thought to be worth $90 million. The 32-year-old becomes the much-needed hitter the Angels sought to protect Vladimir Guerrero in the batting order. Hunter hit .297 with 28 homers and 107 RBIs for the Minnesota Twins this year and is a seven-time Gold Glove winner. He finished 15th in AL MVP balloting and was on the AL's All-Star team for the second time in his career. Hunter will join a talented outfield that includes Gary Matthews Jr., Garret Anderson, Guerrero, Juan Rivera and Reggie Willits. The addition of Hunter makes the Angels' outfield one of the fastest, if not the fastest outfield in the game.

Since I can remember the Angels have always been a powerful force in the AL. The combination of power and speed from strong hitters mixed with the pitching of Colon and Lackey proves to be a sick team. With the addition of Garland, look for the Angels to perform very good next season, as they always do. Though they aren't my favorite team, they did have my favorite player, Troy Glaus, who won the World Series MVP in 2002.