Wilkerson to Play RF for M's?

A couple of readers have pointed out that it is being reported that once the trade for Erik Bedard goes through, the Mariners have plans to sign Brad Wilkerson to play right field. I wasn't lying when I said that Bill Bavasi has a love for mediocre veterans. As one reader put it, "It's like a broken record." Wilkerson is a career .250 hitter, but does get on base at a decent .354 clip and he did once hit 32 home runs -- back in 2004. Wilkerson has also struck out over 100 times in each season as a regular in the major leagues. Sounds like just the player the M's need.

More on Bedard

I've been really surprised at how many people have been down on this Bedard deal for the M's. The guys over at USS Mariner particularly hate it. I know Adam Jones is a great talent and could very well end up being an All-Star down the road. But the bottom line is when you have the opportunity to get a great pitcher like Bedard you take it. Not only that, but you're getting him in exchange for only one player who projected to be on your Major League roster come opening day. Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge believer in building from within, but I think there is also a place for using stock piled prospects to obtain a proven major league talent. The reason the M's haven't produced their own talent over the years isn't because they trade it all away, it's because their talent never pans out into anything. There are obvious exceptions to that, such as Varitek and Lowe for Slocumb and David Ortiz for Dave Hollins, but we have seen far more prospects fail to develop. Only time will tell the result of this deal, but for right now the Mariners are getting a legit top five pitcher in the league and will have one of the best top of the rotation combos in the league. If the M's don't make the playoffs this year it won't be because they traded Adam Jones, but if they do make the playoffs it will be because they traded for Erik Bedard.