Any trade talks involving Seattle Mariners pitcher Erik Bedard are pretty much dead now. Bedard hasn’t pitched since July 4th and actually didn’t even attempt to throw a baseball over the All-Star Break, attempting to rest his left shoulder. But now, the All-Star break is over and the Mariners have decided to shut down the lefty for a few more days.

“He didn’t come out of the break feeling significantly better,” Manager Jim Riggleman said. “Hopefully by Monday he’s ready to play some firm catch and we’ll go from there. If he’s not…”

“If he’s not” ???? That is a pretty troubling thought in my opinion. One would have to wonder is there something seriously wrong with his shoulder? Especially when you consider he did have Tommy John surgery earlier in his career.

Bedard has been mentioned in numerous trade rumors as the Mariners head towards a last place finish in the AL West. His name has been linked to almost every team who is still in the playoff race AND needs a starting pitcher. Unfortunately not one of those teams would make a deal without seeing him pitch before the July 31st deadline. In a perfect scenario, Bedard would play catch Monday and Tuesday, throw a bullpen session later in the week and then be back in the rotation just before the 31st.

“We’re not looking at trying to pitch him before the 31st,” he said. “It’s really all going to be based on how he feels. The 31st is kind of irrelevant when a guy’s got a tender arm.”

You do have to give Riggleman credit for not rushing the kid back for the sake of showcasing him in a trade. As it would definitely be a rush, as he’d only be able to log one start and thats only if he suffers no setbacks in the next week and a half.

So in the end Mariners fans, Bedard should end the season in Seattle due to health concerns. Honestly for how much the team gave up in the trade to get him this is the best scenario. It’s highly unlikely they’d even get half the talent back that they gave up, so might as well just hold on to him and hope he’s better next year.

The Mariners season may be going straight down the drain but the team will still host a few playoff contenders over the last 60 or so games. Some match ups include the Boston Red Sox, Tampa Bay Rays, Minnesota Twins, the New York Yankees and the usual divisional foes. So if you want to check out a game, there’s plenty of opportunities to see some good baseball.

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