Erik Bedard Deal Finalized; More on Schilling's injured shoulder.

Erik Bedard is finally a Seattle Mariner. The story of Bedard going to the M's for Adam Jones, George Sherrill, minor leaguer P's Chris Tillman, Tony Butler and Kam Mickolio originally broke on January 27th, when Jones left his winter league and informed teammates that he was going to Baltimore. Peter Angelos then put a halt on the deal saying he had no idea such a move was going down. Basically no new news came out for days until last night, when word got out that Bedard was flying to Seattle to take a physical.

If healthy, the tandem of Bedard and Felix Hernandez gives the M's one of, if not the best 1-2 punch in the AL.

In the latest Curt Schilling news, Dr. Craig Morgan, who claims he knows Schilling's pitching arm "better than anybody who breathes on this planet" says the only way Schill's shoulder can fully heal is with surgery:

"I think his chance of coming back to pitching with rehab or a conservative approach is zero,"

"He might not come back after surgery, either. However, if the surgery is successful, he should be fully rehabbed by about All-Star break."

The Saga continues...

Curt Schilling injured and talking, it's officially baseball season.

The first major non steriod story of the 2008 MLB season is finally here. Curt Schilling has a mystery right shoulder injury that could possibly end his 2008 season and career altogether. That isn't even the juiciest part of the story. Apparently, Schilling and the Red Sox organization have been bickering on the course of action that should be taken. On his personal blog 38pitches.com Curt offers up this:

"There have been disagreements these past few weeks in an effort to provide me with a solution that would allow me to pitch as much as possible during the 2008 season,''

"At no time did I ever consider taking a course of action against the club's wishes. In the end, regardless of who agreed with whom, I have chosen the club's course of action and will vigorously pursue any and every option I can to be able to help this team to another World Series title in 2008.''

The Boston Herald repored that even without surgery Schilling may be out until the All Star Break, if not longer. If Schilling is out for half or most of the season the Red Sox will still boast a top of the line rotation of Josh Beckett, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Jon Lester, Tim Wakefield and Clay Buchholz.

One question that comes to mind is, what happens if the Twins would've held off on the Santana deal with the Mets? The Schilling injury questions may have given the Twins a little more leverage in a deal with a the Red Sox. That would've most likely forced the Yankees to counter attack a better Sox offer.

More Shilling to Rays Talk

The Santa Clarita Valley Signal recently did an interview with hometown boy and Rays Stud SP James Shields. Here is an interesting quote from James on a conversation he had with Curt Shilling.

"I went to the gym and I was kind of messing with him," Shields says. "I said, 'So you're looking to come over here and be the ace? He says, 'Yeah, you know, I wouldn't mind coming over here."

Is Shilling just using this to better his negotiating position with the Sox? Or is it a possiblilty that he's in a New Rays uniform next year?