I did some leg work to see if anyone else I knew could fill in the gaps since the last time any significant news came down the pipe on the Erik Bedard-Adam Jones scenario, and while there wasn’t much to stir up, I did dig up a few fresh nuggets.

One club’s representative says the latest he heard was that Baltimore was waiting for Seattle to either agree to include Brandon Morrow or Carlos Triunfel in the package along with Adam Jones and George Sherrill, or for the Reds to start their package with Jay Bruce.

I pushed hard to see if the Orioles were truly only interested in what Cincinnati had to offer if Bruce was included and the response I got was “yes, unless they want to gut their system.”

This tells me that the Reds have not agreed to a Homer Bailey, Johnny Cueto, Joey Votto and a fourth player deal.

Another league source claims he spoke with someone close to the situation in Baltimore and got the impression that Seattle was likely to cave on Morrow before agreeing to include Triunfel in any trade, but that no progress involving the right-hander had been achieved.

The most intriguing information I got this morning is from a former front office member of one of the teams involved. He says the Orioles gave the Mariners a once-and-for-all type counter offer (apparently to the Jones-Clement-Sherrill offer Seattle is thought to have made) and if Triunfel or Morrow are not included, the Orioles will shut down talks.

He also says that this type of act by one side often forces the other to either turn away completely or fall for the move and give in.

He predicts the Mariners will introduce Bedard at a press conference Thursday, “if not well before” and that the Mariners will certainly have vastly overpaid in the deal.

When asked what kind of package he’d be willing to part with if he were the Mariners, this is what he came up with.

“Nothing involving Jones, and no deal that has two of their best guys in it. Not Clement and Morrow, not Clement and Triunfel. I might do Clement and the other outfielder, Balentien, but Baltimore wants pitching. Clement or Balentien plus Tillman or Butler. I’d do that.”

For the record, my offer would start and end this way:

Wladimir Balentien OR Brandon Morrow OR Jeff Clement, plus Tony Butler, George Sherrill and one of the following three — Adam Moore, Kameron Mickolio or Michael Saunders. Although I’d include any two of the latter three if the Orioles put newly-acquired left-hander Troy Patton or right-hander Pedro Beato into the deal, too.

Otherwise, the club runs a ridiculously high risk of acquiring Bedard and finishing in second place for two more seasons, watching Bedard sign with the Red Sox, Yankees, Dodgers, Mets or Blue Jays while Jones and company come into their own as key members of the Orioles 25-man roster.

In my conversation with a friend of mine that works with the Mets, he asked me to describe a scenario where I would make a deal for Bedard that included Jones or Triunfel.

I painted in two Beltre or better level bats, at least one a lefty, that were assets defensively at first base (in place of Sexson) and in a corner outfield spot (in place of Ibanez, who moves to DH).

Then the offense and the defense are ready to support what would be a pretty solid staff with a rather nasty 1-2 punch at the top of the rotation.

But since the offense has just a good a shot to finish in the bottom third as it does the top half (see potential declines from Ibanez, Johjima and Vidro, and more bad offense by Lopez and Sexson,) and the outfield defense could be wretched in the corners, I absolutely cannot figure out a scenario where the current roster plus Bedard seriously contends with the 2008 Los Angeles Angels, who, by the way, may not be done bettering their roster, too.

Far too many things would have to go right. Most of which could easily be deemed “unlikely” by objective observers.

And for those who keep telling me “if they get Bedard and need more offense, they can still go get it since it’s only January,” well, tell me who they can go get? There isn’t a single impact bat - outside Barry Bonds whom the club won’t consider signing - on the free agent market and the trade route might bare even fewer and less attractive options.

And even if there was a perfect trade target, you’d have to further gut your system or trade from the 25-man roster in order to get a deal done.

Seattle is so close to being in a position to make moves, such as the Bedard idea, it’s just a year or two early. Think a year or two from right now as the Halos get old and their key guys get to free agency, and when the Rays are trading Scott Kazmir or the Rockies are entertaining offers for Jeff Francis, Ubaldo Jimenez or Franklin Morales.

At that point, the M’s will know what they have in Chris Tillman, have a better idea of what Butler, Juan Ramirez and Phillippe Aumont are going to be, and won’t have to consider Triunfel a high-risk talent since he’s likely to see Double-A in 2008.

There are almost always certain prospects that each club should protect, particularly in this day and age where the free agent market is what it is. And most of those with such value are usually on the brink of the big leagues.

The Yankees have Joba Chamberlain. The Red Sox have Clay Buchholz. The LA Dodgers have Clayton Kershaw while the Cincinnati Reds have Jay Bruce.

And the Seattle Mariners have Adam Jones.

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