FanHouse

A very interesting nugget has surfaced just hours before the winter meetings are to begin in Nashville regarding Orioles stud lefty Erik Bedard, who the Orioles have made very little progress with in signing an extension. From the Washington Post:

For those teams that lose out on Santana, there still is no shortage of attractive pitchers available on the trade market.

Perhaps the best of those is left-hander Erik Bedard of the Baltimore Orioles, who is definitely available now that, according to league sources, he has informed the team he has no interest in signing an extension to stay in Baltimore beyond 2009, when he hits free agency.

All right, call me a conspiracy theorist, and forgive me for bringing everything back to Johan Santana ... but do you find it weird that just a few days ago, the Yankees are throwing Phil Hughes into a deal for Santana, and then the Red Sox are topping that (or trying to, depending on your side of the fence) by including Jacoby Ellsbury. Now, the Yankees have seemingly put the brakes on the insanity by setting a deadline for getting a trade done. Could they be using this information to put the squeeze on the Twins?

And even if I'm completely wrong which I probably am, is this going to wind up driving the Twins price down a little bit ... causing the Twins to, oh I don't know, keep Santana? In any event, teams are advised to get their offers together in Nashville, and make 'em good because Bedard isn't coming cheap.

Arm Bash: Metsblog

Previously on FanHouse:
Erik Bedard Isn't Coming Cheap
Yankees Up the Ante With Phil Hughes
Your Daily Johan Santana Update