Revisiting the Mariners' Horrible Trade With Orioles for Erik Bedard

The postponement of the MLB season has provided us with oodles of time to dwell blockbuster trades of yesteryear, so why not dive into another?

Desperate for an ace during the 2008 offseason, the Seattle Mariners struck a deal with the Baltimore Orioles that centered on left-hander Erik Bedard, the team's Opening Day starter from the previous year.

What made this deal so bizarre was the fact that, despite several complications, Seattle didn't give up its pursuit of Bedard. Let's just say that the Mariners ended up regretting that ambition.

Erik Bedard retired this week. The trade that sent him from Baltimore to Seattle netted the Orioles Chris Tillman and @SimplyAJ10.
— Pedro Gomez (@pedrogomezESPN) June 12, 2015

Mariners-Orioles Erik Bedard Trade Details

Mariners acquire: Erik Bedard

Orioles acquire: Adam Jones, Chris Tillman, Tony Butler, Kam Mickolio, and George Sherrill

It's worth noting that not all of Baltimore's acquisitions hit. Mickolio was far more successful in Japan than he ever was in the MLB. In three seasons with the club, the reliever made just 29 appearances and posted a 4.32 ERA across 25 innings. Butler quickly fizzled out in the minors and never made his pro debut.

Sherrill was an All-Star for the Orioles in 2008, but was offloaded for prospects Josh Bell and Steve Johnson prior to the '09 deadline. Neither player enjoyed much success in Baltimore, but the story was entirely different for Jones and Tillman.

From 2012-2015, Tillman logged a 3.32 ERA on an Orioles team that made two playoff appearances. Jones, meanwhile, was a five-time All-Star with Baltimore. By every stretch, he was one of the league's best five-tool players for several seasons.

On the day Erik Bedard retired, Adam Jones hits a homer to give Chris Tillman the lead. Best trade ever. #orioles
— Andrew McKay (@apmckay) June 11, 2015

In 2007, Bedard was a machine, finishing 13-5 alongside a 3.16 ERA and a league-leading 10.9 strikeouts per nine innings. Therefore, the pressure was on for him to flourish with the Mariners.

It didn't exactly pan out like that. Bedard was bit sternly by the injury bug and, despite posting a 3.31 ERA across his tenure, he made just 46 starts in his three seasons with Seattle.

Who Won the Mariners-Orioles Trade for Erik Bedard?

The Mariners didn't sniff the postseason with Bedard at the top of the rotation. Not only were the O's more successful in that department, but the production the team received from Jones and Tillman was superior to that of Bedard.

In every sense of the word, Baltimore bamboozled Seattle in this 2008 blockbuster.