Boston Red Sox Trade Deadline 2011: What Erik Bedard Means for Red Sox

According to espnboston.com, left-handed Seattle Mariners starter Erik Bedard (4-7, 3.45 ERA) has been traded to the Boston Red Sox right before the 2011 MLB Trade Deadline passed at 4 p.m. EST on July 31. The deal was between the Red Sox, Mariners and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

In this deal, the Sox will get Bedard and pitcher Josh Fields. The Dodgers are sending outfield prospect Trayvon Robinson to Seattle, and Boston is sending Tim Federowicz, Juan Rodriguez and Stephen Fife to Los Angeles and Chih Hsien Chiang to Seattle.

This deal came in large part to the dire need of the Sox to add a starter due to the fact that Clay Buchholz could be out awhile with his back injury. He is meeting with a doctor Monday that will determine if he can pitch again this season.

This deal adds great depth to the rotation for the Sox. Bedard is a power pitcher that has had trouble with injuries in his Major League career. The best thing about him is that he has pitched in the AL East before with the Baltimore Orioles and did very well in 2006 and 2007. In 2006, he was 15-11 and struck out 171 batters in 196.1 innings. In 2007, he did even better with a 13-5 record and 221 strikeouts in only 182 innings. His ERA was also a mere 3.16 in a tough division.

He will most likely take the spot of Tim Wakefield or Andrew Miller in the rotation. He is signed until the end of the season, and if he is healthy for the rest of the 2011 season, then I can see the Sox signing him to a long-term deal, and the rotation would be set as a whole for the next several seasons.

Bedard will also make a great addition to the playoff roster, as he can be an asset for long relief as well as being the fourth starter (maybe even third to replace John Lackey).

Overall, this is a great deal for the Sox, as the New York Yankees were quiet as the trade deadline passed.