Bedard trade talks still in limbo

O's hoping to finalize deal to send pitcher to Mariners

Orioles

Orioles officials remained mum on the status of the proposed deal that would send ace pitcher Erik Bedard to the Seattle Mariners for five players, including young center fielder Adam Jones.

At this point, neither Jones nor any of the other main players involved in the deal has taken a physical, a source familiar with the talks said. However, officials from both sides remain confident that a deal can be reached.

Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail has not returned several calls from The Sun the past couple of days. Team owner Peter Angelos also declined comment when he was reached Saturday night, referring calls to MacPhail.

The deal has been at a standstill since Jan. 27, when Jones told a reporter in Venezuela that he was headed to Baltimore to take a physical as the "centerpiece" of the trade for Bedard.

Reliever George Sherrill and pitching prospects Chris Tillman, Tony Butler and Kam Mickolio are also expected to be in the deal.

The Orioles were angered by Jones' comments and insisted that several issues had to be worked out before the deal was done. Jones' physical, which was scheduled for last Tuesday, was canceled.