The Downfall of NOT trading in your Own Division

The Orioles have reportedly unloaded Erik Bedard to the M's for three players; Adam Jones, George Sherrill, and Chris Tillman. Jones and Tillman are rated as B+ prospects by John Sickels. Sherill on the other hand is a lefty setup man on the wrong side of 30. So the Orioles got two very good prospects for Bedard one ready now(Jones) and one who is two plus years away(Tillman). If you compare the deal to the one the Red Sox were offering for Johan; Jacoby Ellsbury (A- by Sickels), Lowrie (A-), and Justin Masterson(B). Also, the Yankee offer Phil Hughes, Melky Cabrera, Jeff Marquez, and another propect. These two offers trump the Mariners deal by a whole lot so why limit your possible trading partners and decrease your possible return? The whole you don't want to have to face him argument doesn't really hold a lot of water either. The Orioles are clearly not going to compete with the Yankees and Red Sox for the next two or three years and by that time Bedard will be 32 years old and past his peak. Also, you can make an argument that the team they trade with will be significantly worse off if you come away with good talent. Even if the O's refused to trade with the Yankees why publicly annouce it and eliminate a potential bidder? They have one of the most precious commodities in all of baseball a young left-handed ace who is under control for two more years. The Orioles inability to capitalize on this shows they continue to be a poorly run franchise and it will be a long time before they seriously compete in the East.