Erik Bedard, 2007 Bowman Chrome #26

With Erik Bedard becoming the latest starting pitcher to make Baltimore's batting order look bad, now is as good a time as any to check in on the ex-O's who have scattered across the league. In essence, I'm building upon a post written by Stacey over at Camden Chat. It's interesting to note that the Yanks and Red Sawx have not wasted an MLB roster spot on a single former Oriole in 2009, and they're doing pretty well with that strategy. There are more of these guys than you'd imagine, so I'll be skipping the more forgettable of the bunch. Onward!

Kevin Millar: Kevbo is chugging along with a .277 AVG and 3 HR, 18 RBI as Toronto's #2 first baseman and designated hitter.

B. J. Ryan: Attempting to come back from elbow surgery, the $47 million Jay has lost his closer's job and sports an 8.74 ERA and 2.11 WHIP. But he's not even the worst ex-Bird to toe the rubber for Toronto this year. That honor goes to...

Brian Burres: The gawky, soft-tossing lefty made two starts for the injury-wracked Jays, allowing seventeen men on base in 6 and 1/3 innings and losing both games before being bum-rushed back to AAA.

Lance Cormier: Still doing his long-relief thing, Lance has fashioned a 2.19 ERA in 18 games for the Rays.

Luis Hernandez: Looie Looie, of the Five-Headed-Shortstop-Monster of 2008, has appeared in 10 games for the Royals, with predictable results (.497 OPS, 1 RBI).

Sidney Ponson: Sir Sidney inexplicably remains on the K.C. staff, despite a 1-5 record, 7.27 ERA, and 58 hits in 43 and 1/3 innings.

David Dellucci: Is he really 35? A rookie on the 1997 wire-to-wire team, he batted a fairly empty .275 in 40 at-bats for the Indians but had largely been a disappointment since signing a three-year deal in December 2006. They released him earlier this week.

Greg Aquino: An absolutely miserable reliever in his few appearances in Baltimore last year, Aquino tantalized Tribe fans with four scoreless appearances in May before imploding against the Yankees on Monday night (1.1 IP, 1 H, 4 BB, 4 ER).

Kris Benson: After missing 2007 with shoulder surgery and spending 2008 rehabbing in the minors, Anna's husband is languishing in the Ranger bullpen (18 ER in 20 IP, 1.95 WHIP).

Gary Matthews, Jr.: The outfielder is batting .262 with a .346 slugging percentage and 15 RBI in 32 games for the Someplace in California Angels. Money well spent, guys.

Guillermo Quiroz: Despite a sub-Mendoza batting average at AAA, he was just recalled by the Mariners, who are very weak at catcher even when their #1 and #2 guys are healthy. He's 1-for-4 with 2 RBI, so that's something right there.

Erik Bedard: Despite the 4-2 record and 2.37 ERA, and 9 K/9 IP, I still feel pretty good about the O's end of the trade with the Mariners.

Garrett Olson: One of last season's shaky young pitchers has picked up where he left off, giving up 26 hits in 25 innings and working up a relatively lucky 4.68 ERA in seven games in Seattle.

Jack Cust: Stumblin' Jack is doing his usual thing in Oakland (.253 AVG, .345 OBP, 8 HR).

Jamie Moyer: The 46-year-old control artist is off to a rough start with the Phillies (4-5, 6.75 ERA), though he pitched well in his last start. Then again, it WAS the Nationals.

Fernando Tatis: A veteran that the Mets snatched from oblivion, he's not quite been up to his 2008 performance. He's at .269 with a pair of home runs.

John Maine: He's still plugging along in the middle of the Met rotation - 5-3, 3.75 ERA.

Hayden Penn: The only question here is why the Marlins have used him fifteen times. A 7.48 ERA and 2.12 WHIP won't have the Birds longing to reunite with their former "top prospect". But hey, he's got 27 K in 21.2 innings.

Alex Cintron: 2-for-26 for Washington before they turfed him. And he was our BEST-hitting shortstop in '08.

Daniel Cabrera: Hoo boy. He was 0-for-5 with a 5.85 ERA and 2.08 WHIP in D.C. 35 walks, 16 strikeouts, 10 wild pitches in 40 innings. "I was tired of watching him," was GM Mike Rizzo's quote after Danny Cabs was released last week. The Marlins are interested in him for god knows what reason.

Jorge Julio: Posting him back-to-back with Cabrera can make a guy dizzy. 7.79 ERA, 15 BB, 13 K. After giving up five runs without getting an out on Monday night (including 2 HBP), he was finished in Milwaukee.

Ramon Hernandez: Razor is a .282 hitter with 3 HR and 21 RBI in Cincinnati. I do not miss him even a little bit.

Jerry Hairston, Jr.: The one-time second baseman of the future is hitting .262 with the Reds, but has gone deep seven times. Say what?

Arthur Rhodes: At 39, he's the second-oldest ex-Oriole in the bigs, and he's been great as a LOOGY (0.50 ERA and 0.83 WHIP in 18 IP).Good pickup for Cincy.

Ryan Freel: If Joey Gathright never plays a game for the O's, I'm alright with the trade that sent Freel to the Cubs (3-for-18, currently on the DL again).

Miguel Tejada: The 33-year-old (whoops, 35!) shortstop is playing like gangbusters (.362, 20 2B, 6 HR). Of course, he's walked six times and his Houston team is lousy, so nyahhh.

LaTroy Hawkins: I'm a bit perturbed that he's closing for the Astros. A 2.38 ERA and seven saves, and he doesn't get many opportunities.

Russ Ortiz: What? How? 3-2 with the 'Stros with a 4.76 ERA. A 1.86 WHIP suggests that things could get worse.

Juan Castro: .341 with 12 runs scored in 15 games for the Dodgers. That's it. The O's have to petition for a move to the National League.

Eric Byrnes: A .645 OPS, and still another year left on his 3-year, $30 million extension after this. Call it buyers' remorse.

So there you have it. Is there anyone in that rouge's gallery that you'd like to have back? I'd probably prefer Cormier to Mark Hendrickson, and Rhodes to Jamie Walker. That's probably it. I'm not completely sold on Maine for some reason.