If it was only 2005 again...

Because then I'd be excited about bringing Erik Bedard and Miguel Tejada back into the fold.

But right now, lots of Orioles fans want to see this happen.

However, I think the nostalgia is getting to people as these are clearly not the same two players as when they left the Orioles the first time.

Sure we'd all like to see Bedard's nasty curve, but what happens if he can't get it over the plate, or maybe he can throw his curve but his fastball is an 88 MPH souvenir waiting to happen.

Just because Bedard can pitch doesn't mean he will be able to pitch effectively in the majors again.

Remember he had labrum surgery, that's L-A-B-R-U-M surgery. He'll be lucky if he could pitch in the minors effectively again let alone the majors, and that's where I'd start him out. I'd give him a split contract with an invite to ST. Otherwise you risk wasting money and resources for a player that may never see Baltimore. And I doubt Erik would sign that, and would probably try to wait until around the AS break when he could be added to a team that needed pitching help down the stretch.

As for Tejada, he's even older than he was expected to be when we signed him the first time, and although he still hits well for a SS, his defense is no longer adequate at the position. And while a move to 3B makes perfect sense and the Orioles have a hole there, the whole point of acquiring a 3B stopgap is to get somebody better than Bell would be if he were to play the position on Opening Day. You don't get that guarantee with Tejada, and his bat might not be able to make up for that defensive learning curve as it isn't as potent as it once was.

Not to mention, Miguel is a proud man, and thus I doubt he'd just step aside to let Bell take his playing time if Bell was ready.

I realize this is a slow offseason, and that fans want to see some action, but Tejada and Bedard do nothing other than placate a nostalgic fan base. And I know some think it would be extra sweet to sign back the players we traded to kind of stick it to Seattle and Houston, but believe me nobody will care, especially those two teams.

And the only ones stuck will be the Orioles, with two potentially unproductive, past their prime players.