The Mariners, still hanging tough in the American League West despite having one of the worst offenses in the majors, are undecided whether they will be buyers or sellers as the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline approaches.

That doesn't stop other teams from exercising due diligence and freshening up scouting reports as the deadline approaches. The Mariners are scheduled to start Jarrod Washburn tomorrow and Erik Bedard on Tuesday. Both are eligible for free agency at the end of the season. Both could bring young talent in a trade if the Mariners decide to look to the future and commit to rebuilding.

You can bet that Phillies scouts will peek in on Washburn and Bedard. The pitching-needy Phils have monitored the availability of both lefthanders.

It's imperative that teams get fresh reports on Bedard because he has been on the disabled list since June 8 with a shoulder strain.

It's funny how things work out in baseball sometimes. Bedard's opponent Tuesday night will be the Baltimore Orioles, the team that traded him to Seattle in February 2008.

What a steal that deal turned out to be.

For Baltimore.

The Orioles haven't had a winning season since 1997, and they might not have one this season. But as an organization, the O's have made big strides toward respectability, and the Bedard trade is a major reason for that.

Two summers ago, Baltimore owner Peter Angelos brought in Andy MacPhail to run the team's baseball operation. Angelos, a well-known Baltimore attorney, had become the consummate meddlesome owner, and he had driven more than a few baseball men batty - just ask Pat Gillick. But Angelos promised to stay out of the way as MacPhail rebuilt the once-proud franchise through scouting and player development.

MacPhail's first big deal was to ship Bedard to Seattle before the 2008 season. Bedard, who had finished fifth in the AL Cy Young voting in 2007, had been on the trading block all winter, and Seattle had long been said to be his destination. One day, the deal was on; the next it was off. Finally, when the trade was announced, MacPhail had strong-armed five players away from the Mariners for Bedard.

The Mariners thought Bedard would lead a run to the playoffs in 2008. He ended up on the DL and made just 15 starts, and the M's finished in last place. General manager Bill Bavasi, who made the deal, ended up fired.

Meanwhile, the Orioles got an all-star closer in lefthander George Sherrill and a tremendous young centerfielder in Adam Jones. The 23-year-old entered Friday hitting .300 with 12 homers and 44 RBIs.

The O's also got three other pitchers in the deal, including 6-foot-5 righthander Chris Tillman, who has a 2.97 ERA in 14 starts in triple A; 6-9 righthander Kameron Mickolio, also at triple A; and 6-7 lefty Tony Butler, another minor-league prospect.

Of that trio, Tillman has the highest ceiling. He projects as a frontline major-league starter who will fit in nicely with the Orioles' ripening young nucleus, which includes Jones, second baseman Brian Roberts, catcher Matt Wieters, outfielders Nick Markakis, and Nolan Reimold, and pitcher Brad Bergesen.

The Orioles could add more young talent this month because they do have trade chips in first baseman Aubrey Huff and reliever Danys Baez, both of whom could be free agents at season's end.

A number of teams would love to get Sherrill, but the Orioles would likely set a high price for him. Baseball sources say the Phillies have inquired about Sherrill, who could complement the Ryan Madson-Brad Lidge duo at the end of games.

Over the next few seasons, it won't be surprising if the Orioles make a rise similar to the one American League East rival Tampa Bay made last season. The Orioles have that kind of young talent percolating. And speaking of Tampa Bay, the Rays are starting to put it together in baseball's toughest division. They entered Friday having won 19 of 27 and were just two games behind the division rival Yankees in the wild-card race.

The Orioles are clear also-rans in the AL East, but they are an improving team and will factor in the race. They rallied from a 10-1 deficit to beat Boston on Tuesday night. In a year or two, the O's might look back at that as a seminal victory in their rebuilding project. For the time being, they will look to affect the division race this season. They have 11 games remaining with Boston, 10 with Tampa Bay, and nine each with Toronto and the Yankees.

So beware the Orioles. And that goes for Jarrod Washburn and Erik Bedard, too.

Speaking of trades

Yankees closer Mariano Rivera, arguably the best ever at what he does, notched his 500th career save last Sunday.

In the early-1990s, Rivera walked the tightrope between prospect and suspect. He'd had elbow surgery as a minor-leaguer in 1992, and needed until 1995 to build top velocity. The Yanks considered trading him to Detroit for David Wells that season but opted not to. Rivera made it to the majors later that season, but had a 5.51 ERA in 19 games, 10 as a starter.

The following spring, the Yanks weren't sure what to do with Rivera. He'd been a starter, but the rotation was full. That spring, the Yanks were about to break in a rookie shortstop named Derek Jeter. At one point during spring training, the club considered dealing for veteran Seattle shortstop Felix Fermin as insurance for Jeter. The price would have been Rivera. The Yanks decided against the deal and will forever be thankful that they did.

Rivera began the 1996 season in the bullpen, as a setup man for closer John Wetteland. He took to the role magnificently, and manager Joe Torre was quick to recognize that he had something special in the skinny Panamanian. Rivera recorded a 2.09 ERA in 61 games and struck out a whopping 130 in 1072/3 innings in helping the Yankees win the World Series. The next season, Rivera replaced free-agent Wetteland as the closer, and, armed with a devastating cut fastball that has turned many a bat handle into a fistful of toothpicks, he has held down the position ever since.

The Yanks have won four World Series with Rivera as their closer, and the 39-year-old righthander is still going strong, with 20 saves (502 overall) entering Friday. Only Trevor Hoffman (572) has more saves.

So, as the July trade season unfolds, remember: Sometimes the best trades are the ones a team doesn't make.

Minor matters

Tuesday was American Heart Association night at FirstEnergy Stadium. And, of course, nothing says heart health quite like a good ol' Spam carving contest. Yes, on the same night, fans broke out their carving knives and went at that pink mystery meat in a fierce competition behind the right-field seats.

The next night, the Altoona Curve, double-A club of the Pirates, used a 23-year-old reliever named Michael Dubee. He is the son of Phillies pitching coach Rich Dubee.

Michael Dubee actually has an interesting place in Phillies history. The righthander was selected by the Phils in the 2006 draft. A year later, after second baseman Chase Utley suffered a broken hand several days before the July 31 trade deadline, Dubee was traded to the White Sox for second baseman Tadahito Iguchi. Iguchi played an important role in the Phillies' winning the NL East in 2007.

In April, Dubee was traded to the Pirates, and he proceeded to record a 1.05 ERA in 23 games in the single-A Carolina League. In 341/3 innings, he struck out 52 and walked just three. He received a well-deserved promotion to double A on June 22.