Can the Mariners still contend after trading Erik Bedard?

Don't forget my Talkin' Baseball segment coming up at 8:30 a.m. on KJR AM 950's Mitch in the Morning show July is finally upon us, which means the countdown to the trade deadline has begun. As of today, the Mariners are still only 3 1/2 games out of the AL West lead, sitting behind a struggling second-place Texas team and a first-place Angels squad that keeps finding ways to win despite a slew of obstacles in their path. The Mariners must make a decision on whether to trade pitcher Erik Bedard by month's end. If they don't deal him, they risk losing him for a second-tier draft pick should he leave as a free-agent because his latest injury layoff has placed his Type A status in severe trouble. There is a line of thinking out there that the Mariners could trade one of either Bedard or Jarrod Washburn before July 31 and pick up the offensive pieces needed to contend and still rebuild for the future at the same time. The line of thinking goes that the Mariners, as a ...