Pitchers available between now and the deadline.

Let me make this clear: The M’s aren’t in the market for a pitcher. They do, though, have one of the best arms that might be available for another team in Erik Bedard.

I started looking into this with the hopes that I’d find that Bedard was one of the best pitchers who is going to be available, possibly in the top 3. I actually expected that to be the case. There is no Cliff Lee or Roy Oswalt available this year (or at least there doesn’t appear to be) and that will drive up the value of a pitcher like Bedard. Teams that are desperate for starting pitching (like Boston and the Yankees) will be willing to pay more for a the “best available” pitcher than perhaps that pitcher’s talent level would seem to dictate.

Unfortunately, my search for potentially available pitchers turned up more talent than I had expected.

He’s the list of good pitchers likely to be available. After Bedard, the best pitchers are at the top:

Erik Bedard: The Mariner’s best trade chip has a 4.03 FIP, which doesn’t sound that great until you take into consideration that Bedard’s first 4 starts were awful as he was coming back from multiple shoulder surgeries. His last 5 starts have been bordering on brilliant, with a 1.79 FIP during that stretch. If he keeps that up for a few more starts, he will establish himself as the only truly dominant pitcher on the market.

Jason Marquis: The jewel of this year’s trade bait. Marquis has a 3.55 FIP and has been the National’s best pitcher. He’s also only earning $7.5 million this season, so his contract will be easily taken on by most contenders.

Mark Buehrle: Buehrle has been model of consistency for the last decade. He’s a solid #2-#3 starter and his 3.68 FIP shows that he’s still at the top of his game. He’s in the final year of his deal and is making $14 million, which isn’t too bad for such a quality pitcher. The problem is that if Buerhle is traded, that becomes $15 million, and his contract’s $15 million vesting option for 2012 automatically kicks in. That’s a lot financial commitment for a team to take on.

Fansisco Liriano: If he’s available, he’ll draw a ton of interest. He threw a no-hitter a couple weeks ago. He’s also got a 5.20 FIP, which isn’t good. He’s been very hit or miss this season, alternating between brilliant and awful. Most teams in a playoff drive will want consistency, but the possibility of him being dominant come playoff time will also be intriguing to a contender.

Joel Pineiro: His 2.76 ERA is nice and shiny, but the ex-Mariner starter’s 3.97 FIP tells a different story. Still, he hasn’t been bad, and would upgrade the rotations of both New York and Boston. He also has experience as a reliever, which would be helpful come playoff time. He’s also in the last year of his deal and is making $8 million, so he’s easily moved.

Bruce Chen: The Royal’d veteran pitcher is in the last year of his contract and their system has a pile of stud prospects ready to break into the majors. Thus, Chen’s time with Royals is limited. His 4.89 FIP isn’t anything special, and neither are any of his career numbers, but his 3.59 ERA might create some interest.

Brett Myers: Almost didn’t make this list. He’s a shadow of his former self, and his 5.0 FIP this year tells the story there. Still, there’s a chance a team might see his 4 WAR season he had last year and take a chance that he’ll be an upgrade over what they have. That said, he’s owed $12 million next season as well, so the market for his services likely wont be large.

Joe Saunders, Edwin Jackson, Chris Capuano and Jeff Francis all might also be available, but none of them are comparable to the those listed above.

So what have we learned? Not much. It remains to be seen if Bedard can continue to dazzle, or even stay healthy. We also don’t know if all of these pitchers will be traded, though they all seem likely to be available. Still, if a team is looking for a pitcher that will get them to the playoffs, Bedard seems to be 3rd best option behind Marquis and Buehrle. Once a team gets to the playoff though, Bedard appears to be the best pitcher of the group and the most likely to be a difference maker in any series. So, I guess it depends on the team’s needs.

But I think it’s safe to say that there will be a lot of desire for Bedard, and team’s will be willing to part with a significant prospect to acquire him.