Teams Make Like Monty Hall Trading Deadline Creates Frenzy Of Wheeling And Dealing In Baseball
The trade deadline can make folks crazy, which may or may not explain some of these recent baseball deals.
The Cincinnati Reds, so notoriously cheap they limit game-day press notes to one page because of rising paper costs, first add $4 million to their payroll by taking beefy pitcher Mark Portugal. Then after quickly realizing Portugal isn’t very good, they trade last year’s No. 1 pick, C.J. Nitkowski, and devote another $2.5 million to get beefier David Wells, a Mickey Lolich lookalike and annual second-half flop.
The schizophrenic San Diego Padres send talented right-hander Andy Benes and his $3.4 million salary to the Seattle Mariners for two young, inexpensive fellows: reliever Ron Villone and outfielder Marc Newfield. And Padres general manager Randy Smith declared, “Money was never a factor.” That’s right, they were all clamoring for Villone in San Diego.
The California Angels, who could have bought Jim Abbott cheaply this winter, instead surrender a package of four prospects, including two former No. 1 picks, for the former Angel, who still has a lifetime losing record. If nothing else, the Angels showed their sentimental side, a welcome character trait in baseball these days.
The Colorado Rockies, with their young and presumably impressionable team, dedicate millions into the 21st century for Bret Saberhagen, who tosses firecrackers and bleach, as well as baseballs.
There was a frenzy of activity late Monday, with contending teams spending dollars and prospects to aid their chances. Still, nobody could match the earlier work of the New York Yankees, who on Friday stole David Cone for Marty Janzen, Jason Jarvis and Mike Gordon (we repeat these names only because we still don’t believe them) and also acquired sullen but talented outfielder Ruben Sierra. One American League general manager said, “We liked Janzen but our reviews were mixed on the other two guys. I don’t know what (Jays GM Gord Ash) was thinking.”
Yankees GM Gene Michael failed in his attempts Monday to land Wells, and maybe that famed Yankees New York-Tampa split got in the way again. The Tigers would have liked Sterling Hitchcock, but GM Joe Klein said he never received even one offer on Monday from the Yankees despite constant talks. That’s OK. Monday was still a big day for the Yankees simply because Saberhagen won’t be involving himself in the A.L. East race, as he and others expected.
Without doing a thing Monday, the Yankees retained the favorite’s role in the surprisingly so-so A.L. East.