August 29th, 2006 → 6:47 pm @ Seth Mnookin // No Comments
From the “not-hugely surprising” department: the Sox are apparently shopping David Wells, who passed through waivers and can be traded to any team (although it’ll have to happen in the next couple of days for him to be eligible for the postseason). In this ESPN.com article, Buster Olney lists the Mets, Twins, Diamondbacks, Padres, Dodgers, Phillies, Cardinals, A’s, and Reds as possible destinations. That’s nine teams. Eight other teams have hopes of reaching the playoffs: the Tigers, White Sox, Giants, Marlins, Astros, Brewers, Braves, and Yankees. The Tigers and the White Sox aren’t in the market for starting pitching, despite recent woes. The ‘Stros have Clemens, Oswalt, and Pettitte; their problem is their pen. The Marlins would only agree to a trade if Wells paid them. The Braves’ best pitcher and its GM are too busy sniping back and forth to think about playing baseball in October, the Brewers are suffering from the curse of Bud Selig, and it wouldn’t be right if Barry Bonds got to finish his career in San Francisco with a trip to the playoffs.
That leaves the Yankees. Wells loves the Yankees. New York loves Wells (this guy notwithstanding). The Yankees could certainly use pitching: any team that’s relying on Jared Wright (9-7, 4.72), Cory Lidle (10-9, 4.64 ERA) and, um, Randy Johnson, (14-10, 4.96) can’t be totally secure about its starters. (And it doesn’t look like Carl Pavano will be helping the Yankees this year. Or ever.)
Which I guess means that while players have no compunction about jumping directly from one team to the other, the front offices still aren’t crazy about dealing with each other. Especially in the middle of a pennant race.
(Tomorrow if Wells ends up in pinstripes and this is proven wrong I’ll blame it all on Buster. No, not that one; this one.)
Post Categories: David Wells & Oblique references to Buster Bluth & Red Sox & Yankees
maranara
18 years ago
man, it stinks that it’s not even september and we seem to be accepting defeat. maybe there’s still time for a phillies-like situation…trade away some stars, start winning games…i’m going to go watch my 2004 world series dvds…
deversm
18 years ago
I’m going to take a “forget me now” and then watch season three on DVD.
maineiac
18 years ago
I hope the Sox don’t throw in the towel this early. For one, it will create a sense of dispair. Teams have an obligation to the fans that have purchased tickets to future games. That obligation is to try to win the game that the customer is attending. If the Sox call it quits before they are mathematically eliminated, it will spell the end of the consecutive sell-outs and the cash cow that $6.00 beers bring. JH had better start planning on weekend sellouts and only on nice days. Remember only 7,000 people saw Clemens throw his first 20 strikeout game.
111875
18 years ago
I can’t decide if it is an example of stubborn pridefulness. If Boomer is surely going to retire, perhaps it is a Good Business Move to try to get something…anything…But then I think maybe I would prefer to Go Down Swingin’…head held high (ala the losing admiral going down with his ship in the Pirate Show outside Treasure Island in Vegas. Hand on hip. Chest puffed. Buttons on our Napolean-like jackets. The whole nine.)
The answer: Pirate. Fake it til you feel it, boys. Even if you don’t feel it again til Ft. Myers.
ps
Dear MLB TV,
Help a sister out. Things are pretty bleak. Can we at least get the NESN feed? A little Remy goes a long way.
111875
18 years ago
Oh. Also–of course the Yanks will sue Pavano for, let’s say, driving, and get out of the 10 million they owe him next year. Perfect. If only Clement would pull some ligaments while sky diving or something (NOT to permanently disable him. Just for a little bit. We get out of the contract, he can go on to a very sucessful career in San Diego or Milwaukee or for the Big Red Machine…)
sxturner
18 years ago
From the Providence Journal:
“And there was a healthy Red Sox body accompanying them, as well. Left-hander David Wells, scheduled to start tomorrow night’s game against Toronto at Fenway Park, was flown home early to rest up for the outing — if he isn’t traded first, but that’s another story.”
Did you ever think you’d hear Wells described as the “healthy body” out of a group of Red Sox players? Out of a group of anyone?
Steve
Sully
18 years ago
“Teams have an obligation to the fans that have purchased tickets to future games. That obligation is to try to win the game that the customer is attending.”
Do you really think fans attending what might me a meaningless game in the last week of September are going to be that upset that they didn’t get to see the great David Wells pitch his final game in Fenway? If Theo can get a useful player (and if they’ve given up on the season), it’s in the best interests of the team to move Wells.
zoowah
18 years ago
Wells for Pedro?
Wells for Lowe?
Wells for Arroyo?
Just exploring the possibilities…
gmschmidty
18 years ago
Wondered to a friend who is a Yankees fan why the Red Sox wouldn’t shop the Fat Man to the Yanks. I know this is sacrilegious but look: this season is done. It doesn’t matter to me who wins the WS. It won’t be the team from Boston. The stated purpose of every move (or non-move) made since Nov. 2004 has been to build for 2007, 2008 and beyond. The more teams you get into a bidding war over Wells, the more likely you are to force a team to blink and make a deal reminiscent of Kazmir for Zambrano (he of the Non-Carlos ilk.) If the team that panics is, say, the Yankees, and they are willing to give you a Phillip Hughes (unlikely) or a Wil Nieves or Jose Tabata, then great. You fleece them the way they fleeced Philly. Worst case scenario they are one more team to play off the rest in the hopes of getting a legit prospect from Minnesota or LA or wherever. The line of thinking that says: “you can’t trade with the Yankees, because they are the enemy” is just plain dumb. If the trade you make CANNOT possibly come back to haunt you this season (and we all agree, the Yanks aren’t threatening to derail the Red Sox current dream-season) then you make the deal in the hopes of strengthening your future, and weakening your enemies’ farm. Seems a win-win proposition to me.