What Came First -- The Trade Rumor Or…The Trade Rumor?

By Taryn "The Coop" Cooper
Posted Tuesday, October 30, 2007

I have a love/hate relationship with the Hot Stove season.

Love the idea that general managers are out there, actively wheeling and dealing players like they are chips on a roulette table.

Hate the rumors associated with it.

Let’s go back to trade deadline in 2005 – Manny Ramirez wasthisclose to becoming a Met. I don’t remember who pulled out of that deal at the last minute, but any deal was definitely not that fair for anyone involved.

But how many times have we heard the Manny-to-Mets rumors since then? Oh, just about any time a local sports writer has nothing better to do with his or her time since Omar Minaya either has his poker face on or they seriously do not have anything of value to write about.

And until the Yankees replace iconic manager Joe Torre, be prepared for a very active rumor season. Which is basically all Hot Stove is anyway until, you know, a trade is actually made.

But this is a time of the year that I just get really p’d off about. I get into way too many arguments with my Met fan friends about things we normally agree upon!!

Like in mid-season 2006, when there was a very strong rumor about Omar Minaya “talking” to Billy Beane about a straight-up Barry Zito for Lastings Milledge trade. Which after Pedro went down for the count in September once and for all, then losing El Duque Hernandez for the postseason, most fans were ready to jump on the whole 20/20 hindsight thing and say that Omar should have jumped on that deal.

Small problem though. Billy Beane never talked to Omar Minaya about any trade. I was banging my head against the wall talking to self-proclaimed Mets fans that just know the big names and were all torqued about this non-move. Just because they read some obscure column by some writer who thought it might be interesting to throw the idea out there.

Now who are you willing to believe, the source himself on live radio (Billy Beane)…or some dude who gets paid to write this stuff?

Don’t get me started on the Danny Haren for Lastings Milledge rumors. This was one that was orchestrated I am convinced by a bored NY media during the Hot Stove last year, who didn’t have much to go on with no significant Mets or Yankees moves.

If I’m Omar, I jump all over that deal. But you mean to tell me that Billy Beane wants Lastings Milledge that badly, he’d be willing to trade his best pitcher that he could not only get beaucoup dollars for in the future, but get his precious draft picks in a few years when he offers him arbitration?

And yet Omar Minaya has been raked over the coals several times for these non-moves that he really just had no control over or just never truly happened in the back-offices of Major League Baseball teams.

To channel Eric Cartman, trade rumors piss me off.

I had an argument with someone – a Yankee fan friend – over the Johan-for-Reyes trades. I was like – COME ON. First off, we’re going to trade the future of our franchise for a dude in his walk-year? “Well, what if his contract was extended?” Not gonna happen. Face it folks – we are not getting Johan Santana (yet…) and Jose Reyes is 24 years old. He’s not going anywhere.

Not to mention, who the heck would play shortstop in place of him? Oh, just sign A-Rod.

SORRR-RY! That aint happening either.

Now look – I may seem like a pretty pessimistic person this year. After all, the team I have loved for almost 25 years broke my heart AGAIN, and I keep coming back for more. But I know Omar Minaya and I like to think better of him. His M.O. is not trade youth away unless he is getting value in return. Or he gets his overvalued glorified scrubs, and turns them into low-valued, high-return players.

As I said in my column, Entitlement: ENOUGH.

If I have an aneurysm from arguing with idiots who believe everything that is written during Hot Stove season and truly believes is FACT – well, don’t say you weren’t forewarned.

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