BAD FOR BASEBALL

Yesterday was a bad day for baseball.

No, the Yankees didn't sign Cliff Lee for $200 mil, nobody admitted using PED's and no Met was arrested.

What was bad was the San Diego Padres trade of Adrian Gonzalez to the Boston Red Sox.

A bad day for baseball but a good day for the Sawx and the Padres' bottom line.

2011 was going to be a walk year for Gonzalez and the Padres were to pay him $6 million. Padres management had no intention on paying him free agent money in 2012 and beyond so they decided to cut their losses and "get something in return."

Lets examine this:

A) The Padres surprisingly won 90 games last year, was in contention until the last week of the season and their manager was the NL Manager Of The Year. How do they build on that for 2011? They trade their best player.

The Padre GM Jed Hoyer (a former Theo Epstein assistant) made it sound like that 2010 was a fluke and 2011 would not produce the same results. That's confidence in your organisation, right? So since 2011 is going to be a bomb, we can stink without Gonzalez and won't have to pay him 6 mil. Brilliant.

B-1) Hoyer stated that they don't believe that they would be able to retain Gonzalez after 2011.

Lets say they kept Gonzalez and he lead them to a championship in 2011. Championships bring in big cash. Is Hoyer saying that even though Gonzalez brought them the trophy, he would let him walk instead of using that extra cash to retain your star player? Give up on a possible repeat? Sounds like it. THAT is bad for baseball.

B-2) Would Gonzalez want to leave a championship team?

Highly doubtful as long as the owner was willing to use his post season cash on Gonzalez and not his estate. Players by nature are front runners. There once was a Yankee player (I can't remember who) that once said he'd rather be a bench player for the Yankees than a starter for a lesser team.

C) The Padres traded their best player for 3 suspects from the Red Sox.

Yes, the scouts say these guys are good but NONE are ready for the big team. That is by design. The TV and radio talkies say the Pods should have got a big league player in the mix too. The Padres didn't want a big league player because they would have had to pay him big league dollars! Instead they got 3 minor leaguers they will have to pay the minimum minimum. If they materialize into good players they will trade them away,before they have to pay them, for "prospects", just like they did Gonzalez.

That's called "Money Ball".

D) Why trade Gonzalez now? See what happens in 2011 and if the Padres stink trade Gonzalez at the deadline and get better prospects.

Good idea but better prospects mean they are closer to being major leaguers and closer to getting paid more. NO DEAL, HOWIE!

Once again Money Ball will fail and they will cry about the Yankees and how the system is unfair while they cash the luxury tax checks.

The Padres told their fans that they have no intention of being a winner. They just want their fans to buy tickets and shirts, but don't expect much in return.

A bad day for baseball.