So, I am sort of keeping an eye on the Red Sox, and on baseball. This probably has more to do with the fact that my fantasy baseball team is still in contention than my hopes that the Sox will make the playoffs (and I don't think they will). But today I noticed this little tidbit on ESPN: Brian Giles exercises veto of Boston deal, will remain with Padres.
This would have been a post "trading deadline" trade. In order to make a trade after the deadline, each baseball team must place any player it wants to trade on waivers. All the other teams, in order of their current record, then have a chance to claim that player off waivers. If a team does claim the player, it has 48 hours to work out a trade with the team that put the player on waivers. The team that put the player on waivers also has the option of just pulling back the player. The point is that if a player goes unclaimed, he can be traded after the trading deadline just as he could before the trading deadline. Many teams put all their players on waivers, just to see who goes through and could be used as trade bait later in the season. The team will just pull back any player it wants to keep if that player is claimed by another team.
Now, Brian Giles used to be a good player. Somewhat coincidentally, he was originally traded to the Padres for Jason Bay (along with Oliver Perez and a bag of glass), who has turned out to be a far superior player. One could argue that San Diego's Petco Park ruined Giles' career - he pretty much went from 35 home runs a year in Pittsburgh to 15 a year with San Diego. Being forced to watch Giles on my local Padres station, he has become an annoying slap hitter who pretty much just tries to foul off pitches until he walks, and rarely tries to hit the ball with any authority. In any event, Jason Bay was just traded to the Red Sox for Manny Ramirez and prospects. So, Giles and Bay could have ended up on the same team after essentially being traded for each other.
I say "could have" because Brian Giles vetoed the deal. As a veteran player, he had a list of 8 teams he could veto a trade to, and the Red Sox were one of those teams. Not that Giles would have actually played for Boston - he would have been a spare part at best. The Red Sox claimed Giles so the first place Tampa Bay Rays would not have a chance to acquire him, as Giles would immediately supplant Gabe Gross/Eric Hinske/Cliff Floyd as the starting right fielder for the Rays. He'd also provide some veteran leadership for a young team. If by veteran leadership you mean giving it to the young guys in the shower, Shawshank-style.
The ESPN story quotes Giles' agent, Joe Bick, as saying that "in the final analysis, Brian said, 'I made a commitment to the Padres three years ago that I would like to fulfill. And it's my hope that at the end of the current season, that they would elect to pick up my option for next year, and I can finish my career with the Padres.'"
WHAT?!?!?!???
"I made a commitment to the Padres three years ago that I would like to fulfill"? News Flash, Genius - you aren't exactly letting a team down when you leave the team BECAUSE IT TRADES YOU. If anything, you're letting the team down by refusing to allow it to better itself. Let's see how this might work in other contexts:
JW: So, honey, you wanted to talk?
Wife of JW (remember, this is all hypothetical): Yes... I think we should get a divorce.
JW: No, I don't think so. You see, I made a lifetime commitment to you and I'd like to fulfill it.
Wife of JW: You don't understand. I hate you. You're not the attractive, power-hitting husband you were when I married you. Your body has gone to squat after I started testing you for steroids. Now you just spend your days blogging, going for walks and ogling young chicks in San Diego. I want to end this relationship, and I've met someone else. I'm ready to marry that person, and he wants to marry me. I just need you to sign these papers.
JW: Actually, I was hoping you'd pick up the option on me, and I'd finish out my life with you. So no dice.
Wife of JW: Go to hell and die. In no particular order.
Now THAT makes for a happy relationship.
Incidentally, San Diego holds a $9 million option on Giles for 2009, with a $3 million buyout.
Don't spend that $3 million all in one place, Brian.
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