(Photo courtesy of Todd Zolecki)
Now it's entirely possible that there's more to this than Olney's reporting, but I'm going to go with what I know as a member of the sports media reading public. If in fact this is just an idea that has been kicked around the Phillies internally, then it does not deserve ESPN column space. It does not deserve an AP article. Not only does it not deserve this attention because it's less than a rumor of a rumor of a trade, but it's just irresponsible reporting.
I, for one, do not like the insane amount of attention that some substantial trade rumors already merit for the way it that this coverage treats players as simple commodities while they still have to go out and play for teams that they're rumored to be leaving. But I accept trade rumors of substance are news, at least at the point in the trade process that these rumors are usually reported. However, if we start reporting internal discussions before they even reach the level that two teams are even talking about talking to each other, then where do we stop? I recognize that Olney is reporting only what he's heard and he's not making this out to be anything more than it is, but by simply using his lofty platform to do so, he elevates this talk to a level that it does not deserve.
I'm going to assume, and I may be proven wrong, that Ruben Amaro's very strong denials mean something in this case, only because the whole idea simply makes no sense. Yes, Ruben made similar denials before Halladay came to Philly and Cliff Lee went to Seattle, and the Cliff Lee side of that certainly shocked me and many others. But if the Cardinals actually parted with Albert Pujols for Ryan Howard, that simply wouldn't make sense to me, on any level. Unless Ryan Howard were willing to take a HUGE discount to play in St. Louis. Unless the Phillies increased their payroll to give Pujols the A-Rod level contract he'll command. Unless Cardinals GM John Mozeliak suddenly went insane. Or, unless Amaro emptied the farm to make an offer that the Cardinals couldn't refuse, and in that case only if they were suddenly no longer a perennial contender. That's a lot of caveats. And maybe all those things will come to pass, however unlikely they may be. If that were the case, and there were be a point that this would actually become a sane idea, it might worthy of reporting. Then, Mr. Olney, report away.
As for the idea itself, a simple swap of these two superstars would be idiotic for the Cardinals. I love Ryan Howard as a Phillie, but I've already written about his weaknesses as a player (see "Is Ryan Howard Overrated?"). Albert Pujols is a cut above even someone of Ryan Howard's talent and athleticism. He does not strike out like Ryan Howard does. He does not have a huge platoon split like Ryan Howard does. In case you were wondering, Albert Pujols has a career line of .330/.419/.622 against righties and .346/.452/.646 against lefties. He doesn't seem to even know the meaning of "platoon split." I could go on, but you get the idea. When I said in my last post that "I would still take Howard at first base over nearly any other in baseball," that "nearly any other" meant "Albert Pujols." Again, as this "trade" idea stands, it simply makes no sense.
So here are the facts: Buster Olney reported internal discussions of an idea for at trade that is reportedly nowhere near being discussed with the other team involved and it is an idea that, as reported, is ludicrous. If people who command the respect that Olney does start reporting every pipe dream of every front office, then the nonexistent attention span of the 24-hour news cycle will truly have taken over sports media.
On the other hand if I'm proven wrong about all this and there's much more to this rumor of a rumor than meets the eye, I'll happily admit I was wrong. I won't care, since the Phillies will have Albert Pujols and the rest of the national league can forget about getting a pennant anytime soon.
In other news, Placido Polanco sprained his right knee in a spring training game today. It was quite a scare when it happened, but it seems like he'll be alright after a week or so, pending a swelling assessment tomorrow morning. It should prepare us Phillies fans for the possibility of injury to a key player, something we really haven't had to deal with on a large scale in the last two years. There was a phenomenal post over at the700level.com today that discussed that we should really enjoy these golden years of the current Phillies team, because it won't last forever. Injury scares like Polly's today really drive home the fleeting nature of baseball. As we go into what will hopefully be another awesome season in 2010, let's stay thankful for the great ride this team gave us these last few years.
As a final note, the aforementioned the700level.com announced today that it is joining forces with Comcast SportsNet. This is great news for one of the best Philly sports blogs around and for the network that recognized its value. I wish them the best of luck and the greatest success in this new and groundbreaking collaboration.
3/16 Update: Olney addressed much of what I and many others have written on the subject in a blog post today. If you have ESPN Insider access, check that out at the bottom of this post. Suffice it to say that I didn't expect him to suddenly say "you were all right, I was wrong," but his defense doesn't change my mind at all. I still think it's inappropriate and unproductive to report these things at the stage that this "trade rumor" was at, even if it is credible and could lead to a blockbuster trade in the future. As I said before, if that is the case, it will reach a point where it is newsworthy, and of course the newsworthiness of any story is a judgment call that the reporter has to make. I still disagree with Olney that internal discussions of this level merit the attention he gave it.
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