Re: You killed the Peavy deal

[17 Seconds]

This quote is from today's USA Today article on trade rumors:

And while nothing excites fans like a blockbuster deal, GMs say the rumor mill has been responsible for killing deals. Trade talks become public in their initial stages, which leads to fan discussion and debates. And if the reaction becomes negative, teams may opt to back out.

 

Kevin Towers, general manager of the San Diego Padres, is convinced reports involving ace Jake Peavy going to the Chicago Cubs last winter forced the trade to dissolve.

 

"It became so public, so counterproductive to [Cubs GM] Jim Hendry and I," Towers says, "the deal didn't get done. There was too much public knowledge, and so many players being mentioned, it got out of hand. I really sensed we were close to a deal, but once it got out in the open, Jim said he was pulling the plug. I don't blame him."

 

Said Hendry: "It certainly didn't help. I'd leave Kevin's room and the same names we talked about were on the Internet two hours later. It certainly puts a damper on a lot of things. All of us would prefer the days when deals would be announced (at a news conference). But those days are over. The stuff that gets out there now drives all of us crazy."

[inari]

I broke the dam.

[Guest]

This quote is from today's USA Today article on trade rumors:

And while nothing excites fans like a blockbuster deal, GMs say the rumor mill has been responsible for killing deals. Trade talks become public in their initial stages, which leads to fan discussion and debates. And if the reaction becomes negative, teams may opt to back out.

 

Kevin Towers, general manager of the San Diego Padres, is convinced reports involving ace Jake Peavy going to the Chicago Cubs last winter forced the trade to dissolve.

 

"It became so public, so counterproductive to [Cubs GM] Jim Hendry and I," Towers says, "the deal didn't get done. There was too much public knowledge, and so many players being mentioned, it got out of hand. I really sensed we were close to a deal, but once it got out in the open, Jim said he was pulling the plug. I don't blame him."

 

Said Hendry: "It certainly didn't help. I'd leave Kevin's room and the same names we talked about were on the Internet two hours later. It certainly puts a damper on a lot of things. All of us would prefer the days when deals would be announced (at a news conference). But those days are over. The stuff that gets out there now drives all of us crazy."

If that's true (I really believe it is not) Hendry is really, really, dumb.

 

Why would a GM allow the public to kill a trade that would make his team better?

[JeffH]

Why would a GM allow the public to kill a trade that would make his team better?

 

Because he's bad at his job?

[Guancous]

This mindset explains the Orioles' recent woes. I think Hendry watched the Bedard trade unfold and got cold feet.

[NeifiIsMyHomeBoy]

If I'm a GM, I don't care what the fans think. I would believe in myself and my abilities and do what I think is best. Letting the fans influence your decision making is like letting inmates run the asylum.

[inari]

Why would a GM allow the public to kill a trade that would make his team better?

 

Because he's bad at his job?

 

Please expand upon this idea.

[YearofDaCubs]

So because it became public we are to blame? I don't think so. There was obviously a lot of people talking from the Padres side and Towers himself was the one yapping big time about the trade anyway. If anyone is to blame it's the GM's nobody else.

[Old Style]

This quote is from today's USA Today article on trade rumors:

Said Hendry: "It certainly didn't help. I'd leave Kevin's room and the same names we talked about were on the Internet two hours later. It certainly puts a damper on a lot of things. All of us would prefer the days when deals would be announced (at a news conference). But those days are over. The stuff that gets out there now drives all of us crazy."

So plug the leaks then, Jimmy. Who else was in the room?

[Backtobanks]

This quote is from today's USA Today article on trade rumors:

And while nothing excites fans like a blockbuster deal, GMs say the rumor mill has been responsible for killing deals. Trade talks become public in their initial stages, which leads to fan discussion and debates. And if the reaction becomes negative, teams may opt to back out.

 

Kevin Towers, general manager of the San Diego Padres, is convinced reports involving ace Jake Peavy going to the Chicago Cubs last winter forced the trade to dissolve.

 

"It became so public, so counterproductive to [Cubs GM] Jim Hendry and I," Towers says, "the deal didn't get done. There was too much public knowledge, and so many players being mentioned, it got out of hand. I really sensed we were close to a deal, but once it got out in the open, Jim said he was pulling the plug. I don't blame him."

 

Said Hendry: "It certainly didn't help. I'd leave Kevin's room and the same names we talked about were on the Internet two hours later. It certainly puts a damper on a lot of things. All of us would prefer the days when deals would be announced (at a news conference). But those days are over. The stuff that gets out there now drives all of us crazy."

 

Must be a slow news day. With all of the media attention now, most trades are forcast before they happen. This is totally a non-story.

[Guest]

Are you freakin' kidding me? Is this thread for real? Are these actual quotes?

 

Do these GM's honestly value the shock factor of announcing a trade more than the trade itself? Because that's what is being implied.

 

Someone leaked some info, so we have changed our minds? Hahahaha!

 

Get Hendry out of town now, please. We need someone with much thicker skin and maybe an original freakin' thought. Oh, and a clue about how to run a baseball team on the resume might not be a half bad idea.

[Cubswin11]

And whose fault is it that theses names get leaked? There is maybe what the 2 GM's and possibly an assistant or two in the room at the same time discussing a trade. If it becomes that big of a deal to GM's about players names getting leaked, only discuss trades 1 on 1 with other GM's or go to a zero tolerance policy with assistants/FO guys and if a name gets leaked and you are found out to be the guy who leaked it you get fired/demoted/aren't involved in future trade talks.

 

I think both Hendry and Towers realized they F'd up over the winter on the Peavy deal and neither want to take the blame so they are making up excuses why it didn't get done. Towers is regretting it because now Peavy is hurt and his contract gets bloated over the next few years (he makes $15, 16, and 17 mil. 2010-12 and has a $22 mil. option for 2013), while the Padres have little to no chance of being competitive for the rest of Peavy's time there and his trade value is only going to diminish, as he has a NTC, he's getting older, and he will be coming off an injury. Hendry realizes he made a mistake because while our pitching has been very good, we could use another top of the line guy, especially if/when we get to the playoffs, not to mention Harden's struggles and injuries to Dempster and Lilly.

Edited July 28, 2009 by Cubswin11

[shnsajax]

So because it became public we are to blame? I don't think so. There was obviously a lot of people talking from the Padres side and Towers himself was the one yapping big time about the trade anyway. If anyone is to blame it's the GM's nobody else.

 

Yep Towers was the one who made everything public.

[davearm2]

Hendry has always hated seeing his guys' names revealed in trade rumors. This is nothing new.

[Guest]

Hendry has always hated seeing his guys' names revealed in trade rumors. This is nothing new.

 

It shouldn't matter. You are either getting a good deal or a bad deal. What the fans know before or after a trade is made should have no bearing on whether the deal gets done or not. It's absolutely ridiculous.

 

And if you really don't like it, do what others have suggested and keep the talks more private. Is it NSBB or GRB's fault that you had 75 some odd people in the war room listening to trade talks and now you don't know who leaked the info? I think not.

 

But, if you really want to come off looking like an absolute idiot, be sure to let the whole world know that you canceled the deal for the sole reason that everyone already knew about it beforehand, and not because it wasn't going to help the team.

:thumbsup:

[CUBZ99]

On a positive note, maybe Hendry will read the Grabow thread and change his mind about trying to acquire him. :-))

[Bote McBoteface]

Towers was going on and on about it in the papers. I couldn't believe how open he was to the media during the trade process.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Too bad we werent more vocal before DeRosa was traded or Miles was signed.

[Old Style]

Too bad we werent more vocal before DeRosa was traded or Miles was signed.

I blame you.

[SCCubbieFAN]

The article states that Towers is convinced the deal was nixed by Hendry because of the public's knowledge of the negotiations and the names being mentioned in the deal. It does not verify, from Hendry, that Hendry killed the deal simply because the public's knowledge and/or opinion of the deal got outa hand. I find it very hard to swallow that JH would have backed out of the deal solely because of the public's knowledge/opinion of the trade, and that the more likely reason was that Towers was asking for too much.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Not quite as fun as the time I was Time Man of the Year.

[Flames24Rulz]

Not quite as fun as the time I was Time Man of the Year.

 

You do have to admit it's pretty interesting to see how much power all of us on NSBB have when it comes to making personnel moves with the Cubs.

 

What BBB said is exactly how I feel. Hendry's even more of a joke than I thought he was if this is the reason why he couldn't pull the trigger on a Peavy deal.

[NCCubFan]

The new owner can save money by firing Hendry and hiring NSBB as the new GM. I'm sure we'd be willing to do the job for less than Hendry is being paid. :D

[Guest]

The article states that Towers is convinced the deal was nixed by Hendry because of the public's knowledge of the negotiations and the names being mentioned in the deal. It does not verify, from Hendry, that Hendry killed the deal simply because the public's knowledge and/or opinion of the deal got outa hand. I find it very hard to swallow that JH would have backed out of the deal solely because of the public's knowledge/opinion of the trade, and that the more likely reason was that Towers was asking for too much.

 

We don't really know if Towers was asking too much. We do know that Towers did everything in his power to help Hendry put together a package that would get the deal done, including phone calls to Baltimore and Philadelphia.

 

Hendry basically sat on his butt and let Towers do all the work. Then when it appeared as though a deal was imminent, Hendry folded up the tent and ran for cover.

[SouthSideRyan]

The article states that Towers is convinced the deal was nixed by Hendry because of the public's knowledge of the negotiations and the names being mentioned in the deal. It does not verify, from Hendry, that Hendry killed the deal simply because the public's knowledge and/or opinion of the deal got outa hand. I find it very hard to swallow that JH would have backed out of the deal solely because of the public's knowledge/opinion of the trade, and that the more likely reason was that Towers was asking for too much.

 

We don't really know if Towers was asking too much. We do know that Towers did everything in his power to help Hendry put together a package that would get the deal done, including phone calls to Baltimore and Philadelphia.

 

Hendry basically sat on his butt and let Towers do all the work. Then when it appeared as though a deal was imminent, Hendry folded up the tent and ran for cover.

 

Or Hendry realized he had to dump 13M in salary to fit Peavy into the budget.