The above headline comes courtesy of New Yorker David Roth, who writes :
I wonder if that offer of Paul Byrd’s uniform pants and a bag of baseballs is still on the table? The following from Jayson Stark’s ESPN.com column.
“GM Omar Minaya keeps saying the Mets plan to be buyers, not sellers. But when an official of one club that has spoken with the Mets was asked if Glavine could be had, he replied: “Yes. Absolutely.”
There is, however, one major hang-up: Glavine has a complete no-trade clause. And one baseball man who knows him well says that means you can cross all of the West and Central teams in each league off his list. In fact, he says, it’s very possible the only places Glavine would say yes to are Boston and Atlanta.”
I’m surprised Omar didn’t say “yes, immediately, please sir?” Can you really imagine either the Braves or Sox trading for Glavine? Can you imagine what the Mets might possibly get in return?
Looking at Boston’s rotation, frankly, yes, I can imagine them trading for Glavine, but that’s wishful thinking on my part. Only my Mets-centric brain allows me to think they’d be generous enough to send over Youkilis and Payton (the acquisition of the latter making a subsquent trade involving Mike Cameron only slightly less ill-advised). But unless Glavine demontrates that he’s more reliable over his next 4-5 starts (in which case he might be off the block anyway), the point is moot. Boston’s pitching staff is old enough as is, and I wouldn’t count on Glavine making a smooth adjustment to the American League.
Apparently, one brutal outing by Aaron Heilman in relief is enough for Willie Randolph to no longer consider the Notre Dame alum for the Mets’ starting rotation. Naturally, veterans with 280 or so career wins and/or having come over in a trade for Jason Phillips are held to different standards.