No Stupid Trades...No Stupid Trades...

I've tried to avert my eyes, but I can't give up hope that this team might start making decisions that I can get behind. I even praised Bavasi for a move that, in retrospect, was just one of those wild rumors that make all kinds of sense but do not actually happen.

Today, then, the trade deadline. (The non-waiver trade deadline.) We're not seriously talking about trading for an OF/hitter (Adam Jones?), or a RHP setup guy (Sean Green, Mark Lowe, even George Sherrill, who's a lefty but gets RHB out just the same), are we? The GIANT, GLARING, NEARLY AS BLINDING AS BAVASI'S BALD PATE weakness on this team is...let me think...STARTING FREAKIN' PITCHING!!!!

So IF we're going to be involved in trade talks as buyers (fine with me), it CAN'T be to waste more minor league talent to bring in players just like those we already have in the organization. It HAS to be built around SP.

Ladies and gentlemen, while I am oh so willing to be persuaded that Bill Bavasi is competent at his job in general, I am terrified of him as GM of my team when trade talks are brewing. Of the 30 GMs in baseball, only a couple are clearly worse than ours at negotiating trades with their counterparts. And Jon Daniels appears to be learning, leaving only Dave Littlefield as competition for worst trader.

So unless you're trading with Littlefield's Pittsburgh for a nice young SP with talent (LHP Tom Gorzelanny? RHP Ian Snell?), don't make any trades at all...because by definition, they'll be stupid trades.