Trades that almost happened.

[nash61]

I don't have an article for this one, but I remember someone saying the Flyers offered the Leafs the 2nd overall pick (James van Riemsdyk) for Alex Steen. Leafs said no.

Also, Tomas Kaberle for Jeff Carter, Tomas Kaberle for Phil Kessel.

[youcan'tseeme]

If we didn't go and trade Steen and Carlo for Stempniak than it wouldn't be so bad. Steen is a very capable guy I was very upset with that deal.

[HedleyLamarr]

I can't remember if it would have been via trade or free agency, but in John Schuerholtz's book a few years back, he mentioned that Barry Bonds was nearly a member of the Atlanta Braves.

[BigBubba]

If we didn't go and trade Steen and Carlo for Stempniak than it wouldn't be so bad. Steen is a very capable guy I was very upset with that deal.

Considering we got JVR for a lower price (Schenn), I'm actually perfectly fine that trade didn't happen.

Though that Stempniak trade sucked, even at the time it was made.

[floydnimrod]

I can't remember if it would have been via trade or free agency, but in John Schuerholtz's book a few years back, he mentioned that Barry Bonds was nearly a member of the Atlanta Braves.

I remember that too. I want to say it was a trade, because it had something to do with Jim Leyland being furious over the potential move.

[Shumway]

Miguel Cabrera was almost traded to the Angels for Howie Kendrick, Ervin Santana, Joe Saunders and Jeff Mathis in 2007. Other names being thrown around in the deal were Reggie Willits and Nick Adenhart. At the time, I believe it was Kendrick who became the dealbreaker for the Angels. He was basically penciled in to win multiple batting titles when he got to the big leagues.

The dealbreaker was Brandon Wood.... Florida wanted both Kendrick and Wood, Angels would only give up one.

Kinda glad the deal didn't go throw. Probably no Trout if this happens.

Totally forgot about Brandon Wood (and for good reason).

[Brass]

^Cripes... that'd have meant 60-TD seasons for A-Rod.

And Lord Varitek wouldn't have to be such a brave hero while wearing all his catchers' equipment.

If it ever happens again, we'll be sure he takes the time to take his catchers equipment off, dust it, place it properly on the bench, and then engage in the ol' fisticuffs.

Or we'll just have him slap the ball out of the pitchers hand. Because that's how you properly play.

[jrodsep]

A couple of Red Sox related almost-trades/signings:

- Before the 2007 season they almost got Todd Helton from Colorado in exchange for Mike Lowell and some minor league players.

- Manny Ramirez to the Rangers for AFraud. Nomar Garciaparra to the White Sox for Magglio Ordonez.

- During the strike Sammy Sosa was negotiating becoming a member of the Red Sox.

[Kramerica Industries]

^Cripes... that'd have meant 60-TD seasons for A-Rod.

And Lord Varitek wouldn't have to be such a brave hero while wearing all his catchers' equipment.

If it ever happens again, we'll be sure he takes the time to take his catchers equipment off, dust it, place it properly on the bench, and then engage in the ol' fisticuffs.

Or we'll just have him slap the ball out of the pitchers hand. Because that's how you properly play.

I never said a word about ARod nor did I defend any of his actions as a Yankee. Frankly, if not for the fluke, singular good postseason he had in 2009, he'd be regarded as probably the most hated Yankee of all-time (as it is, he's merely one of the most hated).

But, please, there was so much BS praising Varitek for going all Captainy on ARod and the Yankees there. Please. If I was in full catchers gear, I too would feel total freedom to instigate a benches clearing brawl, knowing that I was fully padded and no one else was. That didn't require guts at all.

[jrodsep]

^Cripes... that'd have meant 60-TD seasons for A-Rod.

And Lord Varitek wouldn't have to be such a brave hero while wearing all his catchers' equipment.

If it ever happens again, we'll be sure he takes the time to take his catchers equipment off, dust it, place it properly on the bench, and then engage in the ol' fisticuffs.

Or we'll just have him slap the ball out of the pitchers hand. Because that's how you properly play.

I never said a word about ARod nor did I defend any of his actions as a Yankee. Frankly, if not for the fluke, singular good postseason he had in 2009, he'd be regarded as probably the most hated Yankee of all-time (as it is, he's merely one of the most hated).

But, please, there was so much BS praising Varitek for going all Captainy on ARod and the Yankees there. Please. If I was in full catchers gear, I too would feel total freedom to instigate a benches clearing brawl, knowing that I was fully padded and no one else was. That didn't require guts at all.

Catchers equipment or not, Varitek WAS the man for the Sox and he would have whooped A-Fraud even if he was wearing the San Diego chicken suit. Does A-Fraud look like the kind of player that hits hard? I don't think so. Even more so if he was wearing his Hamburger Helper gloves.

[Kramerica Industries]

Dude, I couldn't ing care less about hypotheticals about "oh gee whiz, what if Varitek was fighting without his body armour on". The fact is, the guy goes right for ARod's face while keeping his mask on, along with everything else, thus making it impossible for ARod to retaliate in any possible way, before the benches were already on the field.

It's like the old internet ideology about saying things on anonymous handles that would never be said face-to-face in real life. Varitek was content hiding behind his mask and body armour. He was too much of a coward to make it a fair fight.

[jrodsep]

I understand your point.

But really man, If you were gonna get on a fight and had a motorcycle helmet on, would you say to yourself, let me take off my helmet so he can hit me fair and square. HELL NO!!!!! You would want any advantage you could get. Probably you would check if the helmet was secure enough. It's called self preservation, nothing more nothing less.

[Kramerica Industries]

That's fine. I'm not necessarily going to disagree.

But if that's how the fight is going to be fought, then I don't want to hear any talk of courageousness afterwards.

On that note, I'm cutting off my end of this discussion, because I have probably derailed this thread by now.

[FiddySicks]

Can't we all just agree that both A Rod and Varitek are douches and move on?

[Mac the Knife]

On an odd note, how about when Toronto and Edmonton considered trading...well, the Leafs for the Oilers?

So would the Edmonton franchise have been the Edmonton Oilers (just with all of the former Maple Leafs players/staff/ownership), or would they have been the Edmonton Maple Leafs (and the Toronto Oilers)?

I was thinking about that, too. This would have made for a really messy franchise lineage (worse than the Cleveland Deal). If it had been all players for all players, I'd assume that each team would continue operating with the same name and same history like they would with any other trade. Once you move the staff, trainers, coaches, executives, etc., it's almost as if you're doing a dual relocation swap. In that case, I'd assume that the cities would keep the names (So even though the Oilers have now moved to Toronto under Balllard, they'll leave the "Oilers" name with Edmonton for the other team to pick up, and vice-versa.) Even though the franchise that Bill Barilko and Charlie Conacher played for is now playing in Edmonton as the Oilers (Leafs 1.0), my bet is that the league would let the Leafs 2.0 claim their history and Stanley Cups.

Boy, would that have led to so many headaches

You mean, the same headaches that the Indianapolis Colts and St. Louis Rams have? Their owners swapped franchises back in the 1970's.

[Camden Crazy]

2001: Orioles trade SP Sidney Ponson, SP Erik Bedard, OF Jeff Conine, RP Buddy Groom, SP Sean Douglass to Phillies for 3B Scott Rolen, RP Chris Brock, INF Kevin Jordan, prospect. Peter Angelos vetoed the deal at the last minute.

2005: Orioles trade RP Jorge Julio, OF Larry Bigbie, SP Hayden Penn to Marlins for SP A.J. Burnett, 3B Mike Lowell, OF Eric Reed. Peter Angelos vetoed the deal because he didn't want to take on Lowell's salary.

The Burnett deal really pissed me off because the Orioles were still in the race at the time and really could've used the stability in the rotation. Instead the only deadline deal we got was Larry Bigbie for Eric Byrnes.

[leopard88]

On an odd note, how about when Toronto and Edmonton considered trading...well, the Leafs for the Oilers?

So would the Edmonton franchise have been the Edmonton Oilers (just with all of the former Maple Leafs players/staff/ownership), or would they have been the Edmonton Maple Leafs (and the Toronto Oilers)?

I was thinking about that, too. This would have made for a really messy franchise lineage (worse than the Cleveland Deal). If it had been all players for all players, I'd assume that each team would continue operating with the same name and same history like they would with any other trade. Once you move the staff, trainers, coaches, executives, etc., it's almost as if you're doing a dual relocation swap. In that case, I'd assume that the cities would keep the names (So even though the Oilers have now moved to Toronto under Balllard, they'll leave the "Oilers" name with Edmonton for the other team to pick up, and vice-versa.) Even though the franchise that Bill Barilko and Charlie Conacher played for is now playing in Edmonton as the Oilers (Leafs 1.0), my bet is that the league would let the Leafs 2.0 claim their history and Stanley Cups.

Boy, would that have led to so many headaches

You mean, the same headaches that the Indianapolis Colts and St. Louis Rams have? Their owners swapped franchises back in the 1970's.

See also . . . Arizona Wranglers <---> Chicago Blitz.

You should know all about that one, Mac.

[pcgd]

On an odd note, how about when Toronto and Edmonton considered trading...well, the Leafs for the Oilers?

So would the Edmonton franchise have been the Edmonton Oilers (just with all of the former Maple Leafs players/staff/ownership), or would they have been the Edmonton Maple Leafs (and the Toronto Oilers)?

I was thinking about that, too. This would have made for a really messy franchise lineage (worse than the Cleveland Deal). If it had been all players for all players, I'd assume that each team would continue operating with the same name and same history like they would with any other trade. Once you move the staff, trainers, coaches, executives, etc., it's almost as if you're doing a dual relocation swap. In that case, I'd assume that the cities would keep the names (So even though the Oilers have now moved to Toronto under Balllard, they'll leave the "Oilers" name with Edmonton for the other team to pick up, and vice-versa.) Even though the franchise that Bill Barilko and Charlie Conacher played for is now playing in Edmonton as the Oilers (Leafs 1.0), my bet is that the league would let the Leafs 2.0 claim their history and Stanley Cups.

Boy, would that have led to so many headaches

You mean, the same headaches that the Indianapolis Colts and St. Louis Rams have? Their owners swapped franchises back in the 1970's.

Not exactly the same but there was that whole Expos/Marlins/Red Sox ownership trade/switcheroo as well. Loria sold Expos to MLB, Henry sold Marlins to Loria, Henry bought Red Sox. Loria moved all operations to South Florida from Montreal, not sure if Henry did the same or not.

[Lights Out]

There was also a franchise swap between the Celtics and the then-Braves in the '70s, which almost led to Larry Bird's rookie rights being traded to Buffalo.

I guess that means every Clippers/Celtics game is technically an intrasquad game.

(The connection will get even weirder if those Pierce and KG to LAC rumors ever come to fruition.)

[rams80]

On an odd note, how about when Toronto and Edmonton considered trading...well, the Leafs for the Oilers?

So would the Edmonton franchise have been the Edmonton Oilers (just with all of the former Maple Leafs players/staff/ownership), or would they have been the Edmonton Maple Leafs (and the Toronto Oilers)?

I was thinking about that, too. This would have made for a really messy franchise lineage (worse than the Cleveland Deal). If it had been all players for all players, I'd assume that each team would continue operating with the same name and same history like they would with any other trade. Once you move the staff, trainers, coaches, executives, etc., it's almost as if you're doing a dual relocation swap. In that case, I'd assume that the cities would keep the names (So even though the Oilers have now moved to Toronto under Balllard, they'll leave the "Oilers" name with Edmonton for the other team to pick up, and vice-versa.) Even though the franchise that Bill Barilko and Charlie Conacher played for is now playing in Edmonton as the Oilers (Leafs 1.0), my bet is that the league would let the Leafs 2.0 claim their history and Stanley Cups.

Boy, would that have led to so many headaches

You mean, the same headaches that the Indianapolis Colts and St. Louis Rams have? Their owners swapped franchises back in the 1970's.

Allegedly the Colts' first first Lombardi trophy is now a Rosenbloom/Frontiere family heirloom.