One of many causes I’ve loved monitoring We Trieds over the previous 12 months is that there’s a lot grey space concerned. When a staff will get the phrase out that it was additionally fascinated with a participant who signed with one other staff, that data takes a circuitous journey. Its supply is indeterminate. It’s normally laundered by means of one or a number of reporters. When it lastly makes its manner into the discourse, it emerges on social media, slips out throughout a podcast, or seems in boldface on the high of a sports activities part. You’re by no means fairly certain whether or not the phrasing comes from the reporter or the supply or some mixture of the 2. Most significantly, you by no means understand how a lot reality is behind it.
The Mets “had some curiosity” in Pete Alonso, “confirmed curiosity” in Raisel Iglesias, “checked in on” Robert Suarez, and “made an inexpensive attempt” for Tyler Rogers. Which participant did they need probably the most? Which participant did they expend probably the most effort to land? Even in case you have sturdy opinions about what all of these phrases really imply, you may’t ever make sure. The absence of arduous information leaves loads of room for interpretation and foolish jokes. At present, nonetheless, we’re going to deal with two We Trieds that appear, if something, too actual. Will we nonetheless make silly jokes? Sure, we’ll. We are going to make them additional silly. That’s not simply our proper; it’s our sacred obligation.
We’ll begin in Philadelphia, the place the Phillies didn’t simply attempt to signal Bo Bichette; they thought they’d already carried out so. Perhaps. It relies upon who you ask. USA At present’s Bob Nightengale reported that the Phillies “had agreed to Bo Bichette’s request for a 7-year, $200 million deal final evening and believed they might signal him till the Mets swooped in,” and lots of different reporters confirmed that description. Nevertheless, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski denied that it was a carried out deal, telling reporters, “I can’t say that we ever thought it was carried out.” What he described as a substitute was a scenario the place the deal was as near completion as attainable with out being official: “We thought it was going to occur, however it wasn’t carried out… Till you signal a memo of understanding, you don’t have a deal carried out.”
That’s a good level, however it’s a wonderful one, and Dombrowski additionally described Bichette’s choice as a “intestine punch.” The situation Dombrowski described leaves quite a bit room for interpretation. On the tamer facet, possibly the Phillies have been advised Bichette would signal in the event that they met his phrases, then they known as to say they might meet the phrases solely to seek out out that whereas they have been deliberating, New York’s large supply had modified his thoughts. That might be irritating for the Phillies, however not at all some nice betrayal. On the spicier facet, possibly the 2 sides had agreed to a deal and all the pieces was carried out besides that remaining signature on the memo of understanding, after which Bichette out of the blue reneged on the handshake settlement. That basically could be an excessive scenario. Now we have no manner of figuring out the small print, however we do know that nonetheless it went down, the Phillies got here away feeling like they bought jobbed. As an instance, right here’s a year-old image of Dombrowski wanting shocked and president of enterprise operations Sam Fuld wanting chagrined.
On The Phillies Present podcast, three Phillies specialists expressed the staff’s outrage. Todd Zolecki of MLB.com mentioned the entrance workplace was “furious” when it came upon that Bichette was signing elsewhere. He described it as “sort of a rug pulled out from underneath them scenario.” Ruben Amaro Jr. mentioned, “I assumed the Phillies thought that they had him of their arms.” Jim Salisbury of PHLY in contrast it to the heist in Goodfellas, and I most likely don’t have to remind you that virtually everyone in that heist ended up useless. Nevertheless, my most vital takeaway was that The Phillies Present podcast seems a bit like a sportswriting-themed slot machine that simply paid out large cash by touchdown on three dudes in hoodies.
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Jackpot! One small however revealing kernel of reality got here from Dombrowski. He mentioned the Phillies have been restricted to signing solely certainly one of both Bichette or J.T. Realmuto, and that the Bichette talks progressed far sufficient that Dombrowski reached out to Realmuto’s camp to allow them to know there wouldn’t be a deal. It’s arduous to think about him making that decision except he was very, very certain that the Bichette deal was about to be carried out. When it got here undone, the Phillies needed to awkwardly name Realmuto and his agent again to the desk. Deep embarrassment just isn’t precisely the very best place to begin for a negotiation. No surprise Realmuto bought extra years and {dollars} than anyone anticipated. I’m stunned he didn’t get a pony, too.
All of that is to say that whereas I filed this within the We Tried Tracker underneath the heading of, “We supplied X {dollars} over X years,” I additionally would have felt justified submitting it underneath a brand new class titled, “We completely had him after which the Mets stole him from us and we’re tremendous pissed now, man. Simply tremendous, unbelievably pissed. Rattling it.”
A much less dramatic model of this story performed out in Sacramento. The Cardinals lastly traded Nolan Arenado to the Diamondbacks final week. Arizona received the Arenado sweepstakes by providing to tackle extra money than the Padres. Nevertheless, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported that the A’s additionally had a deal in place for Arenado, and so they have been going to tackle extra of Arenado’s wage than both the Diamondbacks or the Padres. Why didn’t the deal undergo? Why aren’t we listening to tales about David Forst punching holes within the drywall and vowing to have his revenge on Chaim Bloom if it’s the very last thing he does?
As a result of Nolan Arenado has a no-trade clause, and no-trade clauses have been invented with the specific objective of creating certain that nobody with any semblance of management over their employment scenario ever has to spend greater than 4 days in Sacramento. Rosenthal described the scenario gently: “Arenado indicated he wouldn’t essentially approve a commerce to the A’s, an individual conversant in his pondering mentioned.” It’s arduous to consider that the A’s have been anticipating any final result aside from this one, at the same time as they negotiated the deal. Alternatively, it’s all too straightforward to image the various methods during which Arenado may need “indicated” that he wasn’t fascinated with enjoying for the A’s.
Earlier than we shut out, I’d like to notice a milestone that I’d been awaiting eagerly for the reason that starting of this train. Earlier this month Chris Cotillo of MassLive relayed from a supply that the Crimson Sox had “kicked the tires” on Kazuma Okamoto. Simply to make clear, Okamoto is a human being with hopes and goals. He isn’t now and by no means has been an car. Whereas I’m typically against language that objectifies or commoditizes baseball gamers (or any human beings, for that matter), I’ve to confess that I’ll give this explicit expression a move as a result of it’s just too enjoyable. I can’t consider it took us so lengthy to see it. I might gladly kick the tires on any ballplayer, both metaphorically or, ought to I occur to catch them whereas they’re driving a scooter, actually.
As at all times, I’ll shut with a plea for assist. Must you spot any We Trieds on the market within the wild, please let me know. The We Tried Tracker at present has 50 entries, 9 behind final 12 months’s tempo. I’m certain I’ve missed many, and we’d be even additional behind with out the diligent reporting of JD and FoxMulderBatFlip. You possibly can move your We Trieds alongside to me on Bluesky, or you may e-mail me at WeTriedTracker@gmail.com, an actual e-mail handle that I actually verify. I even verify the spam folder, since you by no means know when Warren Buffett goes to e-mail you from a really not suspicious e-mail handle, with the topic line “ATTENTION,” to inform you with very regular grammar and punctuation that you’re one of many fortunate, randomly chosen folks to whom he’s going to donate $4.8 million.
This looks as if a carried out deal to me. I simply hope the Mets don’t swoop in.