CHALK up another offseason failure for the Mets. Outspoken left-hander David Wells, a 20-game winner, was dealt yesterday from the Blue Jays to the White Sox.
The Mets thought they had Wells until learning otherwise yesterday morning.
Mets general manager Steve Phillips slept on a trade proposal from the Blue Jays on Saturday night, decided to go for it, and was ready to say yes when his phone rang yesterday morning and Gord Ash was on the other end.
In essence, Phillips said yes, we’ll give you what you want for David Wells and Ash said thanks anyway but we like the offer from the White Sox better.
“We even agreed upon the players who would have been involved in a trade,” Phillips said in a statement. “However, they must have felt they filled more holes with the White Sox than they would have with our trade. Sure, I’m a little disappointed, but I’m not discouraged. I like our team a great deal and I think we have a great chance to make it back to the postseason again.”
The Mets offered left-hander Glendon Rusch and two prospects, neither of whom was named Alex Escobar, the Mets’ top outfield prospect.
The White Sox consummated the deal by giving up left-hander Mike Sirotka, a 15-game winner, often-injured but highly regarded outfielder Brian Simmons, bullpen candidate Kevin Beirne and pitching prospect Mike Williams. The White Sox received Wells and pitcher Matt DeWitt in return. Sirotka, who finished third in the American League in ERA, was the key to the deal.
“The White Sox package presented to us some present players and could make an impact on the club in the future,” Ash said. “Our belief with the Mets transaction was it was more skewed to the future. It was a very difficult choice, but we believed we needed to go with the White Sox.”
Ash said that he and Phillips were in “99 percent agreement” on the names in the trade as of Saturday. By the time Phillips went that final one percent, Ash had already decided on dealing with the White Sox.
Ash was asked if Phillips had gone that last percent on Saturday would Wells have gone to the Mets.
“We still would have made the deal with the White Sox,” Ash said. “Steve had done what we wanted and the White Sox did a little more than we wanted. That tipped it their way.”
So the Mets lost a bidding war to the White Sox. They had lost bidding wars already this offseason to the Yankees (Mike Mussina), Rockies (Mike Hampton), Rangers (Alex Rodriguez) and A’s (Johnny Damon).
What’s next for the Mets? They had an interest in Rockies right-hander Pedro Astacio, but he projects as the only right-hander in the Colorado rotation and is not available.
One name much bigger than Astacio could become available on the trade market soon. Cubs slugger Sammy Sosa has reached an impasse in contract negotiations and might be open to the Cubs trading him. Mets assistant general manager Omar Minaya originally signed Sosa with the Rangers.
In Wells, the Mets would have replaced Hampton and upgraded the rest of their rotation by landing free agents Kevin Appier and Steve Trachsel.
Wells tried to force a trade to the Mets by blasting the Blue Jays organization and the baseball fans of Toronto in a Post story. Ash referenced the story several times during a conference call but said although he strongly disagreed with Wells’ assessment of the Toronto fans, the deal was strictly “a baseball transaction.”
Ash acknowledged that dealing Wells became an easier sell to fans once Wells popped off. Ash said he attended a hockey game at which fans hollered to him to deal his best pitcher.
Wells was on his way back from a honeymoon trip to Australia and New Zealand and was unavailable for comment.