EXEMPTING George Stein brenner and Nomar Garciaparra, the Alex Rodriguez-to-Boston trade was going to be filled with one winner after another. Which is why there are so many losers today, now that Texas owner Tom Hicks has declared the deal “dead.”
Without a New Year’s revival, Hicks would not get the financial relief he personally needs and wanted for his team to pursue better pitchers. A-Rod would be forced to stay where he does not like manager Buck Showalter, the losing culture and where he would now be regarded as an enemy by a fan base that knows he wanted out.
A-Rod’s agent, Scott Boras, would have failed to meet his client’s out-of-Texas pleas, which is no way to either keep Rodriguez or recruit other high-level clients.
The Players Association would be viewed as obstructionists for not permitting a reduction to A-Rod’s contract that would have enabled him to go where he so badly wanted to go. Commissioner Bud Selig would have failed to put one of his most marketable players into a baseball hotbed.
But the biggest losers would be the Red Sox, because they have the most to win – their first World Series title in 86 years.
If the name Alex Rodriguez had never been mentioned in association with the Red Sox then they rightfully would have been anointed offseason champs, adding pitchers Curt Schilling and Keith Foulke to one of the best offenses ever. But Rodriguez’ name has been mentioned and mentioned and mentioned.
So now it feels like defeat not to get A-Rod, and Magglio Ordonez, too. And worse than that, the Red Sox will have to deal with the hurt feelings of players left behind and the potential dysfunction that comes with it.
Boston will try to sell that it was championship-caliber with Garciaparra and Manny Ramirez as their key lineup fixtures. But team officials also have cited clubhouse fraternity last year in helping the players navigate through the minefield of Cursed history, critical media and obsessive fans who make any Red Sox season uniquely difficult. But if Garciaparra and Ramirez remain with the club, how does the atmosphere not turn negative?
The club wants to believe Ramirez is so oblivious that he would continue to perform well regardless of his surroundings. But Ramirez knows now Red Sox management wants nothing to do with him, having also put him on irrevocable waivers this offseason. And how is Red Sox Nation going to accept Ramirez reiterating he wants to be a Yankee?
And yet Ramirez is not the biggest problem. Garciaparra is, because he is smarter and more popular than Ramirez. This offseason, he and his agent have had a public spat with Red Sox owner John Henry. First baseman Kevin Millar is on record as saying he would rather play with A-Rod. Garciaparra knows the Red Sox were going to trade him to the White Sox for Ordonez. And Garciaparra, entering his walk year, knows there is almost no chance Boston will retain him.
It is enough of a cancerous possibility that officials from other clubs said they thought the Red Sox would consider trading Garciaparra for Ordonez anyway just to avoid the potential trouble. But Boston has trouble now. An offseason that should have been celebrated for who they got instead has grown negative about whom they didn’t and who was left behind.