MLB: Jays still feel Selig made bad decision

By Larry Rice Sportsuperstarz.com Columnist

On paper, the six player deal between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Chicago White Sox seemed like a great match for both teams. The principles in the deal were a pair of good pitchers, as All-Star David Wells went from Toronto to Chicago, while Mike Sirotka went in the other direction. The deal matched a contending team with a proven ace, while a young up and coming team received a future stud.

However, as with all deals that look great on paper, this one didn’t play out. Sirotka was diagnosed with a torn tendon in his shoulder a week after arriving in Toronto. The Blue Jays demanded some compensation for what they termed “deliberate deception” on the part of the White Sox. Meanwhile, Chicago maintained they had done nothing wrong. The case went to the Commissioner’s office.

Then just over two weeks ago, Commissioner Bud Selig ruled that the Blue Jays were owed nothing in compensation from the trade. This left a reaction of shock from Toronto. The Blue Jays had stated that they fully expected to receive something in the way of compensation from the trade, however in Selig’s opinion, they deserved nothing. According to a source in the Toronto organization who spoke with Sportsuperstarz.com, the Blue Jays feel that Selig’s decision was the wrong one.

“The commissioner basically told them they got away with ripping us off,” said the source, which spoke with Sportsuperstarz.com on condition of anonymity. “They were untruthful in their disclosure of the injury and in their handling of this deal. It was absolutely unprofessional on their parts. However, Commissioner Selig also is to blame. He basically gave them legalized collusion. That is supposed to be illegal, however he let them get away with it.”

Wells demanded a trade in the offseason and was less than hospitable towards Toronto fans in newspaper interviews. Wells had wanted to be traded back to New York, however the Blue Jays didn’t want to deal Wells to a division rival. The trade to the White Sox was seen as one that would help both teams, however the Sirotka injury clearly tilts the favor of the trade in favor of the team from the Windy City.

“You are not supposed to be able to look at a trade and tell a team got ripped off when the trade is made,” said the source. “That is the case here. We felt that getting Mike was an even deal in trading David Wells. Obviously, David wanted out of here. We then had to determine what was fair market value for him. We thought we had done that, before Chicago’s unprofessional conduct. The commissioner’s decision further aggravated the situation. It made us impossible for us to get fair market value for a great player like Wells.”

Wells compiled a 20-8 record and a 4.11 earned run average (ERA) last season, as the Blue Jays finished third in the American League East. The twenty-win season was the first for Wells, making him a valuable pitching commodity for any contending team. Meanwhile, Sirotka compiled a 15-10 record and a 3.79 ERA last season, becoming the unquestioned ace of the young White Sox staff. Sirotka has managed to win 40 games over the past three seasons, which leads Chicago over that span.

“You look at the numbers and it looks like a fair deal,” said the source. “However, you have to look at the unprofessional conduct of both the Commissioner and the White Sox. Their actions made it impossible for there to be fair market value, which we need when trading a great player like Wells. This is again, legalized collusion and it sends a very bad message to all of Major League Baseball.”

The message it currently sends is that Wells will be starting for the White Sox, while Sirotka will be on the Toronto disabled list.

Article courtesy of Sportsuperstarz.com