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Ed Wade Discussed Trading Chase Utley and Ryan Madson For Barry Zito
By Kyle Scott
Published:
Oh fuck.
Breathe. Breathe.
Ed Wade, who will presumably be shown off by the Phillies as sort of a medical oddity this season, took a few minutes to chat with CSN’s Jim Salisbury this week. The conversation, of course, turned to Wade’s time here as Phillies GM.
He detailed one conversation that took place with Oakland A’s general manager Brad Pitt: [CSNPhilly.com]
Over the course of my eight years as general manager, there were opportunities to trade a lot of good players for good players in return. There was one deal that probably would have been very, very popular for a very short period of time. I had a conversation with Billy Beane of the Oakland A’s regarding Barry Zito, and if we had acquired Barry Zito at that time at the top of his game it would have been a very popular move. The cost of doing business was Chase Utley, Ryan Madson and Michael Bourn. We said no and the rest is history. The types of decisions we were making at that time, whether it was considering trading Ryan Howard, or keeping that core nucleus of guys, was that there had to be a point where everything fell into place. Fortunately for the ballclub, it fell into place [in 2008]. Unfortunately for me, it fell into place a couple of years after I left.
Oh thank God. I don’t know who ultimately convinced Ed that the deal wasn’t a good idea, but I’d like to think that then-assistant GM Ruben Amaro walked into to Edward’s office and cockslapped him at the notion of trading a sweet-swinging, intangibles-oozing second basemen. And yes, the rest was history… all thanks to a Big Poker cockslap.
Whatever the case, good thing it didn’t happen. Zito wasn’t on the active roster when the Giants won the 2010 World Series, and he was seemingly more focused on partying with Pat Burrell, The Machine, and buxom beauties at his California home than he was on his career. Then again, aren't we all…
Full interview with Wade here.
Kyle Scott is the founder and editor of CrossingBroad.com. He has written for CBS Philly and Philly Voice, and been a panelist or contributor on NBC Sports Philly, FOX 29 and SNY TV, as well as a recurring guest on 97.5 The Fanatic, 94 WIP, 106.7 The Fan and other stations. He has more than 10 years experience running digital media properties and in online advertising and marketing.