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.
35 Responses
That trade alone would have cost the Phillies their World Series, and any serious playoff contention. Just the thought of that trade makes me shutter. WOW!
Ed’s right, it probably would have been popular at the time. But, with the careers of the three chips from the Phils’ side, and Zito’s nosedive… Ed Wade should thank his stars he didn’t make that move. Not just because people would think he was an idiot, but I don’t think he’d be alive today. For reals. Somebody would have killed him.
Pretty ignorant bashing Ed Wade as a baseball fan.
1. He never made the deal for Zito? And at the time nobody in Philadelphia knew what kind of a player Chase Utley was.
2. Roy Oswalt wasnt very good.
3. Hunter Pence couldnt help the Phils get out of the 1st round.
Hindsight is 20/20.
I love Ed Wade
Roy Oswalt was 7-1, with a 1.85 ERA and .89 WHIP with the Phillies in 2010. In 2011, 3.69 ERA with a 3-1 k-bb ratio. I’d say he was very good. Wade couldn’t get a talented team into the playoffs and left the Astros in ruins. I’d say the bashing of him is deserved.
Ed Wade: Gets more credit in this town for the moves he DIDNT make, instead of the ones he DID…. and i have nothing wrong with that
The one trade he ever said no to was a good move.
He’s right at the time everyone would have loved it and honestly we all thought he was stupid for not doing it. Now we consistently tell RAJ to sell the farm for proven stars. Really wouldn’t have been able to be mad at him for that trade, although thank God it never happened.
Ed Wade f*cking loves prospects.
LOL, so you think Rube cock-slapped Wade?
If so, you have not been paying attention to the trades Rube has made.
d’Aruand, Gose, and Singleton have very bright futures, and this ancient roster can not get out of the NLDS.
My money is that Mike Arbuckle’s baby-arm did smacking of the taste from Fast Eddie’s mouth.
3.69 ERAs are awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sooooooo great they rushed to pick up Oswalt’s option…wait.
I’ll give you he was very good in 2010 but were those 10 starts worth a CF (Gose) that could have replaced Victorino and a SS (Villar) that could take over for Rollins?
You contradict yourself in the article condemning Wade for the mere fact he discussed Utley, Madson, Bourn for Zito.. Yet you praise Amaro for dumping practically the whole farm system for a fringe All Star in Pence??
The best thing RAJ can do with Wade is find him a job somewhere else so that we can reap the benefits of bad Wade trades again.
I can also tell you the soup I’ll have in three years isn’t very good.
Faber….villar was a total throw in at the end. teh dude is a light hitting middle infielder who can run. they didnt pick up his option becuase it was 16 million dollars, it would have been a foolish move regardless of how he did last year
the phillies are a team now that with their payroll, are doing with they are supposed to do. develop farm talent, move them to get proven players and compete for the world series every year. that was not the case during the ed wade years
money is no longer an issue to the phillies, no matter how much they try to tell you it is.
prospects are just taht, prospects. the phillies are in teh sox, yankee league now where they spend on players, develop talent, and trade.
Yeah I’m not sure how this even qualifies as something that can be construed as a bad GM move…
For all we know, Beane proposed the idea and Wade told him to go to hell. I don’t get fan reactions sometimes- I think you are really making something out of nothing here Kyle.
This rumor was all over the internet & WIP sports radio years ago when it was being discussed. The A’s were breaking up the Big 3 at the time(Mulder, Zito, & Hudson) & everyone wanted the Phillies to land one of those guys. Before you crap on those players – you have to realize that there was baseball before 2008 believe it or not. Chase Utley was essentially Vance Worley – people liked him, but they had no idea what type of player he would become. It isn’t even fair to say he was Vance Worley b/c at that point he had only hit .239 in 134 ab in 2003 & .266 in 267ab in 2004. The story was Wade checked in on Zito when the A’s dealt Mulder & Hudson and he didn’t want to give up Utley & Madson. The fans (myself included) wanted them to pull the trigger. Good thing they didn’t. Some of you are just as bad as the pink hats.
People forget that Utley (and Howard too) weren’t world beaters the whole time they were in the minors. They developed. At the time, Utley was a nice prospect who hadn’t yet developed to his potential, and honestly, no one knows if a player ever will.
1
He’s fucking crazy. He needs to go on medicare and take a nap in some corner.
Ed Wade looks kind of hunky with his new haircut.
Often imitated… Never outclassed
If Amaro was GM, he probably makes that deal (or part of that deal…maybe 2 of the 3 guys for Zito) given the track record of the last years.
Also in 2004/2005, Madson wasn’t a sure thing good player. He’d been tried as a starter, middle reliever, and set up guy with mixed success. He was essentially a Kendrick with good stuff.
It’d have been the equivalent of trading Gose, Kendrick, and a prospect like Utley for a Cliff Lee in 2011. Plus in 2004/2005, they’d gone 11-12 yrs out of the playoffs without hardly even contending most years. So there was obviously some motivation to mortgage the future to get into the playoffs and maybe save some jobs. Kudos to Wade for NOT doing it and ultimately possibly losing his job because of it. If he had made that trade and they make the playoffs in 2004 or 2005, Wade is probably extended and that means no Gillick, Utley stars in Oakland, etc.
Lol at madsons offseason
Ed Wade knew what kind of player Chase Fucking Utley was at the time. And that’s what it takes. I love Ruben as a personality but he is a frickin prima donna. Not because that’s what he is deep down, but that role was handed to him. Wade built the franchise. Wade brought the championship. Not BOUGHT the championship.
Champs are built, not bought. Ask the Yankees. Or ask either of the fucking MARLINS teams that have won the WS. The Marlins for fuck sake. WS teams have no guarantee. There is no way to predict a WS winner at the beginning of the season. Ask the Yanks and Sox, and stop trying to be like them.
Apparently, there are still people who aren’t with the program. There’s one reason, and one reason only, that the deal wasn’t made: The Phillies would have had to start paying Zito serious money. Expanding the team’s payroll is a relatively new idea to the Phils FO. When Wade was GM, he was completely handcuffed. He may have held the checkbook, but he was never given a pen.
@$Yo
You sir no your stuff!!
People dont want to admit it but Ed Wade is nowhere near as bad as he’s been portrayed.
Fact of the matter is guys you hate the most. Schilling, Rolen and Wade. Were and have been correct about all the things they said and did.
However, since none of you paid attention to baseball for the most part back then, you just see and hear what you want from whoever told you.
Love,
Beez Nutz
@$Yo,
You kidding me? The Marlins championship teams were some of the most bought teams ever! They geared up for those two runs, brought in a ton of free agents, traded all kinds of prospects for other players, and then immediately sold them all off after winning the Series.
Not saying it was a bad plan, because it has worked out twice, but to use those as an example of not buying a championship is just crazy.
Without Wade’s eye for talent, 2008 doesn’t happen. He built this current team’s core. Ya gotta give credit where it’s due. Look at his draft track record, prettay prettay prettay good. And didn’t he also convince Thome to sign here, which I think, helped turn around our franchise. (Also CBP being built was a huge factor). I think Rube knows last years draft class is the next core of our team along with our current baby aces and DBrown. He’s trying to squeeze a championship out of these guys for the next 2-3 years, then in comes Larry Greene, Tyler Greene, Walding, Quinn, Valle, and the baby aces.
*-*, sent the darling all what i have
So we lose a 1st rouednr for Paps per the old CBA, then don’t get the benefit of the new CBA with only the first 10 picks being protected. That would be some luck.
yeah, as an eetipcxon, I’ve actually liked Rollins’ approach; unfortunately, he’s not been hitting his pitches when they come, which has been, for me, the most worrisome indicator that age is a factor for him
Hmmm, grea ianrebtre.Habar n-am ce simt. Cred doar, ca asa functioneaza ei optim.Eu m-as ofili si as muri fara ceilalti 🙂 (dragi)
he was old. His secnod half was pretty good, including a couple hot streaks. So was H2 of last year his Indian Summer, or is he in a slump?I really can’t tell, so any insights would be of interest.
nu cred ca am stiimt vreodata ca nu traiesc doar ca uneori am gustat din viata in felul meu si au fost si momente pe care nu le-as fi putut imparti cu restul lumii nici sa vreau.Nu regret insa nimic vad acea etapa ca un pas normal spre ceea ce am ajuns astazi si daca asta a insemnat singuratate nu pot sa spun ca mi-as fi dorit altceva P.S. Andrei scuze ca am deviat de la post 😀
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