Baseball Thread 5 - #5 George Brett Has a Story to Tell

ESPN just fired off a story, too.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=4311661

Omar Minaya and Rubén Amaro should be on the phone right now.

 

Why do both stories say Halladay has a no-trade clause when in fact he's a 10-5 player who can veto any trade without a no-trade clause?

 

I guess that is possible, Elliotte. I hadn't heard or at least don't remember that,

 

I can't find anything that says that the 10-5 rule has been removed. The last CBA was agreed upon in October, 2006, and, before Manny Ramirez was traded out of Boston last season, many were wondering if he'd use his no-trade clause because of the 10-5 rule.

I think it's still intact. I could be wrong, though.

 

While looking over the most recent CBA, it appears the 10-and-5 rule does still apply.

Here's the link to the 2007-11 CBA homepage: http://mlb.mlb.com/pa/info/cba.jsp

Page 75, Article XIX, A-1.

 

The 10-and-5 rule still exists. However, a) I don't believe Halladay has 10 years' ML service yet, and b) there is a provision whereby players can waive the 10-and-5 rule when signing a multi-year deal as long as they haven't reached the 10 years prior to the new deal and they have a no-trade that limits the club to no more than 16 potential trade partners.

 

With the 10-5 Rule still intact, I still can't see Halladay wanting to stay in Toronto. He knows that, wherever he goes, he's going to get a shitload of money and, at this point, I think Ricciardi is very well aware that his price tag and going to be through the roof to try and get him back.

 

This is Halladay's twelfth season. I'm not sure if you can count 1998, though. He only pitched 14 innings.

Regardless of that, he is eligible.

 

I think Halladay does want to stay in Toronto...doesn't strike me as someone who is determined to set the market when he hits free agency after the 2010 season. He does, though, strike me as one of those guys who is actually telling the truth when he declares he wants to win, and as Elliotte notes, the Jays' self-imposed salary ceiling means they are fucked by the Wells and Rios deals. So it's probably smart for him to be open to leaving and smart for Ricciardi to be open to dealing him.

 

Speaking of guys who have no interest in setting the market...Mark Buehrle tells Jeff Passan he expects to retire when his contract is up in 2011. An exceptional story with some great detail and quotes:

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=jp-buehrle070609&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

 

Having been in Toronto as long as he has, I can see that he's a guy who wants to win and wants a shot at a championship. I don't think he cares so much about the money than winning, but I think he'll get the best of both worlds when/if he gets traded. The Yankees, Red Sox, Phillies and Mets could all be logical choices for him.