I think that One Guy is me. That one guy for whoever you ask to trade for on his team, will give you the most absurd asking price ever. I always hated those guys...Now I am one of them.
It is a weird feeling of almost inevitability now that I think of it, especially considering my main leagues that I pay attention to actually have minors, salaries, contract years, salary caps, and active Free Agent periods with bidding, team options and franchise players. Intense, Huh?
The problem with that is if you keep at it long enough (like I have), you begin to look at the players that you have personally watched mature over the years in your minor league system, then fulfill their major league potential, all in front of your eyes.
Then, the second he becomes a legitimate player some guy asks if he is available, and what I would want from them.
This is where I fall apart. I have invested my personal time to research a player, and over multiple years you grow attached to him. You may have offered him in preseason trades to try to make a run at a championship, but they all get turned down, like it was destiny saying you are better off with this player.
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To be more specific I am talking about Alex Gordon. He is finally putting it all together this season, and turning into the superstar that he looked like he was going to be coming out of Nebraska.
I am a semi-Royals fan, and I have been following the progress of Gordon pretty close. Also, I am in a league where I am the Royals Owner/GM.
Once the Royals drafted Gordon, there were offers coming in for him almost as fast as the reviews on all the blogs where writing him as the next George Brett.
My team was in shambles, so the possibilities of having the one of the best players in baseball three years down the line sounded pretty nice. I didn't know if I was going to be in the league that long, but hell if I am going to look back and say that I traded the best player in the game for nothing.
A tough first season with all the hype behind Gordon, I actually tried to move him a couple times, but this time other owners thought I wasn't giving enough. But fate, I believe, was once again on my side.
The other day, I get a message from the Yankees owner whose team is also in bad shape, but maintained all the young kids in the Yankees farm system. So, he asked what was the asking price for Alex Gordon, and in stride I tell him "Something like Joba Melky(or)Hughes and Austin Jackson".
You don't even have to know who Austin Jackson is to understand how really ridiculous this deal is. If I were to make out with Joba and Hughes for Gordon I would be set, but I asked for more. That is the key, you never know what the other guy is thinking, value wise, but an offer like I had makes it real easy to scare someone away. I guess it is cool that my paranoia over real player value actually scares people.
Anyways, the response I get to my offer had a lot of caps and question marks, so I guess we won't be talking about Gordon anymore. But this is me, the douche who over values his home grown talent. Am I total homer? But maybe, just maybe he is the fool, because Joba's arm may die, Hughes(or)Melky preferred choice may never amount to anything, and god forbid if Austin Jackson never makes it to the bigs.
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2 months ago
Ah, That Guy. Every league needs one. We have one in a league of mine that asks for a top-three round type player then is shocked when you ask for something like that in return. He expects everyone in the league to give people away. Sort of the opposite problem of your Alex Gordon situation. But amusing none the less.
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