Commissioner Bud Selig nixed the Jacque Jones-to-Florida... (1 Viewer)

[posty]

Got this from another site...From Ben Maller:

WASHINGTON D.C. -- The New York Daily News, citing unidentified sources, reported that Commissioner Bud Selig nixed the Jacque Jones-to-Florida deal because he did not want the next owner of the Cubs to incur any more debt.That means it will be difficult to trade Jones, who's owed around $7.2 million through 2008 unless the Cubs receive a similar contract in return.Manager Lou Piniella insists Jones will not have to sit because of his status, though he hasn't started a game since June 20, a span of 11 games."We'll give him an opportunity to get out there," Piniella said. "That's a tough situation. In Jacque's defense, I think he's handled it quite well. I don't know what happened with the trade to Miami and why it didn't go through. All the players I have here play, and he's not going to be the exception."If Selig won't let the Cubs dump Jones while paying the bulk of the freight, they'll also have a difficult time trading anyone who isn't performing well and has a contract that runs past 2007, including Scott Eyre, who has a player option for $3.8 million in '08. Eyre has a limited no-trade clause, meaning he can block a trade to 10 of the 30 teams.

 

[pettifogger]

Got this from another site...From Ben Maller:

WASHINGTON D.C. -- The New York Daily News, citing unidentified sources, reported that Commissioner Bud Selig nixed the Jacque Jones-to-Florida deal because he did not want the next owner of the Cubs to incur any more debt.That means it will be difficult to trade Jones, who's owed around $7.2 million through 2008 unless the Cubs receive a similar contract in return.Manager Lou Piniella insists Jones will not have to sit because of his status, though he hasn't started a game since June 20, a span of 11 games."We'll give him an opportunity to get out there," Piniella said. "That's a tough situation. In Jacque's defense, I think he's handled it quite well. I don't know what happened with the trade to Miami and why it didn't go through. All the players I have here play, and he's not going to be the exception."If Selig won't let the Cubs dump Jones while paying the bulk of the freight, they'll also have a difficult time trading anyone who isn't performing well and has a contract that runs past 2007, including Scott Eyre, who has a player option for $3.8 million in '08. Eyre has a limited no-trade clause, meaning he can block a trade to 10 of the 30 teams.

The story does not make sense to me. The Cubs already incurred the debt when they signed Jones. What good does it do the franchise to pay him to ride the pines instead of flipping him for someone they can use, probably a player at the minimum, even if they agree to eat his salary in the process?