A’s trade of Andrew Bailey to Red Sox a mere salary dump?
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Oakland Athletics closer Andrew Bailey and outfielder Ryan Sweeney were traded to the Red Sox on Wednesday in exchange for outfielder Josh Reddick, infield prospect Miles Head and minor league pitcher Raul Alcantara.
It’s a move that has Bailey elated and others infuriated.
Oakland Tribune columnist Monte Poole said the trade shows how little the A’s ownership cares about the organization.
‘They’re quitting, backing away from the 2012 season so early and so emphatically that even Pete Rose, the disgraced hit king, has to scratch his head and wonder, once again, what is the definition of ‘integrity of the game,’’ wrote Poole.
It sure seems as though the Athletics are trying to skate by with spending as little money as possible until MLB grants their request to relocate to San Jose, a move the San Francisco Giants vehemently oppose.
For Bailey, the team’s holiday salary dump was a blessing.
After all, the Athletics finished with a 74-88 record last season while the Red Sox were 90-72.
‘I’m excited, obviously,’ Bailey told reporters of playing for Red Sox. ‘It’s an organization that continues to win each and every year and they’re definitely a contender each and every year.
‘I’m grateful that the Red Sox saw value in me. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t excited about being a Red Sox.’
[Updated at 10:44 a.m.: An earlier version of this post misidentified Monte Poole.]
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