Interesting story from the best Sonics writer ever:
Sure paints Schultz as having one miss after another since he bought the team.
And, one more thing on OKC, then I’m going to stop thinking about all this. I heard Ed Evans, the mouthpiece of the new ownership group, on KJR this AM. Really an interesting interview. Well spoken guy that is clearly the right choice to talk for that group. As you would expect, he said all that right thing, saying they are “100% committed to keeping the team in Seattle if an acceptable arena deal can be reached”, “great history in Seattle and we respect that, with a great market, great fans”, blah, blah blah. Basically everything that Sonics fans want to hear so they can sell a ticket next year. But, one thing that stood out to me more than any other was when Mitch asked him two very good, and difficult, questions.
1) First, part of the deal with the sale of the team was that the old owners had them sign a 12-month letter to act in “good faith” in dealing with trying to make it work here.
Mitch: “What are the details of the letter you signed with the prior ownership promising to negotiate in good faith to make it work here?”
Evans: “I won’t go into the specifics, other than we intend to negotiate with the city, county and state reps to come up with an acceptable arena situation. If we can’t come to a deal in the 12-month time frame, then we will explore all other options, OKC, San Jose, Kansas City, they are all in play at that point. But we have signed a contract to negotiate in good faith.”
Mitch followed up: “What or how is “good faith” defined?” Evans: “I don’t have the answer for you right now, we are too early into this. But we will act in good faith.” Mitch interrupted and said “but how can anyone actually define that phrase, good faith?” Evans: “Again, I don’t have the answer, other than to tell you that we will work hard to keep the team in Seattle and get an acceptable deal.” Oh….kay.
2) Mitch: “What sort of deal is waiting for you in Oklahoma City? In other words, what kind of a deal has to come about here in this region in order for you to say yes to Seattle, and no to the people where you have built your wealth and reputations?”
Evans: “First of all, the Ford Center was built in 2002 with the idea of attracting the NBA. The building, as it stands now, is debt-free and waiting for a team. That said, we haven’t begun negotiating with Oklahoma City on a lease or agreement of any kind until we have exhausted our options in Seattle.”
Mitch: “But what kind of a deal does Seattle have to come up with? Is it something that has to actually TOP what you are theoretically looking at in moving to Oklahoma City, where you have a sort of “home town discount” on a debt-free arena? Isn’t it fair to speculate that Oklahoma City, while no formal talks have happened, will be ready to hand you the key to the city to get you to move this team? In other words, beat every offer out there to bring it home? Is there a number, be it $1 dollar, $10 dollars, or $10 million that Seattle has to beat Oklahoma City in order to keep the team here?” Evans: “It would be fair to expect that at the end of the day, we will make the best business decision, however that turns out.”
Evans went on to say how committed they are, how dedicated they are in their businesses and they became successful by being true to their word, and once again, “we are 100% committed to keeping the team in the Seattle market.”
Loud and clear if you ask me. They are saying everything they can, now, to show this loosely-defined “good faith”. I think you can predict what will happen next. Deals will be discussed, floated in the media, proponents of both sides will argue on the radio and in print, and the community will, as always, argue about the idea of keeping the Sonics via public subsidy vs. letting them move to a market that is like 40 notches below Seattle’s. The vote will fall short, if it even makes it onto a ballot of any kind, and the team will buy out the remaining two years of the lease payable to the city of Seattle. All the while, every one of the new ownership group will tout about how hard they tried to make it work here, how sad it is that they couldn’t reach agreement, and most importantly, they did what they said they were going to do – they negotiated in “GOOD FAITH!”
Meanwhile Seattle will use that buyout to pay off the remaining millions of debt still owed on the building, and they will start fresh with all sorts of different events.
Sad state of affairs.
So there are a lot of M’s rumors starting to make the rounds. First was Soriano talk, about trading with the M’s and Nats to bring Soriano to play LF or DH, alternating with Ibanez. On the field, clearly this would make them better, not only getting better by adding Soriano, even though in Safeco he’s a fish out of water, but still he’d improve them. The bonus is they would fully get rid of Everett. But off the field, it’s doubtful anything will happen there. The Nats are making crazy demands of what they want back in a deal for Alfonso. He’s also a rent-a-player situation who will be a free agent, and has made it very clear that he hates playing OF and wants to be a 2nd baseman starting next year. Not going to happen in Seattle when we already have a 22-yr old all-star at 2B. Finally, the rumored names that the Nats want, of Rafael Soriano, Adam Jones and Mark Lowe?? NO WAY would Bavasi agree to that. That would make them weaker in the pen, and lose two of their top prospects as well. All that for two months of Soriano who will be counting down the days to free agency?? PASS.
The other, new one that caught my eye regards Beltre. San Diego is rumored to be very interested in Beltre, to the point that Ken Rosenthal is saying he is the Pads #1 target right now after DFA’ing Vinny Castilla. But, the question is, if you are the M’s, how open are you to trading Beltre? Ok, clearly he’s not what we thought he was when the M’s signed him. I think you can put his number ranges in ink – .250 – .275, 10-20 HR, 70-90 RBI’s in a typical year, with great defense and a very professional approach in the clubhouse, and ALWAYS in the lineup. Is that worth $12 million per year for the next 3 years?? No. he’s probably putting up numbers that guys making half that can at least match, if not surpass. Another thing about Beltre is recently he’s looked a lot more relaxed at the plate. The power still isn’t coming, but he just has a more dialed-in look about him at the plate. Maybe it really does take a full season coming over to the AL, getting a look at all the pitchers and ballparks, before you can start to feel comfortable. But is his recent surge just fools gold? He had a lousy April and May, a white-hot June, and has tailed off a bit in July. Hmmm, who exactly did they play for almost ALL OF JUNE?? Oh yeah, that’s right, THE NL!
Trading Beltre at this point would be perceived as a huge failure by Bavasi, no doubt about it. The worst part of that is what can you actually get back for him? Not only would the M’s have to swallow hard on eating some of that salary, but you have to wonder what would be coming back to Seattle. Glancing at San Diego, could Mike Cameron come back to patrol CF and allow Jones to get more seasoning at AAA (which is absolutely needed??)? Not only would Cammy help the offense get better at the bottom half of the lineup, we know first-hand how fantastic he is defensively in one of the most demanding CF situations in baseball!
IF they can get Cameron plus another prospect and only have to eat $3 to $4 million in salary per year the next 3 years, I think they have to do it. Let Beltre go back to the NL west, in SoCal where he’s comfortable, and who knows, maybe he’ll blossom into an MVP candidate again. But I doubt it. It’s painfully clear that the guy might have the best timing in the history of free agency with that 2004 season, and the M’s are paying the freight. Free up salary for next year and beyond, and move Beltre while he still has youth and 2004 isn’t that far in the rear-view mirror. What’s the old line? Better to trade a player a year too early vs. a year too late? Never is that more true than right now with Beltre. Don’t wait until the deadline next year, when 2004 will feel like forever ago. Move him now.
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