Gary Sheffield is actually right this time
So Gary Sheffield is upset at the Mets for placing him on waivers and then pulling him back when a team claimed him, and now Sheffield is apparently demanding that the Mets either sign him to an extension, or grant him his outright release.
Sheffield has pulled these kinds of stunts often enough in the past with other teams, that it’s tempting to blame Sheffield for being a dick and to tell him to just shut up and play.
But this time, for once, Gary Sheffield is right.
Because on what planet in the universe does it make sense for Omar Minaya and the Mets to pull Sheffield back from waivers? By pulling a player back from waivers, the team is no longer allowed to trade him for the rest of the season, so the Mets missed out on a chance to trade Sheffield for a prospect.
This makes no sense at all, given that the Mets are way, way out of it this year, and also have apparently told Sheffield that he is not in their plans for next year either. If that is true, then why in the world would Minaya hang on to Sheffield and prevent him from playing for a contender when you could have at least gotten something for him?
The only thing I can sort of vaguely see as being a reason is if the claiming team were somebody like the Phillies or the Braves, who are rivals with the Mets and in the same division. But even so, the Mets are waaaay out of it this year, so cares? Take a prospect and let the Phillies or Braves have him.
There is a possibility that we may not have all the information here, but based on everything we know, Sheffield has a right to be pissed. Sheffield is already 40 and it’s not like he’s going to have too many other chances to play for a contender after this season.
Even his demand for an extension from the Mets makes sense, because the only valid reason not to let Sheff go would be if the Mets really, really want him for next year, and want to have the exclusive negotiating rights window.
Clearly Sheffield is wanted by at least one other team, so the Mets are just being petty and stupid by keeping him on a team going nowhere when they could have gotten at least something for him.
August 21st, 2009 at 9:53 am
I hear that the Giants claimed him and that the “reasoning” behind pulling him off of waivers was because the Mets wanted too much from SF. The Mets were looking for a pretty decent prospect in return, and when that wasn’t going to happen, they decided that they’d rather keep him around in an effort to sell some tickets for the rest of the year. Now, I don’t know how many more tickets Sheffield would sell. I’m sure that the Mets marketing department has projections on this that I can’t even fathom. So at the very least, I’m hoping that it makes financial sense.
With that said, I still wish that they had just dealt him.
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August 21st, 2009 at 3:12 pm
Yeah, I don’t get it. When a guy is claimed through waivers, you pretty much just have to take whatever warm body they are willing to send you, because you don’t have a lot of leverage. It’s still better to get something, because you get nothing by keeping Sheffield around, other than a very unhappy Sheffield. Nobody is going to buy more tickets just to see Sheffield at this point.
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August 21st, 2009 at 3:14 pm
Gary Sheffield should keep his mouth shut and do whatever the Mets want him to do. NOBODY wanted Sheff after the Tiger’s cut him, and the Mets gave him an opportunity to play.
Sheffeild is a huge CANCER in a clubhouse. The Tigers of 2006 and 2009 are both first place teams.
2007 and 2008 with Sheff and his constant whining a prima donna attitude negatively affected the team.
Chemistry is vastly overrated, but Sheff does nothing to help any teams chemestry. Despite what a fawning Media may say.
-Sam
Loving the D without the Sheff
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August 21st, 2009 at 4:07 pm
Now Sheff wants the Mets to trade him to Florida. I’m envisioning a scenario where a Mets front office person is trying to explain to Garry that it’s not that easy, and that there was a trading deadline, and that now he’d have to pass through waivers, the Marlins would have to claim him, and that he’d have to hope that another team didn’t claim him first…and Sheff just looking at him like, dude, just trade me — and while you’re at it get me some more of that cream that can’t be steroids b/c it doesn’t come in a needle.
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August 21st, 2009 at 5:04 pm
Well one distinct possibility that we didn’t discuss yet – whomever claimed him, whether or not it was the Giants, could’ve just done so to block another team from getting him and never had any intentions to trade for him.
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August 22nd, 2009 at 11:34 am
And Sam, you must be right. It was Sheffield’s negativity that caused the entire Tigers pitching staff to suck like hell in 2007 and only win 88 games. It was because of Gary Sheffield’s cancerous attitude that they kept running Kenny Rogers out there every five days despite having nothing left in the tank in 2008.
And his negativity and utter depravity must be the reason why he’s only been to the playoffs in 2006. And 2005. and 2004, 2003, and 2002. Plus a World Series win in 1997. Just imagine what that Marlins squad could’ve done without Sheff’s attitude!
Sorry. I’m a jerk.
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