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NL Exec: “Zduriencik Clueless or Saying Things For Effect”


By Frank Russo ~ July 29th, 2011. Filed under: Digest Contributors.

Earlier in the week Seattle GM Jack Zduriencik told ESPN New York that he doesn’t have any intention of trading Felix Hernandez despite the Mariners owning one of the worst records in baseball.

He went on to say that ”You can say nine guys. You could say 12 guys. What does it matter? The deal is we have a guy who we relish. We want to get to a point where we are competitive and as good as any club in baseball. To get to that point, you have to have top-of-the-rotation starters. We’ve got it. Your best asset, you ought to keep, and that is what we intend to do.”

It’s no secret the Yankees have been trying to acquire King Felix since the offseason. The team does not have the same hard position on “untouchables” when it comes to the Seattle ace.

We have been debating here whether it makes sense for Zduriencik to work out a deal with the Yankees. I believe a Yankees prospect haul is exactly what Seattle could use as part of their rebuilding process. By the time that team is a contender its possible King Felix will be headed towards free agency.

I believe the Yankees would consider giving up both Killer B’s in a deal for King Felix. They would probably include Jesus Montero and Eduardo Nunez, who Zduriencik desired last summer during the Cliff Lee negotiations.

I reached out to a National League executive who I know and asked him his thoughts on whether he would trade Felix Hernandez, as well as the comments by Zduriencik. This is what he told me:

“Any GM who makes a ridiculous statement like that is either clueless or just saying things for effect. Look how badly screwed up that team is. To say that you would not trade him (Hernandez) even for 7 players, let alone 12, is just a stupid thing to say. Every player is tradable under the right circumstances. Maybe he’s just trying to pacify all the stat geeks and moneyball morons. Any GM worth his salt should never care about what those people think. It’s about improving your team, not what those people think. Then again, nothing surprises me the way he screwed the Yankees last year with the Lee deal. I don’t know why Cash would ever want to deal with him again.”

It seems that others in baseball think it’s in Seattle’s best interest to obtain a huge prospect haul for King Felix except for the man in the big chair. How much longer he will be in that chair remains to seen based on his subpar performance to date. 

It seems there are others that believe Seattle should reach out to the Yankees with regard to King Felix. That’s except the man in the big chair. How much longer he will be there remains to be seen.

Frank is a resident of East Brunswick, NJ and former radio announcer. He is a 4th generation Republican and Yankees Fan. He also enjoys listening to talk radio. His favorite announcer is Shawn Hannity of “Hannity” on FOX and enjoys reading about military history. In addition to rooting for the Yankees, he also has a passion for the New York Islanders. You can enjoy Frank’s work at The Dead Ball Era and his book “Bury My Heart at Cooperstown”. Check out his “Rants and Raves” on New York Baseball Digest.
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18 Responses to NL Exec: “Zduriencik Clueless or Saying Things For Effect”

  1. Matt
    July 29th, 2011 at 4:04 pm

    Montero and Nunez for King Felix? What, you couldn’t spring to include Ivan Nova?? BWAHAHAHA keep bashing Zduriencik, Felix is ours and you can’t have him!

  2. Chuck Johnson
    July 29th, 2011 at 6:05 pm

    “Maybe he’s just trying to pacify all the stat geeks and moneyball morons. Any GM worth his salt should never care about what those people think.”

    Comment of the year.

  3. Brien Jackson
    July 29th, 2011 at 10:31 pm

    So your “executive friend” mops the bathrooms in Houston then? Or Chicago?

    I don’t know what’s gotten up this site’s ass lately, it’s even more trollish than usual. But to point out the obvious; Jack Z knows he’s not getting an offer that will make it worth trading Felix at this point, so he’s being unambiguous to sell tickets, keep fans happy, etc. etc.

  4. Frank Russo
    July 30th, 2011 at 4:04 pm

    Jackson,

    Wow, You write about the Yankees for “It’s About Tthe Money.net, then come to our website tc criticize it, and you also attack Mike Silva on twitter constantly. Are you a Mariners fan, or just a know-it-all? Do us all a favor, go crawl under a rock, if you can find one big enought to cver your ego!

    BTW, the person I quoted has forgotten more baseball than you will ever know, so you are welcome to borrow his mop anytime!

  5. Brien Jackson
    July 30th, 2011 at 4:20 pm

    Says the guy doing an impersonation of Incarcerated Bob.

  6. Frank Russo
    July 30th, 2011 at 4:31 pm

    I’m far from incarcerated Bob you nerd. Here’s an idea……why don’t we meet in person. This way you can say these things to my face. And we will see how far you get….

  7. Mike
    July 30th, 2011 at 4:36 pm

    Brien Jackson,

    Frank’s been reporting on the Yankees for this website for several years and has some great sources. If you don’t like it, tough. You come across as an arrogant clown.

    BTW, I’ll go with Frank if the two of you ever meet in person!. “Internet Mmuscle.” You have to love it

  8. Brien Jackson
    July 30th, 2011 at 4:44 pm

    That’s convincing. I mean obviously that’s the way to prove that the sources you’re claiming to have giving you second hand gossip and bashing other executives actually exist. #winning!

  9. Frank Russo
    July 30th, 2011 at 4:45 pm

    Mike,

    Thanks for the kind words. Don’t worry, I don’t think I’ll need your help. I could care less what Brien Jackson or anyone else thinks. I do my job for this website and put forth information and quotes from MLB sources when I get them. It’ll be a cold day in hell before I ever care about what a Brien Jackson thinks.

    BTW, Here’s the truth. That quote I posted was from an NL West Executive, not some made up person. It’s based on his opinion, not some advanced metric or flowchart. He’s been in baseball for over 45 years, so I’ll take his opinion, and that of the scouts I know, any day of the week, over what some geek like Jackson thinks.

  10. Frank Russo
    July 30th, 2011 at 4:48 pm

    Jackson,

    I don;t care what you think….sorry, your not even worth the time….BTW…I am not going tto name a source because you want me to. Ask Chuck Johnson about what happens when you “out” a source. I can;t exxpect someone as closed mionded as you to understand that.

    BTW, the offer still stands. Anytime you want to meet in person to throw stones at me, I”ll gladly oblige, especially for you.

  11. Brien Jackson
    July 30th, 2011 at 4:51 pm

    Serious question: Why would you take the opinion of another team’s executive about another team putting one of the 3 best pitchers in baseball on the market when he’s signed for 3 more seasons credulously? Especially if he knows you’re going to publish it? It didn’t remotely occur to you that he might have a conflict of interest, whatsoever?

    Anyway I never asked you to out a source, I just pointed out that your “report” is just non-falsifiable gossip. That you chose to jump to declaring you want out a source seems a bit rehearsed.

  12. Brien Jackson
    July 30th, 2011 at 4:51 pm

    Won’t out a source that is.

  13. Frank Russo
    July 30th, 2011 at 5:13 pm

    Jackson,

    You can spin this anyway you want….but the fact is, the executive I quoted gave me his opinion. And the fact is, in his opinion, Jack Z. should not make over the top statments like that. It;s his opiniuon. If you don;t like it, tough. He could care less what you think, as do I

    Quit you whining! You come across as a snob Like I said before, and will say one last time. I could care less what you think. You need to worry aobut the website you write for, but apparently you are more interested in criticizing NYBD.

    Agsin, the fact that you don’t like what my Executive friend said, or you don’t like my column(s) also means nothing to me. Do you understand? I DON’T CARE!! I’ve already wasted enough of my precious time responding to your ludicrous diatribes. I’m done talking to you. It’s time to get ready for game two of the double header.

  14. Brien Jackson
    July 30th, 2011 at 5:25 pm

    Well you certainly seem to care, or at least you seem to care about responding to claims I never made. I never even actually said he was wrong about the statment, I just pointed out that your “sources” seem to be very good at giving you non-falsifiable gossip, not so good at giving you any actual news.

  15. Dave S.
    July 30th, 2011 at 5:30 pm

    I agree with Frank here. You really need to get a life and deal with you own website. You come across as whiney and snobish.

  16. Dave S.
    July 30th, 2011 at 5:34 pm

    You also come across as an elitist.

  17. Chuck Johnson
    July 30th, 2011 at 5:45 pm

    Thanks, Frank.

    Deadball Era is one of the top websites on the ‘net, thought you should know.

    I’m a nobody, although I have been around long enough to know you don’t bite the hand that feeds you.

    Ever hear of Peter Pascarelli?

    He was the lead baseball writer at The Sporting News and was Peter Gammons before Peter Gammons was Peter Gammons.

    He wrote a book about the 1992 Pirates, focusing on Jim Leyland.

    The book got rave reviews.

    Leyland didn’t like it, because, according to him, Pascarelli published stories that were told “off the record”.

    The Sporting News fired him.

    Revealing a source isn’t what kills you, it’s one person.

    But he/she tells others, and within a very short period of times you have no sources, and, most importantly, no friends.

    And, quite frankly, the friendship part is far more important than the source part.

    You couldn’t pay me enough to mention a name.

  18. Arias
    July 31st, 2011 at 7:14 am

    Wow. That NL exec sounds pretty impartial to the Yankees and likely had a history with the Yankees before becoming “an NL Exec”. Would explain why Frank has a line on him. The bias is even more pronounced given that Jack Z did nothing but ply his trade to maximum effect as it’s certainly his perogative to back out of a deal and take a better one that he finds more attractive. The general sentiment around the league is that Cashman is just sour grapes for being left high and dry and is bitter at JackZ for using him as leverage. But that’s the name of the game when it comes to dealing, and Cashman’s just sore over looking like a minnow rather than his customary role as shark.

    It’s clear where the roots and loyalties of this “NL Exec” lies and is hardly representative of NL executives in general.

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