Paul Wilson...The Truth Can Now Be Told

[dougflynn23]

As some of you are aware, I have a close friend who was a front office employee of the Texas Rangers from 1998 until about two weeks ago when he left to join another MLB team. He had told me this a year and a half ago, but it is only now that I can make it public. I have known this person since I was 4 years old (38 years) and his reliability is impeccible.

During the entire month of July, 2004, Dan O'Brien and John Hart spoke almost daily about a trade that would send Paul Wilson to Texas. On July 26th, a tentative trade was made that would send Paul Wilson and P Todd Jones to Texas in exchange for SS Ian Kinsler and P Erik Thompson. The only hold-up was that the Rangers had an existing offer out to the Colorado Rockies that involved Kinsler; a trade that would bring Larry Walker to Texas. The Rangers thought the deal was dead, and told Dan O'Brien they needed to call to make sure (they did not tell O'Brien the other team involved). Upon making the call, the Rockies accepted the trade that had been offered a few days before, contingent on Walker's approval as a 10/5 player with a no trade contract. According to my friend, Walker told Texas he was leaning towards accepting the trade, so Hart told O'Brien the deal was off. 2 days later, Todd Jones was traded to the Phillies. A day or 2 after that, Walker refused the trade to the Rangers...only to accept a deal to St. Louis a week later after clearing waivers. Wilson cleared waivers, but if you recall in early August Wilson started getting pounded and went on the DL with a bad back.

Dan O'Brien tried to trade Paul Wilson, had a great deal set up for him, and it unfortunately fell apart due to no fault of his. The Rangers pulled the offer based on early reports that Larry Walker would accept the trade. Had he said no, Ian Kinsler would now be a Red. Blame O'Brien for perhaps not having a Plan B or C in place, but stop saying he wasn't allowed to trade or refused to trade Wilson. He came very close to doing it.

[MartyFan]

Good to hear...I get tired of all the bashing that goes on in here.

[DoogMinAmo]

So the deal went from top tier shortstop and throwin pitcher for TJ and PW, to scrappy SS and throw away pitcher for just TJ.

Seems like DanO had his mind made up on the return, just the names were a little fuzzy. While this proposed trade probably would have been lauded by the RZ faithful, the resultant actual trade was far from it in quality, and reaks of desperation.

I am not scared of DanO being able to spot a good deal, or even form one for that matter. It is the creativity, I fear, that he lacks, to make something from nothing... to turn a busted great trade into another great one, or atleast a good one. Machado and Hancock was not good enough. Bowden, for all his shortcomings, was a master of this. (Most of the time, atleast... Brian Moehler, eek.)

Is it really so frightful to think that maybe the ideal GM is a hybrid of our previous two?

[M2]

Blame O'Brien for perhaps not having a Plan B or C in place, but stop saying he wasn't allowed to trade or refused to trade Wilson. He came very close to doing it.

What I blame him for is not being able to move pitching to a team that needed pitching. You've got to be able to close the deal. I get the sense DanO talks a lot on his way to accomplishing nothing.

Paul Wilson's a WAY better pitcher than Larry Walker and DanO had connections in Texas. If he can't make that trade then it leaves me with little hope he's ever going to succeed in that arena.

Meanwhile Jon Daniels looks like he's about to land Josh Beckett in his first month running the Rangers.

[SteelSD]

What I blame him for is not being able to move pitching to a team that needed pitching. You've got to be able to close the deal. I get the sense DanO talks a lot on his way to accomplishing nothing.

Yepper. If I have something you want and you've named your price, I have no one to blame but myself if you do not end up owning it. That's the difference between playing the market and letting the market play you.

There's also a problem (or three) with the timeline and the circumstances surrounding the Wilson non-trade:

Wilson cleared waivers, but if you recall in early August Wilson started getting pounded and went on the DL with a bad back.

Paul Wilson's last start before the trade deadline netted him five earnies in 7.2 IP. That followed a 6 IP/4 ER performance the start prior. However, Wilson's first start after the trade deadline produced a 7 IP/3 ER performance. His next start came after Walker was already dealt and Wilson had already cleared waivers. At this point, anyone already interested in Wilson should have jumped at the chance to acquire him if they still had what it would have taken to get him two weeks ago.

Wilson's first start of August should have been seen by anyone wanting to acquire him as further justification that he could help down the stretch run- not evidence of his suckitude.

Todd Jones' availability was irrelevant. The Rangers didn't scurry at the trade deadline to grab a reliever. They did nothing to grab a MLB reliever at the trade deadline and, in fact, the only move the Rangers did make on the pitching side was to take a PTBNL flier on Scott Erickson. And if a single bad start were enough to move Hart off pitcher, Erickson's 2.0 IP/6 ER performance against Montreal (of all teams) on 7/26 should have been enough to convince him to stay away.

As of August 12th, there should have been nothing preventing John Hart from STILL moving on a Kinsler-for-Wilson trade, particularly after Wilson's strong start on August first (if we're to believe that Hart was going start-by-start with pitchers he was looking to acquire). Even Wilson's 2nd start on August 7th (5.1 IP- 7 ER) shouldn't have been enough to dissuade Hart from trading for him considering that blowup happened in Coors Field. Wilson's next start (the SD implosion that ended up getting him DL'd) was irrelevant because if Wilson was going to move he would have moved by then.

In an environment where Ismael Valdez could be moved (ironically, for Travis Chick) at the deadline, there was simply no reason that Paul Wilson couldn't have been moved for real value- either at the deadline or within a week thereafter. The idea that O'Brien couldn't move Wilson to a team that (allegedly) wanted him and still had the purchase price while Wilson was still healthy and available is nothing but an indictment of O'Brien's ability. The fact that O'Brien didn't have a plan B or plan C in place is nothing but inexcusable considering the crap that exchanged hands at last year's deadline.

[wheels]

And none of that excuses O'Brien for that fat contract he gave him in the offseason.

Even though he knew he was a shoulder blowup waiting to happen.

Even though he wanted to trade him at the deadline.

Ineptitude, followed by lunacy.

[Falls City Beer]

Ice-cold comfort.

[Chip R]

And none of that excuses O'Brien for that fat contract he gave him in the offseason.

Even though he knew he was a shoulder blowup waiting to happen.

Even though he wanted to trade him at the deadline.

Ineptitude, followed by lunacy.

Excellent point, wheels. I know he's a hard worker and the other players loved having him around but if the players need a buddy or a mentor, hire him as a coach.

[westofyou]

And none of that excuses O'Brien for that fat contract he gave him in the offseason.

Even though he knew he was a shoulder blowup waiting to happen.

Even though he wanted to trade him at the deadline.

Ineptitude, followed by lunacy.

And none of that excuses O'Brien for that fat contract he gave him in the offseason.

Bingo!!

Good to hear...I get tired of all the bashing that goes on in here.

Really? I get tired of all the excuses myself.

[RFS62]

And none of that excuses O'Brien for that fat contract he gave him in the offseason.

Even though he knew he was a shoulder blowup waiting to happen.

Even though he wanted to trade him at the deadline.

Yep.

I always appreciate it when we get inside info from behind the scenes. So much goes into every decision that we aren't privy too. Sometimes, our best guess at what's going on doesn't paint a complete picture.

Then again, sometimes it does.

It almost makes the resigning more of a mistake when you consider that the reasons DanO often cited to keep Wilson weren't enough to keep him when he had this trade on the table (i.e. work ethic, clubhouse chemistry, etc.).

Damaged wing + fading down the stretch = fat contract. Very bad math.

[Redsland]

Dan O'Brien tried to trade Paul Wilson, had a great deal set up for him, and it unfortunately fell apart due to no fault of his.

It's nice to hear that our GM actually had an iron in the fire that cold July day. But I expect him to have a lot more than that going on at that time of year. Bob and weave. "No Kinsler? Okay, what about this other move? Are you sure you want to wait? Because I've got another GM on the line right now and he wants Wilson BAD."

Sounds like DanO was content to be Plan B instead of trying to force the issue. And honestly, if you can't move an All-Star caliber veteran starting pitcher at the deadline in the walk year of his contract, then you couldn't move ice cubes in Hell.

[wheels]

I'm still waiting for excuses for why he didn't trade Graves at the time, especially when he had gawdy save totals.

[Hubba]

I'm still waiting for excuses for why he didn't trade Graves at the time, especially when he had gawdy save totals.

Since you seem to know all I will ask you the same question that I ask before, TO whom for whom? Who would have wanted Graves. I need to know.

[gonelong]

Good to hear...I get tired of all the bashing that goes on in here.

Trying is great for high school kids, etc.

When you are involved in Sports at these levels there is no try. You either do or you don't.

Dano don't.

GL

[westofyou]

Hey Wheels, since you seem to know *everything* can you tell me where my GBV Bee Thousand CD is?