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Marcum for Lawrie
Wells for Napoli

Two huge deals that have changed the Blue Jays forever and not even a hint of a rumour in the papers? How does AA do it?

Does it have more to do with the Toronto media being poor or does AA really keep his cards close to his chest.

has to be AA...cuz the raps and leafs always get their stuff leaked, even with JP with the Ryan and burnett signings were leaked

U_Mad wrote:has to be AA...cuz the raps and leafs always get their stuff leaked, even with JP with the Ryan and burnett signings were leaked

Do they really? I think all 3 GM's are very good at making sure that rumours dont leak out. Plus our media for the most part is clueless.

better question: how did all of the trade rumours that didn't transpire get in the paper?

curious: media leaks a result of hometown team, opposing team or sometimes both? Why don't other teams such as the Brewers/Angels publicize the rumours?

wlujaysfan55 wrote:curious: media leaks a result of hometown team, opposing team or sometimes both? Why don't other teams such as the Brewers/Angels publicize the rumours?

Good point.

I remember AA saying that he felt the Rios/Lincecum deal could have happened if the rumor never went public (Sabean was ripped to shreds when that made the rounds). No clue how he keeps things quiet, but keep doing it, AA. As much as fans enjoy hearing rumors, I'd rather moves happen like the Wells deal.

Michael Bradley wrote:I remember AA saying that he felt the Rios/Lincecum deal could have happened if the rumor never went public (Sabean was ripped to shreds when that made the rounds). No clue how he keeps things quiet, but keep doing it, AA. As much as fans enjoy hearing rumors, I'd rather moves happen like the Wells deal.

I agree 100% and I hope that is wrong about the possible deal with SF. I have never understood the fun people have in trying to come up with possible deals.

How does AA keep rumours out of the papers?

Probably the same way he's able to walk on water

My guess is that serious trade talks get leaked by agents and friends of players for a variety of reasons when they know they're being discussed and with most big name guys the GMs have to include the player and agent in the process to some extent 'cause teams won't take the chance they'll be pissing off their big ticket acquisition or there's a trade kicker or a trade clause or whatever.

IMO if the leak is from the GM's office it's more like the Upton rumors where the current deals aren't going to be accepted, but they're good enough to set a baseline to try and increase the pressure. This is why every little nuance to the Melo negotiations ends up in print. Not because the journalists are working that much harder, although that's probably true too 'cause it's a big story, but because with so many competing agendas any single proposal will be something one party or another wants out in the public domain.

I don't imagine it's too hard to keep deals secret from journalists in the business of sports, except maybe in NY where there are just too many reporters with too many contacts and too much money all over the place. For instance if the equivalent of the Soriano signing had happened to AA, I think it's pretty unlikely we ever would've gotten that story the same way. Maybe we'd here rumors and rumblings, but not the 100% yes Cashman got overruled, but it doesn't change his status type stories.

There will be the occasional scoop, but IMO the daily grind of being a beat reporter doesn't leave too much time for cultivating some source in the legal or accounting department hoping they'll give you a big tip. There's either an obvious story from the night before or scuttlebutt from another outlet to track down or a release from the club for the day. They simply aren't doing Woodward and Bernstein impersonations. If the reporter's getting it from a team source, 95% of the time it's because the team wanted it out there, so if AA wants his trades kept close, they will be.

Maybe I'm wrong, but that's just what I imagine happens.

Agents have a MAJOR influence in these leaks and rumours.

Well however he does it, hope it keeps up. I hate getting hyped up over a possible deal, to hear that it didn't go through the next day.

Agents usually are the leakers.... mainly because their client does not want to go the trading team, and the agent is getting word out the player is available. So that way a team he does want to go to submits a proposal to the his old team before the deal is finalized.