Skin Blues wrote:Why do the Jays do this stuff? I understand they didn't start the rumour but why don't they release a statement saying "this rumour is false"? Obviously not for every rumour out there but for the ones that aren't inside secrets, at least. How does it hurt them to let the fans know that Lind isn't on waivers? Or that they only bid twenty bucks on Darvish? I don't get it.
Well, I can make up scenarios where AA can use this stuff to his advantage. Say he's got a deal on the table for another GM to think about and that GM sees that Lind's pushing through waivers, wouldn't that set his mind churning that AA has other things in the works and he better come to a decision quick? As long as he's in active negotiations with other teams, no matter how preliminary a stage, all speculation and rumourmongering can help put doubt in their mind and maybe force them to a decision they might not otherwise have made.
Now, maybe that's got nothing to do with it. Maybe it's just policy and he won't break it for any reason. It's easier to stand on principle later on something that actually matters that you won't comment on if you choose not to comment on rumours you could clear up to perhaps your own benefit previously. Say AA denied this rumour and said it was untrue, then refused to comment on the some trade rumour involving a core player in the future. Any journalist can now, kind of slimily IMO, infer that since AA denied a falsehood, his failure to comment on another rumour implies a certain legitimacy.
Now, I'm not even certain I agree with the general policy, but I can respect that there are definite angles to keeping it consistent.