Nymet31
07-15-2002, 08:42 PM
NEW YORK -- 'Tis the season for fans and general managers alike to come up with creative trades that will help their respective teams to either garner a postseason berth, reduce salary or acquire top-level talent for the future.
When a team is struggling, as the Mets (45-46) have this season, and fail to live up to expectations, no player is immune to hearing his name in the rumor mill near the July 31 trading deadline.
The latest Met to enter the realm of possible departure is Mo Vaughn.
The left-handed slugging first baseman is rumored to be headed back to Boston, the team that originally selected him in the first round of the 1989 draft.
The Red Sox are three games behind the Yankees in the American League East and have been rumored to be looking for a first baseman that can produce at the plate more than the Tony Clark-Jose Offerman-Brian Daubach platoon has this season.
The Mets acquired Vaughn in a trade with the Angels in the offseason that sent Kevin Appier and cash to Anaheim.
Vaughn has struggled for most of his first National League season, but he has begun to find his stroke.
Vaughn, who made his Major League debut with Boston in 1991, missed the 2001 season with a ruptured biceps tendon.
"I can't comment on that," Vaughn said of the rumors. "I have to talk to my agent (Jeff Morrad) first."
Until something actually materializes though, Vaughn has declined to comment on the matter.
"The only thing that I can say about Boston is that it is a familiar place," Vaughn said. "It's not like being traded to Colorado, but that's all I am going to say about that."
Mets general manager Steve Phillips, while no specifically commenting on the Vaughn situation, said that people should not always believe what they read or hear.
"As a practice, I don't comment on specific trade rumors," Phillips said. "I would encourage most people to not get worked up about trade rumors and a majority of them are make-believe and it makes you wonder where they come from."
Boston's management re-iterated what Phillips had to say about the Vaughn rumors.
"There is absolutely nothing to it," Red Sox assistant general manager Theo Epstein said. "We have had no conversations with them at all regarding Mo. The report is 100 percent wrong."
Vaughn is not an easy player to move, and that is not a crack about the slugger's 6-foot-1, 275-lb. frame. He has a no-trade clause, which can be waived at his discretion, if he were going to a favorable team/city. Phillips said that he has not talked to Vaughn about waiving his no-trade clause.
There is also a problem concerning Vaughn's contract. The 34-year-old left-handed slugger is signed through 2004 at $13 million per season. Sure, the Mets might want trim some salaries off their nine-digit payroll, but most teams would balk at a taking on a player that is batting .246 with 11 home runs and 36 RBIs for that price.
"I don't know where half of this stuff comes from," said Phillips, who added that most of the reported trade rumors this season have not had any substance to them.
Even if the Vaughn rumors are false, Phillips said that he would expect some changes by the trading deadline, but not necessarily a sweeping number of changes.
"This last week, people have been hearing a lot of things about different guys," Vaughn said. "Everybody likes everybody in (the clubhouse). There's nobody saying that we couldn't put it together. But you never know what is in the minds of the general managers and owners at this time. You've just got to sit back."
Vaughn has enjoyed being back on the East Coast and the only thing he is disappointed with is his own performance.
"I've been happy about everything here except not getting a hit," Vaughn said. "I love driving around in New York and what New York brings. I just wished I could have played a little better, that's all."
When a team is struggling, as the Mets (45-46) have this season, and fail to live up to expectations, no player is immune to hearing his name in the rumor mill near the July 31 trading deadline.
The latest Met to enter the realm of possible departure is Mo Vaughn.
The left-handed slugging first baseman is rumored to be headed back to Boston, the team that originally selected him in the first round of the 1989 draft.
The Red Sox are three games behind the Yankees in the American League East and have been rumored to be looking for a first baseman that can produce at the plate more than the Tony Clark-Jose Offerman-Brian Daubach platoon has this season.
The Mets acquired Vaughn in a trade with the Angels in the offseason that sent Kevin Appier and cash to Anaheim.
Vaughn has struggled for most of his first National League season, but he has begun to find his stroke.
Vaughn, who made his Major League debut with Boston in 1991, missed the 2001 season with a ruptured biceps tendon.
"I can't comment on that," Vaughn said of the rumors. "I have to talk to my agent (Jeff Morrad) first."
Until something actually materializes though, Vaughn has declined to comment on the matter.
"The only thing that I can say about Boston is that it is a familiar place," Vaughn said. "It's not like being traded to Colorado, but that's all I am going to say about that."
Mets general manager Steve Phillips, while no specifically commenting on the Vaughn situation, said that people should not always believe what they read or hear.
"As a practice, I don't comment on specific trade rumors," Phillips said. "I would encourage most people to not get worked up about trade rumors and a majority of them are make-believe and it makes you wonder where they come from."
Boston's management re-iterated what Phillips had to say about the Vaughn rumors.
"There is absolutely nothing to it," Red Sox assistant general manager Theo Epstein said. "We have had no conversations with them at all regarding Mo. The report is 100 percent wrong."
Vaughn is not an easy player to move, and that is not a crack about the slugger's 6-foot-1, 275-lb. frame. He has a no-trade clause, which can be waived at his discretion, if he were going to a favorable team/city. Phillips said that he has not talked to Vaughn about waiving his no-trade clause.
There is also a problem concerning Vaughn's contract. The 34-year-old left-handed slugger is signed through 2004 at $13 million per season. Sure, the Mets might want trim some salaries off their nine-digit payroll, but most teams would balk at a taking on a player that is batting .246 with 11 home runs and 36 RBIs for that price.
"I don't know where half of this stuff comes from," said Phillips, who added that most of the reported trade rumors this season have not had any substance to them.
Even if the Vaughn rumors are false, Phillips said that he would expect some changes by the trading deadline, but not necessarily a sweeping number of changes.
"This last week, people have been hearing a lot of things about different guys," Vaughn said. "Everybody likes everybody in (the clubhouse). There's nobody saying that we couldn't put it together. But you never know what is in the minds of the general managers and owners at this time. You've just got to sit back."
Vaughn has enjoyed being back on the East Coast and the only thing he is disappointed with is his own performance.
"I've been happy about everything here except not getting a hit," Vaughn said. "I love driving around in New York and what New York brings. I just wished I could have played a little better, that's all."