The Star has a
pretty good roundup of the verbal slapfighting going on between Blue Jays GM
J.P. Ricciardi, he of the tactless public disposition, and
Gregg Zaun, 37-year-old catcher and mediocre hitter extraordinaire. Zaun wants to be traded, Ricciardi wants to trade him, but the two can't seem to agree on anything else:
"I'm just disappointed that he went to the media with this," general manager J.P. Ricciardi said when told of Zaun's comments. "We have a good enough relationship that he can talk to me."
"This shouldn't be a controversial moment for anybody. I just answered a simple question: `Would I welcome a trade,'" an exasperated Zaun said. "It's unfortunate that he feels like I'm addressing it through the media, because I really am not."
"We'll gladly move him if we can find someone who wants him and that's where we're at," Ricciardi said. "Right now, there's been no takers for him, there's been no inquiries about him."
It seems difficult to believe that nobody wants Zaun. Zaun is a switch hitter and he's a catcher with a decent bat and an average OBP. A few teams could platoon him -- say, the Yankees -- and get decent return for their trade. It doesn't help that Ricciardi seems bent on destroying Zaun's value before trading him. Saying "no one wants you, dude" is not exactly the best way to get people to, you know, want your player.
