[WLight]

Originally posted by ghulten
WLight: I don't Montreal's special status is what made them pull the trigger on that deal. Please go back and read the archived ESPN.com articles about the Colon deal that were written last July. That deal was made because Minaya thought Montreal could win the NL East. Simple poor judgement.

I disagree with you. Colon went to Montreal on June 27th, 2002, when Atlanta was 48-30 and Montreal was 41-36, 7 games out of first place and just ahead of Florida at 40-38 and NYM at 39-38.

They didn't trade away Brandon Phillips to make up a 7-game deficit at the All-Star break. Nobody thought they were winning the East; at best they'd be contending for the wild card.

In fact, speaking of archived ESPN articles, here's one that says just that.

The Cleveland Indians figured they had no chance to win this season, even with ace Bartolo Colon. For the Montreal Expos, this might be their last chance.
...
"I hope it sends a message to our fans and players that we are trying to be competitive and trying to make the playoffs,'' Expos general manager Omar Minaya said.
...
The Expos, who escaped baseball's plan to eliminate them in the offseason, have been one of the majors' best success stories this year. Despite a team thrown together in spring training, the Expos are 41-36 and in the middle of the NL wild-card race in what might be their final season in Montreal -- or anywhere.

The story clearly does not imply that the Expos acquired Colon to make a run at the division title. In fact, it indicates that the opposite is true, that they made that deal out of a sense of desperation, that they had one last-ditch chance to make their presence felt. It was an all-or-nothing move, taking into account the widespread doubts about their future, not one simply based on faulty reasoning.


Even better, here's baseball genius Rob Neyer's take on the transaction, quoted in full. I'll let you draw your own conclusions.

A year ago, who'd have thunk it?

Who'd have thunk that in the middle of the summer of 2002, it would be the Expos trading prospects for a star pitcher, and that the Indians would be dumping salary and building for a future that might be two or three seasons down the road?

It's a good move for the Expos, though ... or it would be if they really had a legitimate shot at the postseason. But while one report suggested that the Expos are "in the middle of the NL wild-card race," I'm not so sure.

At this moment, the Expos trail the Giants by three games, the Diamondbacks by five games, and the Dodgers by seven games. Don't you think it's likely that one of those teams will wind up with the wild card? (The Expos also trail the Braves by 6½ games in the NL East race.)

It's also worth noting that while the Expos are five games over .500 at 41-36, they've actually been outscored on the season, with 354 runs allowed to 346 runs scored. That's a sign they may not be as good as their record indicates.

Of course, if this is the Expos' last season they don't have anything to lose, and they should trade all of their prospects in pursuit of one last bit of desperate glory. But until somebody figures out how you can kill a franchise other than the Expos, I'm not at all sure this is their last season.