Sabean's Negotiation Style

Usually I ignore Jim Bowden, but he actually put up a somewhat interesting piece "scouting" each GM's trade-deadline approach. Many of the descriptions are very generic ("professional," "straight shooter," etc), but Sabean's is not:

"Often times will delegate trade negotiations to assistant so he can stay non-biased. Old school that relies heavily on Dick Tidrow and top evaluators. Loyal, hard-working, knows players and has as much character as the players he acquires. Tremendous ability to hire veteran baseball people with special baseball skills."

Emphasis added.

We all new that he delegated contract negotiations to Coletti, but trade negotiations as well? That seems a little weird, to be honest. It's nice to keep an objective view, but I could see why Beane called him the master of the dry hump if this is his style; having an underling without authority to pull the trigger negotiating trades is bound to lead to a lot of false starts. I wonder who the designated negotiator is.

11 months ago Bhaakon 18 comments 1 recs |

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I believe Bobby Evans does a lot of it.

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by Roger on Jul 18, 2011 5:52 AM PDT reply actions

I believe it is Susan.

by joe t on Jul 18, 2011 4:29 PM PDT up reply actions

How would Billy Beane know how Sabean is in trade negotiations when they’ve never made a trade together?

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by rxmeister on Jul 18, 2011 6:36 AM PDT via mobile reply actions

I think the "dry hump" quote indicates there have been negotiations but nothing has...uh...come out of them

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by Goofus on Jul 18, 2011 6:45 AM PDT up reply actions

Why does that make Sabean and not Billy Beane the dry humper? Is asking for too much less dry humpy than refusing to give up too much?

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by sam23 on Jul 18, 2011 6:58 AM PDT up reply actions

Well, there’s also the Ken Rosenthal story that lots of GMs dislike the fact that Sabean won’t return their phone messages, and a recent bit in Extra Baggs about how much he dislikes the new phenomenon of GMs texting trade ideas to each other. There’s an interlocking pattern of evidence to suggest that he doesn’t much like dealing with the new breed, although we do know he can make a trade with Jon Daniels. Also, with whoever’s in charge of the Pirates.

I think it was Buster Olney who recently said that by far the least appreciated (by the public) crucial aspect of trade making is the personal relationships of the GMs. GMs who don’t like each other personally will almost never get a deal done.

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by Roger on Jul 18, 2011 7:40 AM PDT up reply actions

Rosenthal's article

Didn’t it (or Sabean’s response) have a Sabean quote that he ignores a lot of calls from some GMs who only want to waste his time just talking?

I guess no one likes getting dry humped

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by Goofus on Jul 18, 2011 9:34 AM PDT up reply actions

Brian Wilson sure doesn't

He got dry humped a lot last year…

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by ch3zyp00fs on Jul 18, 2011 9:57 AM PDT up reply actions

Yes, and his quotes on the story about GM’s texting was similar: “now they can suggest ridiculous trades without having to hear me yell at them in response.”

I don’t think either of those quotes were likely to make GMs like him more, however. (“Oh, now I get why he doesn’t return my calls! He thinks I’m a freaking moron who’s wasting his time! I never thought about it that way: that’s entirely reasonable!”)

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by Roger on Jul 18, 2011 2:21 PM PDT up reply actions

Whenever I see something about GM's texting, I just remember Theo's LOL Text

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by Gobroks on Jul 18, 2011 5:01 PM PDT up reply actions

Whenever I think of Sabean and text messaging, I imagine him staring intensely at a 20’s-style ticker-tape machine.

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by Bhaakon on Jul 18, 2011 5:51 PM PDT up reply actions

I don’t think that Sabes delegates in the way that Bowden is implying. I think that Sabes delegates somebody to do most of the talking and negotiating with the opposing teams, but I don’t think Sabes is out of the loop at all. I think that he’s heavily involved at this time of the year. He’s directing the negotiators on what to ask for and what to offer. I just don’t think that Sabes likes to engage in the process of negotiating with all of these new GMs and assistants, and he realizes that it’s not one of his strengths so he has a trusted underling handle all the social aspects of the process until near the end. I think that Sabes must step in near the end when things look fruitful and finalizes the deals.

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by Fla-Giant on Jul 18, 2011 1:15 PM PDT reply actions

I’ve actually been wondering if at some point they might not switch some titles around and make Evans GM and Sabean Senior Vice President in charge of Baseball Operations or some such. Perhaps even this winter, since I think its going to be contract extension time for Sabean again at that point. It wouldn’t necessarily change the way the FO operates, but if Evans is the guy who other GMs need to be talking to in negotiations it would at least clarify that matter and it would save Sabean the aggravation of dealing with other GMs, which it doesn’t seem he really like much.

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by Roger on Jul 18, 2011 2:30 PM PDT up reply actions