It's not quite a preview, I guess. Don't be so literal.
Here's a snippet from a past reality:
Jon Daniels: Hey, do you want to take Adrian Gonzalez off our hands? He was a first overall pick in the draft, but he’s only been productive in the minors. What a disappointment. Plus, I have a crippling fear of the letter "Z" – I’m in medical journals and everything.Kevin Towers: Uh, okay.
Jon Daniels: We’ll give you the only pitcher in the past decade to pitch well for us, too. Really tall people give me the willies.
Towers: Uh, okay.
Daniels: All we want in exchange is a brittle right-hander under contract for one more year and a sore-armed reliever who will pitch 90 innings for us over the next two years.
Towers: Uh, okay.
Daniels hangs up the phone, and sits back in his chair
Daniels: Jon, old boy, you are a mesmerizing, brilliant man who is not afraid to take advantage of a peer.
...and from an alternate Reality:
Jon Daniels: Hey, Sabes, you can just have this Adrian Gonzalez guy. I’m tired of waiting for him.Brian Sabean: Gonzalez? Never heard of him. What team was he playing for in ’96?
Daniels: I think he was in middle school.
Sabean: Wait, he’s a young player? (makes sign of the cross) Yeah, this isn’t my first rodeo. Find another sucker.
Daniels: I’ll throw in Chris Young too! That’ll help you replace Jason Schmidt.
Sabean: Schmidt? Where’s he going?
Daniels: In the trade to us for Adrian Gonzalez and Chris Young? If you throw in Armando Benites, I’ll throw in this Edinson Volquez guy in the low minors. I have a crippling fear of the letter "Z" – I’m in medical journals and everything.
Sabean: Wait, but Benitez is spelled with a "Z."
click
Sabean: Hello? Hello? Bah. Like I was going to do that anyways. Rubber-armed ace and a proven closer for that flotsam? When I already have J.T. Snow? Ha. Ha, I say.
To be fair, I have no idea if I would have traded Schmidt for Gonzalez and Young in 2006. I’d like to think I would, but I’m not sure. This was just a case of one team having the right parts and being in the right place when another general manager is being silly. But being fair is lame.
Man, how I mildly dislike the Padres. Their park annoys me too – the Giants already have only warning-track power, so they don’t need a park that humiliates them further.
This is the first series of the year in San Diego. Yep. First one. You’d think they’d have played there earlier, but nope. This is the first trip there, alright. So it should be interesting.