Alex Rios being placed on waivers must have confused two Major League general managers into saying stupid thing.

Kenny Williams, the White Sox GM, first said I want him when it came to claiming Rios off waivers. He knew that the Blue Jays could just allow Rios to leave with the $62 or so million remaining on his contract through 2014.

And that they did, letting Rios go to the White Sox for absolutely nothing. The White Sox are adding a player whose career batting line is .285/.335/.451, which is rather mediocre considering his paycheck.

If Rios were producing his career highs every season, it would be difficult to argue he warrants that paycheck. He is hitting .264/.317/.427 this season. Insert your own joke here.

J.P. Ricciardi, the Blue Jays GM lucky enough to lost Rios and his burdensome contract, was on the record as to saying that this wasn't a salary dump.

Let's take a look at that phrase, salary dump. Was Rios being paid a salary? Yes. Did the Blue Jays dump his contract, i.e. move him with getting nothing in return? Yes. This was a salary dump, no matter what spin Ricciardi wants to put on it.

He's had trouble being completely honest with the media in the past and this seems like another instance of that.

Ricciardi should also be worrying about his job. He was the person who signed B.J. Ryan for five years and $47 million for only two good seasons. Ricciardi gave Vernon Wells an albatross, franchise-ruining contract, paying the center fielder superstar money for mediocre production that could have been easily predicted. The Blue Jays still owe $86 million from 2011-2014 to Wells.

And then he botched the Roy Halladay negotiations, not getting a deal done when his pitcher's value was at its highest.

Now, you say, the Phillies didn't want to move both J.A. Happ and Kyle Drabek. Fine, I say, ask for some other prospects. Try to play up the Yankees and Red Sox offers. Look elsewhere for something, even if it's a three-way deal.

Halladay is going to leave the Blue Jays after his contract expires in 2010. After all, he wants to win, which means he wants to play for a team that wins, which means a team that spends a lot of money for its player payroll, which means Halladay wants his money.

Sure, the Blue Jays dumped Rios's contract and made a quality trade to get rid of Scott Rolen and his contract. They could use that money to lock up Halladay, but it doesn't seem as if he'll listen, regardless of the many dollar bills thrown at him.

Credit the White Sox: They are definitely doing their best in going for it, future salaries be damned. They added ex-Padre Jake Peavy and the $56 or so million he's owed in addition to Rios.

Rios could provide plus defense in center field, which should be beneficial considering Jermaine Dye and Carlos Quentin flank him. However, one of Jim Thome or Scott Podsednik or Dye or Quentin will be sitting every night.

---

Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites