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Doc you have been making this same point recently about wishing the M's would focus more on what they are GETTING in trades vs what they are GIVING UP. Your point finally clicked with me thinking about this Rosenthal piece...that the worst and most scarring trades of M's history can be looked at from two different angles. The M's themselves (clearly) and most of us fans tend to fixate on what we gave up - Choo, Cab, Jones...we've all got PTSD that we're going to do it again and lose another generation of our top talent. But from a different angle, the problem with those trades is we didn't get back what we were hoping for. Bedard was injury prone and didn't continue to be the #1 starter in MLB*. Broussard and Perez didn't hit. Smoak hasn't hit enough. Etc.
Reality is, in a fair trade you SHOULD lose something that hurts, if you expect to get something good back. Teams have different needs at different times, that's what makes a real trade market. We ought to focus less on the losses, and more on getting what we want in return. Z appears to be a bit paralyzed by loss aversion, and not having any *FUN* wheeling and dealing for the guys HE wants. Does he even really know who he wants? (I think the answer is NO, which is the main thesis of the Rosenthal piece (and in a way the Baker piece), and which suggests he is not fit to be our GM long term.)
Of course, Lincoln is a significant part of the problem too because...when your boss doesn't fundamentally understand the business you're in and has no clue what a good decision or process actually looks like...but he nonetheless controls the budget and your livelihood...it's pretty hard to be a confident shot caller. Whatever you think of Wedge, I say give him credit, that he played it straight and went out on his terms.
Good stuff, now Z...make me look like an idiot and get something good done!!