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Two things:
1. Once Montero was included and talks with the Yankees got serious, if the Mariners expressly told the Yankees they would not shop the offer, then they deserve the scorn.  However, while the outlines of a deal are in place but negotiations are still in process and yet to be finalized, it would be foolish of the Mariners to make this statement. All further leverage in negotiations would have been suspended. Clearly, if negotiations are continuing, then a team MUST maintain some form of leverage, otherwise it is no more a negotiation. I don't believe the Mariners made such a clear-cut statement, and so the Yankees would have to be aware of the risk of the deal falling through as long as they failed to agree to everything the M's wanted. It's the nature of the beast.
2. The other teams who are reportedly so irked at the Mariners? Where did they get their information as to what actually happened? The Yankees? Of course. Doc, you can take it that the M's remaining tight-lipped is a tacit acknowledgment of the Yankees' version of events. But this is not necessarily so. In fact, it is classic Jack Zduriencik. He will NOT comment on classified information. Period. Even if it means he suffers the wrath of the Yankees in silence. Let me put this another way. Is there ANYTHING in Jack's tenure here that would lead us to believe he would do something he believed was unethical baseball-wise? I think not. Now it is possible that the Yankees think he did while Jack thinks he did not. That's just a difference of opinion.
In the end, I choose to believe what my experience so far with Jack tells me, that he played hardball, but hardball by the rules. The Yankees see it differently. Who made them kings? Oh yeah, baseball did. Well here's mud in your eye, your Highnesses?!