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I agree - we aren't that far apart.
I will concede that my comment on GM-speak may be a bit hyperbolic. But, did the club say that they got Gut because he was a great defender in public because that is what they wanted -- or did they say it to send a signal to the hoarde of lollygaggers who had been sleep-defending in 2008 that they better wakeup?
My point is not that GMs lie: (the outright lie will almost always come back and bite you). My point is that what they say in public is almost always for EFFECT. It is for the benefit of those listening, which include the media, the fans, and the players.
So, having established that your club UBER-values defense, when Washington calls up to see if you have any interest in Dunn -- you can (in theory) USE that position to drive the price down.
Prior to Milton Bradley, every move had been someone who was viewed as a "great clubhouse guy". You don't think Z utilized that to his advantage?
Posturing is part of the GM job description.
Me? I think Z believes in good defense. But, I think he has purposefully hyped that position in order to scare the deadweight defensive players in the organization to rid themselves of the notion of veteran entitlement from the previous regime. And, in order to maintain his gains, he cannot move "radically" away from the stance w/o undoing the good.
But, I think he'd jump at a cheap big bat who was defensively neutral, should one appear.