The Beane Triumvirate
by Matthew NameeMarch 30, 2004
A few weeks ago, Billy Beane and the A's sold minor league veteran Jose Flores to Paul DePodesta and the Dodgers. The deal was of note not because of the player involved, but because of what the transaction symbolized -- Billy and J.P. have a new member of their little club. The dealings between the trio continued today, this time between Ricciardi and DePo -- Blue Jays outfielder Jayson Werth was shipped L.A. in exchange for RHP Jason Frasor.
I'm wondering, is there any historical precedent for this? In the past, were there ever teams that were incredibly frequent trading partners not by mere chance, but by design? I might be missing something obvious, but I can't think of anybody off-hand.
Well, wait a second... Here's your answer -- the Yankees and the Kansas City A's. Most people think the A's just got fleeced by the Yankees, but actually, Kansas City got some good players in return. I suppose it's not exactly the same situation as Oakland-Toronto (and now L.A.), but it's close enough.
Matthew Namee cofounded The Hardball Times in 2004, when he was working as the assistant to baseball author and Red Sox executive Bill James. Matthew still lives in Kansas, where he is currently pursuing a law degree. He can be reached at mfnamee [at] gmail [dot] com.