Bleacher Bums Forum

I voted for #2. There's all sorts of evidence that Theo and Jed had in-depth conversations with Dempster, then built their entire trade deadline strategy around his expressed wishes. Whether he lied from the outset, got cold feet or just felt like being the hammer doesn't matter to me. He said he'd do what was best for the Cubs, then didn't. I have no respect for Ryan Dempster. He doesn't deserve to be a Chicago Cub.

That would be a defensible position if we knew that Dempster had gone back on what he said.  But the fact is, no one here knows what Dempster said to Theo and Jed.  Again, for all we know, he told them that he'd be likely to go to any of several contenders, but would wait until the deadline after all conversations with the Dodgers had been exhausted before he'd accept another deal.  Until we have anything that remotely indicates Dempster told the front office that he'd immediately accept any offer they presented to him, I think you have to make huge, possibly incorrect assumptions to decide he lied or went back on his word.

I selected option #4, because we just don't have the information to make the judgment that he went back on his word.  But #3 is also a good choice, because the statements to the media that we do have left it vague as to whether or not he'd reject a trade.  I don't blame the media (it's not their fault someone on the Braves side failed to keep their mouth shut).