Gagne with a Spoon

At first I was concerned that I might be infringing on Bill Simmons ("The Sports Guy") territory here, but then I realized I wasn't going to write about any of the following topics:

"Vegas with the guys is a lot of fun, and you can use sports analogies while you're there!"
"Even though I couldn't hack it writing for the Jimmy Kimmel Live show, I still hang out with Jimmy Kimmel on Sundays to watch football. Did I mention that I know Jimmy Kimmel?"
"I still watch the NBA. Isiah Thomas is a bad GM, Doc Rivers is a bad coach, and my greatest fantasy is for Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Ernie Johnson to simultaneously find out if I'm watertight!"
"Adam Carrolla is really, really funny. No, he really is. Did I mention that I know Adam Carrolla, who knows Jimmy Kimmel?"
"If gambling were legal, here are some shitty NFL picks."

Even though Simmons may have internet monopolies on those specific topics, I think other people are also allowed to write about Boston sports teams. So, without further ado (some would call it stalling) we shall discuss the Boston Red Sox's trade for Eric Gagne.

Faithful reader (intentionally not plural) of my blog will know that I am against the "hired gun" mentality in sports. This trade for Gagne is exactly that. The Sox are getting a rent-a-player, trading away the future for immediate help, to "win now." I guess that's how it is in sports these days. Granted, I don't think any of the players that were traded for Gagne have anything more than marginal major league futures, but part of being a fan of a team is being a fan of the players on the team, and watching them stay together and get better over time. For instance, I have been a co-owner with BRD in fantasy baseball for several teams (such as Jackie Treehorn Presents Logjammin' and The Team of Extraordinary Gentlemen). When BRD was involved in drafting the team, the players became "his" players, and he was interested. The year he was unable to participate in the draft, he didn't participate much with the team because he didn't feel any connection to the players.

In that context, Gagne isn't "my" player. He is a player that was foisted upon me, much like Johan Santana was foisted upon BRD in the 9th round in 2003. Maybe Gagne will be great for the Red Sox. Maybe he'll help them win the World Series. But it will feel like the title was bought rather than earned by developing home-grown players, on a playing field that is relatively level with all the other teams (not just the Yankees). A (more) fair win as opposed to a cheap win. I guess a lot of people root for the team, a city and a logo and not the players. Not me.