Rumors of Dontrelle Willis deal “totally erroneous”
The Dirt: The Daily News is reporting that a rumored deal between the Yankees, Phillies, & Marlins which included Dontrelle Willis is just that - a rumor.
There was plenty of speculation yesterday that the Yankees, Phillies and Marlins were working on a three-way deal that would put Pat Burrell in pinstripes, send Dontrelle Willis to Philadelphia and stock the low-budget Marlins with prospects, but the trade talk was quickly shot down.One Marlins official labeled the chatter “totally erroneous,” and the Marlins are becoming increasingly frustrated with reports that they plan to deal Willis.
The Spin: As strong as the rumors were that Willis was about to be traded, a number or refuting reports have surfaced recently. In order for the Marlins to stay in Florida, they will need to build a new stadium. In order to build a new stadium, they need fans in the seats. And that’s a problem already; getting rid of the face of the franchise is only going to make it worse. Now the question is whether or not the Marlins really want to stay in Florida, or if they’d rather go to Portland or Las Vegas - the two most likely destinations. Because they will have to do a lot more than just hold onto their star player, and they don’t seem to be in a big hurry.
