With the major-league trade dealing just 11 days away, it's a busy time for any general manager.But Milwaukee GM Doug Melvin is not pleased with the inordinate amount of time he spends explaining what he is not doing.
Thursday, Melvin slammed the "freaking geeks" who spread what he considers unsubstantiated rumors on the Internet and sports radio, the latest of which had the Brewers trading reliever Matt Wise, outfielder Tony Gwynn and a minor league infield prospect to Cincinnati for outfielder Adam Dunn (pictured).
"I've taken more calls deflecting these kind of rumors than I have talking to GMs," Melvin said with a mixture of amusement, exasperation and resignation.
This latest rumor cropped up on a blog sponsored by a Cincinnati sports talk station. The item was picked up by a Milwaukee sports talk station and a variety of Web sites, which created a wave of momentum.
"There's nothing to it," Melvin said. "I haven't talked to anyone from Cincinnati in two weeks."
While the addition of Dunn certainly would add some power to the Brewers' lineup, a deal for the home run hitter (26) who leads the majors in strikeouts (113) is questionable on a number of fronts unless it's just the first trade in a series of deals.
"What would we do with Jenkins and Mench?" Melvin asked about his veteran left-handed hitting and right-handed hitting outfielders who share time in left field.
Melvin also has been very specific about his desires approaching the trade line. He is looking for pitching depth, especially in the bullpen, and trading one of his reliable relievers doesn't exactly fit his needs.
Wise heard about the rumor after pitching three innings for the save and getting an infield hit in the Brewers' 10-1 win over Arizona Thursday at Miller Park. "With my offensive presence, they better be getting a lot for me," he joked.
Gwynn heard from a friend who called him just before game time. "Didn't make a lot of sense to me," he said after going 2-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored in the victory.
By mid-afternoon Thursday, the Cincinnati-based blogger was begging readers to "please stop" calling the Reds about the trade. "Nobody says it has happened or will happen," the blogger wrote.
Courtesy of Vic Feuerherd in today's Wisconsin State Journal:
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