Look at All These Rumors Running Aaron Rowand Every Day

Is this what Aaron Rowand gets for slamming his face into a fence and breaking his nose? Trade rumors have been following Rowand around lately, from the one about the White Sox for relief pitching, to the one about the Blue Jays with Jon Lieber for Alex Rios. How is Aaron handling it?

"I've only been traded once in my career," said Rowand, who was a supplemental pick for Chicago in 1998 and came to Philadelphia in 2005 in the trade that sent Jim Thome to the Windy City. "I've been in three or four rumors each winter. There's nothing you can do about that. It's kind of flattering that another team wants you and that (the Phillies) want me and will only trade me for the right deal."

It had better be the right deal for the Phillies' sake, and not one of those Bobby Abreu for a ham sandwich type deals like the one Pat Gillick made last season. Alex Rios might turn out to be a special talent ... or he might not. And the Phillies could sure use the middle relief that the White Sox would offer. But Aaron Rowand planted his face in a fence, and subsequently had the best selling merchandise in Philadelphia for a while. Guys like that don't grow on trees (they are, however, manufactured in a remote steel mill in Pennsylvania). The Mets were never the same after trading Lenny Dykstra to Philadelphia many moons ago, so the Phillies of all teams should realize the value a guy like this has.