That Sound You Don't Hear Is Teams Lining Up to Trade for Jay Payton

A Baltimore Oriole veteran is surveying the scene at Camden Yards and doesn't like what he sees. The team is going with unproven youngsters all over the diamond and while he's not quite ready to demand a trade elsewhere, he's reserving the right to change his mind. Ah, the sad, sad story of Brian Roberts.

"(GM) Andy MacPhail hasn't said anything to me all spring, outside of hello and goodbye. But that's fine. Who knows, he may be trying to get something done. I'll wait to see if things take off and see what's happening and if I feel it's necessary, I'll go talk to Andy and see what's going on.

What's that you say, Baltimore Sun, it isn't Roberts who wants out? It's Jay Payton? Really? Really!

Sadly for Payton, simple economic theory makes a trade unlikely. There's a disparity between the supply of Paytons (1) and the demand for Paytons (0) in the current marketplace. Such is life for 35-year olds making $5 million without the skills coveted by major league baseball teams.

Payton's ticked because the O's didn't give him a chance to compete for a starting job. My guess is that when they were handing out starting jobs they took a look at his 668 OPS from 2007 and traded for Luke Scott. They'd be lucky to be rid of him, he started a fight in Boston's dugout when they wouldn't trade him in 2005, but, short of a flu epidemic hitting major league outfields, they're stuck with him.