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Conflicting trade stories swirl around Reds

There's a couple odd things swirling around Cincinnati about the potential trades that the team might have made. Two prominent, national columnists are saying the Reds nearly traded Griffey and Dunn, while DOB says exactly the opposite. Let's examine the statements.

For the sake of the argument, I am going to let DOB go first, because he has a pretty blanked statement.

Numerous stories, some cited below, all say that Dunn was not going to be traded. He was told this, and DOB told the press this. He didn't leave himself much wiggle room.

Then, here comes USA Today:

The White Sox, whose deal for Ken Griffey Jr. (for three minor league prospects) was killed by Reds owner Carl Lindner last weekend, would revisit their trade talks if Griffey clears waivers in August

And here's what DOB, Junior, and Junior's agent told Hal.

Ken Griffey Jr. was not traded. Period. Paragraph. End of story.

A report in USA Today said that Griffey was traded to the Chicago White Sox on Saturday, but that Cincinnati Reds CEO Carl Lindner squashed the deal.

The report was denied Wednesday by Reds General Manager Dan O'Brien, Griffey, Brian Goldberg (Griffey's Cincinnati-based agent) and White Sox officials.

"My reaction is short and sweet," said O'Brien. "Throughout July we had no conversations with Griffey or his agent about his 10-and-5 status, and that says it all. We were consistent in indicating we wanted to keep our outfield intact, and that's where it stands."

Griffey said he hadn't heard word one about a trade.

"I heard the White Sox were interested in me, and that's a very good team," said Griffey. "But ... spring training in Tucson?"

For the Reds to trade Griffey anywhere, they need his approval, and Griffey was genuinely surprised when asked if he heard he was traded to the White Sox.

"I hadn't heard that," he said. "I hadn't heard about any kind of trade. But I did think it odd that the front office told Kent Mercker, David Weathers and Adam Dunn they wouldn't be traded, but nobody said anything to me. And nobody asked me or my agent anything about going to any other team."

Griffey has given the Reds a list of, "Three or four teams," to which he would accept a trade and the White Sox are not on that list.

Griffey's agent, Goldberg, was as surprised as Griffey by the report.

"Not anything to it," he said. "Conversations I had with the Reds recently revealed that nothing was up as far as trades other than a couple of inquiries. They told me he was going to remain with the Reds.

"And they never came to us to ask whether Junior would accept a trade," Goldberg added.

Much was made of the fact Griffey wasn't in Sunday's lineup, the day of the trade deadline, "But they told me Friday I wasn't going to play Sunday and I told all my friends and relatives so they wouldn't think I was traded," he said.

Now, let's move to Adam Dunn. Peter Gammons, the insufferable gasbag who passes on more speculation and aimless banter, and who gets used more than any other reporter in the world, reports this:

Manny would have gone to the Mets; Hanley Ramirez and Mets players would have gone to Tampa Bay; Lastings Milledge and Anibel Sanchez would have gone to Cincinnati; and Boston would have received Cameron, Dunn, Aubrey Huff and Trever Miller. Tampa Bay had killed it by Saturday morning by reminding people why they are the worst franchise in modern baseball history and upping requests.

And yet, Dunn was told he wouldn't be traded.

I don't really know who to believe. I guess I believe O'Brian more than Gammons and USA Today. Those guys really will report anything. Passing trade rumors is what they do...if it wasn't for that, there'd be dead air. So, you gotta create supply, and not worry if there's demand.