Home MLB The trouble with time travel

The trouble with time travel

by Matt Smith

Playing about with time machines can be disastrous. Two things have brought that to my attention over the last twenty-four hours.

The first was happening to stumble over a repeat of an old Red Dwarf episode last night. It was the one where they go back in time (so that Lister can stock up on curries) and interrupt Lee Harvey Oswald, thus changing the shape of America and, of particular concern to the foursome, the Space Race. Consequently they have to go back in time a bit further, taking J.F.K. with them so that he can shoot himself from the grassy knoll. A very clever and funny episode, it has to be said.

What’s that got to do with baseball? Well, nothing to be honest, but a comment from MLB.com’s Cleveland Indians beat writer just made me think about it again. Anthony Castrovince was discussing the possible departure of C.C. Sabathia, following the news that talks between the reigning AL Cy Young winner and the Tribe have been put on hold. Many have interpreted this to mean that his time in Cleveland is all but over and that he will be hitting the free agent market at the end of the season. Castrovince mentioned that one place Sabathia might like to move to would be San Francisco as he grew up in California; however that’s not likely because of the money they have committed to Barry Zito.

That’s where the time machine entered my head! Imagine if Brian Sabean was given the chance to go back in time and not make the Zito deal.

He could assess his roster, realise they were heading nowhere except for last place in the NL West and decide to keep the money in the bank for someone else. That decision would lead to him going down the rebuilding route, letting the many veterans move on and bringing in some prospects who might be able to contribute in two to three years time. Okay, keep Barry Bonds on for another season so that they can benefit from the 755 money-spinner in ’07, then cut your ties with him and all his baggage. 2007 and 2008 might not be much fun, but Sabean would know that anyway owing to his time travel (although nobody else needed to be able to see into the future to work that out).

When the 2008 season finishes, take that $126m you were going to give to Zito and entice Sabathia back to his home state to front a rotation also including Matt Cain and Tim Lincecum, with several other talented youngsters picked up from your veteran clear out two years previously filling out the roster. Congratulations: you have yourself a potential World Series competitor!

The trouble with messing with the past though is that you focus on the thing you want to change and forget that you distort everything else. If the Giants hadn’t given Zito his $126m, C.C. Sabathia may well have already agreed to an extension with the Indians by now. It’s this contract that is distorting the market, not Johan Santana’s recent deal, and the Indians are the ones paying for it (or not paying, as the case may be).

So if you’re building a time machine right now Brian, sorry but I’ve thought it through and the plan won’t work.

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