Trading Mariano Rivera?

[jonumberone]

This has been an interesting year for the Yankees and their fans.
The "Bronx Bombers" are more like the "Bronx Infield Singles".
A myriad of reasons has led to the lack of power.
Mostly injuries are to blame, but some questionable off season moves, powered by their desire to get under the luxury tax next season, have been just as big of a factor.
All the while, they've managed to stay competitive, and in the playoff hunt, thanks to their pitching.
And all the while, we were told the Calvary was coming. Let's face it, they're not coming!!

So, a co-worker posed the question, if you're out of it, do you trade Mariano Rivera?
My first response was "What're you out of your #$&@$!* mind?", but then I started to think on it more.
He's clearly the most valuable Yankee for teams looking to win in the post season.
I'm willing to bet teams would give up a ton to add the one piece they need.
Mariano literally could be the difference between a championship and an early exit.

So here are the big questions:

Does trading Mariano alone hurt his legacy? His Yankee legacy?

Would the Yankees, by trading Mariano to a playoff team, actually be doing him a favor by giving him the opportunity to go out on top, and in the playoffs where he belongs?

If they trade him to another team, and that team wins the World Series, does that hurt his legacy or help it? His Yankee legacy?

The more I think on it, spending 2 months on a different team wouldn't make me love the guy any less.
Just my
What do you think?

[AdamJoshua]

lol They aren't going to trade fruitbat there's no point to it, they won't get enough back for him to make the bad press worth while, they will just throw more money at the team next year, that's how they rebuild / retool (of which they have many ... tools that is).

You can see a team trading a life long player if the player really has something to gain and the team does it out of respect for the play, take the Bruins trading Ray B. to the Avs way back when, they did it so he had a chance to finally win a Cup and he did. Again that was as much a player request more than anything else.

Fruitbat has no other "cups" to hoist, he's happy just hoisting Jeter's ...

[kelmac07]

No to all of the above. He is a lifetime Yankee and should remain a Yankee. Plus, no way in hell he would allow a trade.

[icehog3]

After all he has done for the Yankess, they should trade him for another shot at a WS Ring, without even thinking of what they get in return.

How about to Detroit for Jose Valverde?

[Bruins Fan]

The Red Sox tried to get him last contract.
He used the Sox to get his deal..and the Sox used him to drive the price up on the Yanks

[mosesbotbol]

Winning a WS never hurts one's legacy.

[massphatness]

Rivera would have to go all Aaron Hernandez to hurt his legacy.

Sox need a closer.

[shilala]

Since this is all hypothetical, and I don't think Mo would go anywhere, nor would the Yankees remotely entertain losing the value of the media circus and merchandising surrounding his retirement, I'll just play along for fun...

He's retiring, so it'd be a good deal for the Yankees.
I don't think it'd harm his legacy or his Yankees legacy at all.
I don't think a sixth World Series ring this year would even make me feel that Mo "went out on top." He IS the top. Another would just be another ring. Nothing special (you know what I mean), and not really a cherry on top of his career.
Going to another team wouldn't make me think any less of Mo. Yankees fans would likely b1tch, but who wouldn't?

All in all, looking from every direction I can think of, it'd be a bad move for the Yankees and Mo, both. That's from a fan's perspective.
From a business perspective, if I were the Yanks and the numbers crunched, I'd trade him if he allowed it. I just can't imagine a trade would be more lucrative than a massive retirement celebration.
Mo has become a media darling this year and opened up dramatically. He'd be an absolute star come post-season.

[The Poet]

The way I see it, if the Yankees did trade Mo, to ANYBODY, he'd likely start his retirement the very next day. So yeah, if somebody out there wants to give the Yanks something for zero saves in zero appearances, I'm all for it.

[shilala]

Originally Posted by The Poet

The way I see it, if the Yankees did trade Mo, to ANYBODY, he'd likely start his retirement the very next day. So yeah, if somebody out there wants to give the Yanks something for zero saves in zero appearances, I'm all for it.

I think that's a 100% agreed upon point, Thomas.
Imagine, if you will, that Mo wants to go. Or would. Then what?