» Helms Goes Back to Florida for Cash or Player Named Later

Helms Goes Back to Florida for Cash or Player Named Later

John McDonald Wes Helms Harry Chiti

This piece of news has not yet made it around the horn in blogosphere. The Phillies announced late Saturday that 3rd baseman Wes Helms, who had been designated for assignment with the acquisition of Rudy Seanez, has been traded back to the Florida Marlins with whom he played in the 2006 season. It was surprising that the Marlins didn’t wait out the 10 day period of “designation for assignment” after which they could have claimed Helms without payment to the Phils.

The wording used by both MLB.com’s Ken Mandel and by Philly.com’s Todd Zolecki to describe the trade;

For cash considerations or a player to be named later.

It remains unclear if the Marlins will compensate the Phillies for a substantial portion of Helm’s remuneration which Todd Zolecki reports is;

$2.9 million salary, which includes a $750,000 buyout for a 2009 club option

or whether Helms was traded for a player to be named later.

There are numerous humorous stories about “future considerations” and players to be named later such as John McDonald who the Toronto Blue Jays traded to the Detroit Tigers in the middle of the 2005 season for for future considerations.

As the Wikipedia entry on John McDonald later notes;

McDonald was then given back to the Blue Jays following the 2005 season to complete the exchange.

In all, McDonald either came or went from the Blue Jays three times in the space of a year.

Meanwhile, Jamey Newberg of texasrangers.com wrote two years ago noting several other instances of trades for players to be named later, including two other players traded for future considerations — themeselves;

In August of 1987, former Ranger [and former Phillie] right-hander Dickie Noles was sent by the Cubs to Detroit for a player to be named later, only to be returned to Chicago after the season ended, completing the deal. And in 1962, Cleveland traded catcher Harry Chiti — 3-year-old Dom’s father — to the Mets for a player to be named later, who turned out in June to be Chiti himself.

So, if it turns out that the Phillies traded Helms, who has travelled the Florida to Philly route once already, for future considerations rather than for cash, it’s possible that we might not have seen the last of Helms in Philly red pin-stripes.

Stay tuned…

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