Monday, January 29, 2007

Highway to Helton is A Dead End

With help from Rockies CEO Charlie Monfort, the Todd Helton to Boston deal has officially fallen apart.

"This is not a trade that we were anxious to complete, but we are always exploring ways to improve our team," Monfort said. "Discussions like these regarding a player of Todd's talent and character are never easy, and it's not surprising we were not able to reach an agreement. Todd has been and will continue to be an important part of our franchise, and we can't wait to see him with the rest of the Rockies in Tucson."

The Rockies, who train in Arizona, added that there will be no further discussions.

The second stumbling block was which prospects would have headed to Colorado as part of any package. The Rockies were said to be asking for young pitching, with Hansen, Delcarmen, Clay Buchholz and Jon Lester rumored to be discussed.

The Boston Herald reported on Monday that Josh Beckett, while watching the movie "Fever Pitch" over the weekend at his Florida home, had thrown his support behind the left-handed-hitting slugger. On Monday, another Sox pitcher, Curt Schilling, called Helton "the toughest out, by far" he's ever faced in the Majors.

Aw, poor Schill. I guess his "toughest out" will remain in a competitor's uniform. Even those Yankee fans who downplayed Helton as the benefactor of a little league home-park are relieved his bat was not added to Boston's lineup.

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