Ruben Amaro Used Trademark “Devastation” Technique while Informing Vance Worley of Trade

As well saw in Moneyball, trades are executed with straight forward candor and professionalism.

Ruben Amaro takes it a step further, apparently, and uses a sort of “general disgust with human emotion” technique that leaves people feeling like “a piece of meat.”

Months after Vance Worley was packaged up with prospect DJ Hey Beef and traded to Minnesota for Ben Revere, we are learning all the sultry details of the exchange.  For instance, Minnesota is cold.  Gross.  But also, Vance Worley did not want to be traded, and wanted it even less after a frank discussion with his suddenly former GM.

"“What am I going to do? I just shipped everything out here from California. I have to ship that back. I have to ship my cars out of here because I want nothing to do with Philadelphia right now.”“That’s his job and I’m just a piece of meat getting passed around right now. It is what is, and hopefully one day I do make it back out.”—Vance Worley, per David Murphy"

Ruben gave Vance, who had planned to propose to his fiancee that day, the standard severance package of compliments – “Best of luck, you’re great, maybe we’ll see you again one day, there should be several armed Phanatics there now to escort you off the premises.”

And Ben Revere is a terrific addition; perhaps the only celebrated offseason move Ruben made, but it didn’t come without a price.  Knowing Ruben handled Vance’s trade with all the warmth of an industrial wheat thresher just makes it all the more sour.  On the other hand, we all know what a cold, impersonal guy Vance was.

But if Ruben hadn’t cared at all, he would have just sent security into the weight room to drag Vance out to the curb, where his things were already packed up and in the trunk of a taxi.  It’s pretty standard practice.  When Brett Myers was traded, he actually woke up to several hooded Phanatics standing over his bed going “Shhhhhhhhhhh.”