Kaat/Millwood Deal Nullified, Players Sent Back September 23, 1999
Upon discovering that Hartford's #1 Ammy pick had already been dealt to
Macon, Kamloops began renegotiations with the Whalers. The following was
Hartford's proposed restructuring of the original deal...
This is the Whalers' proposal:
RHP Kevin Millwood, Punxatawny's #1 FA, Ann Arbor's #1 FA, Whalers #2,
Ammy, Galena's #2 FA, Galena's #3 FA
-For-
CF Angel Kaat, #2 FA
This proposal gave Kamloop's #2 Ammy back so it could participate freely in
the FA Plan as well as have a high second round Ammy pick. The proposal
also added the Whalers' #2 Ammy as well as Galena's #2 and #3 FA picks.
However, the 5 picks (at least 3 of them solid) along with future #2
starters Kevin Millwood did not satisfy Kamloops. Kamloops owner, Paul
Glass, had been seeking the top catching prospect in the game, Jason
Kendall, to go along with Millwood and some picks.
Hartford GM Peter Gammons responded to this suggestion by stating, "Clearly
we intended on building around Kendall, Kaat, Abreu and others. To
surrender the top catching prospect, an extremely rare find indeed, and a
top-flight pitching prospect in Millwood would simply be suicide. In
actuality, upon reflection, we're glad to have all of the picks back."
As so ordered by the league office, who had given the two clubs 7 days to
come to a new agreement, Angel Kaat and Kevin Millwood will return to their
original clubs in one of the most bizarre happenings in PVBL transaction
history.
In closing, Gammons did make sure to state, "We harbor no ill will or
feelings toward Kamloops or its owner Mr. Glass. Our dealings with them
have always been fair and unbiased. The Kamloops organization is run by
consumate professionals."
The lack of the #1 Ammy pick was apparently the foundation of a deal that
was never meant to be. Glass and Gammons had contacted the league office,
in fact, prior to the deal being struck to see if the pick had indeed ever
been dealt. Having received no word from PVBL, Hartford and Kamloops
completed the deal assuming the pick existed for the Whalers had no
previous record of dealing it. Therefore, there was no evil intentions on
either side (or in the league office). In fact, Macon never even picked up
on the error itself, also letting the Kaat deal slip by and the draft pick
as well...unnoticed. Ironically, however, the #1 pick (which is sure to be
a Top 10 pick), was sent to Macon along with RHP Aaron Sele and 2B prospect
Todd Oquendo in return for the "new" cornerstone of the Whalers and
franchise player, 1B Mo Vaughn. Vaughn signed an unprecedented 5-yr, $75
million deal the day before Thanksgiving, seeking to retire in Hartford.
The Whalers are left with the following draft picks, upon the smoke
clearing:
