23 years ago today...Wells/Sirotka trade

[caulfield12]

https://www.bluebirdbanter.com/2025/1/14/24343286/today-in-blue-jays-history-trade-david-wells-for-mike-sirotka

[Lip Man 1]

Actually the deal was completed and finalized yesterday:

January 14, 2001 - The Sox acquired pitcher David Wells from Toronto basically for pitcher Mike Sirotka.

Over the coming weeks and months, Sirotka and the Blue Jays claimed the Sox knew that Sirotka had a bad arm and couldn’t pitch. Sox G.M. Ken Williams defended himself by saying that he told the Jays he thought Sirotka might be hurt and offered pitcher Jim Parque instead. Commissioner Allan “Bud” Selig ruled in late March that the trade would stand. The whole episode became known as “Shouldergate.”

Wells meanwhile had few good moments with the Sox. He’d beat the Indians opening day in Cleveland after he said fans got him angry by talking about his mother and how he was raised but after that, because of a bad back he barely pitched, winning only five games in total with only 16 starts on the year.

He then caused a major controversy when he went on the radio and said that he didn’t think first baseman Frank Thomas was as badly hurt as he claimed. Thomas would only wind up playing 20 games that year after he tore a triceps muscle diving for a ground ball along the first base line.

Sirotka later claimed the Sox misdiagnosed his injury and the resulting publicity caused Williams to hold a press conference where he defending the White Sox medical staff.