It's easy to imagine that terrible people like Jeffrey Loria are masterminds with secret plans and evil lairs stocked with military-grade surveillance equipment. But as we learned with Frank McCourt, most guys like this are just petty cons who got lucky a bunch of times in a row. Loria is a venal idiot, only just capable enough to maintain the protection of MLB ownership.

Jose, if anyone named Jeff works for the Blue Jays, keep your distance!

I have a hard time feeling bad for anyone gullible enough to believe anything Jeff Loria says. In fact, if Reyes had been on the ball he'd have gone home and called the movers to start packing up his stuff as soon as Loria suggested he buy a house in Miami.

I'm shocked. SHOCKED!!

The next sentence HAD to be, "I've got this estate down in the Everglades, lake-front property José. Let me call my agent..."

If the conversation happened as Jose stated, you have to wonder what the heck Loria was thinking. How often does the team owner have dinner with a player? It seems like a terrible idea because the owner is being put on the spot to be either a liar or very callous if "shop talk" comes up. If it was a group dinner with the coaching staff and players I could understand.
I'm sure free agents will continue to sign with the Marlins if the price is right, but the price goes up every time one of these stories comes out.

I'm sure free agents will continue to sign with the Marlins if the price is right, but the price goes up every time one of these stories comes out.

Any high profile player is going to insist on the NTC.

Any high profile player is going to insist on the NTC.

Of course, that would run the risk of being stuck on the Marlins for a long time.

From what I hear buying property in Florida isn't such a bad deal right now.

Rule number one: Never trust Loria.

Of course, that would run the risk of being stuck on the Marlins for a long time.

The NTC is only binding on the team. The player can always waive it.

Hey, a douche did a douche thing. Then, he wiped his ass. This is about as surprising as Adrian Gonzalez suggesting that the Red Sox are being run by monkeys flinging poop.

Owners don't necessarily know about trades ahead of time, do they?

When it involves that much money? Yeah, they do.

It weirds me out when we have articles like this and people stumble over each other to say that it's not surprising or its not shocking. Who ever said it was. Something does not have to be a surprise to be interesting.

The shocked, shocked meme is the worst in history.

...and should have its children taken away.

The shocked, shocked meme is the worst in history.

Pretty strong words, considering the source.

Marlins owner: I never told Reyes to buy a house in Miami

N.Y. POST STAFF REPORT
Last Updated: 4:24 PM, February 26, 2013 [...]

"He was looking for a house. I will tell you that he came to an ALS dinner which I invited him to. He sat two people away from me. He came late. I asked him what he was doing in the next week. He told me he was going to Dubai. I said. ‘Has your wife been down to Miami? He said, 'Yes she has gone down. She is looking for a home.' I didn’t say anything after that." [...]

"Three or four days after [the dinner], [President of Baseball Operations] Larry [Beinfest] came to me with the trade he wanted to do. I immediately called Jose’s agent out of respect for him and said Jose is going to be traded and I want you to call him before he reads about. He hasn’t bought a house yet has he? ‘No, he is contemplating.’ Just call him and let him know," Loria said.

"He was looking for a house. I will tell you that he came to an ALS dinner which I invited him to. He sat two people away from me. He came late."

"So, anyway, this is all being translated into a telegram, right?"

I asked him what he was doing in the next week. He told me he was going to Dubai. I said. ‘Has your wife been down to Miami? He said, 'Yes she has gone down. She is looking for a home.' I didn’t say anything after that."

"Then he said, 'Jose Unit losing charge. Must shut down.'"

One of the more successful guys I knew in NY in the 80s simply told everyone a combination of whatever it was they wanted to hear plus whatever would let him make the most money out of his dealings with them. He got away from it basically because when people found out what he was up to the worst they tended to do was yell and scream, and not brandish weapons. He knew that the law is designed to protect the assets of people with legal title to those assets, and everyone else is pretty much shite out of luck, so that was the basis of his operation. Say anything, get his cut or title in writing, and pass everything on to his lawyers.