Buster Olney Weighs in on the Cameron Deal

On ESPN insider, Buster Olney has yet another view on the Mike Cameron deal:

Buster feels the Mets should have been able to get more for Cameron, despite the injury. There is a shortage of quality center fielders in MLB and several teams desperately looking to acquire one. Olney quotes an executive from another team:

I heard they were talking about [a Cameron - Nady deal], but I couldn't believe it was true. Now I wish I had called and offered to make a deal for him and then moved him to another team, because you could've gotten a lot more for him.

Olney also points out that Nady isn't that young at 27, and has failed to prove that he can hit right-handed pitching in 3+ years in the majors. Olney also feels that the Padres will really struggle this year and speculates that there is a "50-50" chance that the Padres deal Cameron to the Yankees by the trade deadline next year. (Do you wonder why so many Mets fans dislike you, Buster?)

My purpose here isn't to beat this thing to death. It's a done deal -- provided physicals are passed -- but it's amazing the range of opinion on this trade. I'm sticking with my original thoughts: I think Omar could have gotten more (but not a ton more) if he'd been more patient, and I don't believe Xavier Nady will be playing for the Mets in 2006. I think the Red Sox weren't interested in Cameron, and that Nady is a chip for a deal for Ramirez, Aubrey Huff or Carlos Delgado. Speaking of Delgado, this is one that just won't go away, the rumor that keeps coming back.