Did not trade LHP Aaron Laffey to Anyone for Anything

Did not acquire 3B Garret Atkins from the Colorado Rockies for LHP Aaron Laffey or Anyone Else

Did not discuss trading LHP Aaron Laffey at any point this season

Did not even get quoted off-the-record about trading LHP Aaron Laffey

Did not trade LHP Aaron Laffey

Would be crazy to trade LHP Aaron Laffey

Will badly need LHP Aaron Laffey next season when Sabathia and Byrd are gone

Will not be trading LHP Aaron Laffey

I hope this clears things up.

Why is this even a story?

This started with Buster Olney, who wrote this on his blog last week:

Down the road, one possible move that might make some sense (and to be clear, this is pure speculation): If Colorado eventually turns the page on 2008, the Indians and the Rockies could match up well in a deal built around Garrett Atkins. The Rockies have a third baseman waiting in the wings, in Ian Stewart -- although he is not faring well so far -- and the Indians, as they look for ways to improve their offense, are flexible at first and third base.

Note that Olney:

1. Makes very clear that this is pure speculation
2. Never mentions Aaron Laffey

So how did Olney's idle speculation which has nothing to do with Aaron Laffey somehow morph into a persistent mumbling that Aaron Laffey might get traded?

Well, the non-news site MLB Trade Rumors picked up on the Olney "story" — that is, the "story" that Olney had engaged in "pure speculation" about something — and yes, that's right, people, that's not a story, and in fact, it's not even a rumor.  Nevertheless, no scrap is too slight to bear repeating on MLB Trade Rumors, so they dutifully reported the non-story and non-rumor of Olney's "pure speculation."  They then added this:

What would it take for the Indians to acquire Atkins?  Adam Miller would be too much.  Would Aaron Laffey and Josh Barfield be enough?

Please Note:  For those who are sloppy readers or just skimming the site, just because I'm blockquoting the above doesn't make it true.  It's not true, and not only is it not true, it's totally idiotic.  I'm just blockquoting it because that's what we do here when we're posting a section of anothe article.  So the first paragraph of this blockquote is not true, not valid and not important.

From there, it apparently got picked up by someone or other on sports radio, and we know what tremendous standards of reportage those guys have, plus at least one other blog I've never heard of (and here's a hint, buddy, if you're not reporting anything, then it isn't really a "Report," now, is it?).

Let us be clear about something:  MLB Trade Rumors is not a news site, just as this site right here is not a news site.  We convey news about the Indians, but only as reported by other major news outlets (or, of course, on Facebook).

So the fact that something appears on MLB Trade Rumors doesn't make it a real story.  All they do is post links to other people reporting stuff — and sometimes, they're not even links to reports.  It could be links to rumors, or things being reported as being rumored, or even just idle speculation, as in this case.

This story?  Not only is it not a story, it's not even a rumor.  And not only is it not a rumor, even if it were a rumor, Aaron Laffey isn't even in it!

UPDATE:  MLB Trade Rumor's creator, Tim Dierkes, points out that the word "speculation" was prominent in the headline of this entry on his site:  "Olney Speculation:  Atkins A Fit For Indians?"  A fair point, but my point was not to say that MLB Trade Rumors was at fault per se, but rather that they're part of a whole system that spread misinformation in this instance, whether or not that's their intent, and it's fair to say that this is a regular occurrence. [Jay]

So, to recap:

• We are not trading for Garret Atkins.
• Nobody has reported that we are trading for Garret Atkins.
• There is no rumor that we are trading for Garret Atkins.
• Nobody has reported that there is a rumor that we are trading for Garret Atkins.
• Only one guy has even speculated that the Indians might be a team that would like to have Garret Atkins.
• That one guy doesn't know much about the Indians, or putting together a ballclub, or OPS+.
• Aaron Laffey is not being traded.
• Nobody has reported that Aaron Laffey is being traded.
• There is no rumor that Aaron Laffey is being traded.
• Nobody has reported that there is a rumor that Aaron Laffey is being traded.
• Nobody has speculated that Aaron Laffey is being traded.
• Even the guy who speculated that the Indians might want Garret Atkins didn't say that the Indians will or would or should trade Aaron Laffey to get him, or to get anybody else.
• Only one web site has suggested that the Indians should consider trading Laffey for Atkins, and that web site just regurgitates web links and has no original sources of any kind.
• And their analysis is stupid.
• And Aaron Laffey is not being traded.

So ... Olney ... MLBTR ... blog I've never heard of ... you all speculated on something stupid, and repeated and linked it mindlessly, and now it's become a rumor based on nothing.  Nice work, people.