The Vast Right-Field Conspiracy

Sosa was officially unveiled yesterday.

The Baltimore Sun provides a full anatomy and time-line of the deal, which might be an attempt to quash the conspiracy theories floating around.

In a similar vein, the Post has a parallel story, told from the Nats perspective.

How close did the Washington Nationals come to getting Sammy Sosa from the Chicago Cubs, before the Baltimore Orioles ultimately did? Close enough that the Cubs made it clear they would have sent him to Washington for less money than the Orioles ultimately paid. Close enough that the Nationals concluded they could have fit Sosa into their 2005 payroll budget. Close enough that Sosa told close friends he had a choice between Washington and Baltimore.

"He was pretty close" to coming to Washington, said Nationals right fielder Jose Guillen, a close friend who has spoken to Sosa frequently in recent weeks. "It just came down to his decision, Baltimore or Washington. We almost got him, but he just decided to go over there." ...

A source familiar with the trade discussions between the Cubs and Nationals -- which began at December's winter meetings -- said the Cubs offered to eat more of Sosa's contract, in order to allow the Nationals to squeeze him into their MLB-mandated payroll, if the Nationals would part with better talent than the Orioles' gave up.

The proposed deal, Tavares said, "wouldn't have caused a problem" for the team, in terms of finances.

But more importanly:

Under this conspiracy theory, MLB and Commissioner Bud Selig supposedly steered Sosa to the Orioles as a way to placate Angelos -- something officials from the Orioles, Nationals and the commissioner's office have denied categorically.

"It's total bull," Tavares said. "I don't know where [people are] coming up with this."

Bob DuPuy, baseball's president and chief operating officer, called it "palpable nonsense." DuPuy said he was informed at one point by Tavares that "the Nationals weren't interested in the Sosa deal."

But if it really were a conspiracy, would they admit to it? (Insert Creepy Music)

I work in a building that housed the Warren Commission. I know a thing or two about conspiracies. You're not fooling me, Dupuy!