They spin a revolver in the middle of a table. Wherever the gun points when it stops gets to shoot whomever he wishes.  Then he picks a player he wants and gives whatever he wants to give.

It's business as usual at Kramerica.

I guess getting traded is a mixed bag.  On some level it means your employer doesn't want you anymore or no longer values you much.  On another level, I guess it means that someone else does.  I suppose the players have learned not to personalize such things but still no one likes to be undervalued.  I could see where it might be a real issue if you were one of three people who are being traded off in exchange for one other player from a differernt team.  Not only are you only worth 1/3 of what some one else is but now you have to uproot your wife and children moving them halfway across the country somewhere. She is screaming that she does not want to move away from her family and friends.  The kids are crying that they don't want to change school and your boss/employer doesn't think you are worth much.  Once you get there you have to play against your old buddies.  Sounds rather dismal.  On the other hand, what with the salaries some of these guys are making, I suppose they can put up with quite a bit of inconvenience.

Yeah, I would certainly put up with a lot of hassels for $500,000.  It could certainly help any "hard feelings."  Still we are all human so on some level, no one likes the idea that he is no longer considered so valuable anymore.  It is just human nature.  That is why I asked if they could just outright buy a player from another team for hard cash vs human flesh, so to speak.  Say someone from the Yankees management sees Goldielocks and thinks (as I do) - hey this guy is pretty good - young, strong (God, dead lifts 512 lbs), good endurance, good discipline, etc. etc.  You get the picture.  Can the team management say "I'll give you xyz bucks for him" or are they required to trade someone? 

Also can they just go out and hire someone  without going through the whole formality of the draft thing?  Can someone just go out to somewhere, say to a college or whatever and see a player he likes then simply approach the man as to whether he would like to come and work for him i.e. become a team member?    What if even a manager (or whoever does this sort of thing) sees someone playing at some non-pro setting somewhere - not even college just some community venue somewhere - and decides that this person has excellent potential i.e. he can be trained to become a good player.  Can he just approach and hire the person?