A similar issue arose from a March 15 article by ESPN the Magazine’s senior writer, Buster Olney.
He reported that the Philadelphia Phillies had had internal discussions about trading Ryan Howard for the St.
Louis Cardinals’ Albert Pujols. Wrote Olney, “It’s not fully clear whether the Phillies actually have approached
the Cardinals with the idea, and even if St. Louis were to seriously consider such an offer, executives with
the Cardinals would have to swallow very hard before dealing Pujols, a player widely regarded as the best in
the sport” (Olney 2). The report brought contradictory claims from members of the Phillies. General Manager
Ruben Amaro told Olney the rumors were “Lies. That’s a lie. I don’t know who you’re talking to, but that’s a lie”
(Olney 2). Olney ultimately took a lot of heat for publishing his source’s information