DANNY ONEIL

Russell Wilson’s trade to Yankees remains … odd

Feb 8, 2018, 10:43 AM | Updated: 10:50 am

russell wilson, seahawks...

The Rangers traded Russell Wilson's baseball rights to the Yankees Wednesday. (AP)

(AP)

So Russell Wilson has been traded to the New York Yankees (wink, wink).

I mean, he’s not played professional baseball in the past six years. He’s not planning to play professional baseball for the next six years, either, but there it was as an official transaction: N.Y. Yankees acquire IF Russell Wilson from Rangers in exchange for future considerations.

What will be the challenges of Dee Gordon’s transition to CF?

Ouch. Sorry. I just sprained one of my eyes because I rolled them so hard.

If Wilson wants to indulge some fantasy life that he’s actually still a baseball player, it’s his prerogative. And if this really brings him even the slightest sliver of happiness because he once predicted to his father that he’d be a Yankee, then have at it. Or if it’s ammunition to tell the Nickelodeon audience to never give up on your dreams – which is an obviously worthwhile message – go right ahead.

But here at the adult table, where we talked about things that either occurred or have a chance of occurring, this is not only a farce, but a pretty naked attempt to generate headlines and photo opportunities for a guy who – let’s be honest – doesn’t need to create them.

Wilson is like the keynote speaker who’s being given an honorary degree from the college he’s talking at, and while there’s nothing wrong with that, it shouldn’t be mistaken as an achievement, either.

And remains odd to me that a guy who has accomplished as much as Wilson has, and is (deservedly) considered one of the five best in the world at what is considered the hardest position in professional sports, feels the need to sustain this “World of Make Believe” where he’s still a baseball player.

Bo Jackson was a two-sport athlete. So was Deion Sanders.

Wilson was a low-minors prospect who struck out in one-third of his at-bats at the Class A level before becoming one of the greatest quarterbacks of his generation, but has now managed to be traded twice since he stopped playing the sport so he can put on a team’s hat and take a few ground balls.

Ouch. Sorry. Just sprained my other eye.

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