Aubry Huff Trade Strategy Backfires for Devil Rays

The Devil Rays, contemplating the inevitable trade of 3B/OF Aubrey Huff in the last year of his $7.6 million annual contract, rejected numerous offers from various teams during the Hot Stove League last year, figuring Huff's price would only increase the longer the team waited to deal him. Now prospective trading partners are looking skeptically at Huff and his .185 batting average. Huff's protracted slump makes him somewhat untouchable in the short term unless he demonstrates he can recover his swing, and recover it soon, particularly with suspicions remaining after Huff's stint on the disabled list. Already fallen through, or at least postponed, was a proposed deal two weeks ago in which Huff would have been dealt to the Angels for unnamed prospects. Talks with other teams remain on hold as well.