David Price said last week that he would not be surprised if Tampa Bay Rays traded him this winter, now that he is eligible for salary arbitration.
Trade David Price? The ace of the staff? A Cy Young winner? It is sad, but likely. Losing top talent such as Carl Crawford and James Shields is a way of life where the pauper-poor Rays have succeeded by trading stars for inexpensive, promising prospects before having to pay market rates for top players.
Price may also be illustrative of something else that happens in small-town Tampa. It is a low-pressure, less-challenging atmosphere. Price, who is college-educated and recognised for his community involvement, nevertheless embarrassed himself with a series of comments and tweets when he faltered in the national spotlight last week.
After losing to Boston Red Sox in the American League Division Series, he lashed out at David Ortiz for admiring a home run, called writers “nerds” and insulted two broadcasters, questioning their insights because they were not the baseball talents he is.
Price apologised for reacting badly when things did not go his way. Of course, he has yet to face intense media critiquing, either, the kind he will receive on a daily basis if he ends up on a large-market team.
Price said he will miss playing for the Rays, should that day come, but he knows that he probably will get a bigger contract somewhere else. Maybe he will be ready for a bigger stage now, too.
sports@thenational.ae
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
Springtime in a Broken Mirror,
Mario Benedetti, Penguin Modern Classics
Abramovich London
A Kensington Palace Gardens house with 15 bedrooms is valued at more than £150 million.
A three-storey penthouse at Chelsea Waterfront bought for £22 million.
Steel company Evraz drops more than 10 per cent in trading after UK officials said it was potentially supplying the Russian military.
Sale of Chelsea Football Club is now impossible.
The specs
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Transmission: seven-speed auto
Power: 420 bhp
Torque: 624Nm
Price: from Dh293,200
On sale: now
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
How to keep control of your emotions
If your investment decisions are being dictated by emotions such as fear, greed, hope, frustration and boredom, it is time for a rethink, Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at online trading platform IG, says.
Greed
Greedy investors trade beyond their means, open more positions than usual or hold on to positions too long to chase an even greater gain. “All too often, they incur a heavy loss and may even wipe out the profit already made.
Tip: Ignore the short-term hype, noise and froth and invest for the long-term plan, based on sound fundamentals.
Fear
The risk of making a loss can cloud decision-making. “This can cause you to close out a position too early, or miss out on a profit by being too afraid to open a trade,” he says.
Tip: Start with a plan, and stick to it. For added security, consider placing stops to reduce any losses and limits to lock in profits.
Hope
While all traders need hope to start trading, excessive optimism can backfire. Too many traders hold on to a losing trade because they believe that it will reverse its trend and become profitable.
Tip: Set realistic goals. Be happy with what you have earned, rather than frustrated by what you could have earned.
Frustration
Traders can get annoyed when the markets have behaved in unexpected ways and generates losses or fails to deliver anticipated gains.
Tip: Accept in advance that asset price movements are completely unpredictable and you will suffer losses at some point. These can be managed, say, by attaching stops and limits to your trades.
Boredom
Too many investors buy and sell because they want something to do. They are trading as entertainment, rather than in the hope of making money. As well as making bad decisions, the extra dealing charges eat into returns.
Tip: Open an online demo account and get your thrills without risking real money.
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