ORLANDO, Fla. — To the world, he is Trader Jerry, the whirling dervish of transactions. Barely a conversation goes by when someone doesn’t tease him about when his next deal is going to come.
Asked if that freewheeling-dealing reputation amuses or annoys him, Jerry Dipoto says mostly the former — except when he feels that his M.O. is being misunderstood.
Here’s what Dipoto wants people to know about the 65 or so deals involving more than 125 players he has made in the 26½ months since he became the Mariners’ general manager (including two more during the just-completed winter meetings): He’s not trading just for the sake of trading.